Classic Shell: Forum

Hi guys!

I'm really sorry that my first post on this forum is a request but i'm pulling my hair out trying to work out how to edit the default metro skin included with the latest version of classic shell. It's an amazing skin but for the life of me i can't figure out how to enable any kind of transparency. It seems to have a clever feature so it uses the colour of the start screen but i'd love to be able to have exactly the same style menu but with transparency enabled and maybe a glass colour override as with the windows 8 skin.

I'll help in anyway i can and if the information is useful i'm using windows 8.1 and classic shell version 4.2.1

Many Thanks in advance

Which Style are you using, Windows 7, or classic/2 column? They both have different skin files

Sorry! Thought i'd covered everything lol.

I'm using the windows 7 style

Ok firstly, I don't think the left column can be invisible at all (I seem to recall having a discussion with IVO about it) with the windows 7 style
Secondly, I think that the metro skin itself may have some limitations because its using special resources. There are a few members that know a bit more about .skin7 than me, and maybe one of them can modify the attached version (which does show some transparencies when you hover over an icon)
I may get back to it later, but I probably wont figure it out (ive got work)

Note that any skin mods such as this one which are based on the Metro skin and depend on the Windows 8/Windows 10 color engine will not work on Windows 7.

Yes, it is true that the left column of the skin7 can't be transparent. That's because it needs to host a tree control, which doesn't play nice with transparencies.

To get transparency in the rest of the menu, you need to add an alpha channel. Usually the transparency comes from the alpha channel of the background bitmap. However if the background is a solid color (like is the case of the Metro skins), the transparency can come from the alpha channel of the mask bitmap. Currently the mask bitmaps only have R, G and B channels. You need to add alpha and set it to the right level of transparency. Make sure you leave the left column opaque (alpha=255).

Thanks for the replies guys

Really appreciate your efforts, i've started to try and dabble with the metro.skin file and make it as close to the skin7 as possible but i'm still struggling to activate the transparency.

I'll continue to persevere

Persevere. Definitely, for all of us.


Hi jhaedee.
This is uncharted territory for me too, due to the new features.
Could not work it out, at first.
It came down to studying the power button.

The menu masks are now 32 bit
I made the mask selector buttons, with 32 bit bitmaps,
along with all the dimension data put in as well. The alpha channel on them would need to be tailored for transparency too.
For testing, the transparency is around 200/255 for menus, and 128/255 for selectors.
Probably more trans for menus, and less trans for selectors, would be better.
Never did the new program selector button.
If using picture enabled, the square picture will show itself.
Mind you, it could look fine as an extra metro type look?

I spent my share of time on it. It's not finished. Will leave for next person to make next rev Metro2C.skin7


ps
How does one test for split selection buttons on main2 and submenus?
Is there some little test app that puts a menu through all the hoops?

If you are making the classic type, you can see what Jcee and I did.
Look at line 252 to 297. I did not look at classic one. Probably similar. Can copy the text over, along with the added bitmaps.
Make sure those bitmap numbers are not used in other skin, or will have to change to match up.

It would start to get labor intensive, if a regular glass color option is required. I think a whole set of background and lower color amount masks would be required.

Bye. Got to mow the grass.

Starting with Classic Shell 4.2.3, the Metro skin in Classic styles (Metro.skin) can have glass with blur on Windows 10. On Windows 8/8.1, it can have simple transparency. This can be toggled from the Skin tab when the Metro skin is selected.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

More magic, I see for the picture frame square in the classic version. Now invisible.
Very good.

Starting with Classic Shell 4.2.5, the Metro and Midnight skins support transparency in both columns in Windows 7 style.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and did Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Thanks so much Gaurav!! I've only just seen your response.

Im currently trying to work out how to amend the width of the right hand column.

Cheers