Aero GlassBar for Windows XP

[hornett]

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.

Well great for you, but I've just tried it out on 3 machines and it worked on 0. All I got was a garbled taskbar.

XP Home & Pro with a variety of themes applied.

[Adriana]

I did not say it would work for every one, but like I did say I really don't enjoy other people telling me I'm wrong when I'm not. SO my point was that I could accomplish exactly what he was trying to do with TClock2, and have no limitations. The both of you are using 2003 SP1, I'm using 2002 SP1, and I'm not using WindowBlinds, or a VS for that matter. And this guy just might be able to accomplish the clear taskbar for every one. But he would need to do a lot more work, right now all he's got is a VS with the bottom of a wallpaper in the taskbar.

So I don't know where this is going to end up, ALL I was trying to say is that I could do the exact same thing with TClock2. Nothing more, nothing less, that is ALL I was trying to say. So I was not ridiculing some one else's efforts at all. All I was doing is pointing out that I could do that with TClock2.

Because frankly I don't give a crap whether it works for any of you, if it doesn't work oh well. From the way you all act you don't even deserve this guy's "efforts" ok. And I did not actually uninstall it, if you were a BB user you would know you gotta type Blackbox.exe -uninstall to revert back to Explorer. Then you log off and back on and Explorer has loaded as the default shell once again. But I don't use Explorer so I don't need to do that very often, so I wouldn't need a shell switcher.

[javagreen]

I did not say it would work for every one, but like I did say I really don't enjoy other people telling me I'm wrong when I'm not. SO my point was that I could accomplish exactly what he was trying to do with TClock2, and have no limitations. The both of you are using 2003 SP1, I'm using 2002 SP1, and I'm not using WindowBlinds, or a VS for that matter. And this guy just might be able to accomplish the clear taskbar for every one. But he would need to do a lot more work, right now all he's got is a VS with the bottom of a wallpaper in the taskbar.

So I don't know where this is going to end up, ALL I was trying to say is that I could do the exact same thing with TClock2. Nothing more, nothing less, that is ALL I was trying to say. So I was not ridiculing some one else's efforts at all. All I was doing is pointing out that I could do that with TClock2.

Because frankly I don't give a crap whether it works for any of you, if it doesn't work oh well. From the way you all act you don't even deserve this guy's "efforts" ok. And I did not actually uninstall it, if you were a BB user you would know you gotta type Blackbox.exe -uninstall to revert back to Explorer. Then you log off and back on and Explorer has loaded as the default shell once again. But I don't use Explorer so I don't need to do that very often, so I wouldn't need a shell switcher.

Your wit amaazes me :cool: You need to go back to bed, perhaps. Over and out.....

[vcv]

Oh Adriana, why must you make me embarass you now?

Look at your own screen-shot. Look at how UGLY the pixels are around the XP icon. It actually looks you edited the image. Either way, that alone is proof that TClock2 can not emulate the Aero Glass effect EXACTLY (your own words). It should be able to fully support 32-bit alpha-blended icons when it draws them (which it appears to be doing.. or I don't know what the hell it's doing. It's ugly though.

Also, notice how the XP icon overlaps the border of the start button? Why does it do that?

As well, where did the application icons go?

Let me also point that it VERY hard to see anything in the screenshot because of how hard your desktop backbround is, mind trying something brighter? I cannot tell if it TClock2 is in fact able to draw with multiple levels of transparency (0-255). It doesn't appear so, and would be even further proof that TClock can't emulate Aero Glass EXACTLY.

I did try TClock2 on my own system, but it just makes my desktop icons flash over and over, and nothing else happens. XP Pro SP2 with 2 monitors, OpusOS theme.

[Adriana]

First if all I saved it in .JPG so it'd be a small file, so that's why the pixels look like that stupid.

The XP icon always overlaps the start button, it's probably my font.

I use blank application icons so of course there isn't any. But those would display as well.

I can see every thing just fine, I used that background because it's a busy titled background and it would show through the taskbar. But TClock2 can do multiple levels of transparency just fine, as well as full transparency (clear taskbar).

So on MY system I already have emulated the Aero Glass effect exactly, and I don't care to do it again with a lighter background and application icons showing. So I don't see where you embarrassed me at all. (Two R's in embarrass.)

[vcv]

I wasn't talking about the pixelation. I am talking about around the XP icon, which is NOT pixelation.

Also, your screen-shot is so dark it is impossible to tell if there is multiple levels of transparency.

As well, it does NOT draw the icons properly. This alone proves you wrong, as well. It obviously can not handle "XP" icons as they are sometimes called.

I will try TClock2 on my laptop. If it does not work on there either, and you still refuse to post a BETTER more VISIBLE screen-shot to back yourself up, I will assume you are trying to cover your own ass.

[vcv]

Here's a screen-shot from my laptop:

edit from desktop: Oh yeah, you're so right. That emulates it EXACTLY. I mean look at the smooth edges around those icons. Look at the smooth edges on the text! Look how a window moved above the taskbar is drawn above the taskbar itself but below icons. I am impressed that it emulates it EXACTLY.

[Adriana]

Around the XP icon, it's not an icon that's why. It looks like that because it's a bitmap. ALL bitmaps display crappy like that. I had one in my right click from WinRAR and it had that same grey stuff going around it.

If you insist I MUST post yet ANOTHER screen shot I will, but you will have to tell me exactly what you want to do/use. Because I will NOT be posting a third screen shot. I despise using Explorer, and I dislike having to switch shells log off and back on when I'm in the middle of doing stuff on here.

So if I must do clear taskbar and regular transparency for the "multiple levels" you speak of I will do two shots. But once I've switched back to Blackbox I'm not switching to Explorer again.

So you just tell me after you've tried it on your laptop. But this is just stupid, now the screen shot must be good as well. I will save it in .PNG just so you have a GOOD screen shot. And since I am perfectly willing to do yet ANOTHER screen shot, you can just forget about assuming I'm covering any thing.

[vcv]

How can you even further defending yourself after the screen-shot I posted? Look at the icons in the systray, those are actualy ICONS. Not bitmaps. The is 2 levels of transparency I see. Opaque and Transparent.

[Adriana]

I was typing that up and I posted it before I saw your post. I'm still not positive on what you mean by levels of transparency. And if you look CLOSELY in my screen shot in the systray, the icon on the right displays badly. Yet the icon on the left displays fine, that's because I did the icon on the left. So I know it's not all jagged. I think your taskbar icons are just poor quality. But I don't know what's going on with your text, since mine displayed just fine.

[SOB BOT]

Hahah you guys are funny

[darkmark327]

(Two R's in embarrass.)

Well while we're on the subject of grammar,

apostrophe S

makes possessive not plural

except it's (it is)

so it would be "two Rs..." (exception is s sounds e.g. s's)

[Adriana]

You know I was thinking there wasn't supposed to be a apostrophe there, but I wasn't sure. I was typing it up quickly so I didn't have time to make sure. But thank you for the grammer correction.

EDIT: Now people I have to go, you know out into the real world. So I will be back in a few hours to see all the many posts I'm sure many of you will leave. And if not, it will be tomorrow. So I'm sorry to say you all will have to wait for the conclusion to this really stupid argument.

[MonkeyClaw Veteran]

wow, people calm down. Does it matter? Adriana it was wrong of u to flame somethign that isnt even done yet. if u took the time to read he said he would release the unrestricted version later on in the week. U really need to calm down. I dont see u tryin to make a prog to emulate this. Just everyone give the guy a break. i think it looks really cool and i hope he does release a full working version unless some of u scared him off.

[embassy]

I don't know why no one has mentioned this, but adrianas screen shot shows exactly how tclock does not emulate the aero theme, because the start button and the sys tray are transparent. The whole point of what Blackice is trying to do is to enable transparecy on the taskbar ONLY. That means NO transparecy on the start button and NO transparecy on the sys tray!

[vcv]

I was typing that up and I posted it before I saw your post. I'm still not positive on what you mean by levels of transparency. And if you look CLOSELY in my screen shot in the systray, the icon on the right displays badly. Yet the icon on the left displays fine, that's because I did the icon on the left. So I know it's not all jagged. I think your taskbar icons are just poor quality. But I don't know what's going on with your text, since mine displayed just fine.

Actually, there are many 32-bit alpha icons in the taskbar and systray. Full levels of transparency means that each individual pixel can have a transparency level between 0 and 255. A real shadow effect can be applied in an icon.

I've only been posting so much because I took 4 days off from work to paint the house.

[noroom]

(warning, long post ahead)

i tried TClock2 too... TClock 1.1.2 doesnt have this option, which explains why many of us weren't able to try it until you posted a link adriana, thanks.

now, the problem with this program in my case (XP Pro SP1, Royale VS) is that it wouldn't work with my visual style, Royale. I went to Windows Classic and it worked then. It crashed my explorer, but after everything recovered, i was presented with a glass-like taskbar. only edges, text and icons were visible.

now, the good stuff about it: it made the irrelevant areas of the taskbar transparent, while keeping borders, text and icons visible. neat.

the bad stuff about it: you know how when you mouseover a task it gets a special bevel? well, while moving my mouse over a task and inside that task only (within the taskbar) this special bevel appeared and disappeared very quickly, and I could only activate the task while the bevel was visible. this thingy had me "rubbing" the tasks in the taskbar until the bevel appeared. fun stuff, you should've seen me. :)

another thing that i didn't like very much was the icons. all of them (except for winamp in the quicklaunch) had a horrible gray border. and the last thing is that i hate the classic theme for XP, and the clear taskbar doesn't seem to work with other VS's. :(

anyway, it seemed like a good approach. too buggy for my taste, though.

i hope to see Blackice's app soon. anyone who still thinks his app is wallpaper and resolution sensitive, is wrong!

he is coding an app that generates a visual style based on the wallpaper and resolution of your choice!

good things about it: all of the bad things about TClock2 would be solved! (no buggy taskbar and dodgy APIs on the loose! :) )

bad things about it: you would have to generate a new visual style every time you change a wallpaper or resolution.

but i think it's still worth it. come on Blackice, don't let these people get you down :)

[darkmark327]

Sucks for people with wallpaper changers.

[Crunch]

LOOKS GREAT

[macmax]

I am damm sure he has " PHOTOSHOPED" his screenshot.

and btw y dont u try that on Windows LUNA VS ( OFFICIAL) one from MS and "PLEASE" keep the wallpaper anything not DARK color's like BLACK.

I know how 2 use Tclock i have been using tclock and tclock2 for year's now.

All it does is make it LOOK SHABBY.

Tclock2 " CANT EVEN GET CLOSE " to what this person is making right now.

well as some1 said earlier its better if u HIT the BED a little early.

[A.K.R.]

I am damm sure he has " PHOTOSHOPED" his screenshot.

and btw y dont u try that on Windows LUNA VS ( OFFICIAL) one from MS and "PLEASE" keep the wallpaper anything not DARK color's like BLACK.

I know how 2 use Tclock i have been using tclock and tclock2 for year's now.

All it does is make it LOOK SHABBY.

Tclock2 " CANT EVEN GET CLOSE " to what this person is making right now.

well as some1 said earlier its better if u HIT the BED a little early.

He did not Photoshop - edit that screenshot. I tried it; it's real.

[macmax]

A.K.R

I am talking abt "ADRIANA" and his ScreenShot

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

he says he can DO WONDER's with tclock2 n i know its all BS *****

I tried BlackIce and it works fine ... waitin for some Fixes ......

[javagreen]

You know I was thinking there wasn't supposed to be a apostrophe there, but I wasn't sure. I was typing it up quickly so I didn't have time to make sure. But thank you for the grammer correction.

EDIT: Now people I have to go, you know out into the real world. So I will be back in a few hours to see all the many posts I'm sure many of you will leave. And if not, it will be tomorrow. So I'm sorry to say you all will have to wait for the conclusion to this really stupid argument.

The real world, ah yes. Judging from the way you try to rub it in our faces that you have to "go back" and "not sit in front of the computer" I'm assuming that your "real world" is someplace rather behind times, with severe unavailability of something called as "computers" for I see them everywhere around my place. At my work, at my home, at my friends homes, hell, I was even interested in Microsoft's e-toilet gimmick.......Imagine the pleasure of being able to flame people like you while I took a dump...priceless :D

So, just quit talking nonsense like "I have to go, out in the real world" and post only what's relevant to the post here. You are making us all go dangerously off topic just like I am off topic right now. Ah well, lets get back on topic.....

[Windows X]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/ActualPyro/Ahem.jpg <--- Simple trans with custom start button (Check line carefully and you'll know it's full transparent taskbar). Nothing special for me.

[macmax]

Yes WindowsX tat's wat i said nothin special in that.and for his kind info BlackIce ismaking Glass ....

The transperancy of that is much better than what tclock2 can ever provide .... wat tclock2 does is just make the taskbar look like Sh|t ..... well if u like it keep it bt stop flamin and acting like a FOOL.

I know what ice is tryin to do cannot be achieved in the real sense bt atleast it looks close to what can be achieved in Longhorn .... maybe when Avalon get's ready for Windows XP we can see the actual transperancy.