[JohnBank]

I think a big step in AC's skin collection would be a retro skin. Specifically Zune-like skin. Retro skins are very clear and user friendly!

Here some previews(including images,files – may help):

Zune-like Windows 7 Theme:
black
white

Please write back with your opinion, Serge.

[Support]

Hello!

You mean a making of skins with such colors? There are no examples of controls or forms (except few panels and speedbuttons)…

[JohnBank]

Hi, here is a link to Zune software 4 –> link.

You can see all types of controls on that application, it's used to interefe the PC with Zune(microsoft's mp3 player), the mp3 player uses the same metro design.

Some pictures from now:

other software using metro:

Browser skin:

Mockups of IE9's UI. It is available as a skin for IE8.

the icons:
Concept of Metro skin and Icons you can find here in this pdf file. IT has many icons. Controls and effects you can find in the first application I wrote about(Zune software 4).

The font used:

I wrote a unit that bundles a font into the resources of an executable and initializes it on program execution.

Here:

CODE

unit fontUtils;

interface

uses Classes,SysUtils,Windows;

function InitFontMem(FResourceName:string):Cardinal;

implementation

{$R ……MiscfontsFontRes.RES}

function InitFontMem(FResourceName:string):Cardinal;
var Res:TResourceStream;
    Lib1, FontCount1: Cardinal;
    AddFontMemResEx: function(
                              PFontMem: Pointer; MemSize: Cardinal; PServed:
                              Pointer; var FontCount: Cardinal
                              ): THandle; stdcall;
begin
  Result := 0;
  //Avoid exceptions.This api call is included in 2000++
  if(Win32Platform = VER_PLATFORM_WIN32_NT) and (Win32MajorVersion >= 5) then begin
    Lib1 := LoadLibrary('gdi32.dll');
    FontCount1 := 0;
    if Lib1 0 then
    try
      AddFontMemResEx := GetProcAddress(Lib1, 'AddFontMemResourceEx');
      if(@AddFontMemResEx nil) then begin
        Res := TResourceStream.Create(hInstance, FResourceName, 'RT_FONT');
        try
          if(Res.Size > 0) then
            Result := AddFontMemResEx(Res.Memory, Res.Size, nil, FontCount1);
        finally
        Res.Free;
        end;
      end;
    finally
    end;
  end;
end;

initialization
  InitFontMem('SegoeUI');
  InitFontMem('SegoeUILight');

end.

A res file is needed to compile that unit. Check the line “{$R ……MiscfontsFontRes.RES}”. I included the method I create res files with example font “Segoe UI”(This is the font they use) in the archive below Fonts.rar.

The best sample you can use to copy it is in the Zune Software 4(the first link in this post), you can see there the effects. The style is called “Metro”. I hope I give you enough. It's the future skin for microsoft software, I hope AlphaSkins has it future.

Please let me know what you think!!

[Support]

Thank you John.

I will research it soon and I'll able to answer with more details.

[JohnBank]

Looking forward to your reply! ^_^

[Support]

Hello

I plan to add a possibility of including of custom font to skins, but this feature can't be implemented now.

This feature will be added later, in some of beta versions.

[cox]

Metro UI is ugly in my opinion, do you really like it?

Better draw something like Photoshop or new firewalls 😉

[Support]

MetroUI have own fans 🙂

A sreenshot of new skin, which will be released soon, is attached.

[Author]

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