Theme request/plea

Fully transparent, dark, blurry theme

from WinCustomize Forums

Hi,

since WindowBlinds finally supports glass blur, I'm very curious why no themer makes something similiar to the themes on the pictures I've attached. I can't count the hours I've spent in the last years waiting for glass blur support, and looking for a theme like this on WB.
The first picture shows a third party visual style available for Windows 10 AU, the second, third and fourth pictures show the upcoming "NEON" style from Microsoft.

This flat, clear, dark, fully transparent, blurry style is by far my favourite style of all times. I'm using it since Windows 7 whenever a compatible version comes out, and I never get tired of it. 
I find dark themes generally easier on the eyes. Due to the transparency, the style adapts to any wallpaper/color scheme. The strong blur resolves usability issues introduced by transparent themes - it can even improve usability: you always have a "peek" at the window below.
With a proper blur/transparency amount and tone, you have a good balance between esthetics, readability and recognizability of the lower content.

Unfortunately, third party visual styles get obsolete on any greater Windows update, so I regularly have to change to something else.
I'd pay 10$ or 20$ for such a WB theme without hesitation.

If I could specify the theme, the Windows Explorer would look pretty much like a fusion of both styles.
Basically Dark Clear 4.0 with a little more blur, but a bit less than in NEON, plus the 1 pixel gray border from the second and fourth picture.
And a bit more transparency in the title bar.

 

 

windowblinds
16,147 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I second that request, I would love to see a skin like this. I don't think WindowBlinds can handle transparencies of the folder list background in explorer.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Never thought about that.
But I think it shouldn't be too hard to add this feature to WB.

I mean, the frame is solid too in Windows 10.
When it can make the frame transparent, I can't think of a reason why it shouldn't work for the other parts too.

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Gaspershooters, reply 3

I don't think all transparency on windows is practical. But,it sure may pique some interests.  

I totally agree for older "fully transparent" themes, for Win 7 e.g., that use Win 7's build in blur, or on Win 8/8.1 with no blur at all. 

But this changes completely when setting proper blur/transparency amounts, and a proper dark tone for the background.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The Explorer and other windows in Win 10 are controlled my a color. Unless SD finds a way to make them TP using WB it can't be done.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I was going to suggest Naked Noir by vStyler but the explorer bg's would remain the same.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting DaveBax, reply 5

The Explorer and other windows in Win 10 are controlled my a color. Unless SD finds a way to make them TP using WB it can't be done.

But the frame is a solid color too in Win 10, and WB can apply transparency and blur to it.

Doesn't WB use its own engine to draw windows? So it should be possible to do quite anything with the Explorer window.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 6

I was going to suggest Naked Noir by vStyler but the explorer bg's would remain the same.

I have Naked Noir, but did you actually look at the pictures? NN looks nothing like this. Not in the least.

-not flat

-not simple

-rounded corners

-white, opaque background, black fonts

Even if the whole window would have the same transparency and blur as the frame, and it would have white fonts, it would still be very different and hard to use.

It would need more blur, and a darker tone/more opacity.

 

 

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This part of explorer doesn't support TP, but the color can be changed.

 

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting toniostarcevic, reply 7

But the frame is a solid color too in Win 10, and WB can apply transparency and blur to it.

Yes except. The frames are made with images. Other parts are controlled by color only. Not an expert at all but guessing that is the reason and WB can't be made to adjust transparency to just colors or at least in certain areas. 

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

[quote who="toniostarcevic" reply="8" id="368090]

-not flat

-not simple

-rounded corners

Sorry but we don't do flat, simple and square. Images should have depth and substance. WB's especially. IMO 

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Uvah, reply 11

[quote who="toniostarcevic" reply="8" id="368090]

-not flat



-not simple



-rounded corners

Sorry but we don't do flat, simple and square. Images should have depth and substance. WB's especially. IMO 

 

It's a matter of taste, buddy. ;) I think you should have depth and substance in your wallpaper/dream. Besides, variety is important in everything.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting ALMonty, reply 9

This part of explorer doesn't support TP, but the color can be changed.

 

Reduced 65%
Original 1062 x 554


 

Can you apply blur to the transparent parts shown in the picture? And how about the adress and menu bars, the scroll bars, the drive gauges and the status bar at the bottom? Can they be made transparent (with blur) too?

If it's only the circled navigation pane, I could live with that.
In black with white/grey fonts, it should look similiar to the settings windows from NEON.

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

There are many areas one can make transparent. Example. Taskbar, buttons, window frames. (explorer frames) and much more. 

Find a skin you like and try it. do the top frame of the explorer window. Open the WB in SKS and go to Edit Per Pixel Frames. Hightlight Caption and click "edit image" It will open in your image editor. I use Photoshop. Cut the Opacity down to say 50% or 60%. Save the image and load it back in the Caption area on SKS. Click Apply and check it out. You can do this for many images in areas you want. 

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Finding a skin and messing with the settings within WB. This what I came up with. I agree not the same.

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting ALMonty, reply 15

Finding a skin and messing with the settings within WB. This what I came up with. I agree not the same.

Reduced 43%
Original 1600 x 900


 

Thanks for taking the time to test this. It looks not bad, but it appears quite inconsistent in comparison through all the different tones and opacities. I think, the whole window should have the same tone and opacity. Only the title bar could have a different, darker tone. An opaque navigation pane alone would be acceptable, but I would make it black or almost black.
And it would need a stronger blur. 

I hope some developer from Stardock will become aware of this thread, and maybe consider to add a few features to be able to make such a style. Most importantly a blur amount setting.

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It seems that I'll be able to use my favourite theme again soon. The theme and the Aero Glass mod both seem to get an update shortly.

I will continue to renew my Object Desktop subscription, despite I'm only using Icon Packager and Deskscapes since several years. (renewed it even only for Deskscapes one or two times, at the time IP wasn't compatible yet)
I do this to support the general idea of visual mods for Windows.

My hopes for a greater variety in WB styles - especially glassy/transparent and simple/clear themes - will continue.
I fell in love with glassy graphics decades ago.
It's still and it ever will be my favourite style in digital art.
I've used transparent themes even before we had background blur, but I used them rarely because of the bad usability. Since we have blur, I absoultely don't want anything else anymore.