Classic Shell: Forum

Vista beta 5112+ for Windows 7 style


Similar to Splitwirez Diamond skin.
Thanks to Splitwirez, for bringing attention to a start menu, I never noticed before.
Some of its features can't be duplicated in CSM. Still it was fun experimenting.
Now has different power button, other buttons blended, between old and new.
Everything else got chopped. Gave the top bar a haircut too.
Has glass color added.
Solid flat color. Zero transparency!

Tried with CSM 4.2.1 Made for Win8.1
Color mode looks very different in Win7 os.(very dark contrast).
After downloading file, unzip, paste only the skin in skins folder. Usually C:\Program Files\Classic Shell\Skins
Exit CSM, restart CSM, and go to "Start Menu Style" tab. Pick "Windows 7 style".
Pick "Vista beta 5112+" in Skin tab.

If you want a deeper blue, with a hint of purple, use the "Override glass color" in CSM:
Menu glass color FF5C17
Menu glass intensity on 90
Menu color blending on 40
And put on "light" glass color in skin option.
Maybe too much blue for some people.

Problems:
I'm still not happy about the color. So blah. Times like this, wish I was an artist.
I could then hone in on the sweet zone.
It will be difficult to get the white/glass color balance, acceptable in Windows 7 os.
You would need to do lots of adjusting in Windows personalization settings.
I found even the Windows transparency setting, affects the contrast as well.

The high dots per inch, is a bit of a disaster, as everything goes out of alignment.
I disabled some of the options, where I could, for 150%
what else?
The power button colors won't change, depending on shutdown, log off, restart text on the left.
At one point, I had three state icons burnt into button. Went back to simple.
If you always have power button set to shutdown text, you can become a surgeon,
and replace the buttons with red color on left.
Why so many power buttons to change? Original color, grey, dark grey used for neutral glass color,
and another set for standard padding.


Does anyone know of an ".msstyles" with just a black Vista looking taskbar,
that could possibly use glass color as well?,where everything else is on default, for use in Win8.1
I hate all those themes and skin packs, that change too many system files, and make it hard to put system back to normal.

Oh my...

...I can't wait to try this when I get home

Also, those Visual Styles you mentioned will still work without the other files, they just...won't quite be able to deliver the full experience. But they will still give you the desired taskbar look.

Also, I think I have the perfect button idea for this... (Hint: it's not evil)

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R U Sure it won't be evil?

I just downloaded "vista_vs_for_windows_8_1"
Replaced IMAGE 808 with a darker png taskbar. It does not have glass color anymore, but that's ok.
More interested in original type look anyway.

Looking at Deviantart.com,
one can see this was probably the pre Vista menu that tornado5 got the incentive, along with XP,
to make that wonderfull Luna Element 5.1 theme in 2007.
All hail tornado5, if she or he is still around, and ask if a similar Win8.1,
or Win 10 menu, or theme could be made. The blue 5.1 XP version is so beautiful.

Here is a simpler variation.

BLUE MAX

No transparency, no glass color. Low on grey, high on saturation.
I guess only a few people in universe might like it this rich.
Reminds me of cheap new cars, and a royal blue living room carpet, from years ago.
My last skin before taking a deep breath, and jumping into Windows 10.

I managed to be very lucky to just replace once again, a blue taskbar,
in VistaVS.msstyles IMAGE 808 from Double Rainbow. Was unsuccessful with a VistaVS on Win7 theme.
Anyway less hassle, to just change taskbar color in windows.

Unzip it first.

@juniper7, fabulous job again with both skins. I love how the Shutdown button has a different image instead of the arrow and the colors you used for the Shutdown button and its hover state. Love the green arrow for Programs too. You give me quite a few ideas to modify skins.

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Links to some general topics:

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● Read the Search box usage guide.

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

Hello GauravK.

I deleted all the beta files some days ago.
I believe the green arrow was original, or with minor tweak.

Credit Splitwirez, for coming up with the shutdown icon idea.
Yes, using a different shutdown image in button, or icon has good possibilities.

Check out Metro mockup.

Actually, the icon design was by Microsoft, all I did was create an uncompressed replica and find a stupid exploit to add it.

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Love the blue one. Can't go wrong with blue. But only a skin7 version? How easy would it be to make a regular version? And can you give us a link to the visual style you used with it?

Hi Weboh
Not too much time right now.
You can always jerry rig the file, by renaming the .skin7 to .skin
Half of skin will still work, other aspects will be out of wack.
Like shutdown button, picture placement, text alignment off, no name, etc.

About the theme.
I don't feel right modifying someone elses work, and then uploading it to internet.
Well except for Classic Shell, as Ivo lets us do anything we want.

If you want to download http://double-rainbow-ei8ht.deviantart. ... -451121085
you can use ResourceHacker to open up the VistaVS.msstyles, and replace image 808 with the blue one.
It only changes one of the several taskbar images, not the whole theme.
Looking on internet, looks like Splitwirez is into themeing.
Can ask him for more info.

Yeah...um, understatement of the year

(Hint: If it can be skinned, I've probably atleast tried to skin it)

And yes, I'd be happy to provide..."info"

EDIT: IF that weren't true, I'd have left this board months ago. I am glad I have a VM dedicated to Classic Shell skins and the like...

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I was able to replace all the right things in the Windows 7 version of the skin, but I lost the taskbar transparency. Paint told me I'd lose it. Is that the only problem? Do I need to use an editor other than paint? What do you suggest (please not Paint.NET. That thing's awful at transparency in particular)?

And how would I shrink the width of the skin? It's way too long as a skin7 (but actually looks perfect as a skin. The only thing it's missing as a skin file is the icons in the second column, and maybe a username option. Is there an easy way to add those to a skin file? And is there a way to activate semi-transparency in the start menu, similar to the way the Vista taskbar behaves?

Say, splitwirez, since you love skinning, maybe you can finish this project that juniper7 started for me? He did a great job on the ones he did do, but he couldn't figure out how to do the rest.
And then there's all the old XP Alienware themes that I've collected and need to upload the same way....

Heh, I ask too much of you guys... You always come through though; love you guys!

MSpaint is the editor that sucks at transparency. paint.NET does it fine - I use it more than anything else

Um...to be honest, I've got a lot on my hands at the moment. I might take a crack at those Nintendo skins at a future time...

Also, my Start Menu History skinpack contains a skin called "Diamond" which is similar to "Vista Beta 5112+", but it has a slight bit of transparency! You might like it. Admittedly it doesn't have half the options this one does, and it is more faithful to the original Vista Beta Start Menu...

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I guess it's just I can't figure out how to make transparency work in Paint.NET. I'll slide the transparency sliders all the way to most transparent, and then when I paint with the transparent color, it always comes out in things like Word as a solid color.

I tried your skin, but it doesn't seem to use the glass color at all; toggling the reduce glass color option doesn't do anything.

That isn't Paint.NET's fault, it's Word's. There's a plugin to fix Paint.NET's lack of support for BMP transparency. Just Google "Paint.NET BMPX plugin" or "Paint.NET 32-bit transparent BMP plugin".

My skin was never meant to support glass colours. That option is there only because I never bothered to remove it, leaving it as nonfunctional. (I didn't even know how to remove it at the time)

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You are right Weboh.
The Win7 version does look hilariously wide.
The good side is, the "all programs" text, won't get cutoff inside.
I have no idea what text I can change to reduce the width in a skin.
The padding looks normal. Must have done something wrong.
You can always shrink down "Programs pane width" in CSM settings.

I'm going to set some time aside, to make a classic two column Blue Max.
I don't want to have bottom padding extended. Very time consuming to make different power button sizes for no icons,
icons, small icons, e.t.c to fit on the bar, as it all gets screwed up anyway,
when people change to 125%, or 150%. The button can only work in a simpler color way in classic, as well.
As for the semi transparency. I'll leave it the way it is.
It's up to you to change. Hint, for simple alpha layer transparency editing- "Pixelformer"

Ooh.
For the single column classic, do you want blue, or white?

Blue! Make everything blue!

And would it be hard to just expand the padding for 100% with regular icons? That's the only one I'd use anyway. You could say in the options that it would only work that way.

Blue single it is. I'm skipping caption as it looked bad.
I'll make an option for two column to have all blue, or split.
Starting to make some headway. At the beginning, I converted too much at once,
without checking the progress. Bad move, as all I got was the default no skin white menu,
without any skin error notification. Probably cause I had so many.
Has this ever happened to you?
This is now the third time, starting from scratch,
and I'm making backup copies every once in a while, just to be safe.

100% is one of the hardest, as the button is so big.
I have to devise sneaky compromise ways of shrinking it, making it line up.
You will still have to either delete the separator above power button,
or add a blank custom item in CSM customize tab, to make it look better.
Tuesday now. Will probably finish it by Friday, no promises.
Time to sleep.

Cheerio

I just realized I completely misunderstood this post.

Paint.NET saves the image with all layers set to alpha 255 and flattened together for non-layer formats, so you have to merge the layer onto a blank layer with layer alpha at 255. This will convert your transparent layer into an opaque layer with transparent pixels, allowing you to save the transparency into a non-layer format such as BMPX.

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Yeah, whenever I do a big skinning project like modifying the Vista theme... At least it gives me experience!

Thanks for going through all that extra work for me! I can really feel like my computer is mine with all of these "just for me" customizations.


...And I don't understand this post at all. In English, what do I need to do to make transparency work?

That was english ._.

Simplified instructions:
1. Add a new blank layer
2. Move the new layer below your image layer
3. Merge your image layer onto the new layer
4. Save as non-layered format, such as BMP, BMPX, PNG, etc.
5. ???
6. Profit!!

Some people would call this a "stupid user" problem. I'd say "counterintuitive application" is more accurate, though (IMO) paint.NET is very intuitive for the most part :U

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If you want to make a soufflé,- use Adobe, Paint, whatever. Steep learning curve.

If you just want to make toast,- use Pixel former. Simple to understand.

Pixelformer uses sky language, not English .
Pixelformer has three clickable views:
Sunshine & clouds view= Red, green, blue layer (The picture) & alpha transparency layer (the hidden layer).
Sunshine only view= Red, green, blue only.
Clouds view= transparency layer only.

Open bitmap image in Pixelformer. Click on clouds.
255/255 is not invisible (white), 0/255 (black),is invisble.
Click on color box on left. Use the vertical slider to adjust A (alpha transparency layer), click ok.
Click on flood icon,(paint bucket). Click on image, where you want that value.
Done.

You can of course make more complicated gradients, rounded corners, after learning basics.
It's my go to editor for transparency adjustments, not that great for other stuff though.

There is one thing that is very important.
Go into image properties, and select "RGB color with alpha channel (32bpp)"
When finished playing with transparency, have to export as 32bit, as well.

OK, Weboh.
Finally, a hard days week, is over.
The extension padding, was an over killer.
I figure 90 percent of the text script,
is what I call "Bonker Logic".
Drives me bonkers to get items to work,
and end up copy/pasting more than I should.
Let me know if I missed a screw up.


Just a reminder for anyone who uses this skin, changing system text size,
to higher than 100%, is not advisable,
as buttons, and search box, become bigger than bottom bar,
therefore overlap.
I deactivated it at 150% size and higher.

Yay! You have just made me very happy! Can't thank you enough!

Ehehe...sorry to bother you again, but there's one thing that's really bugging me about this skin: it doesn't actually include the user avatar frame from Vista Beta 1

I'd really appreciate if you could rectify this. To make the job easier, I've already gone and ripped it, and prepared it to be added: http://www.mediafire.com/download/kmro5l5q4wnn5yl/5112UserBitmap.bmp

I tried to add it myself, but that didn't end well...

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About that original user picture frame, on the 5112.

The one you supplied is almost the same as mine, just a little off size.
I had it at the very start, when the top of menu was original height, then I chopped it out.
There's a reason why it's not there.
When the default beta flower picture is shown, it looks nice, with it's extra white shine line on the right, modified by MS.
Then, when other user pictures are used, it looks so dull, and dark, and is too transparent, with too dark of a shadow.
So I opted to blend a released Vista and Win7 frame, and use that instead.
The original would need a lot of modification to make it look as good as real Vista, or Win7 one.
Probably why MS axed it in the first place.
Pass.

*Approximately 3 hours of splicing, tweaking, and other modifications later...*

#FIXT

Here are the bitmaps I ended up with: http://www.mediafire.com/download/pxm9o5rnwspix5s/LHDiamond_v3_UserFrames.zip

Now will you add them?
(Preferably with an option to put the user image halfway off the bar at the top, like in the above screenshot)

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Splitwirez.
I believe the time it took you.
You gave it some definition.
You are el taco supremo.

Why do you need me to add it?
Anything I upload is for anyone to modify and upload it again.
I don't care. It was never mine in the first place. Just playing around.

Good job.

*Satisfaction Intensifies*

El taco supremo? All I got from that was taco, and I'm assuming that isn't referring to the food...

Well, I tried to add it, but I couldn't figure out how you did the thing with all those options, so I figured I'd ask you if you'd mind doing so >.<

I can't believe that actually worked Oo,,oO

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Hay, Splitwirez.

Picked up that Mexican saying from somewhere. Just comparing you to the best taco ever.

About the transplant.
I would much rather you, do the replacing of your beta frame.

Think of it like this.
If I have say, size 10 narrow shoe.
You have say, basketball player size 16 wide shoe.
Now, if you walk a mile in my shoes, not matched up, ouch!
So you need to transfer some of that data from your working skin to the other skin, to work properly.

Most important are:
Replace bitmap 12, and if you want the bigger high dpi, bitmap 31

Change the user text to what you have.
User_image_size=?
User_image_offset=?,?

Also, sometimes replacing the picture frame in Resource Hacker, gives an "access violation" fault.
If that happens, just delete the bitmap, and add the new one back in with the same assigned bitmap number.



Now if you are talking about adding the beta frame as another option, yes it would get complicated.
I got scared looking how much mumbo jumbo the skin has.
If I ever figure out how to add a round picture with glass colored frame, halfway outside, then I could do it then.
So far, I can only add a round picture, or one with a simple frame without glass. Truly puzzled at it.

Wait...you were referring to the food?? .___________.
Well, I was hoping it could be a new option, but maybe it'd make more sense to just replace the Se7ista frame

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