ViOrb - Vista orb, for XP!

[matty0]

ive been using this program for ages now and i thought i would share it with you guys. its basicaly a program that hides the *boring* xp start button and replaces it with an overlayed vista orb! named "ViOrb".

 

This clever little program was developed by Lee-Soft, some of you may know them as the creators of;

"ViStart" (Vista start menu)

"ViSplore" (Vista file manager)

 

anyway, here's a few screens i took 2 show you.

 

This was my origional start button (no it isnt standard, its a theme called "Royale Remixed", i have a patched uxtheme.dll so i can use unsigned themes. if any of you want to know how to do that just ask)

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/Viorb%20Tut/viorbpic1.jpg

 

then after i downloaded ViOrb, this is the standard theme that it comes with

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/Viorb%20Tut/viorbpic2.jpg

 

pretty awesome huh! it uses like no resources and it looks great!

so now im sure your thinking "yeah thats kinda cool... i might try that" but just restrain yourself a moment longer.

 

those of you who know me know i fiddle...a lot... i think i can improve EVERYTHING...i swear its a desise lol.

 

anyway, after a little googling, i found out you can customise what the orb looks like! its entirely run of a .png file stored in the ViOrb installation folder. Here is the standard one for you to have a look at, i think you'll get where im going by now but i'll be thouragh.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/Viorb%20Tut/Original.png

 

now, a little bit of insight, you will notice there are 3 *slightly* different orbs there and they are as follows.

Top = idle (when you don't have your mouse over the start button or have it clicked)

Mid = highlighted (mouse over the orb, not clicked)

Low = clicked (after you click the start button you may notice that it gets a little darker than usual)

 

now, the *photoshoply minded* amoung you will think like i did... "hey i could do a better job of that!" and indeed you can! the developers at lee-soft also created a theme organiser so that you can have as many different themes as you like! you can change it daily if you choose!!!

 

anyway, here's my attempt.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/Viorb%20Tut/viorbpic3.jpg

 

and for those of you who like it, here's the PNG of it. i call it "Apple Remix 2.5" (...took me a while 2 get it that clean)

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z184/mattyBG/Viorb%20Tut/appleremixed25.png

 

anyway. sorry i ramble so much, here are the download links.

 

ViOrb - ViOrb Beta (not released yet) - ViOrb Theme Manager

And a link to where to find a handful of themes HERE

 

now just a couple of final notes for those of you who really like this little app. these r a little technical

 

1) the program does not put a shortcut on the desktop or start menu. so if you want to run the app you might want to make one. to do this, navigate to "C:\Program Files\ViOrb" and you'l find the .exe in there. so right click and copy that, then go 2 your desktop, right click and paste shortcut dont just paste. this creates a little shortcut that you can just run as and when you want to run the app.

 

2) if like me you think this app is really cool and you want it to run automaticaly as soon as you load windows, then go to the same directory as before and copy the app, then go to start/all programs/startup then right click and explore that folder. then simply right click and paste shortcut in there. job done.

 

3) to uninstall the app (i wont ask your reasons) simply navigate to C:\Program Files\ViOrb then double click "Kill App" thats the uninstaller... dunno why they called it that...

 

4) if the app stops responding and it wont work, you might want to close it whilst in windows. to do that simply press Ctrl+Alt+Del thenin task manager "end task" on ViOrb. but when you do that you will notice that the start button just vanishes... thats kinda worse... so to solve this, go over to "processes" in task manager and end task on "explorer" this will make everything on your desktop vanish. now press Ctrl+Alt+Del again then go to file/new task, and then type explorer and then press enter. your back running xp with the standard start button again.

 

5) if you dont really like the Viorb Theme manager, you can do it manualy. to do this navigate to C:\Program Files\ViOrb\Resources and in there you will find a png called "Flag" to swap that for one of your own making, rename that one to something else, then move yours in there and name that flag.

Note: do this while ViOrb is CLOSED. run it after compleating the transaction.

 

 

 

thats all i can b bothered to write... feels like a chuffing essay!

 

anyway there you go, hope it helps.

 

Matty0 x

[Korupt Data]

Nice post m8, i hate XP's ugly start button.. and this works alot better than that resource hog windows blinds.

 

also here are some start orbs i use

 

Vista_Start_Orb___Color_pack.zip

[matty0]

Nice post m8, i hate XP's ugly start button.. and this works alot better than that resource hog windows blinds.

 

also here are some start orbs i use

 

Vista_Start_Orb___Color_pack.zip

thanks thats really kind of you

 

what did u think of the 1 i made?

[Korupt Data]

thanks thats really kind of you

 

what did u think of the 1 i made?

Np, and its awesome O___o i dont like apple lol but it looks very very good.

[Decatur]

This was my origional start button (no it isnt standard, its a theme called "Royale Remixed", i have a patched uxtheme.dll so i can use unsigned themes. if any of you want to know how to do that just ask)

I'd love to see a tut on this, or any other tuts you can contribute to the forum 'Computer Tutorials'

 

 

if its for XP or Ubuntu, I promise I will test if theres some kind of pics.

[matty0]

Np, and its awesome O___o i dont like apple lol but it looks very very good.

im not an apple fan myself really, but i bought an iphone 4 my birthday an i decided i like the logo lol nothing more went into the idea haha

 

I'd love to see a tut on this, or any other tuts you can contribute to the forum 'Computer Tutorials'

 

 

if its for XP or Ubuntu, I promise I will test if theres some kind of pics.

sure i'll do the tut 2morrow. it's more of a risky thing 2 do tho... simple but it can go wrong. so make sure you make back ups n stuff.

 

i have loads of little tuts i can do for xp, im not an unbuntu user but as far as windows goes i can tweak it to hell and back lol

[Decatur]

im not an apple fan myself really, but i bought an iphone 4 my birthday an i decided i like the logo lol nothing more went into the idea haha

 

 

sure i'll do the tut 2morrow. it's more of a risky thing 2 do tho... simple but it can go wrong. so make sure you make back ups n stuff.

 

i have loads of little tuts i can do for xp, im not an unbuntu user but as far as windows goes i can tweak it to hell and back lol

do it man.

 

 

I'd love it.

[Korupt Data]

I know this is kinda off topic but could you make a start orb for me?

like a xbox 360 logo but instead of green in the center its black? please.

[matty0]

do it man.

 

 

I'd love it.

ok m8 i will

 

I know this is kinda off topic but could you make a start orb for me?

like a xbox 360 logo but instead of green in the center its black? please.

i can try, i'll work on it 2morrow when i get in from college

[Korupt Data]

ok m8 i will

i can try, i'll work on it 2morrow when i get in from college

Thanx m8! and wow i didnt know you were in college, how old are you? (sorry for being way off topic once again lol)

[SotG Caboose]

Thanks for the share, ima usin it blahhh.

[matty0]

Thanx m8! and wow i didnt know you were in college, how old are you? (sorry for being way off topic once again lol)

18 and counting

 

Thanks for the share, ima usin it blahhh.

no problem glad u like it

[Quinn]

I $%#^%# love you *no homo*

[Korupt Data]

You never made my 360 orb =/

[matty0]

I $%#^%# love you *no homo*

whatever helps you sleep hunni

 

You never made my 360 orb =/

actualy i did... but i have no idea where i saved it... i'll make another

[blacklabelfosho]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/la_migra_okay/clicker.png

 

 

very VERY cool find.

 

i love it.

this is my fraternity crest and i made it for all my brothers laptops

 

left is normal.

right is hover.

 

i didn't do the clicked bc it goes by so quickly i didn't see a point in doing a third one

 

 

again great find

[matty0]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/la_migra_okay/clicker.png

 

 

very VERY cool find.

 

i love it.

this is my fraternity crest and i made it for all my brothers laptops

 

left is normal.

right is hover.

 

i didn't do the clicked bc it goes by so quickly i didn't see a point in doing a third one

 

 

again great find

wow great work my friend! im glad to see it being used custom thats how it should be

[Korupt Data]

actualy i did... but i have no idea where i saved it... i'll make another

Kk thank you lol im going to see if i can use ViOrb on vista.... O.o it would be alot easier than modding theme files.

[blacklabelfosho]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/la_migra_okay/Flag.png

 

made a smiley face one just for fun

[blacklabelfosho]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/la_migra_okay/Flag-1.png

 

theres a 360 one?

 

(2k posts ftw)

Edited March 12, 2009 by blacklabelfosho

[Korupt Data]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y75/la_migra_okay/Flag-1.png

 

theres a 360 one?

 

(2k posts ftw)

Well thats kinda what i wanted ill work with it :] thanks Black.

[blacklabelfosho]

i didn't really know...

 

 

kinda just added the white outer edges to show that it changed... i didn't know what you really wanted lol