Customatic - Themes, Launchers, Desktop Live Tiles for Windows 10

By DrainTheSw4mp
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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DrainTheSw4mp

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Hi, for those who have been following my previous post, 3 months and 250,000 lines of code later and after teaming up with another developer we've come up with an app that can greatly enhance your Windows 10 experience (or at least, let you customize it!). You can completely change the appearance of the OS with themes, including taskbar, live previews, jumplists and UWP apps, use launchers to open your programs and show your live tiles on the Desktop (or completely disable any modern UI features for that matter).

We're launching on Kickstarter to raise funds for continued development since we need to keep it updated and just polish/optimize it for version 1.0.

 

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Neowinian

Mr GRiM

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Looks like you have been very busy, I would be very interested in this if there was some way to import themes, I know that your not using the msstyles for the themes but if there was a way to import them I think you could gain allot of popularity with the themeing community, I hope you are going to add some sort of icon customization as well that doesn't require modifying system files.

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Grand Master

Seahorsepip Veteran

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On 8/4/2016 at 1:06 AM, Mr GRiM said:

Looks like you have been very busy, I would be very interested in this if there was some way to import themes, I know that your not using the msstyles for the themes but if there was a way to import them I think you could gain allot of popularity with the themeing community, I hope you are going to add some sort of icon customization as well that doesn't require modifying system files.

Icons customization can be done by adding registry entries only (icon packager method) but the live folder requires editing system files or some memory patcher method(icon packager)

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Neowinian

Mr GRiM

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Looks like Customatic is dead before it even got off the ground.

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Customatic Team Creator about 7 hours ago

Sorry for wasting everyone's time (including ours, 250000 lines of code later). We're refunding everyone and cancelling the project. Supporting all the Windows 10 versions is harder than we thought and we couldn't deliver updates fast enough. And the pressure is overwhelming, honestly. Not really worth it.

 

I think their downfall was not enough communication and unrealistic expectations, they should have had a forum and given people somewhere to get proper information and updates, also to think they could support multiple platforms was never going to work, they should have just concentrated their efforts on the latest Windows 10 version, once they had a fully functioning BETA for RS1 then they could had a look at support for  backwards compatibility.

 

It's a huge shame as they had a great idea and if we are to believe what was shown in their promo video already had a working platform, I never backed this project though, I checked the progress and would have it their goal had not been reached, main reason I didn't back it though is because I wasn't sure if they would be able to deliver as it all seemed too good to be true but at the same time I didn't really want to create themes for Customatic as it's not free for the end user to use my creations, I paid for Windows Style Builder to create themes using the msstyles because I wanted my themes to available for everyone to use, that is the same reason I don't make Windows Blinds or use any software from Startdock.

 

The creators said that they couldn't use the msstyles because of Windows removing many parts of it but I have proven that this was not an issue as those parts can be added back with Windows Style Builder and with the use of Programs like Start Is Back can be made themeable again.

 

Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel they should have concentrated on the things everyone has wanted back since leaving Windows 7, a simple glass effect and the option to have the classic start menu, they could have taken the same approach as Tihiy has and added back support to the msstyles, I think all anybody wants is the ability to customize their systems to their liking without the need for several different third party programs to achieve it.

 

If they had produced a good all in one program to bring back glass, the classic start menu, taskbar customization and custom docks then most people would have been happy with that, plus the new theme editor they showed if it could be made to use with the msstyles would have been greatly appreciated, they could have charged ma similar price for the outdated WSB for creators and a reasonable amount for the Customatic program, what would have made this approach even better is that creators could add support to their creation for Customatic but at the same time have a functioning theme that could be used without it, meaning people could still use their creation for free if they liked or pay for Customatic for the added features.

 

Regardless of my opinions on what should have been, to let all the months of work you have put in to this project to be all for nothing when it is something that is clearly in heavy demand would be ludicrous, especially when their are no other good solutions and probably never will be.

Edited by Mr GRiM
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