[Help me with bugs!!] I'm porting Ambient theme to Win 7

[Sonic0509]

Welcome everybody!
I started porting my favourite XP theme to 7 on 12.06.2012 (and finally today working on it more seriously ). I'm porting a Vista port of the Ambient theme to be exact. In direct port there were some bugs that were pretty annoying but I'm gonna fix them later, for now there is bigger one.
I like the original XP Places pane/Start menu more than Vista-styled so I decided to port it instead of leaving Vista one. While replacing bitmaps, changing content/scaling margins and testing theme after every single replace/change this appeared
-> attachment (places pane is too tall).
I tried changing scaling/default size values but I couldn't figure out what is wrong. So I'm writing here with hope that somebody will help me.

I want this thread to be general "help me" thread for my porting work so I'm not gonna start new one for each bug - I will be writing everything in this one

Thank you in advance for any help!

btw. Here is what a direct Vista port looks like: link.

 

[Bongo]

Welcome to the Seven Forums
How are you porting these themes, what are you using?
Jerry

 

[Sonic0509]

Oh! I totally forgot to mention that. I'm using Ave's Vista Style Builder (with 7 support ), and I have Restorator installed (mainly for extracting XP bitmaps but If using it to edit 7 theme will be necessary I know how to do it too). By the way: you could see it on the screenshoot

 

[Bongo]

I have Windows Style Builder too. Post a link to the theme you got the start menu from and I will look at it and see if I can help.
Jerry

 

[Sonic0509]

First of all thank you for your willingness to help.
My msstyles file:-> attachment
Original theme Ambient by ~tornado5 on deviantART
Vista port: Ambient Vista Port by =Satukoro on deviantART

 

[Bongo]

I will do some testing and get back to you.
Jerry

 

[Bongo]

I did some testing over the weekend and I could not get any good results at all, I even exported the images from your style.msstyles and imported them into a new copy of aero.msstyles and it came out even worse then what's in your screenshot.
The only solution I think I can offer would be you are going to have to create new images that will fit better.
Jerry

 

[Sonic0509]

Thats shame it didn't work either way :/
Anyway, thank you for trying!

 

[Sonic0509]

I've got start menu fully working but I still can't find out how to fix many things. I'm asking for help again. Could someone tell me where can I find highlighted items? Red - background (for Opera both focused and not); yellow - text color/highlighted and pressed backgrounds.

 

[Bongo]

That's good you got the start menu straightened out, if you have time tell me what you did.

Post some screenshots with something highlighting the area you want changed and I will see if I can help.
Use these tutorials for posting screenshots.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9717-screenshot-paint.html
How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista - Vista Forums
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Jerry

 

[Sonic0509]

Whoops! I forgot to attach screenshoot to my earlier post.

How I fixed start menu: I've made bitmaps of same height as in original and put them in clean theme again.

Now I really want to fix the highlighted areas. After this, the theme will be almost complete

 

[Bongo]

#1
Those are in the shell32.dll in C:\Windows\System32 and if you have 64 bit also in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 you would need to change both, they are bitmap(.bmp)numbers 632, 633(left side), 634, 635(top)

#2
Text Styles > ControlPanelStyle > TaskLink > TEXTCOLOR:COLOR and Styles > ControlPanelStyle > NavigationPanelLabel > TEXTCOLOR:COLOR

#3
Explorer & Shell > Explorer > CommandModule > <1> (it may be the same as #5)

#4
Explorer & Shell > Explorer > CommandModule > <3> > <1> > TEXTCOLOR:COLOR
Explorer & Shell > Explorer > CommandModule > <4> > <1> > TEXTCOLOR:COLOR
Explorer & Shell > Explorer > CommandModule > <5> > <1> > TEXTCOLOR:COLOR

#5
That is the top frame of Windows Exoplorer
Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top

#6
What program or window is that?

Jerry

 

[Sonic0509]

#1 That's definitely not good news. I don't want to mess with system files but I guess I now have to. :/

#2 That's kinda good news

#3 Thanks for command bar. Could you also tell me where can I find navigation bar background?

#4 That will be useful for sure.

#5 Do you maybe know why it often gets glitched in Opera when using custom visual styles? I looks perfectly normal when using Aero VS (first attachment for comparison).

#6 It's last.fm app (that's actually not important). I mean menu bar (last.fm was the first example I could find). What is wront: it looks different in explorer than in 3rd party apps (second attachment (left: explorer; right: a 3rd party app)).


Also there I have two more problems with explorer frame.

1. When using aero snap to snap window to the right or left side of screen There is single, empty (can click through it) row of pixels left above the window. Caption frame and its size mask are perfeclty aligned. An messing around with them ended with restoring original ones.

2. As you can see in first attached picture there is column of single pixels between explorer frame and actual window. I suppose it hapens only in opera and not everytime. I captures image behind the Opera's window and releases it when I minimize then maximize window or maximize and restore.


Thanks for what you helped me with and thank you in advance again!

 

[Bongo]

#3 Thanks for command bar. Could you also tell me where can I find navigation bar background?

Post a better(bigger) screenshot with arrows.

#5 Do you maybe know why it often gets glitched in Opera when using custom visual styles? I looks perfectly normal when using Aero VS (first attachment for comparison).

Not sure. Here is what I get 1st is default aero 2nd I colored the top frame at Windows and Caption Buttons > Aero > Dwm Window > Frames > Normal > Top

#6 It's last.fm app (that's actually not important). I mean menu bar (last.fm was the first example I could find). What is wront: it looks different in explorer than in 3rd party apps (second attachment (left: explorer; right: a 3rd party app))

Post a better(bigger) screenshot with arrows.

1. When using aero snap to snap window to the right or left side of screen There is single, empty (can click through it) row of pixels left above the window. Caption frame and its size mask are perfeclty aligned. An messing around with them ended with restoring original ones.

Post screenshots

2. As you can see in first attached picture there is column of single pixels between explorer frame and actual window. I suppose it hapens only in opera and not everytime. I captures image behind the Opera's window and releases it when I minimize then maximize window or maximize and restore.

I don't understand what you mean.

Jerry

 

[Bongo]

The Last FM toolbar is at Lists, Menus & Tabs > Menu > BarBackground

Jerry