Stardock releases ImpressionCreator™

Published on October 18, 2004 By Stardock Central In WinCustomize News

Stardock released ImpressionCreator today. ImpressionCreator is a software program that allows the user to easily create impressive looking program launchers, menu programs, and a variety of useful interfaces.

When users insert a CD into their drives, the auto-run program that comes up to begin the installation is usually ugly and unimpressive. In addition, many companies include programs that act as launchpads for their various programs that are visually unappealing or clunky. ImpressionCreator allows developers to create launchers of various kinds that are visually stunning and do so very easily.

Its advantages include:
•Very short development times. With ImpressionCreator, once you have the artwork, the typical launch-pad style program can be completed in a matter of minutes. Developers simply take the artwork, arrange it together, right click on each piece (think of each .PNG as an object that can be assigned to a short-cut).

•High compatibility. Works with Windows 98, ME, 2000, and Windows XP.

•Lowered Development Costs. Most ImpressionCreator applications can be created completely by the graphics design department or in the case of complex applications, the web development team.

•A wealth of effects. ImpressionCreator supports fluid animations, alpha blending, sound effects, and more.

•Integration with Flash. ImpressionCreator enables developers to seamlessly embed Macromedia Flash into an ImpressionCreator generated application.

•Open Standards. Creating an interface with ImpressionCreator normally involves merely drawing he interface the developer desires in their favorite graphics package and exporting it in .PNG format. ImpressionCreator automatically makes use of the alpha channels in the image.

•Bundled Templates. ImpressionCreator comes with several professionally created templates that allow small developers to get up and running with their own derivative creations quickly and easily.

See examples of ImpressionCreator in action at: https://www.stardock.com/products/impressioncreator/features.asp

More information at: http://www.ImpressionCreator.com

Comments

Surj

on Oct 18, 2004

looks very nice

should release a version for home users. i make cds for peeps all the time, be cool to launch with a neat lil interface that links to programs, folders, links on the web, and pictures.

be espically handy for giving out to some of the less than savy computer users in my family.

Black Xero

on Oct 18, 2004

Great....is is it available for try

paxx

on Oct 18, 2004

Looks very cool. Would be perfect if it supported Macs for the target computers. At work, I have to create hybrid CD's for widespread distribution all the time.

dmbishop

on Oct 18, 2004

Looks like a good product, but the pricing is rather high (IMO). CD Menu Pro does the same things and is $89.95, not $499.00

UzEE

on Oct 18, 2004

Multimedia Builder is still cheaper when it comes to features... 45$ Without MP3 License and 60$ Allong with it.

http://www.mediachance.com/oldindex.html

The bigest example i can give of the software is that (its a secret)

But you can check http://www.mmbforums.com or the program web site.

Mainly it has Flash Integration, Web Browser Integration, Can Play Sound Formats Sound Formats Like an Audio CD, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and all other normal formats, Supports M-PEG and a number of other video objects and a lot more...

Plus has a very own ( Simple Yet Powerfull) Scripting Language
Just Visit http://www.mediachance.com/features.html

Try It!

UzEE

on Oct 18, 2004

Wait the new version is a lot better...

Frogboy

on Oct 18, 2004

UzEE - first off, it's pretty tacky to advertise a competing product in the other product's news item.

Secondly, Multimedia Builder (and CD Menu Pro) can't even remotely compete with ImpressionCreator. They're primitive by comparison which is why they're $50 or $90 and not $500.

Here's a screenshot Multimedia Builder doing its thing: http://www.mediachance.com/pictures/full/nonstnd.jpg

Here is a screenshot of The Political Machine's auto run program: https://www.stardock.com/products/directgui/PolMachineAutorun.jpg

Two things about this: First, ImpressionCreator is DesktopX based so people know how easy that is to create stuff with. That auto installer was done in less than an hour. Second, because it is DesktopX based, you get thing slike animation, alpha blended edges, and other presentation advantages.

If you're working at a real company, $500 for an important project is nothing. And nothing can do it as well or as quickly as ImpressionCreator.

UzEE

on Oct 19, 2004

Sorry Frogboy, I didnt mean that Impression Creator is bad. Sure it has a great advantage over MMB and CD Menu Pro since it supports Alpha Blended Application Edges.

(P.S. How can Impression Creator be bad if its a stardock Product ???

) And Bieng a Stardock Fan, I would reccommend Impession Creator too )

But MMB goes far from Creating Autoplays. Here is an Example ....

http://www.geocities.com/uzair_skinner_sajid/bsedit_pre.jpg

Yes its made with MMB. So there you can see...

mr.bo

on Oct 20, 2004

So Frogboy, does this mean that Stardock apps will begin to have cooler looking interfaces? I was trying out RightClick just before reading this news post, and thought it would be very cool to see the new programs (and of course The Stardock big names) using Impression Creator style interfaces for their preferences and such. It would be very cool having the Stardock apps looking as sweet as the effects they produce. Not to mention it would set Stardock products apart from almost everything else just by how user friendly the configuration would be.

WolfwoodX

on Oct 20, 2004

A bit pricey..

Frogboy

on Oct 20, 2004

We wouldn't replace standard dialogs with fancy ones as that woudl violate our UI guidelines.

But things like auto-installers are a different matter.

And UzEE - ImpressionCreator exports as EXEs. You could use it to create things like your BootSkin editor too. Except that it would look a lot nicer and take a lot less time.

I realize to a hobbiest $500 vs. $50 is a big deal. But to a professional, it's not an issue. At that point, the issue is quality and development time. And nothing can remotely touch ImpressionCreator.

It's like those people who argue that you should'nt buy Photoshop because The Gimp is fine. In fact, it's not even that close as these other programs that have been mentioned simply can't do nearly as good a job. The lack of alpha blending and animation support pretty much disqualifies them.

Surj

on Oct 20, 2004

so any chance of releasing a version for home users? i dont know how support factors in, but wouldnt that be more revenue than just selling for commercial purposes?

Frogboy

on Oct 21, 2004

Probably not. At that point someone could just purchase DesktopX PRO LX which is only $129 ($99 for Object Desktop users).

Surj

on Oct 21, 2004

bummer, thanks for the reply though

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