The OFFICIAL Wisbar Advance 2 skinning discussion forum!

[aximgeinus]

This is a thread for questions, tips, hints, and discussion about skinning in WA2. Please, no posting skins (except for discussion or instructive purposes.) I want to keep this thread as clean as possible for quick reference for people who want to improve their skinning techniques, like me.

I'll start with a nagging question:
What elements of WA2 (besides the splash screen) can use transparency? Specifically, I want to use transparency on the taskbar, taskbar elements, skinnable volume bubble, and tasks panel. Can these use true alpha transparency, or are they limited to a specific transparency "key" color (magenta)? I've seen the latter used on all but the taskbar and splash screen.

Buttons on the taskbar work with transparency. However, this is probably the wrong forum for this - "Themes and Skins" would probably work better, and you'd get better (more knowledgable) answers from the skinners on the WBA2 forum at Lakeridge Software.

[Gigi]

Moved to Themes & Skins...

[aximgeinus]

Buttons on the taskbar work with transparency. However, this is probably the wrong forum for this - "Themes and Skins" would probably work better, and you'd get better (more knowledgable) answers from the skinners on the WBA2 forum at Lakeridge Software.

Are those full alpha transparency or simple "magenta is transpapent" transparency? I've seen the second type used before, but not alpha transparency (yet). I'm using .png files, by the way

Are those full alpha transparency or simple "magenta is transpapent" transparency? I've seen the second type used before, but not alpha transparency (yet). I'm using .png files, by the way

'Magenta is transparent' is the type I've seen in the buttons I've had. I don't believe that alpha transparency really is supported in Windows Mobile... but again, I'm not the best person to ask about this. Like I said, go to the Lakeridge Software forums if you want knowledgeable responses, including from Chris McKay, who should damned well know how his program draws transparencies. ;)

[linuxcrazyman]

I would like to make a small request, could somebody modify Xcilion's Windows Vista Portable theme to use transparancy to make an "Aero style" appearance? Thanks

www.lakeridgesoftware.com

as for linuxcrazyman: you can absolutley do this, but for the transparent effect to work, you have to stick with one wallpaper so the bar can use this "transparency" (there is no real transparent effect with the top and bottom bars in WA2. download a theme that has a transparent bar (top or bottom) and you will see what i mean)

[Xcilion]

When i started WVPE i wanted to make transparent bars, but like [AFX] said you can't really do it because there is no image 'behind' the top and bottombars.

You can fake it but you'd have to stick with one wallpaper and so i decided to stick with opaque bars, because everybody like their own wallpapers right ;).

Wisbar Advanced 2 supports TGA images which have an alpha channel for transparency per pixel.
Not all elements support TGA. The Volume bubble and taskbar meters don't support TGA transparency.

[aximgeinus]

I would like to make a small request, could somebody modify Xcilion's Windows Vista Portable theme to use transparancy to make an "Aero style" appearance? Thanks

Hey, that was my idea!
This was my original plan when I asked the transparency question. Seems like it can't really be done. Possibly the tasks panel could be made "aero", but Xcilion already said it won't work with the volume bubble.