Winstep Nexus dock 10.3 released

What's better than free?  Great dock, Jorge!!!

I've been waiting for Windows 7 64bit system tray support in a dock for ages! Thank you! Why isn't this on the front page for breaking news?

It was really just released... I've sent the news to IslandDog (Spencer Scott), he should post them on the front page within the next few hours, all going well.

I currently Use Winstep extereme Version 9.5 with Nexus version 9.11 which allows for multiple docks and shelves. It also puts the workshelf/dock in the system tray of MY OS W7 64-bit. I tried the Beta version of Extreme it is nice but I like to be able to skin the various aspects of the Next Start Bar. The various parts if the Start Bar are more skinnable in version 9.5 of Winstep Extreme than in the Beta version. I wrote Winstep Extreme about this they said most of their users were not all that interested in being able to skin the various aspects of the Win Start Bar such as the start button, system tray quick launch buttons and task buttons. all these can be changed using bitmaps gradient colours and or solid colours. This is much skinning options are not availiable in the current Winstep Extreme. I use the start bar and nexus docks in conjuction with Object Dock and Tabbs.

OldMsgt, you are correct, but Jorge (JcRabbit) is making a skinning module for WSX. If your subscription is up to date you can save the WorkShelf.exe and the NextStart.exe 's (i.e. just add a 1... WorkShelf1.exe) and put them in the NeXus Dock, then update to the 10.2Beta4 and when you want to exert maximum control, just open the 'old 9.5 controls, fix what you want, and then use the new interface after saving your settings changes...

Could you also point me to where I could down load a copy of Nexus 9.11

Ok I got Nexus 10.1 loaded with the beta version of Winstep extereme and have the 9.5 version of winstep startbar working and loading at start up so I can snipe and mix and Match bmps and pngs from various themes to get what I want to my hearts content on the start bar

I now have the best of both I can either use the 9.11 nexus or the 10.1, or I can use the 9.5 startbar to skin and the beta version if I desire to use it.

One thing that needs to be clarified first: skinning options in Winstep Xtreme are not going away, they are simply being moved to a separate, independent application (just like Stardock has SkinStudio to make WindowBlinds skins). Winstep Xtreme does NOT lose features, it adds them.

The reason to separate most of the skinning settings from the applications themselves, as explained to OldMsgt by email, is that only a very, very, small percentage of users ever use them. For the vast majority, the skinning settings are only adding to Interface clutter (and one of the major objectives of the new UI found in Winstep Xtreme versions later than 9.5 was precisely to clean and simplify the UI). You can still change simple settings like fonts, etc.., and all other non-skinning related settings found in Xtreme 9.5 were retained (and a bunch of new ones added for extra functionality).

Winstep Xtreme is currently undergoing a major and radical evolution (new User Interface, multi-language support, a ton of new features, etc...) which is nearly complete, but not quite there yet. As it happens with everything, changes take time (Rome wasn't built in a day, after all) - which is the reason why 9.5 is still the official version and all other subsequent releases have been betas. 

This said, it is *strongly* recommended that you download and install the current beta version instead of the official 9.5 version, for a variety of reasons, from the great new features found in the latest releases to fixes and compatibility issues with Windows 7 and 64 bit version of Windows. The only thing currently missing from the latest beta to make it an official version is updated documentation and language files (users get a FREE Winstep Xtreme license key if they help translate Xtreme to their own language, by the way).

Anyway, what DrJBHL meant is that you can copy your 9.5 versions (which still have skinning settings) of WorkShelf.exe and NextSTART.exe to WorkShelf1.exe and NextSTART1.exe respectively, and then upgrade to the latest release. Until the new Winstep Theme Builder application (or whatever it will be called) is ready, you can run WorkShelf1.exe and NextSTART1.exe to make changes to skinning settings whenever you feel the need, and the current versions the rest of the time.

Yep that is what I did. I actually prefer it this way. I really do not find 9.5 that obtrusive, once I got used to it. I grant you there was a learning curve you had to play around with it. I had a devil of a time initially trying to blend the colours in the various menus especially the inactive ones, all the launch task and system bar colours were easy to figure out as you were able to preview it to see what changed same for fonts and text colours.

Just thought I'd emphasize that little tidbit from the original post in case somebody didn't get all the way to the bottom of it.

A lot of software and exceptional support and maintenance in there for $20.

Hello,

there is a really excellent and beautifu

free,low memory usage,multi language,modern interface...

Hello is there a target date for the Final version of the Beta 10.3 extreme

You can kind of say that: the target is 'As soon as possible'.

Seriously, I would expect sometime around end-April or so. In terms of Winstep Xtreme itself, essentially all that remains to be done is a a bit of fine-tuning and an update to the documentation. The latter is a major task, unfortunately, as Winstep documentation is always very extensive and detailed - something that seems unique to Winstep in this business . Pity nobody reads User Guides, hehe.

I think you will find the final version 10.3 of Nexus on Cnet

http://download.cnet.com/Winstep-Nexus-Dock/3000-2072_4-10977034.html

I use Nexus on a few computers on our network and it is sensational. Full featured, easy to setup and light on resources.

The best dock avaiilable.

On my main computer I use Winstep Xtreme - unsurpassed performance and support along with great value.

A tick in every box.

WinStep Extreme is the BEST!

Thanks, Jorge...that's precisely what I meant.

Só um momento, Jorge! Quem fala Inglês e Português, que fala aqui, de qualquer maneira! 

Hey! hey! hey! Watch your language! You have no proof it was him wearing a dress!

Ahahah! Errr... How the hell did he find out?!

There's a bug in 10.3 where the sound and voice paks are installed into the wrong folder when making a clean install of Nexus (serves me right for deciding to add a last minute feature after all that testing).

There will be a new release soon to fix this issue. The good news is that I've also added a few major new features in the mean time:

1. The dock's 'Insert Item' sub-menu now has two extra items: 'Show/Hide system tray icons' and 'Show/Hide running applications'. Guess this solves the problem of the (lack of) visibility of the new systray option (it's at the bottom of the Effects tab, by the way).

2. An optional 'groupped mode' systray setting. In this mode, one or more dock icons are used to compose a 16x16 grid of systray icons. For instance, suppose your dock is using an icon size of 48x48 pixels. In this case, each systray dock icon serves as a container to nine 16x16 systray icons arranged in a 3x3 grid. If your system tray has more than 9 visible icons, another dock icon is used to hold the remaining systray icons and so on...

This mode is very useful to save space in the dock and helps aliviate the problem of having 16x16 system tray icons being magnified to 128x128 pixels.

3. If a dock background doesn't have a separator bitmap, Nexus now uses a default bitmap (especially selected to go well with nearly every theme).

Nice one Jorge!