A while ago, a friend asked me about using DX themes, so I wrote this short help guide for him. I thought some of the new users here might appreciate it, so here it is.
(Koasati: If you think this may be of use in the FAQ, feel free to put it in there)

1. Downloading themes: DX themes do not install automatically from the site like WB skins do. When you click the download button for a theme, take a look at the extension before deciding where to put it. If the theme ends in .dxtheme (i.e. Gridscape.dxtheme) then you can download it straight to C:\Program Files\ Object Desktop\DesktopX\Themes. Simple! The theme will then appear in your list of themes, which I will get to later.
If the theme has a .zip extension (i.e. Gridscape.zip) then that means the author has zipped up the theme, (which is pointless really as they are already zipped when you save them in DX) and it's best to download it to a folder first. I have a folder called "Web Downloads" that I use for this, it might be a good idea to create one for yourself. So if the file ends in .zip, download it to "Web Downloads" and then double click it to start Winzip. When it opens, you will see inside the zip "name.dxtheme" (or whatever the theme is called) just extract this to C:\Program Files\Object Desktop\DesktopX\Themes. The theme will now appear in your list of themes.

2. Loading Themes: There are two ways to do this. The first and simplest way is to RIGHT click the DX icon in the SYSTEM TRAY, and from the pop-up menu choose "Load Theme". A window will appear that shows all the themes in your theme folder with a small thumbnail picture of each one. Just highlight the theme you want to use and hit "Load". The theme should then start up on your desktop. The second way is to right click the desktop and choose "Load Theme" from the menu that appears, but here is the twist..... the DX menu will only show when you right click the desktop IF the theme is configured to "Hide Desktop Icons". ALL my themes are configured this way. The icons that you would normally have on your desktop are replaced by DX OBJECTS.You don't need those horrible old icons anymore, your links to your applications can be anything you want! like......a text link......or an animation......or a zoomer icon. Remember, with DX, everything on the desktop is an Object, if you don't like that Object, just right click on it and choose "Delete Object".

3. Some Things To Remember: Some themes are set to "Hide Explorer Taskbar". This is because theme makers can use an Object as a taskbar if they want. Gridscape is a good example of this. I made a taskbar that is an object, and a start button, and a start menu! They are all just objects and I made them so that people who don't have WBlinds can still have a matching taskbar and start menu etc. Now, If you WANT to use the Explorer taskbar, (which you will if you have WBlinds) just right click the DX icon in the system tray again, and this time choose "Configure DesktopX". When the config window opens, click on "Theme Settings" on the left, and then uncheck the box called "Hide Explorer Taskbar", click "close" and you will now have your windows taskbar back. Easy eh?

4. Loading New Objects: DX comes with a quite a few Objects that you can use on your desktop if you want, and as you know, you can download lots of them from WinCustomize. Just right click the DX icon in the System tray and choose "Import Object". This will now open your Object folder, which is just like the theme folder, but full of single objects. just click on one that you want, and hit "Load". The Object will then appear on your desktop, and you can drag it around and put it where you want.
(HINT: If the object doesn't want to move when drag it with your mouse, hold down the shift key as you drag.)
Remember, everything is an Object, and an Object can be anything you want it to be.

I hope this is of some use to some of you.
Comments
on Mar 06, 2003
cool I bet it will be for sure



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on Mar 06, 2003
wow - thanks BoXXi!

That's a lot of usefull information.
on Mar 06, 2003
Thanks BoXXi, it took a long time for me to learn all of that on my own and I still wasn't aware of how the "Hide Explorer Taskbar" worked completely. Also didn't know about the shift key trick to move objects that are locked.
It would be nice if all of the various items in ObjectDesktop had quicky tutorials or guides like the one you just wrote up.

HuronJoe thinks that BoXXi really earns the pay that he doesn't receive.

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on Mar 06, 2003
This is useful. DX seems to cause more difficulty for people than everything else put together.

Perhaps a tutorial page as well as a FAQ?

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on Mar 08, 2003
just bumping ths up for new DX users......
on Mar 08, 2003
Thanks BoXXi
on Sep 10, 2003
this was a great explanation, Im glad you wrote it. Thanks!
on Sep 15, 2003
The DX User Guide will be there fore DX2 release



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on Sep 15, 2003
The DX User Guide will be there for DX2 release

Damn - post it twice and still can't spell!
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on Sep 15, 2003
Thanks Martin.... I'll unstick this then.............
on Oct 05, 2003
I DON'T HAVE THIS
C:\Program Files\Object Desktop\DesktopX\Themes.
MINE APPEARS LIKE THIS :
C:\Program Files\PLUS!\Themes.

WHAT DO I DO DO I HAVE TO DOWNLOAD DX2 OR SOMETHING FROM WHERE HELP ME PLEASE
on Oct 05, 2003
C:\Program Files\Object Desktop\DesktopX\Themes is for DesktopX. You need the DesktopX program to run DesktopX themes. DesktopX can be downloaded here https://www.stardock.com/products/desktopx/

C:\Program Files\PLUS!\Themes is for Windows themes - entirely different sort of thing.

And please don't type in caps - it's 'rude'.


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