BlueVision HAL Skin: A Sleek and Elegant System Monitoring Skin for Rainmeter
How to Customize Your Desktop with Rainmeter and BlueVision HAL Skin
Do you want to make your desktop more stylish, functional, and interactive? Do you want to display useful information such as CPU usage, network traffic, weather, time, and more on your desktop? Do you want to create your own skins and widgets for your desktop? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should try out Rainmeter, a free, open-source desktop customization tool that allows you to display customizable skins on your desktop. And if you want to make your desktop look like a futuristic computer interface, then you should check out BlueVision HAL skin, a sleek and elegant skin based on the v5 tech brush set by Zane @ Z-designs.
Rainmeter20withBlueVisionHALSkin
In this article, we will show you how to install and use Rainmeter and BlueVision HAL skin to customize your desktop. We will also show you how to create your own skins using Rainmeter's simple code language. By the end of this article, you will be able to transform your desktop into a stunning and smart workspace that suits your needs and preferences.
What is Rainmeter and what are skins?
Rainmeter is a lightweight application for Windows that allows you to display customizable skins on your desktop. Skins are files that contain code and graphics that create visual elements on your desktop, such as frames, borders, backgrounds, images, text, charts, buttons, etc. Skins can also display information from your computer or the Internet, such as hardware usage, weather data, RSS feeds, email notifications, etc. Skins can also interact with other skins and applications using special commands called bangs.
Rainmeter comes with a few simple starter skins, but the best part of it is the community-made skins that you can download from various websites. There are thousands of skins available for Rainmeter, ranging from simple tools like clocks and calendars to complex applications like audio visualizers and system monitors. You can also customize or create your own skins using any text editor.
What is BlueVision HAL skin and what are its features?
BlueVision HAL skin is one of the most popular skins for Rainmeter. It is a futuristic looking system monitoring skin based on the v5 tech brush set by Zane @ Z-designs. It has a blue color scheme and a transparent background that fits any wallpaper. It also has dozens of buttons that make it easy to configure everything for your own needs.
BlueVision HAL skin has many features and gadgets that display various information on your desktop. Some of these features are:
Detailed CPU usage graphs + bars for up to 12 cores
CPU temperature in C and HDD temperature in C
CPU fan speed in RPM and CPU voltage in V
RAM usage in % and MB
GPU usage in %, temperature in C, fan speed in RPM, and voltage in V
Network traffic in KB/s, MB/s, or GB/s (depending on the amount of data) with cumulative data counter and reset button
Volume control with mute button and volume level indicator
System uptime, user name, OS version, and PC name
Date and time with 12/24 hour mode and AM/PM indicator
Weather information with current temperature, humidity, wind speed, and forecast for up to 4 days
Recycle bin with empty button and item count
Power status with battery level indicator and power plan switcher
Notepad with save and load functions
Slide show with customizable folder path and interval
Media player with play/pause, stop, next, previous, shuffle, repeat, and volume buttons
HAL 9000 eye that responds to mouse clicks and system events with sound effects and quotes from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey
Why use Rainmeter with BlueVision HAL skin to customize your desktop?
Rainmeter with BlueVision HAL skin can offer you many benefits for customizing your desktop. Here are some of them:
You can make your desktop more attractive and unique by adding a futuristic touch to it.
You can monitor your system performance and status at a glance by using the various gadgets and widgets.
You can access useful functions and information quickly and easily by using the interactive buttons and bangs.
You can personalize your desktop according to your preferences by customizing the settings and appearance of the skin.
You can learn more about Rainmeter's code language and create your own skins by using the examples and tutorials provided by the skin author.
How to install Rainmeter and BlueVision HAL skin
To use Rainmeter with BlueVision HAL skin, you need to install both Rainmeter and the skin itself. Here are the steps to do so:
Download and install Rainmeter
Rainmeter is compatible with Windows 7, 8.1, 10, or 11. You can download the latest version of Rainmeter from its official website. Choose the final release version for stable performance, or the beta version for more features. Run the installer file and follow the instructions to complete the installation. You can choose between standard or portable installation, depending on whether you want to install Rainmeter for all users or just for yourself. You can also choose which components to install, such as skins, plugins, layouts, etc.
Download and install BlueVision HUD Theme V0.2 Alpha
BlueVision HUD Theme V0.2 Alpha is a package that contains BlueVision HAL skin along with other skins that share the same style. You can download it from its DeviantArt page. Extract the zip file to a folder of your choice. Inside the folder, you will find a file named BlueVision V0.2 Alpha.rmskin. This is a Rainmeter skin installer file that will automatically install the skin package for you. Double-click on it and follow the instructions to complete the installation. You can choose which skins to install from the package.
Launch Rainmeter and select BlueVision HAL skin from the list of skins
After installing Rainmeter and BlueVision HUD Theme V0.2 Alpha, you can launch Rainmeter from the Start menu or the system tray icon. You will see a list of skins that are available on your computer. To load a skin, right-click on it and select Load. To unload a skin, right-click on it and select Unload. To load all the skins from BlueVision HAL skin package at once, right-click on BlueVision V0.2 Alpha folder and select Load all skins.
How to use Rainmeter and BlueVision HAL skin
Once you have loaded the skins from BlueVision HAL skin package, you will see them on your desktop. You can interact with them using your mouse or keyboard. Here are some tips on how to use them:
Overview of the gadgets and widgets included in the skin
The following table shows an overview of the gadgets and widgets included in BlueVision HAL skin package. Each gadget or widget has a name that starts with BV- followed by a number and a description. You can move, resize, or hide any gadget or widget by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option from the context menu.
Name
Description
BV-0 HAL 9000
A circular gadget that displays the HAL 9000 eye from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. It responds to mouse clicks and system events with sound effects and quotes from the movie. You can also double-click on it to open the settings menu for the skin package.
BV-1 CPU
A rectangular gadget that displays detailed information about your CPU usage, temperature, fan speed, and voltage. It has graphs and bars for up to 12 cores, as well as a total CPU usage percentage. You can also click on the buttons to open Task Manager, Resource Monitor, or Performance Monitor.
BV-2 RAM
A rectangular gadget that displays information about your RAM usage in percentage and megabytes. It has a bar that shows the amount of used and free memory, as well as a pie chart that shows the distribution of memory types. You can also click on the button to open Memory Diagnostics Tool.
BV-3 GPU
A rectangular gadget that displays information about your GPU usage, temperature, fan speed, and voltage. It has a graph and a bar that show the GPU load and memory usage, as well as a pie chart that shows the distribution of GPU engines. You can also click on the button to open GPU-Z.
BV-4 Network
A rectangular gadget that displays information about your network traffic in kilobytes, megabytes, or gigabytes per second, depending on the amount of data. It has a graph and a bar that show the upload and download speed, as well as a cumulative data counter and a reset button. You can also click on the buttons to open Network and Sharing Center, Network Connections, or Internet Options.
BV-5 Volume
A circular gadget that displays and controls your volume level. It has a mute button and a volume level indicator that changes color according to the volume level. You can also click and drag on the gadget to adjust the volume level.
BV-6 System Info
A rectangular gadget that displays information about your system uptime, user name, OS version, and PC name. It also has buttons that allow you to shut down, restart, log off, lock, or switch user.
BV-7 Date and Time
A rectangular gadget that displays the current date and time. It has a 12/24 hour mode and an AM/PM indicator. You can also click on the gadget to open the Date and Time settings.
BV-8 Weather
A rectangular gadget that displays the current weather information, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and forecast for up to 4 days. It uses the Yahoo Weather API to fetch the data. You can also click on the gadget to open the Weather settings, where you can change the location, unit, language, and update interval.
BV-9 Recycle Bin
A circular gadget that displays the Recycle Bin status. It has an empty button and an item count indicator that changes color according to the amount of items in the bin. You can also click on the gadget to open the Recycle Bin folder.
BV-10 Power
A circular gadget that displays the power status of your computer. It has a battery level indicator and a power plan switcher that allows you to choose between balanced, high performance, or power saver modes. You can also click on the gadget to open the Power Options settings.
BV-11 Notepad
A rectangular gadget that displays a notepad where you can write notes or reminders. It has a save and load function that allows you to store your notes in a text file. You can also click on the gadget to open the Notepad settings, where you can change the font, color, size, and alignment of the text.
BV-12 Slide Show
A rectangular gadget that displays a slide show of images from a folder of your choice. It has an interval setting that allows you to change the duration of each image. You can also click on the gadget to open the Slide Show settings, where you can change the folder path, interval, and transition effect of the slide show.
BV-13 Media Player
A rectangular gadget that displays and controls your media player. It supports various media players, such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, Winamp, Spotify, etc. It has play/pause, stop, next, previous, shuffle, repeat, and volume buttons. It also shows the title, artist, album, and cover art of the current track. You can also click on the gadget to open the Media Player settings, where you can change the media player type, skin color, and cover art size.
How to customize the settings and appearance of the skin
One of the advantages of using Rainmeter with BlueVision HAL skin is that you can customize almost everything about it. You can change the settings and appearance of each gadget or widget individually or globally. Here are some ways to do so:
To access the settings menu for BlueVision HAL skin package, double-click on BV-0 HAL 9000 gadget. You will see a list of options that allow you to change various aspects of the skin package, such as language, color scheme, transparency level, update rate, sound effects, etc.
To access the settings menu for each gadget or widget individually, right-click on it and select Settings from the context menu. You will see a list of options that allow you to change various aspects of that gadget or widget, such as location, unit, language, update interval, etc.
To access the appearance menu for each gadget or widget individually, right-click on it and select Appearance from the context menu. You will see a list of options that allow you to change various aspects of that gadget or widget's appearance, such as size, position, angle, scale factor, etc.
To access the Rainmeter's general settings menu for all skins on your desktop, right-click on any skin and select Manage from the context menu. You will see a window that allows you to manage all skins on your desktop. You can load or unload skins from here. You can also edit their code by clicking on Edit Skin button.
To access Rainmeter's layout settings menu for all skins on your desktop, right-click on any skin and select Layouts from the context menu. You will see a window that allows you to save or load layouts for all skins on your desktop. A layout is a set of skins with their positions and settings saved as a file. You can create multiple layouts for different purposes or moods.
How to interact with the skin using buttons, bangs, and variables
Another way to interact with the skin is to use buttons, bangs, and variables. Buttons are visual elements that can execute commands when clicked. Bangs are commands that can control various aspects of skins and Rainmeter. Variables are placeholders that can store values and be used in other options.
To create a button, you need to use a meter that supports mouse actions, such as Image, String, or Shape. You can use the LeftMouseUpAction, LeftMouseDownAction, RightMouseUpAction, RightMouseDownAction, MiddleMouseUpAction, MiddleMouseDownAction, MouseOverAction, or MouseLeaveAction options to specify what commands to execute when the mouse interacts with the meter. You can also use the MouseScrollUpAction and MouseScrollDownAction options to specify what commands to execute when the mouse wheel is scrolled over the meter.
To use a bang, you need to enclose it in brackets and use an exclamation mark as the prefix. For example, !RefreshApp is a bang that refreshes all skins. You can use bangs in mouse actions, as well as other action options in the skin. You can also use multiple bangs in one action by separating them with brackets. For example, [!RefreshApp][!DeactivateConfig] is an action that refreshes all skins and deactivates the current skin. There are many types of bangs available for Rainmeter, such as operating system bangs, application bangs, option and variable bangs, skin bangs, meter bangs, measure bangs, etc. You can find a list of all bangs and their descriptions in Rainmeter documentation.
To use a variable, you need to define it in the [Variables] section of the skin or in an included file. You can use any valid name for a variable, as long as it does not conflict with Rainmeter's built-in variables. You can assign any value to a variable using the = sign. For example, Color=255,255,255 assigns the value of white color to the variable Color. You can then use the variable in other options by enclosing it in brackets and using a # sign as the prefix and suffix. For example, FontColor=#Color# uses the value of the variable Color as the font color. You can also modify or update variables using bangs such as !SetVariable or !WriteKeyValue.
Using buttons, bangs, and variables can make your skin more interactive and dynamic. You can create custom functions and effects for your skin by combining them in creative ways.
How to create your own skins using Rainmeter
If you want to create your own skins using Rainmeter, you need to learn some basic concepts and skills. Rainmeter skins are written in a simple code language that is easy to understand and modify. You can use any text editor to create or edit skins, but we recommend using Notepad++ with RainLexer, a plugin that provides syntax highlighting and auto-completion for Rainmeter code.
Basic tutorials and documentation for Rainmeter
The best way to learn how to create skins using Rainmeter is to follow some basic tutorials and read some documentation. Here are some resources that we recommend:
Rainmeter 101: A beginner's guide that covers the basics of Rainmeter installation, usage, and skin creation.
Rainmeter 201: An intermediate guide that covers more advanced topics of Rainmeter skin creation, such as measures, meters, plugins, formulas, etc.
Rainmeter 301: An advanced guide that covers some expert topics of Rainmeter skin creation, such as Lua scripting, WebParser plugin, RegExp tutorial, etc.
Rainmeter documentation: The official documentation for Rainmeter that provides detailed information about all aspects of Rainmeter.
Rainmeter forum: The official forum for Rainmeter where you can ask questions, get help, share your skins, and learn from other users.
Anatomy of a skin: measures, meters, bangs, updates, and variables
A skin is a text file that contains the code and options for the visual elements and functions of the skin. A skin file has a .ini extension and is organized into sections. Each section starts with a name enclosed in square brackets, such as [Rainmeter] or [MeterName]. Each section contains one or more options that define the properties and behavior of the section. Each option has a name and a value, separated by an equal sign, such as Update=1000 or FontColor=255,255,255.
There are three main types of sections in a skin: Rainmeter, measures, and meters. The Rainmeter section contains general options that apply to the whole skin, such as update rate, window position, transparency level, etc. The measure sections contain options that gather information from the system or the internet, such as CPU usage, weather data, RSS feeds, etc. The meter sections contain options that display visual elements on the desktop, such as text, images, graphs, bars, etc.
Bangs are commands that can control various aspects of skins and Rainmeter. You can use bangs to load or unload skins, change settings or appearance of skins, execute applications or scripts, etc. You can use bangs in mouse actions, as well as other action options in the skin. You can also use multiple bangs in one action by separating them with brackets.
Variables are placeholders that can store values and be used in other options. You can use variables to avoid repeating the same value multiple times in a skin, or to change the value of multiple options at once. You can define variables in the [Variables] section of the skin or in an included file. You can then use the variables in other options by enclosing them in brackets and using a # sign as the prefix and suffix.
Examples of simple skins and how to modify them
The best way to learn how to create skins using Rainmeter is to look at some