How do I change the Aero glass look?

[acer3]

Hi I saw this http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/158/3/2/My_Lucid_msstyle_remade_by_CorneliusMc.png and I want to know how he changed the taskbar and the windows with aero peek.

 

[Bongo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums
You will need a image editor like gimp, paint.net, Photoshop.
You would need a resource hacker to edit a copy of the aero.msstyles in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes look at post #38 of this thread will show you how to start a new theme http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/135985-start-menu-color-change-4.html#post1358071
This will work for the taskbar I can provide that image numbers for you if you would like.
If you want to change the Aero peek window you will need to purchase (about $23 US) Ave's Windows7 Style Builder I can provide that image locations for you if you would like.
You will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter
Let me know if I can be of more help to you.
Jerry

 

[emaraszek]

You need to patch the uxtheme.dll file before you can use custom themes like that. See the following link for details:

Patch uxtheme.dll in Windows 7 to install Custom / MSStyles Themes - Customize Desktop

Also, in order to get a different start button, you'll probably need to replace explorer.exe with a custom version, which you may or may not feel comfortable doing.

I personally have a custom theme and start button, no issues so far with either. I can post a screenshot in a couple hours when I get home from work.

Best of luck!

 

[acer3]

Welcome to the Seven Forums
You will need a image editor like gimp, paint.net, Photoshop.
You would need a resource hacker to edit a copy of the aero.msstyles in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes look at post #38 of this thread will show you how to start a new theme http://www.sevenforums.com/customization/135985-start-menu-color-change-4.html#post1358071
This will work for the taskbar I can provide that image numbers for you if you would like.
If you want to change the Aero peek window you will need to purchase (about $23 US) Ave's Windows7 Style Builder I can provide that image locations for you if you would like.
You will need to do 1 of these 2 ways of Enabling custom themes for it to work.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/34579-enabling-custom-themes-windows-7-a.html
Or
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/28377-theme-how-apply-custom-themes.html?filter
Let me know if I can be of more help to you.
Jerry

Thanks!
Okay, so once I've allowed my system to apply custom themes, how do customize my taskbar? I want to remove the glassy look and make it fully transparent. I have resource hacker and a trial version of restorator. What do I edit in aero.mmstyles?

You need to patch the uxtheme.dll file before you can use custom themes like that. See the following link for details:

Patch uxtheme.dll in Windows 7 to install Custom / MSStyles Themes - Customize Desktop

Also, in order to get a different start button, you'll probably need to replace explorer.exe with a custom version, which you may or may not feel comfortable doing.

I personally have a custom theme and start button, no issues so far with either. I can post a screenshot in a couple hours when I get home from work.

Best of luck!

Thanks! Maybe you could help me with how you did your theme.

 

[Infinite]

Hi acer3. If I am correct, this is the theme you are trying to apply?

Download a Theme Patcher (Universal Theme Patcher, UXStyle or VistaGlazz).

Personally I use Universal Theme Patcher. So if you did it through Universal Theme Patcher, Download it, and open the .zip. Then open the "UniversalThemePatcher_20090409" folder, and click the x64 or x86 depending on if your running 32 Bit or 64 Bit. To find out which your running. Go to Control Panel and select System.

I am running 32 Bit so I open the x86. Select your default language and click OK. On the popup that opens click Yes. Click Patch for all 3 and Restart.

Congratulations now you can install custom themes.

Go to DeviantArt and click download file. Open the .zip. Keep this open but open another Window to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

Now drag both files from Lucid Msstyles zip window into the Themes Window.

Now Right Click on the Desktop, hit Personalise and chose the new theme.

 

[Bongo]

Thanks!
Okay, so once I've allowed my system to apply custom themes, how do customize my taskbar? I want to remove the glassy look and make it fully transparent. I have resource hacker and a trial version of restorator. What do I edit in aero.mmstyles?

Be sure to use a copy to work on make a new theme like I posted about.
Here are the image #s for the taskbar open them up in a image editor and clear the image
Aero
Bottom #845 #1028
Right #847 #1031
Top #848 #1029
Left #846 #10

Show Desktop Button
#1107
Vertical #1108

Jerry

 

[acer3]

Hi acer3. If I am correct, this is the theme you are trying to apply?

Download a Theme Patcher (Universal Theme Patcher, UXStyle or VistaGlazz).

Personally I use Universal Theme Patcher. So if you did it through Universal Theme Patcher, Download it, and open the .zip. Then open the "UniversalThemePatcher_20090409" folder, and click the x64 or x86 depending on if your running 32 Bit or 64 Bit.

I am running 32 Bit so I open the x86. Select your default language and click OK. On the popup that opens click Yes. Click Patch for all 3 and Restart.

Congratulations now you can install custom themes.

Go to DeviantArt and click download file. Open the .zip. Keep this open but open another Window to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

Now drag both files from Lucid Msstyles zip window into the Themes Window.

Now Right Click on the Desktop, hit Personalise and chose the new theme.

Yes, but I also want to know how he did it, so maybe I could make a custom theme of my own with a different taskbar design.

 

[acer3]

Thanks!
Okay, so once I've allowed my system to apply custom themes, how do customize my taskbar? I want to remove the glassy look and make it fully transparent. I have resource hacker and a trial version of restorator. What do I edit in aero.mmstyles?

Be sure to use a copy to work on make a new theme like I posted about.
Here are the image #s for the taskbar open them up in a image editor and clear the image
Aero
Bottom #845 #1028
Right #847 #1031
Top #848 #1029
Left #846 #10

Show Desktop Button
#1107
Vertical #1108

Jerry

What about the image number for the glass effect? I think I get it now. I'll try it out later. Thanks!

 

[emaraszek]

Oh, you want to make your own theme? I thought you were simply looking to apply a custom theme. Unfortunately I don't have the time or patience to make one of my own but the one I use is called Clearscreen Sharp. I got it off of DeviantArt about a year ago.

There are a lot of custom themes out there that you can apply once you patch the appropriate files. Here's a screenshot of my setup:

 

[Bongo]

Thanks!
Okay, so once I've allowed my system to apply custom themes, how do customize my taskbar? I want to remove the glassy look and make it fully transparent. I have resource hacker and a trial version of restorator. What do I edit in aero.mmstyles?

Be sure to use a copy to work on make a new theme like I posted about.
Here are the image #s for the taskbar open them up in a image editor and clear the image
Aero
Bottom #845 #1028
Right #847 #1031
Top #848 #1029
Left #846 #10

Show Desktop Button
#1107
Vertical #1108

Jerry

What about the image number for the glass effect? I think I get it now. I'll try it out later. Thanks!

What glass effect? Post a screenshot of it.
These numbers are for the default aero.msstyles
If you try to edit a custom theme from DeviantArt built with Windows Style Builder the numbers have changed.
Jerry

 

[acer3]

Be sure to use a copy to work on make a new theme like I posted about.
Here are the image #s for the taskbar open them up in a image editor and clear the image
Aero
Bottom #845 #1028
Right #847 #1031
Top #848 #1029
Left #846 #10

Show Desktop Button
#1107
Vertical #1108

Jerry

What about the image number for the glass effect? I think I get it now. I'll try it out later. Thanks!

What glass effect? Post a screenshot of it.
These numbers are for the default aero.msstyles
If you try to edit a custom theme from DeviantArt built with Windows Style Builder the numbers have changed.
Jerry

The blurry glassy effect on the taskbar and on the windows when you use aero peek. Okay, I think I've managed to change the look of the windows during aero peek by editing #971 and the taskbar by editing #900. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Bongo]

That blurry glassy effect on the taskbar will be there no way to get rid of it the best you can do is transparent images there. Are you editing a custom theme them 2 numbers 971 is not in the default aero, 900 is not for the taskbar in the default aero?
Jerry

 

[acer3]

That blurry glassy effect on the taskbar will be there no way to get rid of it the best you can do is transparent images there. Are you editing a custom theme them 2 numbers 971 is not in the default aero, 900 is not for the taskbar in the default aero?
Jerry

I'm editing a copy of the original aero.msstyles that i found in C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. I found 971 in the stream and I managed to remove the shiny/glossy look (I think that's the thing I want removed, not the blurry glass effect) on the taskbar by replacing the image #900 with a transparent one, the only problem I've encountered so far is that I couldn't change the taskbar effect to anything but transparent, I tried replacing #900 back to the original image but it's still transparent even after I restarted my PC.

 

[Bongo]

I forgot about that steam image 971 and that is the correct place to edit the stripes out that's what's nice about Windows Style Builder it breaks down that steam image into individual parts.
Anyway that 900 image is an overlay for the header in libraries folder, I have colorized it and posted a screenshot so you can see what it does.
As a test colorize #845 #1028 for the bottom taskbar and see what happens.
Let me know if I can be of more help.
Jerry

 

[acer3]

I forgot about that steam image 971 and that is the correct place to edit the stripes out that's what's nice about Windows Style Builder it breaks down that steam image into individual parts.
Anyway that 900 image is an overlay for the header in libraries folder, I have colorized it and posted a screenshot so you can see what it does.
As a test colorize #845 #1028 for the bottom taskbar and see what happens.
Let me know if I can be of more help.
Jerry
View attachment 195516

Oh, okay so I checked and it was the header for the libraries folder. But somehow changing it removed the glossy effect on the taskbar. Any ideas?

 

[Bongo]

Here are the areas of the shine


Can you post a screenshot of the before and after on the taskbar.
Jerry

 

[Infinite]

Your complete theme looks really good, is it up for download?

 

[Bongo]

Your complete theme looks really good, is it up for download?

Here is what I started with and I have tweak it, I cannot share what I have done but I can tell you what I did.
Jerry
charleston2378's deviantART gallery

 

[rigz]

Oh, you want to make your own theme? I thought you were simply looking to apply a custom theme. Unfortunately I don't have the time or patience to make one of my own but the one I use is called Clearscreen Sharp. I got it off of DeviantArt about a year ago.

There are a lot of custom themes out there that you can apply once you patch the appropriate files. Here's a screenshot of my setup:

love your desktop mate.

 

[acer3]

Here are the areas of the shine
View attachment 195535

Can you post a screenshot of the before and after on the taskbar.
Jerry

Before
After