Custom Start Menu Button Collection

[speedgamer01]

@ Jaidyn
View attachment 169333

Thanks speedgamer. Could you by any chance make it a bit blacker though, instead of grey? But other than that, it's great. Thanks.

I was doing it when I haven't even seen this post. XD

 

[tabitha46]

@tabitha Here u are:
big logo for slim taskbar: (the hover has got a white backgroud
View attachment 169332
and normal sized for wide taskbar (windows default):
View attachment 169331

@ Jaidyn
View attachment 169333View attachment 169334

cool and all but i need it in a zip

 

[speedgamer01]

View attachment oklahoma start orbs.zip

 

[JaidynM]

@ Jaidyn
View attachment 169333

Thanks speedgamer. Could you by any chance make it a bit blacker though, instead of grey? But other than that, it's great. Thanks.

I was doing it when I haven't even seen this post. XD

Fair enough. Any chance of darkening it though?

 

[speedgamer01]

Fair enough. Any chance of darkening it though?

Which 1?

 

[JaidynM]

Er... All of them?

 

[tabitha46]

View attachment 169342

i cant used them and i don't know why somebody help me

 

[derekimo]

View attachment 169342

i cant used them and i don't know why somebody help me

That's because they are .png instead of .bmp, I changed them in photo gallery but they lost their transparency.

Maybe someone with Photoshop will fix them for you.

 

[speedgamer01]

No, they can be used with win 7 start orb changer from the right click context menu!
That software accepts png format and converts it to bmp files in all sizes (for all dpi) with premultiplied alpha.
Now puts it into C:\Windows\expstart.exe and runs it as a replacement for explorer.exe.

So, it doesn't pacth system resources, tough it can edit explorer.exe if you click restore the original start orb.

You need special bmp files if you willing to path it yourself.

SG

 

[derekimo]

No, they can be used with win 7 start orb changer from the right click context menu!
That software accepts png format and converts it to bmp files in all sizes (for all dpi) with premultiplied alpha.
Now puts it into C:\Windows\expstart.exe and runs it as a replacement for explorer.exe.

So, it doesn't pacth system resources, tough it can edit explorer.exe if you click restore the original start orb.

You need special bmp files if you willing to path it yourself.

SG

I wasn't aware the start button changer used .png, I've always used .bmp,

I don't know why it wont work for her then.

 

[speedgamer01]

@ derekimo She might be using the wrong soft, there are 3 more similar apps out there which might not accept pngs.
@ Jaidyn I had a little work with this 1, I included an xcf file with the final look and a psd file with the orb styles, in case you want to change something. View attachment ultimate black orb.zip
looks like this:

 

[JaidynM]

That's great! Thanks.

Could you by any chance give this one an 'animation'?

The solution to the no animation problem is simple yet involved, you have to convert the image into a PNG format, then edit the image so the black space is transparent then convert it back to BMP for transparency support.

According to one of the comments, that's the solution but being a GFX n00b, I have no idea how to accomplish this simple task.

 

[ZaLiTH]

That's great! Thanks.

Could you by any chance give this one an 'animation'?

The solution to the no animation problem is simple yet involved, you have to convert the image into a PNG format, then edit the image so the black space is transparent then convert it back to BMP for transparency support.

According to one of the comments, that's the solution but being a GFX n00b, I have no idea how to accomplish this simple task.

There's no need to go converting file types in order to gain transparency, each file type handles transparency very differently...

- A PNG file stores the alpha channel per pixel, so each individual pixel contains colour and transparency.
- A BMP uses an 'alpha channel', much like a layer mask in PhotoShop, each pixel still has it's own colour setting, but the alpha setting is stored in a different place.

If you want a BMP with transparency that will work as a Start Orb, simply make sure it contains an alpha channel (varies from one graphics app to the next), and make sure it's saved as a 32-bit BMP (four 8-bit channels, RGBA), not a 24-bit BMP (three 8-bit channels, RGB).

I'm a bit lost when you say give it 'animation' though, you mean the different button states (normal, hover, clicked)? Or do you actually want to animate the Start Orb? For the former, have a look at my tutorial for more details. For the latter, try Kishan Bagaria's Start Orb Animator, then you can use animated GIFs as Start Orbs.

 

[JaidynM]

I've already read it. Thanks by the way, it's a great tutorial. And yes, I do mean the normal, hover and clicked. I don't have Photoshop anyway so unfortunately, I cannot do it.

 

[ZaLiTH]

I've already read it. Thanks by the way, it's a great tutorial. And yes, I do mean the normal, hover and clicked. I don't have Photoshop anyway so unfortunately, I cannot do it.

Ah... Well, I downloaded the orb you linked in the previous post, and it looks like the alpha channel wasn't updated to include the blue glow at the bottom of the orb... I'm just fixing that now for you. Give me a minute....

Edit: Try the attached orb, that should sort out the hover glow properly.

 

[Arc]

I made a start button after a long gap . Almost forgot the technique !


Not bad for a dark/ black taskbar :sarc:
Bitmaps are in the attached zip file .

 

[JaidynM]

I've already read it. Thanks by the way, it's a great tutorial. And yes, I do mean the normal, hover and clicked. I don't have Photoshop anyway so unfortunately, I cannot do it.

Ah... Well, I downloaded the orb you linked in the previous post, and it looks like the alpha channel wasn't updated to include the blue glow at the bottom of the orb... I'm just fixing that now for you. Give me a minute....

Edit: Try the attached orb, that should sort out the hover glow properly.

Ah, that works well. Thanks a bunch, Dre.

 

[ZaLiTH]

I've already read it. Thanks by the way, it's a great tutorial. And yes, I do mean the normal, hover and clicked. I don't have Photoshop anyway so unfortunately, I cannot do it.

Ah... Well, I downloaded the orb you linked in the previous post, and it looks like the alpha channel wasn't updated to include the blue glow at the bottom of the orb... I'm just fixing that now for you. Give me a minute....

Edit: Try the attached orb, that should sort out the hover glow properly.

Ah, that works well. Thanks a bunch, Dre.

No problem, glad to help.

 

[ashimashi]

Thanks for them, they are all great!

I wanted:

But it seems like the link is not there.

 

[Arc]

Thanks for them, they are all great!

I wanted:

But it seems like the link is not there.

I have trier to fix it , but I cannot open it with photoshop . It says that it is an unknown or invalid JPEG marker