Aero Glass for Win8 1.3

[CKyHC]

How do I get the glowing window borders? I tried making a customthemeresource string value in HKCU\software\Microsoft\windows\dwm with the win8RTM_glow filepath, and I don't have glowing window borders. what am I doing wrong?

What is a glowing window borders? May be you mean glowing caption buttons?

[Nickygamer]

How do I get the glowing window borders? I tried making a customthemeresource string value in HKCU\software\Microsoft\windows\dwm with the win8RTM_glow filepath, and I don't have glowing window borders. what am I doing wrong?

What is a glowing window borders? May be you mean glowing caption buttons?

Never mind, I figured out you need a special theme for that.

[AlexKven]

I've noticed a bug with Aero Glass when I send an email using Hotmail/Outlook and when the broswer finishes sending the email, the tab will become transparent and looks out of place, and I have provided an image underneath

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Try Internet Explorer.

[XSStudio]

Hi, BigMuscle! I'm using the version 1.1 and it runs like a charm~ But I've found some registry keys don't work. Your tutorial tells me we can modify EnableLogging and CustomThemeResource keys in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM. Here are what I've set up:

EnableLogging DWORD(tried both 32 & 64 bit) 0

CustomThemeResource String C:\AeroGlass\w8glow.png (The location is right.)

But the program is still logging, and your png with glow effect around windows titles doesn't work. Especially the CustomThemeResource key, I've tried "C:\\AeroGlass\\w8glow.png", "C:\\AEROGL~1\\w8glow.png" or something like that, but still it doesn't take effect. Neither do they work in the HKCU entry.

I'm using Windows 8 Pro x64 with Media Center, and I've already set up to bypass theme signature. Are those features for paid users only? Or I'm just doing something wrong? Thank you in advance~

Edited September 9, 2013 by XSStudio

[Thunderbolt 2864]

I've noticed a bug with Aero Glass when I send an email using Hotmail/Outlook and when the broswer finishes sending the email, the tab will become transparent and looks out of place, and I have provided an image underneath

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

This is interesting. I guess the tab belongs to Firefox and not to Outlook mail? Do you use custom theme, or theme resource? I see this more as a bug in FF theme but I don't see the way how could it achieve...

I'm not using any themes in Firefox, just the default theme. However, this problem doesn't happen in Chrome or Internet Explorer, only Firefox which is strange.

[ralcool]

I was looking into some Windows history tonight,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Window_Manager

When you read this link, the task to restore Aero is crazy.. Well done to BM for emulating the effect.

Why did Microsoft rip out such developed code instead of just disable for their new look.

Early CP/RC Builds still had 'transparency option'.. now gone.

Good Luck BM, Cheers!

ST.

[bigmuscle]

Hi, BigMuscle! I'm using the version 1.1 and it runs like a charm~ But I've found some registry keys don't work. Your tutorial tells me we can modify EnableLogging and CustomThemeResource keys in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM. Here are what I've set up:

EnableLogging DWORD(tried both 32 & 64 bit) 0

CustomThemeResource String C:\AeroGlass\w8glow.png (The location is right.)

But the program is still logging, and your png with glow effect around windows titles doesn't work. Especially the CustomThemeResource key, I've tried "C:\\AeroGlass\\w8glow.png", "C:\\AEROGL~1\\w8glow.png" or something like that, but still it doesn't take effect. Neither do they work in the HKCU entry.

I'm using Windows 8 Pro x64 with Media Center, and I've already set up to bypass theme signature. Are those features for paid users only? Or I'm just doing something wrong? Thank you in advance~

Logging is disabled by default (no need to disable it explicitely) - however, how stated in the guide, message about licensing are always logged regardless the settings.

About CustomThemeResource, I must admit that I don't know. I use this option (in HKCU) and it works properly. If logging is enabled (EnableLogging set to 1), then debug.log should contain information why resource loading failed. If the information is not there then you are modifying wrong registry key/values.

[XSStudio]

Hi, BigMuscle! I'm using the version 1.1 and it runs like a charm~ But I've found some registry keys don't work. Your tutorial tells me we can modify EnableLogging and CustomThemeResource keys in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM. Here are what I've set up:

EnableLogging DWORD(tried both 32 & 64 bit) 0

CustomThemeResource String C:\AeroGlass\w8glow.png (The location is right.)

But the program is still logging, and your png with glow effect around windows titles doesn't work. Especially the CustomThemeResource key, I've tried "C:\\AeroGlass\\w8glow.png", "C:\\AEROGL~1\\w8glow.png" or something like that, but still it doesn't take effect. Neither do they work in the HKCU entry.

I'm using Windows 8 Pro x64 with Media Center, and I've already set up to bypass theme signature. Are those features for paid users only? Or I'm just doing something wrong? Thank you in advance~

Logging is disabled by default (no need to disable it explicitely) - however, how stated in the guide, message about licensing are always logged regardless the settings.

About CustomThemeResource, I must admit that I don't know. I use this option (in HKCU) and it works properly. If logging is enabled (EnableLogging set to 1), then debug.log should contain information why resource loading failed. If the information is not there then you are modifying wrong registry key/values.

Finally... I understand why I thought that custom theme thing didn't work...... It seems that the png "win8rtm_glow.png" you provided at the download page doesn't have "glow effect around windows titles" as it claims it should have... It's just an original Win 8 default theme... BTW CustomThemeResource key doesn't work in HKLM entry. Thx for your consideration anyway, and I'm wondering if you could be so kind to repost a right png?...

Edited September 9, 2013 by XSStudio

[bigmuscle]

I just tested and the http://glass8.berlios.de/themes/win8rtm_glow.png has glow effect although it's a decent thus it's more visible only on dark background. And right, CustomThemeResource does not work in HKLM because it is theme related which is user-dependent.

[Blackbird256]

So now that it's finished do you still think the "Disable Desktop Composition" option isn't possible? Just want a final answer, because I remember you said you'd be looking into things like making titlebar text aligned to left etc.

[bigmuscle]

The plan is to slowly bring new features - probably one feature per new version. However, "Disable Desktop composition" is not between planned features for the reason that it's against the sense of this tool. The task is to bring new features for desktop composition and not to disable it.

Edited September 9, 2013 by bigmuscle

[XSStudio]

@bigmuscle OK, I observed that glow effect. It's really weak... But it only appears on SOME windows. I took several screenshots for ref. There're glow effect on my Photo Viewer and Information Box of your tweak (Pic 1~2), but when I deselect it, the glow effect is gone (Pic 3). Either way, it doesn't help me distinguish the title from the dark background very clearly...(Maybe the glow effect can be stronger, like Win7?) But that glow effect doesn't appear on my Computer window (Pic 4~5). Is that just my problem?

For those who have the same issue as I encounter (I saw a guy asking the same question in a previous post), please check whether you've installed Mactype or not. It's an open source hook forked from GDI++ which renders Windows fonts as beautiful as Mac does (Pic 6). I suppose there may have some incompatibilities between these two tweaks, but I'm not quite sure about that, as things remain the same after uninstalling the Mactype hook.

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6

Edited September 10, 2013 by XSStudio

[Thunderbolt 2864]

So is there a solution to my Firefox tab problem as I mentioned earlier in this thread? Funny it only happens on Firefox only.

[NoelC]

@bigmuscle OK, I observed that glow effect. It's really weak... But it only appears on SOME windows.

Ribbon-enabled windows use different composition than normal windows. Apparently something in the theme implementation itself has to do the work; the Windows 8 standard theme - even with CustomThemeResource replacement graphics set such as the one I posted on a previous thread - won't put a glow behind ribbon-enabled windows. You'll need to use the experimental theme signature disabling logic of Aero Glass for Windows 8 and replace your Windows 8 Aero theme with a different one.

-Noel

[XSStudio]

@bigmuscle OK, I observed that glow effect. It's really weak... But it only appears on SOME windows.

Ribbon-enabled windows use different composition than normal windows. Apparently something in the theme implementation itself has to do the work; the Windows 8 standard theme - even with CustomThemeResource replacement graphics set such as the one I posted on a previous thread - won't put a glow behind ribbon-enabled windows. You'll need to use the experimental theme signature disabling logic of Aero Glass for Windows 8 and replace your Windows 8 Aero theme with a different one.

-Noel

Sad story, nothing magic happened after I disabled ribbon and rebooted... Guess that glow effect just doesn't work in CustomThemeResource + Default theme solution.