[Rafael]

This is going to sound unusual and somewhat ironic...

I have never created a msstyle. I just made the move to Windows Vista (x64) and immediately turned off all the Aero crap, it's not usable for long-term use. Turning Aero off, however, cripples some of the important windowing functionalities (i.e. Flip3D) by disabling DWM.

I believe it should be easy to maintain the "standard" (aka "classic" from XP) look in a msstyle so I can keep DWM switched on. It'd be greatly appreciated if someone could crank that out. I don't have anything to give that comes to mind, but I'm sure I could figure something out.

Requirements

• Must match Windows Standard as close as possible

Optional

• Glass version would be interesting to see...
  
• Eliminate rounded corners if possible.

[Edootjuh]

you mean making the vector Windows Standard VS which looks somehat like <2000 into a PNG VS based on Aero?

[idas]

Rafael, on Jun 3 2007, 10:45 PM, said:

This is going to sound unusual and somewhat ironic...

I have never created a msstyle. I just made the move to Windows Vista (x64) and immediately turned off all the Aero crap, it's not usable for long-term use. Turning Aero off, however, cripples some of the important windowing functionalities (i.e. Flip3D) by disabling DWM.

I believe it should be easy to maintain the "standard" (aka "classic" from XP) look in a msstyle so I can keep DWM switched on. It'd be greatly appreciated if someone could crank that out. I don't have anything to give that comes to mind, but I'm sure I could figure something out.

Requirements

• Must match Windows Standard as close as possible

Optional

• Glass version would be interesting to see...
  
• Eliminate rounded corners if possible.

see bister
visit my gallery

[TheWahbinator]

^^Not what he's looking for

It would be somewhat hard to contain all the resources of the Windows Classic [widget] style into an msstyle. I don't think anyone has ever located the original resources of it, I even doubt that they're stored in jpg's or bmp's yet somehow they're built somewhere into the OS.

[mufunyo]

idas, on Jun 3 2007, 09:55 PM, said:

Rafael, on Jun 3 2007, 10:45 PM, said:

This is going to sound unusual and somewhat ironic...

I have never created a msstyle. I just made the move to Windows Vista (x64) and immediately turned off all the Aero crap, it's not usable for long-term use. Turning Aero off, however, cripples some of the important windowing functionalities (i.e. Flip3D) by disabling DWM.

I believe it should be easy to maintain the "standard" (aka "classic" from XP) look in a msstyle so I can keep DWM switched on. It'd be greatly appreciated if someone could crank that out. I don't have anything to give that comes to mind, but I'm sure I could figure something out.

Requirements

• Must match Windows Standard as close as possible

Optional

• Glass version would be interesting to see...
  
• Eliminate rounded corners if possible.

see bister
visit my gallery

That bister style could be interesting to use as a template to start off from. In the meantime, I've hacked together a quick aero.theme file that uses classic colours and metrics, it looks rather odd.

; Copyright © Microsoft Corp. 1995-2001

[Theme]
DisplayName=@themeui.dll,-2013

; My Computer
[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-109

; My Documents
[CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\mydocs.dll,0

; My Network Places - SHIDI_MYNETWORK
[CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32\imageres.dll,-25

; Recycle Bin
[CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]
Full=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-54
Empty=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-55


[Control Panel\Cursors]
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur
Crosshair=
Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur
IBeam=
No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur
Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani
DefaultValue=Windows Aero
DefaultValue.MUI=@main.cpl,-1020


[Control Panel\Colors]
ActiveTitle=10 36 106
Background=58 110 165
Hilight=10 36 106
HilightText=255 255 255
TitleText=255 255 255
Window=255 255 255
WindowText=0 0 0
Scrollbar=212 208 200
InactiveTitle=128 128 128
Menu=212 208 200
WindowFrame=0 0 0
MenuText=0 0 0
ActiveBorder=212 208 200
InactiveBorder=212 208 200
AppWorkspace=128 128 128
ButtonFace=212 208 200
ButtonShadow=128 128 128
GrayText=128 128 128
ButtonText=0 0 0
InactiveTitleText=212 208 200
ButtonHilight=255 255 255
ButtonDkShadow=64 64 64
ButtonLight=212 208 200
InfoText=0 0 0
InfoWindow=255 255 225
GradientActiveTitle=166 202 240
GradientInactiveTitle=192 192 192


[Control Panel\Desktop]
Wallpaper=%SystemRoot%\web\wallpaper\img24.jpg
Wallpaper.MUI=@themeui.dll,-2036
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=2
Pattern=
ScreenSaveActive=1


[VisualStyles]
Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0x45409efe


[boot]
SCRNSAVE.EXE=%SystemRoot%\System32\logon.scr

[Metrics]
IconMetrics=76 0 0 0 139 0 0 0 139 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 119 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 216 31 7 0 28 52 1 1 216 31 7 0 

176 36 1 1 
NonclientMetrics=84 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 188 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 188 2 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 80 37 11 0 0 0 0 0 140 221 6 0 227 115 247 119 2 40 11 0 7 

0 0 0 18 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 

97 104 111 109 97 0 0 0 0 0 0 60 222 6 0 50 71 252 119 120 1 7 0 76 73 252 119 8 6 7 0 245 255 

255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 119 0 0 7 0 

120 1 7 0 120 1 7 0 40 37 11 0 120 1 7 0 120 1 7 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 92 1 0 0 136 4 0 0 40 37 1 1 0 0 7 0 184 221 6 

0 46 75 232 119 
CaptionFont=@themeui.dll,-2037
SmCaptionFont=@themeui.dll,-2038
MenuFont=@themeui.dll,-2039
StatusFont=@themeui.dll,-2040
MessageFont=@themeui.dll,-2041
IconFont=@themeui.dll,-2042

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT
ThemeColorBPP=8

For a matching Aero colour scheme:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM]
"ColorizationColor"=dword:ffd4d0c8

I might just go ahead and take on the challenge of that "Windows standard" theme. I've done something similar for XP a while ago, called "Windows XP Classified" [screenshot], which is an msstyles that uses windows standard colours & metrics but looks a lot shinier.

[sjohnson]

I'm guessing that Classic is just lines built into the kernel.

[nexus]

I'll explain what he wants folks. He wants all the flashy UI gone, but still with a dwm theme so he can take advantage of the dwm features like flip 3d, live thumbnails etc. he doesnt want glass or transparency etc. The optimum look for him would appear like windows classic. Basically port the windows classic UI into the stream and related resources in aero.msstyle and you have it!
Another way to imagine it is make a windows classic theme were you still can have flip3d and all the goddies or imagine server 2008 with flip3d, live previews, etc, but without aero glass appearance.
This wont be an easy task since classic doesn't have resources you can just pull from a file somewhere. You may be best off taking a lot of screenshots and cutting and pasting elements or just recreating it entirely by hand, while looking at screenshots of windows classic as a reference.

some of the confusion may come from the fact that he doesnt understand that to do what he wants the 'optional' glass theme would have to be done in a separate msstyle. I don't honestly know how you would combine glass and classic together, but someone here could give it a shot after making the original theme.

[Rafael]

nexus, on Jun 4 2007, 12:59 AM, said:

I'll explain what he wants folks. He wants all the flashy UI gone, but still with a dwm theme so he can take advantage of the dwm features like flip 3d, live thumbnails etc. he doesnt want glass or transparency etc. The optimum look for him would appear like windows classic.

Bingo, my friend. I tried to explain it and couldn't. I'll start working on the classic resources.

Quote

some of the confusion may come from the fact that he doesnt understand that to do what he wants the 'optional' glass theme would have to be done in a separate msstyle. I don't honestly know how you would combine glass and classic together, but someone here could give it a shot after making the original theme.

Oi! I do understand that, hence why I made it optional. I'm not totally clueless.

[mufunyo]

nexus, on Jun 4 2007, 06:59 AM, said:

I'll explain what he wants folks. He wants all the flashy UI gone, but still with a dwm theme so he can take advantage of the dwm features like flip 3d, live thumbnails etc. he doesnt want glass or transparency etc. The optimum look for him would appear like windows classic. Basically port the windows classic UI into the stream and related resources in aero.msstyle and you have it!
Another way to imagine it is make a windows classic theme were you still can have flip3d and all the goddies or imagine server 2008 with flip3d, live previews, etc, but without aero glass appearance.
This wont be an easy task since classic doesn't have resources you can just pull from a file somewhere. You may be best off taking a lot of screenshots and cutting and pasting elements or just recreating it entirely by hand, while looking at screenshots of windows classic as a reference.

I understood that. It'd probably be easier (and faster, Classic is pixel-drawn, not pixmaps loaded into memory) if some Vista developer just hacked it into uxtheme or something, though .

nexus, on Jun 4 2007, 06:59 AM, said:

I don't honestly know how you would combine glass and classic together, but someone here could give it a shot after making the original theme.

Personally I think it's easier to do the glass classic half-shiny-half-oldskool look first, and then expand the oldskool look out to be completely classic after that. The only problem I see is that STREAM is one big PNG, and that you can't actually use larger size images for for instance the titlebar. For my XP Classified skin, I made the title and progress bars 512 pixels wide so I could put in the dark blue -> light blue classic colour gradient. It looks like the Aero titlebars are a fixed size of something like 16 pixels wide, so that will be a no-go.

[Adam Maras]

mufunyo, on Jun 4 2007, 11:24 AM, said:

Personally I think it's easier to do the glass classic half-shiny-half-oldskool look first, and then expand the oldskool look out to be completely classic after that. The only problem I see is that STREAM is one big PNG, and that you can't actually use larger size images for for instance the titlebar. For my XP Classified skin, I made the title and progress bars 512 pixels wide so I could put in the dark blue -> light blue classic colour gradient. It looks like the Aero titlebars are a fixed size of something like 16 pixels wide, so that will be a no-go.

Could you do something like putting the gradient in the reflection part of the stream?

[Rafael]

Uxtheme isn't used for drawing when in classic/standard mode. Uxtheme is just a huge hack to work outside the box.

[nexus]

Rafael, on Jun 4 2007, 06:36 AM, said:

Oi! I do understand that, hence why I made it optional. I'm not totally clueless.

next you will be saying 'I hacked halo 2 to play on non vista platforms, but I cant figure out how to play the game '

[mufunyo]

Adam Maras, on Jun 4 2007, 08:42 PM, said:

Could you do something like putting the gradient in the reflection part of the stream?

Ah yes! That may be a solution. But I'm afraid apps like the Gadget selector, Windows Slideshow and VistaBootPro are going to look very ugly.

Rafael, on Jun 5 2007, 12:24 AM, said:

Uxtheme isn't used for drawing when in classic/standard mode. Uxtheme is just a huge hack to work outside the box.

Yup, but it's what handles the GUI in DWM mode, so this "hack" would be to offload everything to the classic engine while keeping DWM happy.

[UK.Intel™]

LOL LOL LOL

Heres my "QUICK" attempt of making an Aero Classic windows style using the aero stream.

As you can see theres a few limitations in what you can do.

To acheive the grey/white border surrounding the titlebar i had to follow on from the side surround, i was unable to make this any thiner because deleting any of the image just leaves a transparent layer.

Also as you can see from the image of the stream (open in Paintshop) theres only a single pixel line for the titlebar colour, making it impossible to have a gradient. The only thing that im happy with is the square corners.

another downer... when in explorer view (anything with an address bar) it stretch's the title bar.

Laugh all you want guys, i know its a pathetic attempt, lol i think i will give up.

This might be a stupid question, but when using Aero BASIC, can you still take advantage of the DWM features???

it would be alot easier to make basic look like windows classic. infact it would be a peice of pss

Attached File(s)

•  Image14.png (264.62K)
  Number of downloads: 53

[mufunyo]

UkIntel, on Jun 5 2007, 09:48 PM, said:

To acheive the grey/white border surrounding the titlebar i had to follow on from the side surround, i was unable to make this any thiner because deleting any of the image just leaves a transparent layer.

This can be solved by setting the "border padding" to 0 in windows appearance properties.

UkIntel, on Jun 5 2007, 09:48 PM, said:

This might be a stupid question, but when using Aero BASIC, can you still take advantage of the DWM features???

Nope, with Vista Basic you'll get the same as in classic; the DWM gets turned off. Vista Standard (Home basic) does use the DWM, but those are the same images that are used for Aero Glass (STREAM).

Would you mind showing us how that looks when you apply the window metrics and colours from the .theme file I posted earlier in the thread? I think it'll look better without the overdone border padding.