Classic Shell: Forum

I am trying to make this skin like startisback's plain10 style (which is my favorite style) .

But I failed to add fullgrass effect to submenus as it is to the main menu.

May I ask how to add transparency to sub menus in classic shell?

In the .skin7 file, I have already removed all my false attempt to make the submenu transparency.

You need "Submenu_opacity=fullglass".
Take a look at the SmokedGlass skin for one example

Hi shpkong.

I looked at your skin. That one is a bit more complicated.
If you change the sub text "region" to "fullglass" on your particular skin,
I don't think it will work due to submenu bitmap is only 24 bit, without alpha channel.
And the submenu selectors will turn invisible. You might like that effect though.
You would need to make an additional 32 bit submenu bitmap, with the alpha channel at around 200/255.

There is an easier way. Just reuse what is in the skin file already,
by having the transparent bitmaps, referenced for submenu parts.
You would need to put the below text in the end of script, compile, and save as different name.skin7











OPTION TRANS_SUB="Transparent submenus",0, NOT OPAQUE,0

[TRANS_SUB AND NOT OPAQUE]
Submenu_opacity=fullglass
Submenu_bitmap_mask=28
Submenu_bitmap_slices_X=2,2,2
Submenu_bitmap_slices_Y=2,2,2
Submenu_selection=#555555
Submenu_selection_tint1=#555555
Submenu_selection_mask=28
Submenu_selection_slices_X=2,2,2
Submenu_selection_slices_Y=2,2,2
Submenu_split_selection=#555555
Submenu_split_selection_tint1=#555555
Submenu_split_selection_mask=29
Submenu_split_selection_slices_X=2,2,2,2,2,2
Submenu_split_selection_slices_Y=2,2,2

Great, juniper7.

You are awesome.

Your codes just make the submenus that I want them to be.

I am a freshman in making classic shell skins and still have something confused about the your codes.

In the skin tutorial it said: The mask only applies to the RGB portion of the bitmap. The Alpha channel remains unchanged.

It seems that you make the submenus transparent by changing the mask.

Hi shpkong.

With all the latest features that Ivo has put in,
It's hard to keep track of it all. Ivo may not have enough time to put every new feature description in tutorial.
It used to be only the rgb could have transparency with the red/ black /green mask to have glass color or a separate menu color.
Now masks have exploded onto the scene. They can have transparency, have a blue color mask, be used for tint colors and custom images.
Probably more, but forgot already.

I don't understand why you call it coding. No gobbledegoop machine symbols.
It just looks like English to me? Curious. Does Resource Hacker show you something different in your language?

No, nothing different. RH supports my language.

This may be because of the my poor English, sorry for that.

shpkong
Problem.

Just woke up early to a cold sweat.
Well ok, really, woke up to racoons foraging for food outside.

Nice idea putting the custom color picker for menu.

Could not go back to sleep, cause now something was bugging me.
Usually there are always windows updates that show up as new installed programs.
Never noticed anything wrong on your skin.
I just now downloaded a program to check what a new installed program looks like,
when submenu is transparent.

Oh no! See picture. New programs selector is only 24 bit, should be 32 bit for transparent.
Will have to add extra text to script, for it to look normal again. Ok back to sleep.

[TRANS_SUB AND NOT OPAQUE]
Submenu_opacity=fullglass
Submenu_bitmap_mask=28
Submenu_bitmap_slices_X=2,2,2
Submenu_bitmap_slices_Y=2,2,2
Submenu_selection=#555555
Submenu_selection_tint1=#555555
Submenu_selection_mask=28
Submenu_selection_slices_X=2,2,2
Submenu_selection_slices_Y=2,2,2
Submenu_split_selection=#555555
Submenu_split_selection_tint1=#555555
Submenu_split_selection_mask=29
Submenu_split_selection_slices_X=2,2,2,2,2,2
Submenu_split_selection_slices_Y=2,2,2


Submenu_new_selection_mask=33
Submenu_new_selection_slices_X=2,2,2
Submenu_new_selection_slices_Y=2,2,2
;Submenu_new_selection=#1a1a1a
;Submenu_new_selection_tint1=#165f81
;Submenu_new_selection_mask=#7F0000

Oh, yes.

I also forgot this.

The classic shell has an option to make the all program folder behave like sub menus instead of showing them in main menu.

I used to be confused about why submenu in win7 style also has this option Submenu_new and ignored this point.

Thanks, juniper7.

My local time is 23:18. I should go to bed.

I will update the .skin7 file tomorrow.

Have a nice day.

Juniper 7.

I have added your script to the skin7 file, and the submenus now work properly as you said.

And I face another problem.

You said: Never noticed anything wrong on your skin.

Did you mean the all programs folder in the main menu?

Yes, it is. But even I choose OPAQUE it is not highlighted either.

May I ask whether the following scripts adding highlight color to the All Programs folders in the main menu?

Just OPAQUE first:
Main_new_selection_mask=#7F0000
Main_new_selection_tint1=#165f81
Main_new_selection=#1a1a1a

the #165f81 does not show.

It seems even the inbuid metro.skin7's highlighted color of the all programs folder in the main menu does not show.

On my computer.

All Programs is highlighted only once. After you open the list of programs the highlight disappears.

I see.

Thanks, Ivo.

Here is the fixed skin7 file.

Aye aye aye.
You posted a new version already.
I was making this picture of the new programs looks for you.
You are too fast.

Inner new programs changes color, main menu new changes color, just the submenu new keeps the same one color.
Just have to add the text for those different colors in those other color options.

Well now you have probably done all that in your new released skin.

I go back to troubleshooting why my $25 50 year old Harman Kardon A500 tube amp smoked and died on me.
This is going to be very expensive to fix.

Yes, it might be possible but tricky. You have to add the frame to the main bitmap, and it will require some clever use of padding.

A number of us have managed to do it in Classic 1 & 2 column skins.

There are a couple problems though.
The extra part you make at the top has to be transparent (0/255 alpha channel.
It works best when opacity is fullalpha.
If fullglass is used, I found it made artifacts (glass color and blur) mixed in on the edges.
see the user pictures in this skin:

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5264

Don't know. Maybe I did it wrong, way back then.
It's like fullglass does not make use of all the alpha bit levels.
Maybe with the new features an emblem could be used as a frame to cover up the artifacts?
It would need to track exactly the same as regular user picture frame/image.
Nobody has tried anything like that. I don't have time to see.

The other problem is the menu shadow starts near the top of the invisble menu image, not the visible part.
You would have to disable the menu shadow in CSM settings,
or at the skin level, put this text in the skin file if using CSM v4.3.0:

Main_shadow=0



Yeah. It's too bad one can't have icons show on second column of a Win 7 style skin.

Thank you very much, Ivo, juniper7.

That is really a great skin.

Start learning it.

Do not have time to study deeply inside your wonderful skin, juniper7.

It is very very good, just use your skin on my desktop, it is far better than the one I make.

Thank you again.

More on the user picture 1/2 out on Classic skins.

Here is another link from a persons skin that is simple to understand.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5785

On this one, the glass blur works,
because it is square user picture frame, without the almost transparent pixels that make the artifacts.
Even shadow works well.

Take a look at clrSharp3 Dual revB.skin from the Zip.
To show picture half out. He made invisible part at top of main bitmap. See bitmap 1
When no user picture is turned on, a smaller bitmap 3 (without transparent top) is used.

The vertical slices and padding are different for each bitmap.

no picture

Main_bitmap_slices_Y=23,9,9
Main_padding=12,26,6,12
Main2_padding=3,26,6,12



with user picture
There has to be more pixel height and padding to make up for the invisible part of bitmap.

Main_bitmap_slices_Y=48,9,9
Main_padding=12,51,6,12
Main2_padding=3,52,6,12

I see.

Maybe it is because do not know very well about the alpha channels.(why you call it alpha?:) )

I use PS to open the bitmap 1 in John's skin, may I ask whether is black related to full trans(not able to see).

Sorry for my English.

I'm not sure why it is called Alpha. You could look on a search engine site.

Alpha is one of the channels that a 32 bit bitmap can have.
red 8 green 8 blue 8 (alpha transparency) 8 = 32

Just like red can be almost black 1/255 with a little red, or very red with max 255/255
So can the transparency channel from totally invisible 0 to totally not invisible 255/255
Not all bitmaps are 32 bit. Some are only 24 bit, with just the red,green, blue, no alpha.
Not all image programs can import/export 32 bit bitmaps.
I think your one does.

It could show up as black or white, or checkered.
Usually there is an option in program to change what the transparency channel looks like.

There must be an eyedropper or some tool that gives alpha value. Go into help file if can't find it.

Getting back to you shpkong, about user picture 1/2 out on Classic style 1,2.

Did a test with standard Metro skin.
Nope, didn't work the way I thought it would.
I thought maybe an emblem could be a separate alpha window.
Same results as regular user bitmap (picture frame).
Whenever there is a light background desktop,
the outer pixels pick up the glass color, probably blur as well. (Jaggies)
Is not that noticeable with a dark background. See picture.
I set it back to user bitmap afterwards.
It works ok in opaque mode, just there won't be any menu shadow.

You could change the opacity text to fullalpha for the extra bitmaps that are used for fullglass,
but bitmaps might be too transparent.

I never tried the way Ivo said.
To have picture frame embedded into the main bitmap. Even if it did work better, might be hard to keep user picture centered,
as the stretching slices would have to be on the left or right of picture.
Edit: Tried it same.
Extra note.
If the "Glass opacity" (in CSM settings), is set to 0,
the glass color artifacts around the top half of user picture frame disappear.
There is just a little bit of the blurred pixels on the right side. Oh wait, maybe that is part of the shadow.
Works on HDPI too.

Shpkong. You could transfer all your personalized text from the other one, into this test skin?

Are you still working on your skin, shpkong?

I transferred some of your text into the test skin,
along with linking to Dave Stewart's icons, glass opacity at 0.
Only uploading picture, not skin.
Just to see what it looks like, if you continue.

We all use Ivo's skins as the base. Then we just add/subtract from it.
I wouldn't know how to make one from nothing.

Kind of busy this weekend.
I'll just upload it half and half done.
Will let you personalize it to your taste.

I find if menu opacity is at 0, and menu color on black, with white page as background,
kind of hard to see grey selector. It blends in with menu.
I now set to menu opacity to 15.
Also found if one wants menu blacker, use your custom menu color option, set to 000000
I switched the default FFFFFF to 000000.

Have a good weekend.