Revolutions Pack 9.7

[Briansurvivedwindowsme]

So Briansurvivedwindowsme, you could try to run RPCONFIG.EXE (and maybe the dll embedded in the program) with KernelEx in Windows 98SE compatibility mode?

hmm,I haven't tried that.I'll try now.

[Briansurvivedwindowsme]

So Briansurvivedwindowsme, you could try to run RPCONFIG.EXE (and maybe the dll embedded in the program) with KernelEx in Windows 98SE compatibility mode?

hmm,I haven't tried that.I'll try now.

nope,same results.

[CharlesF]

Briansurvivedwindowsme, there is several files running the program: UBERHACK.EXE, uberskin.dll, SHL8.DLL, RP8.dll

You will find them in %WINDIR%\SYSTEM

You should try to play with them and KernelEx, and see after reapplying the skin if it solves your glitch.

AFAIK, RPConfig.exe is no more than the GUI

[TmEE]

I think I found the fix to the white clock problem - you need to make PChealth.EXE not run prior to installing RP9 and applying skins and stuff. The service will undo the changes in system files done by RP and that causes the problem. It'll likely make the system more responsive too as there's one less thing that is constantly monitoring everything.

It seems on WinME the "superbar" version of a skin will not have two rows of systray icons as on 98SE... but I can live with that, it just looks less good.

EDIT: Seems only the Watercolor Emico is affected, that means I'll only have to adjust the skin's ini file ! I'll provide a "fix" when I achieve that ^^

EDIT2: TaskBarSize=39 will give me 2 rows of icons. I am not able to get 2 rows in other ways so I'll have to adjust the other taskbar related values so all looks uniform and naiss.

Edited March 15, 2014 by TmEE

[CharlesF]

I have a bug with the 'Windows 7' theme

With any of the 2 Taskbar sizes (normal or superbar), the taskbar size doubles after a while,

and the buttons will come under the Quicklaunch bar.

See screenshot:

I have tried several tricks and settings, but I was not able to fix it.

Could someone help me?

Thx in advance.

Charles.

Windows 98SE - Revolutions Pack 9.7.2 - KernelEx 4.5.2

[CharlesF]

The bug is fixed with a smaller height for the Start button bitmap, called 'start.bmp'!

I will make a new version of my 'RP9 Skin collection' including a few of such glitches fixed

Edited April 12, 2014 by CharlesF

[Drugwash]

Could other skin elements contribute as well to such bug? I'm thinking of writing (sometime, maybe) a tool that checks for such mismatched sizes between .ini declarations and actual bitmaps. Maybe even with a preview screen just like the one in the display control panel. Of course, that's just wishful thinking for now.

I should also review and fix my Royale color variations set of themes I've done years ago. Maybe at some point they'll make it into your package. But for now I have big hardware and software issues that need to be fixed so it will take some time.

[CharlesF]

There's no size declaration in the .ini file

but the Bmp was to high, and this is what created this display bug.

A few old skin (designed for Lameskin engine) could also had created problem, but as far as I know were corrected in the previous 'RP9 Skin collection' versions.

The 'Royal Color' is indeed very nice, with no display glitch for me .

[Drugwash]

There's a value called 'TaskBarSize' in the 'Global' section. May be a leftover from older skins, dunno, but it can be checked against the full height of the button bitmap divided by the value of 'Count' in the 'Button' section.

If you find any other similar glitches, please let us know. If I ever find the time to build that tool, it should have all possible checks built-in.

My Royale set has seven color variations (blue, cyan, green, mauve, orange, red, yellow) but the fonts are not wisely chosen and some elements still need tweaking. Someday, maybe...

[CharlesF]

For instance, in the Windows 7 regular skin, the TaskBarSize=30

but my new StartButton (start.bmp) is 108 px high instead of 3x30=90 px

and it can be even slightly bigger.

The original bmp creating the bug, was 132 px high.

For the Windows 7 Superbar skin, the TaskBarSize=40

with a StartButton (startbig.bmp) of 141 px, not creating the display bug.

I have already checked the other skins start buttons, but no one else is that tall.

[Drugwash]

Just by a quick look at my Royale Mauve, I see the Start button is 90px tall. Each of the three usable images have a border of 2px vertically plus a 2px left border and a 1px right border. 2x2x3=12px total vertical border in one button image, making each individual image 26px tall.

Your offending button, based on the same calculation, would be 40 px tall each image, as opposed to a value of 30 in skin.ini. There is probably a certain margin that - when overcome - triggers the taskbar height increase.

I suppose the 2px (transparent) border is useful when taskbar is locked, while leaving a small room between button and taskbar background when it's unlocked.

The value of 141px for the superbar theme gives an individual image height of 43px (not considering the border) vs the value of 40 in skin.ini. That is probably an accepted margin. Same goes for your new button, where each image would be a 32px (not considering the border).

You may try to play with different image sizes (height+2+2)*3px and see where it breaks the limit and makes the taskbar grow.

[CharlesF]

You may try to play with different image sizes (height+2+2)*3px and see where it breaks the limit and makes the taskbar grow.

I had tried with a 111 px high button and it was still fine.

That's why I wrote: 'and it can be even slightly bigger'.

I went back to a 108 px sized button, because it was the main big size I had found,

like in the AeroBlue, AeroClassic, Sky98, Ubuntu Human, Velvet98, VistaUltimateBlack skins.

Edited April 23, 2014 by CharlesF

[Drugwash]

The taskbar is essentially a standard Rebar control holding a few bands. Its size is always recalculated anytime one of the bands changes size. The threshold may depend on the Common Controls version installed on each system.

I have started working on a theme editor but with all the possible options I'm having troubles finding an optimal GUI layout. It will take some time before getting to a usable public version. Here's a preview. (hopefully it shows - they got a weird system at CloudMe)

Edited April 23, 2014 by Drugwash

[CharlesF]

I have started working on a theme editor but with all the possible options I'm having troubles finding an optimal GUI layout. It will take some time before getting to a usable public version. Here's a preview. (hopefully it shows - they got a weird system at CloudMe)

Nice stuff Drugwash!

You may find some useful tips to fill the bottom square, in the [Global] section of AeroClassic's skin.ini:

GlyphLimit=50 ;if button height lesser than that value, than small glyph will be used.NoPremultAlpha=0 ;no alpha channel pre-multiply...TransCorn=4 ;transparent corner by 4 pixelsActiveShadow=1 (1 to enable - default)ActiveShadowColor=45 68 232 (0 0 0 - black by default)InactiveShadow=0 (1 to enable)

[Drugwash]

Thanks!

For now I'm using Tihiy's own comments on the UberSkin dedicated webpage, in the details box. Eventually I'll try to polish them a bit, but for now they should be enough. The variety of data types (string, bool, int, colorref) is giving me a hard time. I want it all to be intuitive and easy to use, which right now isn't. But I'll do my best.