Aero Glass for Win8 RC4

[vjott]

Works perfectly for me. For those getting trouble, I placed all the files from the archive into the following directory:

C:\DWM

Then I edited the following file: LoadGlass__AppInit_DLLs.reg

and altered the contents to the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LoadAppInit_DLLs"=dword:00000001
"AppInit_DLLs"="C:\\DWM\\DWMGlass.dll"
"RequireSignedAppInit_DLLs"=dword:00000000

I saved the changes and then double-clicked the file (LoadGlass__AppInit_DLLs.reg) and confirmed that I'd like to alter the registry when the notice appeared. I restarted my computer and everything works fine.

[vjott]

By the way, bigmuscle, which is your preferred technique for rendering Aero Glass; Direct2D or Direct3D?

[fireboyche]

How to make it run v.0.7, because in the .7z file there are 4 .pdb files, 1 .reg file, 1 .dll file?

[vjott]

How to make it run v.0.7, because in the .7z file there are 4 .pdb files, 1 .reg file, 1 .dll file?

Well, you can start by reading the readme.txt file. Then you can read the post I posted a couple places above and wish for the best.

[bigmuscle]

What I would like now (and this is likely stuff I must do myself cause its not really related to DWM) is to recolour the Black Text in Active windows for the Aero.theme to White, or recolour the Black Clock + etc text of the taskbar in AeroLite.theme to white. Now that Aero is basically perfect, I am pretty darn happy

Yeah, although the coloring could be possible in DWM, it's more theme related.

thanks. I tried the x86 version, but this version doesn't work:

Crash.log:

Writing crash log...
DWMGlass: 0x74ACAD49: d:\projekty\aeroglass\mydwm-dx11\dwmhook\iatfunctions.h (22:0), function: myWndProc
d2d1: 0x74614462: ?

It seems to be same thing as in Win8 RP. It looks that internal function for getting colorization parameters has different argument than x64 version. Clicking Ignore should work...

By the way, bigmuscle, which is your preferred technique for rendering Aero Glass; Direct2D or Direct3D?

Direct3D, it is more native...

For non-working cases, the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM:DeviceFeatureLevel settings still needs to be altered. Then post debug.log if it still does not work.

[pengipete]

Beta working fine here - installed folder to C://DWM & edited .reg accordingly in notepad & then installed - then a quick reboot & bob's yer uncle.

No noticeable issues - have rebooted half a dozen times, logged-in & out, switched users etc - all fine. No problems with Metro or any desktop apps I've tried so far. Tried various "advance settings" for Windows (fades, slides etc) - all working fine. No noticeable issues with SiB. No "feeling" of anything slowing down.

If you or anyone else can give us a simple, reliable way to change titlebar font colour and/or add the "glow" around title text, I reckon that's a big downer of W8 sorted.

[Blackbird256]

The guy who made W7 theme changed color of titlebar text in his theme when requested it so it's possible editing the theme and by text glow do you mean this?

http://i.imgur.com/0Ug2D5r.png

Title text being more readable?

Edited April 2, 2013 by Blackbird256

[adacom]

i said above it does not work for me - after a bit of playing i do see some aero - by playing i mean changing the theme i use - in all versions upto 0.5 i used AeroLIte theme - this was [i think] a carry over from trying to get diffident coloured text in window title bars

if i now go back to Win8 standard theme then 0.7 works - colours of aero are awful but i guess that just as i have it and taskbar whilst aero is grey - again i guess thats me

i suspect all the above will be true for 0.6 - which also did not work for me

i have never played much with themes - people talk about win 7 theme and others that work well - without reading back 36 pages - would those who have it working well post the theme they are using and if possible a download or link

to Bigmuscle and the mods - if you think this a bad idea please feel free to edit the above - but it seems to me more people have problems that enough and maybe this is the reason

[bigmuscle]

adacom: as I understand correctly, you were using a theme which has completely opaque frame texture and thus it can't work.

pengipete: when I'm back home I will upload a theme resource (just PNG which can be applied via registry settings) which is default Win8 theme but with glow effect included.

[adacom]

@bigmuscle - thanks for the comment - i am learning as i go - what has been confusing me is that up to 0.5 the theme i am using worked fine - something changed from 0.6 - i had not realised that and posted the above as a hint/help to others who also may have the problem

the fault is mine but not having any knowledge i did not see it

to help others it could be useful if you stated that and included a download to a theme that you are using - know works - it may not suit users but would show your aero working

[bigmuscle]

Default Windows 8 theme works nice if you play with GlassTransparency registry key and color intensity settings in control panel. I use this theme http://misaki2009.deviantart.com/art/Windows-8-RP-Visual-Style-on-Windows-8-RTM-327134245

However, I have noticed that Win8 RTM Color settings control panel sets a bit different values (mainly for ColorizationColorBalance and ColorizationBlurBalance) in registry than Win8 RP which results that D3D mode transparency is not so transparent as once would expect. Maybe someone could rewrite Windows control panel to send better values :-)

[Blackbird256]

Does the RoundRectRadius work only with the default theme? It doesn't do anything.

Oh it looks like there is still something filling it

http://i.imgur.com/2lfsp6P.png

BTW Good job this is so much better now. I really look forward to final release

Edited April 2, 2013 by Blackbird256

[bigmuscle]

According to you image, it works as expected. The option just creates the window with rounded border but it does not touch your theme texture. Thus you need the theme where the texture has rounded edges too.

[Tusticles]

AERO GLASS for WIN8 BETA 1

Works perfectly, with this version the windows are still laggy with the GPU idle clock profiles but the lag is less noticeable, moving the window a bit will change the p-state and the lag will disappear but the p-state will change again in idle, for now I will live with it...

--edit--

Increasing the clocks of an idle profile will improve performance but when opening more than 3 windows guess what, the lag appear, forcing a higher p-state and again, performance is improved, this time the lag will appear after opening not 3 but 6 or 7 windows, forcing the highest p-state, the gaming profile, will fix the problem but who wants the highest clock profile in desktop/idle? This is not native aero, it's like a D3D game with huge system requirements.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Tusticles

[Blackbird256]

According to you image, it works as expected. The option just creates the window with rounded border but it does not touch your theme texture. Thus you need the theme where the texture has rounded edges too.

Aha. I'll tell him then. I'll play GTAIV EFLC now to test if there are no peformance hits.