Aero GlassBar for Windows XP

By Blackice
in Tips, Tweaks & Customization

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Grand Master

zhangm Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted
Tclock 2 is ntg bt total **** i've tried it n glass2k n other stuff's bt those aint cool

i hate when start button 2 becomes transperant.

anyways HIS IDEA is cool :) n i am waitin for it.just hope it work's with other KOL's stuff's cos i use SLATE.

*Grammar nazi alert*

Use more vowels, they're good for you. Seriously, "ntg"? WTF is that? Nutpicking?

And...

Ok, so the maker of this mod is using and distributing KoL's theme. Does he have KoL's permission, and if so, where is it?

Collaborator

Dirty Dog

Posted
Posted
i used the latest version of TCLock and it was the same transparency I've seen since XP was released.

As I said, next week is an unrestricted version. If you people keep complaining, I'll assume you are not interested in emulating longhorn and get the threaad removed. If people would just STOP posting "fake transparency" things. Because you are ignoratnt to do so. Next week multiple resolutions and stuff will come. In fact, you people have annoyed me so much so far,

SUPPORT FOR THIS ON NEOWIN HAS STOPPED FROM NOW--------------------

:sleep:

Community Regular

Blackice

Posted
  • Author
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ok then, just everybody stop flaming me - no other visual style offers Glass effects, so this is new territory. Taskbar transparency has been around since (maybe even before) Windows 2000. The reason even Microsoft show it off is because it truley is a development over your bog-standard transparency. A taskbar replacement app would of course work a lot better (not sure about efficiency in terms of RAM useage...etc), but this is at least something. I've got quite a bit on my plate at the moment, but I'm working on an application that will build everybody their personal AeroGlass taskbar. Since XP stores your wallpaper image to your resolution (path is something like C:\Documents and settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Wallpaper1.bmp), it will stip a bit off of it and apply my glossy map to it, and replace the necessary resource/s in your chosen theme.

Please read the first post if you have problems in resolution/wallpaper. I've already said that the rebuilder app (to be named GlassBar), will be released when its ready.

Please do not email me your wallpapers anymore requesting personal taskbars. Even my gmail account will overflow eventually.

That said, those who like to use the WinHEC leaf wallpaper, redownload the RAR. It now has either "AeroLeaf" or "WINHEC" substyles, so you can do a direct longhorn comparison easily.

Community Regular

Blackice

Posted
  • Author
Posted

yes it is an embedded bitmap which has undergone various maps. Its not totally original - I'm not claiming it to be. I'm just saying that if anyone wants a longhorn-like taskbar, then I've got one that I made for myself and am sharing.

EDIT: and no, I don't officially have KoL's permission - I couldn't find him. I've found him now and am asking him. If he says no it will be replaced with luna or something really bad and unfitting.

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

But you have made claims that it is better than others. I see it as inferior to others as it:

Locks you to 1 resolution

Locks you to 1 wallpaper

Looks dodgy around startbar, etc

Can you please qualify how it is superior?

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
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I fail to see how I flaimed. I posted facts and asked for his opinion. But, if it's a flame you want:

What a crock. Well done, embedding a BMP. I fail to see how he is going to make this changable without using "the same old API calls" that others do.

Mentor

vcv

Posted
Posted

Let's get some facts straight here

1) TClock can not produce the "exact" same effect. TClock makes the whole taskbar transparent, which includes icons and text. This only makes the taskbar itself transparent (even if it is a faked effect). As well, with this, there is different levels of transparency on the taskbar, where as with TClock which uses whole window transparency only has one level of transparency.l

2) To erp: Yes it is possible to produce the same effect that longhorn has. Create PNG images that gives off the same effect as longhorn, and grab the wallpaper from below the taskbar, and draw the PNGs overtop it. It's really not that hard actually.

Grand Master

Windows X

Posted
Posted

As a Longhorn themer being for many years, let me clarify something you may doubt.

1. It's impossible to emulate glass transparency for taskbar because XP theming engine doesn't support external alpha-blending. You can't make some parts of Windows become semi-transparent and yet taskbar doesn't support transparent mode (Many themer tried to make MCE taskbar but they couldn't and someone ended up like this before so this is not the first time for wallpaper embedded).

2. Glass transparency isn't strong as you think. Real glass will be half few texture and half full transparent like attached picture.

3. Glass2K still be neccessary for semi-transparent.

4. I think you should make prep trans effects themes like desksrv.dll resources in Longhorn. Little color addition for blending. Looks good for some cases.

5. Here's Aero glass transparency taskbar effects comparnion.

post-34-1093867365.jpg

post-34-1093881908.png

Grand Master

AcdShdw

Posted
Posted

ok, lets see we have ###### here who are flamming this guy for doing something on this form, hes attempting (very well) to create a transparent taskbar theme, i like his work, as for the people flamming, wtf is your god damn problem, u come in this thread flamming this guy for no reason, hell i dont see u creating anything and sharing it with the public do u? he has something to share ad offer to people, ya it may not be done but that doesnt give u the right to be a dickass about it god grow up, im really getting sick of all these stupid flamewars and threads on this website really being overwhelmed with crap latley

Mentor

erp

Posted
Posted

I had to read the thread twice and think about it a few minutes to figure out for myself what Blackice is trying to accomplish. I'm dumb sometimes.

There is a difference between the transparency effects we already have and the "glassy" effect that this offers. It's going to be turned into an app that will work with any resolution or wallpaper and will make the start button look right.(Tell me if I'm wrong)

I think it might be improved even further by still using glass2k as WindowsX already suggested.

Enthusiast

Adriana

Posted
Posted

Okay for some of you who didn't think I'd reply, I was sleeping. You know sleeping during the night instead of up on a computer all night. Now I said TClock2 could do the EXACT same effect and I was right, just for you MORONS I did it and took a screen shot. I had to uninstall my Blackbox shell, use Explorer, log on and off twice, and download TClock2. But I did it just for you stupid people who don't get it. In TClock2 I used clear taskbar, and it did the EXACT and I do mean exact same effect like I said before. Hmm, what a shocker. I still had the task text and the start button, and the systray icons, and the clock. See for yourself.

Click: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/ActualPyro/Ahem.jpg

Ahh, what do you know...I was right. I did that with TClock2 just like I said. And it doesn't have any limitations like the thing you're doing. But hey why listen to me when you can be dumb and only use regular transparency in TClock.

Grand Master

Meshuggah

Posted
Posted

few questions....

1. will the release you provide us next week, support ALL visual styles? or just ALL resolutions? ALL Wallpapers as well? what exactly?

2. Would this work for my secondary monitor as well or only my primary?

i just dont like Aero theme anymore :( and im using Inspirat Black Now (not Stefanka's upcoming version)

Veteran

noroom

Posted
Posted
Okay for some of you who didn't think I'd reply, I was sleeping. You know sleeping during the night instead of up on a computer all night.

[...] just for you MORONS [...] But I did it just for you stupid people who don't get it. [...] But hey why listen to me when you can be dumb and only use regular transparency in TClock.

now, that was uncalled for. :no:

could you be a bit more precise, maybe specify a download link and a small tutorial on how to achieve this effect on TClock2?

I downloaded TClock2 1.1.2, by Two_toNe 2002, and I don't see the "clear taskbar" option anywhere... :huh:

Enthusiast

Adriana

Posted
Posted

It may have been uncalled for, but I don't enjoy the other people telling me I'm wrong when this guy is posting this almost unusable thing.

And there shouldn't be a need for a tutorial, it's very simple to do. But you need TClock2 as I said to do it. Here's a direct download to it. http://www.bmx3r.com/tclock/Tclock2_120.zip Right click on the clock, click TClock Properties, go to Taskbar, and check Clear Taskbar. And that's it, you have the same effect as using this guy's mod. With out the restrictions of that wallpaper, and resolution.

Mentor

javagreen

Posted
Posted
Okay for some of you who didn't think I'd reply, I was sleeping. You know sleeping during the night instead of up on a computer all night. Now I said TClock2 could do the EXACT same effect and I was right, just for you MORONS I did it and took a screen shot. I had to uninstall my Blackbox shell, use Explorer, log on and off twice, and download TClock2. But I did it just for you stupid people who don't get it. In TClock2 I used clear taskbar, and it did the EXACT and I do mean exact same effect like I said before. Hmm, what a shocker. I still had the task text and the start button, and the systray icons, and the clock. See for yourself.

Click: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/ActualPyro/Ahem.jpg

Ahh, what do you know...I was right. I did that with TClock2 just like I said. And it doesn't have any limitations like the thing you're doing. But hey why listen to me when you can be dumb and only use regular transparency in TClock.

Very neat, heh :shifty: You know what, it worked for YOU but it does NOT mean it will work for everybody else.

I, for instance, am running windows Server 2003 with SP1. I downloaded TClock 1.2.0 and applied the said "clear taskbar" effect. I was then using a Windowblinds 4.3 skin and TClock2 didn't work. It resulted in drawing errors, It crapped out the taskbar, made Windowblinds trip, gave me patches on my screen and eventually crashed explorer.

I unloaded Windowblinds, reverted back to the Windows Classic theme, rebooted and then applied 2 of my favorite MSSTYLE themes, Ashen and Metallurgy, in that order. TClock2 failed, again. With Ashen, the "clear taskbar" setting just did nothing, and with Metallurgy TClock tried again, but failed miserably. Serious drawing and painting errors. My taskbar looked like someone had scraped it's surface with a sharp object :no:

Now, what I experienced MAY have been an OS related issue, such as TClock not working right on a Server OS, or perhaps a conflict with my 61.77 nVidia drivers. But the starter of this thread is attempting to develop something which will work for everybody, presumably, and for which he deserves some credit and encouragement.

It's rather easy to ridicule someone's efforts with a few less intelligent comments, refuting their actual hard work. This I say, again, assuming that the starter of this thread does indeed have some genuine stuff coming up in what he has previewed till yet. I haven't downloaded/tested it, I intend to wait till it's final. And yes, I surely am interested in what he is attempting to develop and I wish him all the success.

And, just put of curiosity, why did you need to uninstall Blackbox for this? I thought all you needed to do was edit it's copnfig file, instructing it to use EXPLORER as the default shell on the next reboot, instead of Blackbox itself. There's also an executable available to just run nad visually select the shell to use at next reboot, I suppose?

Thanks....

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