WB - Title bar missing pixels
Wednesday, January 2, 2002 by DBachen | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I've had this problem with every version of WB I've used for the past 2 years, and I've had different machines running it on, different video cards etc.
The problem is when a window is maximized, the top few pixels of the window disappear. This causes the min/max/close icons to sometimes get "cut-off". Normally they would be centered exactly in the title bar.
I've been told before that I have to go in and change the size of the title bar, but I think they misunderstood the problem.
I want to be able to apply a theme as designed, and not have to go into my system and change the size of the title bar every time.
Why can't I just apply a theme and have it work correctly?
The problem is when a window is maximized, the top few pixels of the window disappear. This causes the min/max/close icons to sometimes get "cut-off". Normally they would be centered exactly in the title bar.
I've been told before that I have to go in and change the size of the title bar, but I think they misunderstood the problem.
I want to be able to apply a theme as designed, and not have to go into my system and change the size of the title bar every time.
Why can't I just apply a theme and have it work correctly?
DBachen
Reply #2 Thursday, January 3, 2002 10:07 AM
Reply #2 Thursday, January 3, 2002 10:07 AM
Would every skin author be adding that though? This seems to happen on every skin I use. It was also only happening for the top pixels, not for anything on the side or bottoms.
I really don't want to edit every UIS I get.
As far as other handlers go, no-- I'm not running anything else. I've had the problem with Win98, 98se, and now XP. And used different machines, different video cards, etc. Always a pain in the ass. It only happens with WB themes, the Xp themes worked as expected.
I did add the SizeLimit = 1 to the wb.ini and that has fixed the problem. What is that doing exactly? Limiting how big the window can grow? Or setting a border or something?
I'm just surprised that this problem has followed me from PC to PC and from hardware to hardware. Normally, that kind of diagnosis would lead me to believe a software problem. Which means if I've had it, so have others.
Is there a downside to the Sizelimit addition? If not, why wouldn't Stardock make it be a default for everyone?
I really don't want to edit every UIS I get.
As far as other handlers go, no-- I'm not running anything else. I've had the problem with Win98, 98se, and now XP. And used different machines, different video cards, etc. Always a pain in the ass. It only happens with WB themes, the Xp themes worked as expected.
I did add the SizeLimit = 1 to the wb.ini and that has fixed the problem. What is that doing exactly? Limiting how big the window can grow? Or setting a border or something?
I'm just surprised that this problem has followed me from PC to PC and from hardware to hardware. Normally, that kind of diagnosis would lead me to believe a software problem. Which means if I've had it, so have others.
Is there a downside to the Sizelimit addition? If not, why wouldn't Stardock make it be a default for everyone?
Neil Banfield
Reply #3 Friday, January 4, 2002 6:40 AM
Reply #3 Friday, January 4, 2002 6:40 AM
4 pixels are automatically cut on each border with a WB skin as this is how windows normally work when they are maximized (look at a normal window & watch what occurs. Notice there are no left, right or bottom edges visible? and that the top border has lost its sizing edge)
The skin author can change this in their own skin if they want via the MaxBorderCut Values.
A user can force all the borders to show using the SizeLimit setting, but this is not the default as it would waste screen space usually and we would get complaints about it. All it does is force the MaxBorderCut values to 0 rather than their default of 4.
Basically WB is working as designed and working exactly how windows works too.
The skin author can change this in their own skin if they want via the MaxBorderCut Values.
A user can force all the borders to show using the SizeLimit setting, but this is not the default as it would waste screen space usually and we would get complaints about it. All it does is force the MaxBorderCut values to 0 rather than their default of 4.
Basically WB is working as designed and working exactly how windows works too.
DBachen
Reply #4 Friday, January 4, 2002 8:20 AM
Reply #4 Friday, January 4, 2002 8:20 AM
Does that mean that when a skin author makes a skin they have to include a "maximized" and a "non-maximized" title bar? For example, say they want their control box to be centered in the upper right corner. It looks fine when restored, but when it's maximized if you are saying that it is supposed to cut off 4 pixels, then it will no longer be.
Windows certainly doesn't behave that way without WB. Sure, it might not have a sizing handle, but it doesn't appear to cut anything off. Try the themes in XP. They even have rounded corners. If that was the case (about default cutting of 4 pixels), why then does those themes look normal?
I'm just trying to understand...
Windows certainly doesn't behave that way without WB. Sure, it might not have a sizing handle, but it doesn't appear to cut anything off. Try the themes in XP. They even have rounded corners. If that was the case (about default cutting of 4 pixels), why then does those themes look normal?
I'm just trying to understand...
kith
Reply #5 Friday, January 4, 2002 8:45 AM
Reply #5 Friday, January 4, 2002 8:45 AM
Have you been using the same monitor throughout all these changes? If so resetting and resizing with the buttons on the front of the monitor might be an idea. Maybe WB for some reason is pushing through the visible area. Just trying to think of something that might not have been mentioned. 
DBachen
Reply #6 Friday, January 4, 2002 1:11 PM
Reply #6 Friday, January 4, 2002 1:11 PM
Nope. Switched different monitors too.
So if this is the expected behavior (as indicated above) that means that all of you are missing pixels at the tops of your WB windows when you maximize them, correct?
So if this is the expected behavior (as indicated above) that means that all of you are missing pixels at the tops of your WB windows when you maximize them, correct?
TasT
Reply #7 Friday, January 4, 2002 2:13 PM
Reply #7 Friday, January 4, 2002 2:13 PM
You are correct..
You can however download skinstudio and choose Tools from the file menu. Them the Tweak WB tab and check the "maximized windows show borders" this should solve your problem.
I have not really taken notice of how XP works with the .msstyles or if the tweak is necessary with XP though I think I did do it... If it doesn't work you can add the following to the personality section of the WB skin in question's UIS file.
MaxBorderCutLeft=0
MaxBorderCutRight=0
MaxBorderCutTop=0
MaxBorderCutBottom=0
You can however download skinstudio and choose Tools from the file menu. Them the Tweak WB tab and check the "maximized windows show borders" this should solve your problem.
I have not really taken notice of how XP works with the .msstyles or if the tweak is necessary with XP though I think I did do it... If it doesn't work you can add the following to the personality section of the WB skin in question's UIS file.
MaxBorderCutLeft=0
MaxBorderCutRight=0
MaxBorderCutTop=0
MaxBorderCutBottom=0
chichigirl46
Reply #8 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:07 PM
Reply #8 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:07 PM
I have had the exact same problem and have complained about it and no one has heard me or cared to hear my problem. I have done evry thing you have suggested to do in this thread and I still have the same problem, its a software problem, and I refuse to tear up my computer by all kinds of futher adjustments that could cause futher problems..... Some one seriously needs to take a good look at this titlebar problem, all the adjustments in the ini/uis/and displays properties box and still I loose the top.... its like a wallpaper falling from the top frame, so I run my wblinds on "restore"........
chichigirl46
Reply #9 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:09 PM
Reply #9 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:09 PM
oh...... and I also run W98sec... and I don't have wblinds3 I have wblinds 2.2 enhanced.
chichigirl46
Reply #10 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:16 PM
Reply #10 Friday, January 4, 2002 5:16 PM
oooooop's doreeneious disease he hee... I also have had many people ask me about the same problem from emails from my site too... so its not just a few of us......
DBachen
Reply #11 Monday, January 7, 2002 8:45 AM
Reply #11 Monday, January 7, 2002 8:45 AM
Well ChiChiGirl46, once I added the size limit it did stop "cutting off" the top borders. have you tried that?
I was really surprised to hear someone else say that they all experience the same problem and that it's theexpected behavior!! How silly is that? It looks HORRIBLE.
How can skin authors be happy to have part of their skin cut off, and this be the default behavior... That absolutely baffles me.
I was really surprised to hear someone else say that they all experience the same problem and that it's theexpected behavior!! How silly is that? It looks HORRIBLE.
How can skin authors be happy to have part of their skin cut off, and this be the default behavior... That absolutely baffles me.
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Reply #1 Wednesday, January 2, 2002 4:33 PM
If this isn't it - then your problem is one I haven't heard of. Are you possibly running any other accessories that might be interfering, particularly any related to window click handling or sizing?