Steampunk desktop themes: your screenshots

[Miles (a sailor)Martin]

very nice, not excesivly busy, I Like it......

[yereverluvinunclebert]

The Steampunk clock/calendar is about to go live. 0.16.4 is the release candidate that will go 1.0. The current version does all the things I set out to do. So, the next version (MkII) will improve things generally and add some new functionality.

// reprogram the pendulum to use less cpu
// change the code to handle preferences correctly (onPreferencesChanged) - done
// change the timer handling to reduce the overhead of continuous checking - done
// move chimes to separate timers
// add math to the slider, replacing ranges
// change the clock so that the first bell ring is dead on the o'clock
// add resizing of the whole clock, hoffset, voffset, width, height
// ticking could will be synched by running a modulo 30 count
// only move the second hand every second, other hands don't need to move until the specific time
// add historical screen images based upon time spans and images specified in a file
// JSLint the code

The majority of this new stuff is some improvements implementing what I learnt whilst programming in Javascript for the first time. The proposed 'real' changes will be the ability to resize the clock and the addition of images whilst in 'time machine' mode.

Now that the clock /calendar is largely complete I am now thinking what the next item of a PC's functionality that needs to be steampunk'd. If you have any proposals for a new tool/utility then I'd be pleased to hear from you.

Suggestions:

o Steampunk monitoring console, monitoring resources, cpu, memory &c
o Interface to control panel
o Replacement to start menu, application triggering GUI

If you have any ideas for the next tool then let me know. If you get me started while I'm still keen...



Note the new hand crank for muting the sound altogether.

[Bryan Taylor]

This has turned out to be absolutely fantastic, and if you implement everything you've got on your to-do list, it will be even more so. Bravo, good sir. Bravo.

As for my suggestion on your next project, there is a real shortage of steamy SysMetrics - this: http://www.wincustomize.com/explore/sysmetrix/2611/ being one of the better ones I could find under the name of Steampunk.
So I'd like to propose you construct one of a similar or complementary style as the clock widget.

What can I say - I always did like matched sets.

[yereverluvinunclebert]

Bryan,

Thanks for your suggestion. I am leaning in that direction myself.

I'll set you another challenge if you don't mind. If you or anyone else fancies creating a mock up of a possible design I will certainly have a look at it with the thought of creating a steampunk widget directly from it. All ideas will be positively received and may provide good grist to the mill.

[yereverluvinunclebert]

I have some ideas for the next steampunk widget - it is a cpu/gpu temperature gauge and alarm. A portion of the sysmetrics that will eventually be.

This is the current version after a few of my deliberations have led to various design changes.


You can see the various designs here and some of my thoughts too:

http://lightquick.co.uk/index.php?option=com_mmsblog&Itemid=228

[yereverluvinunclebert]

If you would like a copy of the new Steampunk CPU / GPU temperature monitor Yahoo Widget that does nothing at all except run, then it is here:

http://lightquick.co.uk/downloads/steampunk-cpu-gpu-temperature-monitor-yahoo-widget.html

This is for testing purposes only, testing the design rather than the functionality so no controls will function, no monitoring will be carried out.

[Verner]

Customised conky (under Linux).

[yereverluvinunclebert]

That's very nice

[archiebald]

Latest WindowsXP creation.

mrgoldthrite...

I am in awe of your work, in particular I love the wallpaper in this screenshot and would love to see more of it.

I registered here today for this very purpose.

Could you share it?

Archie

[gridbug]

Greetings, all!

My first post to the forums and all that...

I'm playing with a rather reserved theme for Gnome.

Here's what I have so far:



Hopefully I'll have improved icons in which I'll include in an update.

Terribly glad to have found the forum.

Chin chin, &c,

BEAUTIFUL desktop, very simple and elegant! Are you willing to share the fullsize wallpaper?

[Polaris]

I have no idea who this artist is, but I love them so much....

[yereverluvinunclebert]

Verner,

Your desktop has inspired me to create a yahoo widget based upon a Nixie tube, not quite sure what to do yet but I've started on the tube. Haven't yet done anything but the barest outline of the glass tube yet but the heater grid and some of the numbers are present.



I know that Nixie tubes are not quite steampunk but they are conceivably part of the technology that an advanced Victorian Society might extend themselves to. Thermionic valves were created in the 1870s and started to find practical application by the early 1900s so it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to see them in use on some Victorian gadgetry. Any recommendations as to how these Nixie tubes might be put to good use will be appreciated.

I could just create another clock but if you have any good ideas for any other good use then please supply.

[yereverluvinunclebert]

Just to let you know that 5,000 people have downloaded my steampunk clock/calendar from the yahoo widget site alone, a further 500 or so from my own site and 50 elsewhere.

I am now working on the MkII which will be resizable, have some chains for tugging on to mute the ticks and hopefully will be better and more efficient.

One thing I left out from MkI was the day of the week indicator. There is not a lot of room left for a "Mon", "Tue" - that sort of thing and in any case I am a little lost for a good idea as to how to implement this graphically. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate them.

My only suggestion is another till-like pop-up with the day of the week written upon it.

[Bryan Taylor]

I like your other suggestion. The pop-up should make for a nice touch. (I think...)

[Verner]

Verner,

Your desktop has inspired me to create a yahoo widget based upon a Nixie tube, not quite sure what to do yet but I've started on the tube. Haven't yet done anything but the barest outline of the glass tube yet but the heater grid and some of the numbers are present.



I know that Nixie tubes are not quite steampunk but they are conceivably part of the technology that an advanced Victorian Society might extend themselves to. Thermionic valves were created in the 1870s and started to find practical application by the early 1900s so it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to see them in use on some Victorian gadgetry. Any recommendations as to how these Nixie tubes might be put to good use will be appreciated.

I could just create another clock but if you have any good ideas for any other good use then please supply.

Looks interesting, as does your other widget. Sadly, yahoo widgets don't work on Linux. You wouldn't happen to have any plans to port your widgets to Gdesklets or Screenlets or Google widgets (or whatever Google calls their widgets/gadgets), would you?

[yereverluvinunclebert]

I do have plans but they can be frustrated by the tools available. I run Slax on a couple of laptops here and I would love to have the yahoo widget engine available for them. Now there pomises to be an open source runtime engine called Kludgets. To quote my blog:

"Kludgets engine already runs in beta on Ubuntu. The Kludgets engine also promises to have limited yahoo widget support on it's future roadmap. So, there is the possibility my
yahoo widgets will work some time in the future on Linux but not just
yet. Personally I am desperately keen on seeing my steampunk
clock/calendar Yahoo widget running on an alternative multi-platform
widget engine. It has always galled me that yahoo widgets is available
for Windows and OS/X but not linux. Keep an eye on Kludgets and give the
developer your support. Kudgets is Apple Dashboard compatible,
Webkit-based, Nokia QT-based (multi-platform), Yahoo Widget Engine
inspired and best of all is open sourced."

Kludgets has a facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kludget-Engine/172055648542

[Maj Heiner Cybersnell]

I would love to see some of these transferred over to screenlets

[Verner]

yereverluvinunclebert   --  it would be great if this become possible.

--here's an updated look at my conky-ised desktop, with an added "now playing" 'widget' (and some new fonts):

[Cubinoid]

yereverluvinunclebert   --  it would be great if this become possible.

--here's an updated look at my conky-ised desktop, with an added "now playing" 'widget' (and some new fonts):

Love that!

[yereverluvinunclebert]

Trouble is with conversions (from Yahoo to screenlets) is that I would end up with multiple versions of the same program in completely different forms, I'd have to re-write it largely from scratch and that effort could be spent on creating a completely new widget. Not really worthwhile for me. If the kludgets engine received support from the Linux gang and he was encouraged to continue development, then all the yahoo widgets would run on Linux...

The main problem with Linux is that it such a fragmented platform (so many flavours) which occupies such a small portion of the market in comparison to the others (<1%) it is hard to justify a conversion. Now, if you paid me... (what's the chance of that?)

[CENT0R1EL]

a humble re-dressing of wiki-commons images

[yereverluvinunclebert]

That last screenshot was a tadge too busy for me...

This is the latest version of the steampunk thermometer yahoo widget.
I've rejigged it a bit to suit my ideas a little better then the
previous version. I've changed the background pattern on the
thermometers to use the same wood effect as the steampunk clock, to the
pattern known as burloak.

I've also reduced the left hand brass toggles in size, moved the bell
and crank down, reduced the size of the right hand size thermometer,
added a satin sheen to the wood, and changed the gradients applied to
some of the metal components. I'm starting to think about starting to
add some code it so that it actually starts to do something...

I've not been happy to start the coding as the thermometer just didn't
look quite right for me. also, now I have found out that there is no
simple method of extracting the temperatures from a Windows system I
have become a tadge disheartened with the idea. I will have to use a
separate program 'speedfan' that is designed to specifically to dig out
the temperatures from a number of varying motherboard designs.



If you have any suggestions, as always I am open to ideas.

I have just added some code to allow the thermometer to be resized, so it actually does something at last, here it is in tiny form.



You can download it here:

http://lightquick.co.uk/downloads/steampunk-cpu-gpu-temperature-monitor-yahoo-widget.html

[yereverluvinunclebert]

This is my current desktop, kept simple as I like to have it clear. To achieve this I use some 'sillyware' called iconoid that causes all desktop icons to automatically hide after 5 seconds. You can get it here: http://www.sillysot.com/



I have retained the Windows classic feel for the taskbar as it is almost starting to look old fashioned enough  . In truth I have not yet found a task bar that visually does what I want, yet provides the functionality that I need - without using up too many resources. I use the rocket dock (http://rocketdock.com/) for fun every now and then, customised with icons from the British Library (http://www.myvistathemes.com/icons/british-library-icons-free-download/). The Windows task bar stays hidden until I hover the mouse over it.

I am using the following yahoo widgets for cpu utilisation: 'steamgage', the 'grandfather' clock, my latest steampunk clock/calendar (http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/steampunk-clock-calendar) which is now fully resizable (see the reduced size version bottom right), and also the steampunk thermometer which currently does not do much but looks pretty enough. The pinned up boot advert and the penny red stamp are unique widgets in their own right which means they are movable around the desktop.

If you want either of them as a widget - you only need to ask. I'll be happy to provide.

[yereverluvinunclebert]

Ladies and gents,

If you have downloaded the Steampunk yahoo clock calendar widget and you liked it, could you do me favour is and give it some praise on Yahoo widgets? A few people have done so but very few in proportion to the numbers that have downloaded it.

http://widgets.yahoo.com/widgets/steampunk-clock-calendar

You need to login, (which is very easy) then please leave a positive comment with a star rating. It would really help raise its profile.

[Keeper of the Brass]

Hi yereverluvinunclebert,
I've just installed your clock calendar & love it. I've been looking for a great desktop steampunk clock for a while. And yes, I gave it some praise on Yahoo widgets.