Recent XP Start Menu Changes in WB7
Fixing Blur Broke Trans?
Monday, April 26, 2010 by Daiwa | Discussion: WindowBlinds
On my XP rig, this:
Appears to have resulted in this:
and this:
Here's my sysinfo:
WindowBlinds version : WindowBlinds 7.1 (build 87 x86)
WindowBlinds is installed correctly on this PC
WindowBlinds appears to be activated on this PC
Your machine supports per pixel borders on WindowBlinds skins.
(Plug and Play Monitor) 1 is attached to NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Wblind.dll 2010/04/22 11:20:20
Wbsrv.dll 2010/02/03 16:11:56
SevenConfig.exe 2010/02/15 14:09:57
Wbload.exe 2010/02/02 14:33:18
Wbhelp.dll 2008/04/28 11:35:07
Wbui.dll 2008/04/28 11:35:05
Tray.dll 2009/10/21 07:13:19
Screen.exe 2009/12/03 13:43:26
Reply #3 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 6:28 AM
Will be glad if someone can give a reply to a bug i mentionned (also under XP) ==> https://forums.wincustomizetest.com/380941 with black parts appearing with the two latest 7.09a betas 
Reply #4 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 6:50 AM
That black issue should be resolved in the next build.
Reply #5 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 10:54 AM
Reply #6 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 12:04 PM
Hey Daiwa; I just downloaded the orig Granular and have fixed the white bottom bar. Steps taken, from SKS open .bmp image in PSPX2, set opacity at 99%, used erase tool to remove the 2 pixels of magic pink on bottom 2 corners, saved to a folder as a .png, back in SKS imported png image in for bottom bar.
I am using the latest beta of WB7 XP SP3, I am not having the black menus issue here.
Wbui.dll 2008/04/28 11:35:05
Compared to my WB info these 2 seem old both for me are
2009/10/07
Reply #7 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 2:49 PM
Thanks, Cavan. Button image or button background image?
There are issues with separator image trans as well, obviously, and it wouldn't surprise me if the limitations of my notebook's NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT video have something to do with it - I've had issues with persisting image remnants from the Start Menu with every version of WB I've used since getting this rig over 2 years ago, even after updating the drivers a couple of times (though I wonder if that's really a WFX issue, as I use WFX's 'dissolve' menu fade effect). For now, reverting to the prior WB beta is the simplest solution since it displays the StartPanel & StartMenu correctly with the existing images and video drivers, but I'll try 'fixing' the images when I get a chance to mess with them, unless Neil fixes WB before I get around to it. 
Running XPP SP3 here also.
Reply #8 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 3:12 PM
Start menu bottom bar image.
I edited these to png and imported back into SKS, all is fine.
I think part of the issue is that you are mixing bmp with magic pink and png/tga with trans images on the start menu parts. I have seen other skins when this is done cause draw issues. I have even seen it for the taskbar if taskbar is tga and resizing bar is a bmp with magic pink.
Reply #9 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 3:47 PM
Fair enough. Presumably, the 'improvements in blur performance' are worth the trouble. As it happens, the taskbar in Granular is tga & the resizing bar is bmp with magic pink with no display issues. Go figure.
Reply #10 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 4:17 PM
Just took a look, the gripper is bmp with magic pink but the resizing bar is just a bmp, no magic pink.
The gripper being bmp with magic pink I have never seen an issue with, and the resizing when magic pink is used seems to be more of an issue when taskbar is set to blur.
This may be; my desktop system has a lesser graphics card than your notebook and I always have issues when trying to use WFX menu and windows effects.
Reply #11 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 4:38 PM
I am hopeful the issue will be resolved in the next build.
The issue isn't linked to the faster blur, but instead is due to WB thinking all those sections are TGAs rather than BMP files. Thats why the pink is showing up.
Reply #12 Tuesday, April 27, 2010 5:07 PM
Thanks, Neil. You're the best.
And thank you for your interest and suggestions, Cavan. I really appreciate it. You are correct about the resizing bar in Granular being bmp without magic pink. I have since changed it to have some magic pink in the current variation of Granular that I'm using daily & now that you mention it, I had noticed intermittently that the space where the resizing bar 'was', after the taskbar retracted to 'auto-hide', was showing a strip of desktop across the screen on top an open window. Only noticed it a couple of times & only with the WB config window maxed so didn't make much of it. I also use my taskbar locked so didn't see the grippers while the latest beta was loaded.
Reply #13 Friday, April 30, 2010 4:06 PM
The newest build - 7.1 (build 89 x86) - has resolved these issues.
Thank you, Neil.
And thank you, Cavan1 - I'll incorporate your suggestions in my future skinning.
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Reply #1 Monday, April 26, 2010 11:29 PM
Reverting to 7.01 (build 83 x86) fixes it, FWIW.