Jump to content

Monthly Skinning Competition X - CMD takes over the world.


Helio

Who will win MSCX? The decision is in your hands!  

33 members have voted

  1. 1. Who will win MSCX? The decision is in your hands!

    • Stephan - Microsoft Windows Remote Control Center
      1
    • Crazy Man Dan - Global Conquest Manager Pro
      20
    • sabrown100 - directus
      5
    • Mike Ryan - Paint.NDS
      7


Recommended Posts

mscx-banner.png

Welcome!

Felicitations to CMD, winner of MSCX!

A hearty congratulations to Mike Ryan, sabrown100, and lastly (but certainly not least-ly), Stephan. ;)

------

Judgment has come. Four will face it. The title is on the line; now comes the voting time!

The instructions are simple: Cast your vote in the poll provided above. Voting will close at 1:45PM (EST), the 29th of June. Good luck to all!

------

What you're about to see (and hopefully participate in) is promising to be a battle of the epic variety. Yes, it's going to be that good.

What's Goin' On?

By popular demand, this will be a special competition. Shake off the term "skinning" and go wild; it's time to design and create your own application.

As a bonus, you will have two months to get it together and submitted.

Whoa.

That's right. So go grab your beverage of choice, crank up the music, and let's see some creative juice flow!

Wai-wai-wait a minute - What about restrictions?

Well, there aren't many. You may make any application you want. It could be as simple as a calculator, or as complicated as, shall I say, Photoshop? ;)

Even so, consider carefully when creating. If you decide to create something quite complicated, try to make it easy to understand and un-cluttered; e.g. Paint.NET, vs. the GIMP. And though you are allowed to make something brain-searingly simple, when it comes time to vote, don't expect to win hands down. On the other hand, a cleverly designed small app. could easily be just as effective as a complex one.

But now, for some rules:

  • [*:3015r6ec]You must have a link to all source images used in your submission. If you fail to by the end of submission time, your creation will be disqualified.
    [*:3015r6ec]Unless your screenshots are small, please post extra screenshots after your first as clickable thumbnails (
read about how to do this).
[*:3015r6ec]Once you have submitted your entry, you may no longer add anything/edit your post, excepting links to source images.
[*:3015r6ec]This post is for submissions only. If you would like to talk about the competition or a submission, do it here.
[*:3015r6ec]Be courteous and kind.
[*:3015r6ec]Have fun!

The date by which all entries must be entered is 11:59pm (EST), Saturday, June 21st.

Now, GO! :)

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Okay, first to enter (Hopefully not last...)

I'm not really presenting this very well... But whatever. It isn't my greatest work ever either... Here is Microsoft Windows Remote Control Center. Control your Vista PC from any other, and check what your local network buddies are up to. Sources? Only some Vista icons (Computer and drives) And a screenshot of my own desktop. Vista Border turned out too wide, and corners are aliased... To be honest, I don't like it that much myself. :(

PS: Don't mid the different times... The screenshots were taken hours apart at different resolutions.

Edited by Stephan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Note: This concept is not intended to offend. I do not support forced compliance or the oppression of freedoms. It's all in fun. ;)

Global Conquest Manager Pro

GCMP-preview.png

View Full-Size as:

Application Alone (800x600) | Application on Desktop (1280x800)

EDIT:

It was brought to my attention that my images were down for a time when someone came by to vote. If the links to the images on my server above are broken, you can view the application on Photobucket here:

Application Alone (800 x 600)

/EDIT

Let's face it, aspiring world dictators - the world is a big place. Even if you are the first person ever to actually succeed in world domination, do you honestly expect to be able to manage all that yourself? That's where we come in. DomCorp has crafted Global Conquest Manager Pro, an integrated management system to help you control and keep apprised of the world and how it feels toward your takeover.

You're going to need a lot of help to take over the world, which is why we've built in a Minion Manager. Persuade some minions to join your forces, authenticate them with varying levels of credentials, and they will have access to their own Minion Portal. You can use this portal to assign them tasks remotely, so they can do your bidding around the world. In order to ensure they can work from anywhere, we've made this system available both as a standalone program and as a web-deployed application.

Of course, the process of taking over the earth is a big job, so you're going to have to plan. Use the integrated Gantt Chart to build up a process tree as you would in any other management software. You can assign tasks as Global, or you can send them straight to Minions or Minion Groups for queued deployment.

And naturally, this system is open and flexible - unlike the future of the world if you do your job right. You can create your own filters and display tabs through the GUI interface, or if you or one of your minions can program, create an add-on for further customization control. Then join our GCMP community and contribute! You can share your add-ons with other GCMP users, download add-ons from our vast repository, or post on the forum and let us know how your conquest is going.

World Domination can be painless - at least for you. All you need is Global Conquest Manager Pro!

From the Author:

Since I usually end up designing things like web applications anyway, I decided to go with a very Google-application type feel, then tie it in with web app deployment. There's no fancy graphics or shiny buttons, just a straight-forward, open-architecture management application.

The Vista-esque glass effect was created from scratch (note the squared corners), and stocks were used only for the background and the world map. Beyond those two things, everything was created from scratch in PDN.

Stocks Used: 2

  • [*:1lpdoql3]Desktop Background:
Clashing Fronts
[*:1lpdoql3]World Map: Neocreo Blue World Map - Downloaded as SVG and exported from Inkscape without background and with added outlines. Final color correction in Paint.NET.

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Directus__Logo_WIP_by_sabrown100.png

Directus is an operating system intended to be simple to use for people interested in using their computer only for basic functions. The application includes several applications as part of the main program and cannot run 3rd-party software.

Windows costs £123 - £164, requires 512mb - 1GB ram, is highly venerable to viruses and allows the US government to access the contents of your computer. While this may be a small price to pay for a functioning computer, Directus is targetted at people who simply want to use a word processor, browse the web and edit photographs.

Directus is written entirely in assembly language and all "applications" have their GUID hard-coded in the kernal and require this to function.

Directus__Desktop_WIP_by_sabrown100.png

The desktop of directus is centered around content. An array of photographs from an easily selectable is shown at the top area and at the bottom users can search in a similar way to the old Ask Jeeves, allowing users to type what they wish to achieve and see high-quality but simple icons for the appropriate applications. Stock Used: [link], [link], [link], [link] and [link]

Directus__Spreadsheet_by_sabrown100.png

This image shows the simplicity of the applications which contain few unnecessary features - the user can right-click in any application to view more options, such as adding a chart.

Directus_Browser__Web_Search_by_sabrown100.png

This is an image of a directus search query - the directus browser (which uses Gecko) has an integrated search feature which loads data via XML. The data is loaded as the user is scrolling and while the image loads main text from the site is loaded, contained in an XML file loaded from Ask.com.

Websites Shown: [link], [link], [link], [link] and [link]

Directus__Browser_Trial_by_sabrown100.png

Directus is intended to be bundled with computers as it is aimed at new users. However, users can also download and install it for free as it is released under BSD. For users too nervous or lazy to use a LiveCD version it can be trialled directly from the browser. Stock: [link]

KaHuc.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

pdnndslogo.png

pdnnds2.pngpdnnds.png

Today we Review Paint.NDS

Welcome to Paint.NDS, the official port of Paint.NET on the Nintendo DS Handheld console. With core features such as cropping, recoloring, and basic text functions this port to the Nintendo DS cought our eye quickly. There are a few features from the larger, Windows version that we miss such as layers however the rich amount of tools for on the go photo editation are more than enough to keep any Paint.NET fan happy.

Core features of Paint.NET in your hands

The first thing that should strike attention in any Paint.NET fan's heart is the complete tool list from the Window version of the software. From gradients to selections, Rick Brewster's port is more than just a funny joke. Plus, using the Nintendo WiFi Connection installing Paint.NDS specific plugins really expand upon the already available features.

However, when Rick Brewster first announced this port many were speculating about the speed of rendering. After we had our hands on the prerelease demo it became evident that some major underwork had been performed to boost the speed of rendering. Drawing gradients is just as fast and precise as ever. The only tool we found there to be performance issues was the selection tools, especially with large selections using the Magic Wand tool.

One thing that we really liked about the software was its intuitive layout and unique use of prebuilt NDS functions. Keeping seperate from the actual canvas we have the color options, a full scale view of the image, saving and loading functions, and the menus containing effects and the like while on the touch screen the drawing canvas and respective tools are present. A simple tap of the right bumper (or left bumper for you lefties) quickly switches the screens allowing for fast access to actual image data. As well, the D-Pad and respective ABYX buttons can be fully customized for shortcuts to favorite effects or tools.

On board memory for plugins, tutorials, and help files

Another awesome feature of Paint.NDS was the installable plugins and downloadable tutorials and help files. The cartridge comes with an onboard 516mbs to fill up with downloadable content. At this time of review, only Mike Ryan's Invert Alpha effect plugin was available for download. The download itself took very little time and the plugin seemed optimized for Nintendo DS. Hopefully the amount of plugins readily available at launch will be filled with a much larger selection such as a few filetype plugins.

Prepacked device for saving and sharing photos

The best feature of Paint.NDS was the 'Picture Dock'. Much like Guitar Hero: On Tour guitar attachement, it fits nicely into the Gameboy Advanced slot. It features one USB port for digital camers, and two standard SD cards. I am sure at the sound of this hackers are jumping for joy, but after trying to pass some basic Linux arguements through the USB port, it quickly became evident that special precautions had been employed to keep homebrew software off of the machine.

Our final verdict

It is a bit too early to tell as the software did crash on us time to time and the lack of installable plugins. Only time will tell to see if it stands up to competition. But we do know for sure that this NDS App is sure to be a hit with on the go photographers and digital image artists.

-Review by Mike Ryan at Gamers Stuff

The stock used for this submition include multiple screenshots of Paint.NET, icons fromt the Paint.NET src, the Paint.NET logo, and

this strange, unfunny, vista? like cartoon.

signature.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vote the day away!

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stephan - You did an excellent job of harnessing Microsoft's style of design. I wouldn't be surprised if this were already a part of Windows.

CMD - The links aren't working for me! In fact, your entire sketchpad site is down, or at least for me. The description for your work is quite a read! Even without seeing the work, I can tell that it's going to be amazing. I can't wait to see it. Good concept btw. I'm always misplacing my minions and unevenly distributing punishment when I try to conquer the world...

Sabrown - You're very good at selling your product; you had me convinced that it is already on sale and that I needed to buy it immediately. I really like the layout you have constructed, and I know many people who would benefit from such a simple OS. My only problem with it would be the color scheme. Honestly, it's quite boring, and it lacks contrast. I recommend using Colour Lovers to choose a good color scheme. Although those palettes are really for Illustrator / Photoshop, you can easily adapt them to PDN.

Mike - A touch screen PDN in general would be amazing, really. I love your writeup, but the skinning itself isn't too amazing. Simple, yes, and a good concept, but not much of a "wow factor."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, pachuco, I'm not sure what happened there. The site is working for me at the time of this posting, so hopefully it'll still be up when you get back. My server is usually pretty good - it doesn't die too often, and when it does it's not for too long.

If it is still down, though, you can see the application on Photobucket here: View it!

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am considering buying a license to the application. However, I am slightly concerned about security - is there any way I can be sure one of the plugins was not created by a member of Amnesty International with the aim of revealing my secrets to the western world?

KaHuc.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We at DomCorp understand your concern. Since we control the repository, all plugins are thoroughly tested and reviewed by our trained programming experts before they are made available for download. This way, we can fully guarantee both the safety and the compatibility of any add-on downloaded directly from our site.

Of course, if you download from somewhere other than our official site, we can not be held to that guarantee. We have been made aware of several third-party add-ons hosted by the creators themselves over the years. If it is a plugin which has been previously tested and rejected for one reason or another, we do our best to warn the GCMP community of the threat. If it's a valid plugin that we've approved and is also available in our repository, there shouldn't be a problem, but if it's beyond our control, we can't be certain. For safety reasons, we recommend always downloading from our official site.

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course there is! "This system is open and flexible" - "open" here referring to open source.

We believe that open source makes for more secure software. If everyone can see how it works, everyone can work toward making it better. We also believe that, if you can see what the source is doing, you can make even more intricate add-ons - instead of relying on just the API (which should be all the detail low- to mid-level programmers would need), advanced programmers can see exactly how the program will interpret their commands, so they can know exactly how they need to respond.

Of course, we work to make the software as secure as possible. However, we realize that bugs can crop up, which is why we offer program security updates for free for the complete life of the version and up to 2 years after the next version is introduced. If you do find a serious hole, you're more than welcome to fork and fix it yourself, but we'd also appreciate it if you'd join our developer community to discuss the flaw you see and how you feel it should be fixed. The more minds we have working together, the better GCMP will be for everyone.

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As for Technical Support, we have online documentation, a 24-hour help line, as well as trained service technicians who can help you set up your DomCorp product in your custom environment.

As to a hidden agenda? DomCorp has no hidden agenda. Why don't you come to our office for a special tour so we can prove it to you? >_>

I think this should be the end of this line of questioning.

More comment and criticism, less role-playing. ;)

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, I knew this was gonna turn out in some sort of fail on my side, but this is overkill! :shock: Maybe people just don't like Windows...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, POO!!

I was thinking the deadline wasn't until the end of the month. I was going to wait until the last minute. Well I guess I waited too long, so I will just submit mine anyway.

My application is a media player. It is called Media Player Ultimate. It sports a very nice UI with a sliding glass bar for the toolbar and a sliding glass bar for the scroll bar. You can easily flick through song lists, pictures, videos, documents, and MUCH more! Additional player controls aesthetically fade in and out as needed saving valuable space.

mediaplayerultimate.png

th_mediaplayerultimate2.png

CLICK TO ENLARGE!

drew-10.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And so, Dan wins by a landslide once more. I guess lotsa' folks want to take over the world... or have Dan do so. ;)

Congratulations, CMDan!

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome!

good job

WHATZ.png

wear our signature and earn 50 studiocredits. pm me your username if you want to participate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everyone. I promise to be a kind and benevolent dictator. :twisted:

Tell you what, Helio - since I won your competition, how's about I return the favor and let you win mine? ;)

I am not a mechanism, I am part of the resistance;

I am an organism, an animal, a creature, I am a beast.

~ Becoming the Archetype

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<_<

>_>

:twisted:

v An excellent open–source strategy game—highly recommended.

 

"I wish I had never been born," she said. "What are we born for?"

"For infinite happiness," said the Spirit. "You can step out into it at any moment..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...