Classic Shell: Forum

I have a skin (7 Style) that I really like, called Aero Flat, that although I like how it's glass in the right column, I really would want the left column to be glass as well, to ditch the opaque white background. My question is, is that possible to do, and if so, is it like, okay? Would modifying it be considered stealing the skin? (the search bar is black because of my theme and not part of the skin)

The skin is from: viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1192 by mpu

It is perfectly acceptable, though if you redistribute online, its recommended to at least give credit to the original author.
Also I think with the latest version it is possible

Hello MrMii-CSF.

Depending on if you want to have just the main bitmap match, it's probably easy.
If you want to do the whole thing, could be quite intensive!

Here are some of the changes that would be required to match up the main2 right column, to main left column menu:

Opacity
Main text color
Main arrow color
menu, and red mask bitmaps
selector buttons
separator
programs background opacity/color and red mask.
search background
probably more as well.



One more thing, as I could not understand it at first.
Ivo made it so the programs background can be transparent now.
example Programs_background=#C1333333
The first two alpha/numeric digits is for transparency, the remainder for red green blue.
I have no idea if the Programs_background mask can use a real gradient bitmap. Never tried it.
It does work with a standard hex number.


Good luck

Random question...what's that Visual Style you're using? The taskbar intrigues me...

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@juniper7 I'm looking at the skin's information in Resource Hacker, (also peeked at the Midnight skin's "Main_background" value to be sure I was looking at the right value, but not sure if that's what I'm looking for) but I don't know which value to change, as I've tried Main_opacity, Main_background, etc, but the skin still looks like a carbon copy... Is there anything I'm missing? I'm not really familiar with editing data this way anyway, but the color should be changing, right...? Or must I edit bitmaps?

@Splitwirez I'm using Mr. GRiM's Dark7 Ultimate Theme for Windows 7.

Yeah, you'd have to edit the bitmap.

And thanks for that ^-^

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Yup. Splitwirez is correct.

Sometimes it's very easy to just change a text word, or hex number.
In this case, because some of the the main menu, search, and jump have gradients,
and maybe I'm wrong, almost everything that uses transparency,
needs to be real 32 bit bitmap image. You will have to get down and dirty,
and put the bitmaps through an image editor that saves/exports as 32 bit.
The bitmaps will not look like the menu, as they are shrunk down.
You need to cut the white part out, and copy the merged RGBalpha fom right side to left part of bitmap.
Change the opacity text from glass to fullglass.
Most of the other stuff is copy/pasting text from "main2", making it read as "main"

I'm off tommorow, I'll check back to see if you get somewhere with it.
If stuck, I can help out with pointers, or just do it for you, if you get stressed out from it.

Actually, wouldn't stretching it over the left column look better? :V

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Um, you mean to resemble "Midnight skin", or a blend? Ok, you try Splitwirez.

Any software that I have used, does not subtract the value of the alpha layer.
It only adds until max 255 value. So I cut out the original for 0 starting point.

I finished testing to see if I could do it.
So now I have the finished full glass skin.
I won't delete it, in case it's needed.



I'm so tired. I'm typing this with the mouse, while in bed.
Goodnight.

I think I might need some pointers xD I tried to edit a bitmap and the result was... a total failure xD Here's what I tried to do with bitmap 8, what RH showed when I replaced it, and then my resulting skin xD When I replaced it in RH, was I supposed to cut out the white part in the top corner or just in the middle? And I did export it as a 32 bit BMP. Apparently I wasn't listening about the merged RGBAlpha thing, but I don't know which bitmap to edit, if not more than one. Ugh, this is gonna be a long day... But I'm not giving up yet. I WILL make this skin full glass or my name's not Smitty-werben-jangerman-jenson! And it's not. Is making skins supposed to be difficult? No offense but it seems like it...

Yeah...I've had that happen when messing with padding, but if literally the only thing you changed was bitmap 8, then IDeK...

...what are you using to modify the skin? That doesn't look like Resource Hacker to me...

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The image editor is GIMP, but I'm using Resource Hacker to replace the files.

OK AKA Smitty-werben-jangerman-jenson.

I've been known for doing a lot of head scratching, as we are all in the same boat.
It can be a real pain in the whatever.
Because it is very exacting, a wrong change will make the default white skin turn on.
Looking at the image above, probably the bigest concern is, the size has changed.

I used Pixelformer.

I made the bitmap 1 all same grey. (the base color, with alpha transparecy level)
I made the bitmap 2 all same red gradient. (the red mask, that uses the system glass color)

Found out after doing the same to the search, and jump bitmaps, they all look the same.
I did not need to modify the other bitmaps 8,9,13,14. Just change text to reuse bitmap 1 and 2.

Tell you what, I can only torture a person for so long, before helping out.
I'll put the modded two bitmaps in a zip for you to replace in the skin file.
Here is some of the text changes that I made in the script:

Main_bitmap=1
;Main_bitmap_search=8
;Main_bitmap_jump=13
Main_bitmap_search=1
Main_bitmap_jump=1

Main_bitmap_mask=2
;Main_bitmap_search_mask=9
;Main_bitmap_jump_mask=14
Main_bitmap_search_mask=2
Main_bitmap_jump_mask=2

Main_opacity=fullglass
Main2_opacity=fullglass

;Main_bitmap_slices_X=11,2,3,4,2,24
Main_bitmap_slices_X=12,2,3,4,2,25
Main_bitmap_search_slices_X=11,2,35
Main_bitmap_jump_slices_X=12,2,3,4,2,25

If you can get past the important bitmap changes, you will have confidence to do the rest of it.

If you throw in the towel, and give up, let me know, and I will upload the finished mod skin.

I implemented the bitmaps and script changes, and to my surprise, it worked xD Thanks a million! I also changed the main menu text from black to white. However, most fonts don't work with the skins it seems, like Super Mario 256 Bold, but that was just to test it.

When referring to your modded bitmap 1, does the black corner define alpha? Because I saw no alpha layer in my editor. Just curious.

And this is just greed talking, but does increasing or decreasing blur (in this case, increasing) have to do with bitmaps or the script? And uh, is there a way to add an open animation that isn't a fade in? Like a slide (or however you describe it) similar to 10's integrated Start? I'm only asking because the classic and classic w/ two columns styles have the ability for a fade in. I think I'm being just a tad bit greedy here... I apologize... If it can't be done, I can go without it.

For an odd font to work, it has to be in the windows font folder, as well as text in the script to tell skin to use it.
For the top right corner of the bitmap, it is pure 0/255 alpha (invisible).
A lot of photo editors don't show the alpha layer. It has to be loaded a certain way. Some do show it when it's a png file.

One of the reasons I always use Pixelformer free program.
Pixelformer shows three views, regular red green blue, the alpha channel, and a combined merged view. Nothing hiding.

For the alpha level, it's usually the alpha level in the bitmap that sets it.
In CSM settings, the only "glass opacity" in "Menu Look" tab, can be increased or decreased around the bitmap value.
I don't know of any animation text in a skin file. Who knows what Ivo has next. Can only adjust in CSM settings.

You did very well.


Ah, what the hay, here is the modded skin from MPU.
Thanks MPU, for knowing Windows 10 would be going flat in the future.

As the original submenu does not have glass color tint on the selector button,
I made an option to turn off the tint color on all the main menu buttons to match.

I borrowed the scroll parts from Ivo's Midnight skin.

Put an option for vertical separator on main menu.

I left the submenu gap the way MPU had. If you want it to overlap more,
put this text " Submenu_offset=5 " in script after the submenu text, to overide it.

Cleaned a couple of inconsistencies.

Can always change the bitmap 1 transparency layer with Pixelformer.

Hold the press. I made a m..m..mistake!

Sorry MrMii-CSF.
I'm a real dunce sometimes. But if it wasn't for screwing up so much,
I wouldn't find unique ways of utilizing the bitmaps, and script.
Just don't put me in charge of a nuclear arsenal.

OK, I just realized after a windows update, that the inner "new program highlight" is white wonky,
as it was not designed for full glass background.
Not everybody likes the orange color.
It's not that difficult to change it in an image editor to the color you like,
just as long as it saves as 32bit, (.bmp) Then it won't be white anymore.

If you want it still comic orange and fixed, it's in the revision B skin.
It has black text option, and some color on separators, and sub button.
Not for everyone. Still has MPU's character though.

(Late reply) Orange color? Sorry if I don't understand, but is that an example or a skin attribute? But the black text option is interesting, doesn't fit well with black glass (captain obvious), but I like the option. Makes me wish things like this came WITH Windows and not something you had to install.

The "new programs" color button that is a bit orange in color. It has been in Windows menu for years and years.
When some people see it, they get repulsed by the color, and go on the forum, asking how to get rid of it.
Most of the time, it's because color does not make happy compliment with the glass color at that time.

In the skins I modified, I went out of my way to make it look awful, nice, odd, wacko, rainbow color, invisible even.
Let me know if you want a different color.
I can make it so it looks just like regular button, if you want, so it does not clash with anything.

Oh crap... I completely missed that part... I read "new program highlight" but I guess it didn't register. Does that bug affect the inside menu or the cascading all programs menu? Or both? I use cascading and I don't think it ever clashed.

From what I remember, it is just the tree inner menu on the left column. Cascading sub no problem.
I just told it to use the same one on the cascading submenu, but have black text instead.

That does look better with the black text for a new program. I should honestly get into making my own skins. To my friends I'm known as the Personalization Freak.

Just curious, what theme makes the search box turn black,
and is that the way you want it?



What happens if you change the text at line 275 from:

Search_background_mask=24

to

Search_background_mask=0

Does it turn white again?

The theme, "Mr GRiM's Dark7 Ultimate Theme for Windows 7" makes many different elements of the UI dark, including the search bar. (And a handful of third party programs) When I changed the background mask to 0 in AeroFlat FullGlass, the outer edge of the search bar was white, but the text box remained black. Personally I have no preference for either a black or white search bar, but I do like the black one better. However, when it comes to searching, I usually use the search bar within File Explorer.

Interesting.
I kind of thought it would turn all white, not half.
Mr GRiM must overide at a high level. I like it all black too, in this case.

Thank you for the experiment.