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bbLeanBar transparent border


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#1 venvs

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Posted 17 August 2014 - 07:16 PM

I have seen on the web a screenshot with the border of bbLeanBar being transparent and blurry just like my Windows theme border (see the attached). So I'm wondering if anyone knows how to achieve this look on bbLean?

 

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#2 pitkon

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 06:37 AM

You have to use bbinterface for that. Create a frame a bit longer and wider than bblieanbar and make it as transparent as you like. Then, place bbleanbar on top of it. In your plugins.rc make sure bbinterface is loaded BEFORE bbleanbar. If you need more detailed instructions, let me know :)



#3 xDemonessx

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 07:10 AM

It's probably one of my top shots you're refering to. In my case, I removed aero blur on my theme with a hacking tool (blur tweaker) by kishan bagaria. I then created a rainmeter skin that gave the illusion of a solid panel, when infact with some transparency and saturation tweaks the panel is barely visible. I simply placed the white rectangle shape made with rainmeter under the panel, and adjusted padding/panel width accordingly. The best way to describe how I did it, is basically trace the inside of the border in photoshop and create the same dimensions in rainmeter/bblean. The shadow is also a part of rainmeter and gives the illusion of depth.

 

Something like this is probably much easier to achieve using bbinterface (an option I have not yet fully explored). Keep in mind this is all Windows 7. I used to listen to Digitally Imported all the time :cool:

 

Oh, I will also note... if you want to keep the same blur it is also possible. The easiest way I've found to trick people into that illusion is well... is to blur the wallpaper in photoshop!  :laugh:

 

Blur...

Posted Image

 

 

No blur....

 

Posted Image


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#4 pitkon

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 02:53 PM

Here's an example of the toolbar (bbleanbar) with a transparent back frame, created in under a minute:

 

Attached File  transframe.PNG   135.31KB   3 downloads

 

For an added effect, you can make the toolbar itself as transparent as you like. I prefer solid, because the effect is more pronounced.

 

You can also use rounded edges by loading a bitmap (usually part of the wall, rounded in PhotoShop or similar app with magic pink) on a frame, making the frame as transparent as you like and then making the rest of the frame (which would protrude spoiling the rounded corners appearance) invisible by using style=none. The options are only limited by our imagination...


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#5 venvs

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Posted 18 August 2014 - 11:11 PM

@xDemonessx I really love your taste and creativity in your shots! yes thats where I've seen it. I probably won't be able to achieve that on my windows theme, since I'm stuck with Windows 8, but with the help of rainmeter (clever) I think I can make the toolbar look similar to my theme.

Space Dreams station on DI.fm, I think that's all I've been listening to for the last two weeks, keeps in mood and calm.

 

@pitkon I'll see what I can do with it, as I've never tried bbInterface but it doesn't sound difficult, needs some time to look through. So I'll see which way looks better.

 

thank you for so much info!


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#6 venvs

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Posted 20 August 2014 - 03:14 PM

I can't seem to adjust properly the width and height of bbleanbar. If you could point me to where do I edit these values manually without using percentage.



#7 pitkon

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Posted 20 August 2014 - 03:29 PM

The easiest way is to use ctrl+left click and alt+left click to move and size respectively, but if you want a more detailed job, open your bbinterface.rc file and look for the lines

@BBInterface Control SetWindowProperty Frame1 X 237
@BBInterface Control SetWindowProperty Frame1 Y 33
@BBInterface Control SetWindowProperty Frame1 Width 1510
@BBInterface Control SetWindowProperty Frame1 Height 53
Where Frame1 is the frame you created. Adjust width and height to your liking, save the file and reload bbi.


#8 venvs

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Posted 20 August 2014 - 03:49 PM

Yes I found it, but this is bbInterface. Now I need bbLeanBar, width and height.



#9 pitkon

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Posted 20 August 2014 - 03:53 PM

Have a look here http://blackbox4wind...size-bbleanbar/



#10 venvs

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Posted 20 August 2014 - 04:13 PM

It explaines the height, what about width? Take a look at the xDemonessx's screenshot, on the sides of bbLeanBar it has little margins, when I use Width Percentage - 99, it takes out too much



#11 pitkon

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 06:49 AM

Use 98, then, or anything that fits. Or tweak the bbi frame. What's your screen resolution and how far you want your bbleanbar to go? Take a look at my screenshot as well. Are these margins good for you?



#12 venvs

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 10:59 AM

My screen resolution 1920 x 1080. On the screenshot below I applied width percent 99, on the right side of the screen it shows my problem, I'd like that margin to be 4px. I can't apply 98% it shrinks in other direction.

 

Posted Image



#13 pitkon

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 11:15 AM

Post your bbi script here, please...



#14 venvs

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 11:57 AM

Is this it?

 

http://pastebin.com/TcTggy3e bbLeanBar.rc

http://pastebin.com/LhWjQRyt blackbox.rc



#15 pitkon

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 12:26 PM

No, venvs, I need your bbinterface.rc



#16 pitkon

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 12:53 PM

Anyway, use a width of 99 for bbleanbar and right click on any bbi element and go Global Options. Comment out Snap to Edges. Save,

Open your bbinterface.rc with an editor like notepad and go to the frame you created as a background for bbleanbar (in this example, Frame1). Look for the line:

 

@BBInterface Control SetWindowProperty Frame1 Width xxxxx (any number)

 

Replace any number with 1917. Save and reload BBInterface.

 

Open bbleanbar.rc and look for the line:

 

bbLeanBar.position.x:               xx (any number)

 

Replace any number with 11. Save and reload BBLeanBar.

 

Place bbleanbar over the frame. Should look something like this:

 

 

Attached File  LONGBAR1.JPG   40.28KB   3 downloads

 

My bar is fatter than yours - don't worry, your bar will be as slim as you want it to be :)



#17 diabol

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 01:29 PM

It's awesome that this can be made to work in a reproducible manner without breaking when switching backgrounds, but damn.

xDemonessx, I am impressed by the level of hacketry you used to make it work


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#18 venvs

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 01:44 PM

Huhu. When I change position "bbLeanBar.position.x: " from 4 to 11 it moves from left side to right leaving a larger gap now on the left side of the screen too. With your own bar would you be able to make the gaps on the sides of bbLeanBar smaller without using borders, from the edge of the screen to the edge of bbLeanBar 4px?

 

http://pastebin.com/tc6g5Txq bbInterface.rc frame2

 

bbInterface is just a white transparent background that floats behind I don't see what it has to do with it

I'll try to ask xDemonessx too



#19 pitkon

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Posted 21 August 2014 - 01:59 PM

I just reproduced it using the bbinterface parameters I sent you. Works fine for me. I don't see what's your issue here.

 

Attached File  LONGBAR3.JPG   27.93KB   2 downloads



#20 xDemonessx

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Posted 22 August 2014 - 12:56 AM

Use 98, then, or anything that fits. Or tweak the bbi frame. What's your screen resolution and how far you want your bbleanbar to go? Take a look at my screenshot as well. Are these margins good for you?

 

 

My screen resolution 1920 x 1080. On the screenshot below I applied width percent 99, on the right side of the screen it shows my problem, I'd like that margin to be 4px. I can't apply 98% it shrinks in other direction.

 

Posted Image

 

I think you misunderstand, my bbleanbar is set to 100% width. The solid visible panel you see is rainmeter. So, try this: Set the bbleanbar transparent and to 100%. Then adjust the alpha values of the bbleanbar to 3 or 4. So now the words and text become barely visible, right? Now place a block (something with rainmeter or bbinterface) under bbleanbar. Rainmeter is set to click through and save position, and the bblean bar is set to show on top... so it will not move no matter what I do  (switch workspaces, select something on the panel) until I uncheck the option in Rainmeter. Certainly something similar is possible with bbinterface? You just have it backwards, lol. If you do this and the text is still hard to read, just adjust the brightness/color with bbstylemaker... the border you see is padded out with bbstylemaker as well. I actually edited the frames in my visual style to match the hex color in my bblean style you see, and then set them both to the same alpha values so they matched perfectly. Sounds like a lot of effort really but it isn't, just using the eyedropper and eraser in photoshop really.


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