Beginner help with first VS

[Qwerky]

Hi.  Just purchased Vista Style Builder (1.5) running on Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1, and trying to learn the ropes.

Starting with the standard aero.msstyles and modifying, and using the Luna VS (Luna.msstyles) as an example, trying to create a WinXP-style theme, much like the Luna one, for the learning experience.  I'm beginning with a basic VS (no aero), and using small icons with the taskbar on the bottom.

So far, I've created images of 34x34 for the taskbar at the bottom and the top, and 89x34 for the taskbar at the left and the right of the screen.  I've imported the images in:
Taskbar & System Tray > Taskbar > Aero > Taskbar > <1>/<2>/<3>/<4>, and
Taskbar & System Tray > Taskbar > Basic > Taskbar > BackgroundBottom/BackgroundRight/BackgroundTop/BackgroundLeft
which may be redundant, but I'm not sure which one could be removed, and the taskbar appearance is as desired at any of the four edges, using large or small icons, and using aero or basic.  So the taskbar background is fine.

The first problem I'm having is getting the taskbar buttons to use the desired colours.  The start-menu/taskbar animation visual effect is turned off, and settings are to never group buttons (actually, to group when taskbar is full); there are no pinned items, so it's just the normal buttons with icon and text.  I've been modifying the images at:
Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > TaskItemButton

There are also button images which I have not modified at:
Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand (Vertical) > TaskItemButton

And there are also TaskItemButton items which are empty, and whose Import button is grayed out, at:
Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Aero > TaskBand > TaskItemButton, and
Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand (SmallIcons) > TaskItemButton

When I make all ten images in the Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > TaskItemButton group a solid colour, which I read in this forum was a requirement, the result is that the Normal buttons and the Selected button display in the correct colour, but when Hovering over either a Normal button or the Selected button, the button colour changes to that of the Pressed image (rather than the colour of the Hover image), and also therefore when the button is pressed there is no colour change (since it is already the colour of the Pressed image).

So to troubleshoot, I restored the images to default, and then changed only the Normal and Selected images.  At this point, the Normal and Selected buttons display as intended, and when Hovered or Pressed they act as they do in the unmodified Aero Basic theme (when Hovering, the button becomes the colour of the icon, and when Pressed the button becomes a very light colour).

If I then also modify the Hover images, no change takes place.  But as soon as I modify the Pressed images (whether or not Hover images have been modified), it reverts to the behavior described above of always changing to the Pressed colour.  So, I cannot get a proper Hover colour at all.

Sorry for the long post.  I hope I've been able to give an accurate problem description, and that someone can provide the solution.

[Qwerky]

I don't have any pinned items.  The problem is with Hover on a Normal (not Selected) button, and Hover on the Selected (the active) button.  When Hovering over any of those buttons, the button becomes the colour of the Pressed image (I have the same colour for Pressed Normal and Pressed Selected, other than that, all colours are different).  The colour of the Hover Normal or Hover Selected images never appears at all.  I'd be happy to send you my .msstyles file if that would help.

[Panda X]

The ones where the import button is grey out are the parts that inherit from other parts of the msstyles.

The parts for the Task Item Button go as follows:

<1>: Open (a program that's just opened and not focused)
<2>: Other Side Hot (only used when labels are enabled and the buttons are uncombined. If you have open 3 notepads, they're listed together on the taskbar, if you hover over the first, the other two use this image)
<3>: Hover (When hovering over a program icon)
<4>: Focused (When a program is the foremost program in Windows)
<5>: Other Side Hot Focused (Same as Other Side Hot except for focused windows)
<6>: Focused Hover / Open Pressed (Used when you hover over a focused application's icon and/or when you press an icon on the taskbar that isn't focused)
<7>: Flash (Used when a window wants your attention)
<8>: Unused (To my knowledge this state is never used)
<9>: Pinned Hover (When you hover over an pinned application icon)
<10>: Pinned Pressed (When you press a pinned application icon)

By the way if you download 1.5.3.2 it has all these label and shows the inheritance in the status bar, it'll be more helpful and works better in Windows 7 that 1.5.

[Qwerky]

Okay, I did as you suggested.  I used three shades of red ranging from light to dark for Normal, Hover, and Pressed; three shades green ranging from light to dark for NormalSelected, HoverSelected, and PressedSelected; three shades of blue ranging from light to dark for NormalPinned, HoverPinned, and PressedPinned; and orange for Flash.

On the taskbar, normal buttons (buttons of opened programs, whether minimized or not) are light red, and the button of the active program is light green.  There are no buttons for unopened programs since I have no pinned items (you are correct that if I have no programs open, the taskbar is completely empty except for the Start button and the Tray).

As the mouse moves over the buttons, the light red buttons become dark red (not medium red), and the light green button becomes dark green (not medium green).  So, the colours of the three Hover images (medium shades of red, green and blue) never appear.

When any button is pressed, whether active or not (green or red), it becomes dark green (the colour for PressedSelected).

The colours of any of the Pinned items (the three shades of blue -- NormalPinned, HoverPinned and PressedPinned) never appear at any time.

Does this help?

[Qwerky]

Hi Panda, thanks.  Those labels are mostly different than the ones I see in 1.5.0.0.  Where can I download 1.5.3.2?

EDIT:  Okay, I found and downloaded WSB1532ATB.zip -- is that the correct file?  It says it will expire Dec. 1 (two weeks); should I install over top of 1.5.0.0, or install as a separate program?

[Panda X]

Hi Panda, thanks.  Those labels are mostly different than the ones I see in 1.5.0.0.  Where can I download 1.5.3.2?

It's for Windows 8 testing but it works perfectly fine in 7: http://vistastylebuilder.com/forum/index.php?topic=1737.0

Though don't overwrite since this one does expire, you can just extract the contents to another folder.

[Qwerky]

Panda, sorry, I keep cross-posting with you.  Got it; thanks for the pointer!

[Qwerky]

The new version is very nice, in giving the additional information in the status bar; well done!

Okay, so the effects that I obtained, outlined above, exactly match your description with the new names!  I pinned a couple items, and they also colour as you described.

However, for uncombined buttons (whether setting is Never Combine or Combine When Taskbar is Full), I do not get the image colours.  Instead, whenever I open a second instance of a program, both the first instance and all other instances of that program's buttons immediately change to the Aero-style buttons, even though I'm using a basic theme and all of the ten images are solid colours?

[Panda X]

The new version is very nice, in giving the additional information in the status bar; well done!

Okay, so the effects that I obtained, outlined above, exactly match your description with the new names!  I pinned a couple items, and they also colour as you described.

However, for uncombined buttons (whether setting is Never Combine or Combine When Taskbar is Full), I do not get the image colours.  Instead, whenever I open a second instance of a program, both the first instance and all other instances of that program's buttons immediately change to the Aero-style buttons, even though I'm using a basic theme and all of the ten images are solid colours?

The uncombined use Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > UncombinedTaskItemLeft Center and Right. The last 3 image states inherit from the other set of 10.

[Qwerky]

The uncombined use Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > UncombinedTaskItemLeft Center and Right. The last 3 image states inherit from the other set of 10.

Got it, thanks!  I found one can even use gradients on the various buttons (no need for solid colours only), and it works fine.

So, all is good for the horizontal taskbar at top or bottom of screen.  The vertical taskbar (at left or right of screen) is still using the Aero-style buttons, so I suspect one will have to modify the Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand (Vertical) items as well (even though they say 'inherits from TaskBand2 (#215)').  I'll try that next.

[Qwerky]

Okay, taskbar is good, and button colour is good.  I'm trying to adjust the position of the button within the taskband.

By setting Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > BackgroundBottom > CONTENTMARGINS to 3, 3, 5, 3, I've got the button to be five pixels below the top of the taskbar, and three pixels above the bottom of the taskbar, when the taskbar is at the bottom of the screen, which is what I want.

However, when the taskbar is at the top of the screen, I want the button to be three pixels from the top, and five pixels from the bottom.  But, it always displays as five from the top and three from the bottom.  I have tried setting Taskbar & System Tray > TaskBand > Basic > TaskBand > BackgroundTop > CONTENTMARGINS to 3, 3, 5, 3; and to 3, 3, 3, 5.  But it is the same display either way.  Is BackgroundTop > CONTENTMARGINS not the correct setting to adjust the button vertically within a taskbar on top of screen?

BTW, what do the first two numbers in CONTENTMARGINS do?

[Panda X]

Left, Right, Top, Bottom

[3am]

You can't change the margins on the top background. They are always the reverse of the margins on the bottom.

[Panda X]

You can't change the margins on the top background. They are always the reverse of the margins on the bottom.

They aren't reversed. It's always Left, Right, Top, Bottom.

[3am]

They aren't reversed. It's always Left, Right, Top, Bottom.

I mean they look reversed. You can't change the content margins on the top background only on the bottom

[Panda X]

I mean they look reversed. You can't change the content margins on the top background only on the bottom

But it doesn't.

[Qwerky]

Panda, your pictures show the exact problem I'm having:  the buttons are always spaced closer to the bottom of the taskbar than to the top, regardless of whether the taskbar is at the bottom or top of the screen.

So, are you saying there is no way to adjust the spacing of the buttons within the taskbar when the taskbar is at the top of the screen, independent of when it is at the bottom of the screen?

[3am]

Correct

[Qwerky]

Correct

That's a shame.  Thanks for the confirmation.

Next problem is that I can't seem to adjust the spacing of the buttons when the taskbar is vertical (either left edge or right edge of screen).  Is this possible?

[3am]

Nope. Or at least I can't do it

[Panda X]

You can set it to 10, 10, 0, 0 and it'll edge both the top and the bottom:



The vertical taskbar doesn't size the same way as the top/bottom. The buttons's width is set to automatic to fit the taskbar.

[Qwerky]

Thanks to both for the confirmation -- another shame.

Yes, if I make the button spacing vertically symmetrical, it will look the same both top and bottom of screen, but doesn't look too good with my taskbar, so... guess I'll need to rethink my design!

[Qwerky]

Okay, thanks to your help, and a little redesign of my taskbar/buttons, I now have the taskbar looking nice at all edges, with large and small icons, in basic and aero.

Next step is the window title bar color for normal application program windows, but as much as I have searched, I haven't found how to change this.  Could someone provide a pointer?

[3am]

Fonts & System Metrics > CAPTIONTEXT:COLOR and INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT:COLOR

[Qwerky]

Fonts & System Metrics > CAPTIONTEXT:COLOR and INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT:COLOR

Those would, I guess, be the colours of the text; I'm trying to change the colour of the title bar--the background.

I've tried changing Fonts, Colors & System Metrics > Fonts & System Metrics > ACTIVECAPTION, INACTIVECAPTION, GRADIENTACTIVECAPTION, and GRADIENTINACTIVECAPTION, but the changes had no effect.  Is there something else required?

[Panda X]

Those would, I guess, be the colours of the text; I'm trying to change the colour of the title bar--the background.

I've tried changing Fonts, Colors & System Metrics > Fonts & System Metrics > ACTIVECAPTION, INACTIVECAPTION, GRADIENTACTIVECAPTION, and GRADIENTINACTIVECAPTION, but the changes had no effect.  Is there something else required?

Those colors are for Windows Classic.

[Qwerky]

Those colors are for Windows Classic.

Got it.  So, how to change the colours for the title bars (background) in Basic and Aero?

[Panda X]

Got it.  So, how to change the colours for the title bars (background) in Basic and Aero?

Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > *
Windows & Caption Buttons > Basic > Frames > Window > *

All images under those categories are related to the window images.

[Qwerky]

Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > *
Windows & Caption Buttons > Basic > Frames > Window > *

All images under those categories are related to the window images.

Great.  Okay, I have the colours for maximized and regular, active and inactive, title bars and window borders (frames) on left, right and bottom.  But, though my left and right frames are four pixels wide, Windows is still making my window frames (left, right, and bottom) nine pixels wide.

1.  How to adjust the frame width?
2.  How to keep Window from stretching some columns of the frames, even though the SizingMargins are already set?

Also, adjusting the colours at:

Fonts & System Metrics > CAPTIONTEXT:COLOR and INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT:COLOR

as mentioned above, doesn't actually change my window titlebar text colours at all?

[Panda X]

Great.  Okay, I have the colours for maximized and regular, active and inactive, title bars and window borders (frames) on left, right and bottom.  But, though my left and right frames are four pixels wide, Windows is still making my window frames (left, right, and bottom) nine pixels wide.

1.  How to adjust the frame width?
2.  How to keep Window from stretching some columns of the frames, even though the SizingMargins are already set?

Also, adjusting the colours at:

as mentioned above, doesn't actually change my window titlebar text colours at all?

1. Fonts, Colors, & System Metrics > Fonts & System Metrics PADDEDBORDERWIDTH:INT. Though DWM still leaves a bit there unfortunately.
2. Can you show a screenshot of what you mean?

[Qwerky]

Still cannot get the window titlebar text colour to change, even with the above settings?

My PADDEDBORDERWIDTH is set to 4, yet the window frames ares till 9 pixels?

The first attachment is my active window right border; it is three pixels of blue and one pixel of black.  The second is a screen capture of the same length of border of an actual window; the border has been stretched to nine pixels wide, and both colours have been stretched.  My understanding was that the SIZINGMARGINS could be used to prevent some pixels from being stretched--in this case I do not want the black to be stretched (there should be only one column of black, regardless of how wide the frame is).

[Panda X]

I meant can you show me a screenshot of a whole window, not the images you are using, I can't determine anything from that.

[Mr GRiM]

when you set your sizing margin did you set it at least 1 pixel less then the width of the image, if you don't it will still stretch the whole image, you also need to have canvas width 1 pixel larger then the image on the out site for the frames as those are not shown on the outer edge.

[3am]

You must want maximized window titlebar text so either:

Add textcolors here:

 Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top > MaxInactive 
 Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top > MaxActive   

Or change them here:

Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > Top > MaxActive
Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > Top > MaxInactive

Depending on whatever XMLs you're using.

[Qwerky]

I meant can you show me a screenshot of a whole window, not the images you are using, I can't determine anything from that.

Okay, here's Win7 Style Builder window; you can see PADDEDBORDERWIDTH is 4.

[Qwerky]

when you set your sizing margin did you set it at least 1 pixel less then the width of the image, if you don't it will still stretch the whole image, you also need to have canvas width 1 pixel larger then the image on the out site for the frames as those are not shown on the outer edge.

I've since changed the sizing margins to 2 (the image is 4 pixels), but it didn't make any difference.  I don't understand the last point:  are you saying that if my left/right border is 4 pixels wide, the canvas should be 5 pixels wide, and if so, what is the colour of the extra pixel?

[Qwerky]

You must want maximized window titlebar text so either:

Add textcolors here:

 Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top > MaxInactive 
 Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top > MaxActive   

Or change them here:

Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > Top > MaxActive
Windows & Caption Buttons > Aero > DWM Window > Frames > Window > Top > MaxInactive

Depending on whatever XMLs you're using.

I already had set those, but it didn't change anything.  I also tried adding and setting the TEXTCOLORS property to Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top > Active/Inactive, but also with no change.

I should add that I am at present working on the windows in Basic (non-Aero) style; don't know if that makes any difference to either the caption colours or the frame widths.

[Panda X]

Okay, here's Win7 Style Builder window; you can see PADDEDBORDERWIDTH is 4.

4 is an offset, change it to 0 and it'll get smaller. There's the sizing border, and then there's a bit of extra padding, which is what this property defines.

[3am]

I give up on your textcolors. I tested in Basic and Fonts & System Metrics > CAPTIONTEXT:COLOR and INACTIVECAPTIONTEXT:COLOR work just fine. Show me a picture of the text you  want changed. Maybe we are talking about two different things.

[Qwerky]

4 is an offset, change it to 0 and it'll get smaller. There's the sizing border, and then there's a bit of extra padding, which is what this property defines.

Changed to 0, but no change in window frame:  the border is still 9 pixels on left, right, and bottom; and it is still stretching all columns, regardless of sizing margins.