Alignment problems

from Stardock Forums

I'm new to WindowBlinds. I notice two things that seem a little off. I'm using the supplied Leo theme on an XP SP3 box.

 

First, even though I place a window right against the upper border of the Task Bar, after I restart that application it appears slightly higher on the screen.

 

Second, if a foreground window is slightly below a background window, I can't bring the backgroud window to the foregroud by touching its window frame with the pointer. At least not if the margin of difference is small enough. It's as though it's acting like the foreground window has a thicker window frame than the theme actually gives it. The pointer remains in "resize the window" mode far beyond the border of the active window. Does this make sense?

windowblinds
3,636 views 19 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

I also find that occasionally objects on my Desktop bleed through the foreground window application.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The pointer remains in "resize the window" mode far beyond the border of the active window.
End of quote

All windows have a resize threshold that can be set by the author...in general it extends to the edge of the drop shadow if a window frame has one.(but can be pushed even further out than the visible pixels)

 

Example...a frame that has some totally transparent pixels above what are visible,...without being able to extend the 'grabable' area...you couldnt pull the window up.

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hey IR, can one bring the resize point in to the frame edge as opposed to grabbing from last shadow pixel?

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hey IR, can one bring the resize point in to the frame edge as opposed to grabbing from last shadow pixel?
End of quote
:thumbsup:

That would be great!

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

try changing the grab area from the default 4 to 1 or 0...I havnt tried...I like easy grab windows. :D

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting I.R., reply 5
try changing the grab area from the default 4 to 1 or 0...I havnt tried...I like easy grab windows.
End of I.R.'s quote

 

How do you change the grab area settings?

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

How do you change the grab area settings?
End of quote

 

Window frames/per pixel/borders/caption/extra/sizing area size

Minimum that will work is 1. You have to have at least 1 pixel in width on the frames for something to grab.

Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Night, reply 7

How do you change the grab area settings?
 

Window frames/per pixel/borders/caption/extra/sizing area size

Minimum that will work is 1. You have to have at least 1 pixel in width on the frames for something to grab.
End of Night's quote

 

Where do I do this? Is that a line in some config file?

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

in SkinStudio

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Hold on a sec...

Nothing is wrong.

1. You are using the Leo skin with transparency and that's why things are bleeding through. Adjust the transperency in WB seetings if you do not want this.

2. Your grabbing the drop ahadow around the window frame and that is normal.

3. Not srue why the window cacheing isn't working properly but maybe there is a bug with wb and XP? What version of WB are you using?

 

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sorry,we forget sometimes...not every skin user also is familiar with SkinStudio.

 

It is possible to edit the UIS files for the skin in notepad but finding the line you need can be fun.(not) :(O

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Night, reply 10
Hold on a sec...

Nothing is wrong.

1. You are using the Leo skin with transparency and that's why things are bleeding through. Adjust the transperency in WB seetings if you do not want this.
End of Night's quote

 

Well, the bleeding is coming into the application, not the window frame. That doesn't seem like intended behavior.

Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Bichur, reply 9
in SkinStudio
End of Bichur's quote

 

Ok, I downloaded SkinStudio and changed the area where sizing takes place from 8 pixels to 1 pixel. Much better. Thanks.

 

Where in SkinStudio can I get rid of the shadow on the sides of the window frame? That shadow adds to the sizing area. I don't see anything in SkinStudio or WindowBlinds to trash that.

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The shadows are part of the images so you would need to edit the images themselves.

Reply #15 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting Night, reply 14
The shadows are part of the images so you would need to edit the images themselves.
End of Night's quote

Thanks. Very friendly and responsive forum here. I'm new to Stardock products for Windows. I'm an old user of Stardock Object Desktop for OS/2 from way back.

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Your welcome...sometimes we even know what we are talking about. :D

As for shadows on frames...only perpixel windows will have built in shadows...UIS2 frames that only have magic pink transparency dont(cant) have shadows.

If you want to see the difference...just check the box that says never use perpixel windows in the Windowblinds config window.(system info tab ,,,box at the bottom)

That also removes all window and frame translucency.

Reply #17 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting I.R., reply 16
Your welcome...sometimes we even know what we are talking about.

As for shadows on frames...only perpixel windows will have built in shadows...UIS2 frames that only have magic pink transparency dont(cant) have shadows.

If you want to see the difference...just check the box that says never use perpixel windows in the Windowblinds config window.(system info tab ,,,box at the bottom)

That also removes all window and frame translucency.
End of I.R.'s quote

Ok. I found the "Never use perpixel ..." checkbox and checked it. That fixes most of the problems I mentioned in this thead. Since I don't care about transparency, that's fine. But I also notice another checkbox, and can't tell what it's referring to:

"Enable if you have corrupted titlebar buttons & text backgrounds"

Does this have something to do with the bleeding of one app into another? I notice this occasionally. I have to minimized the corrupted app and then restore it, in order to get the parts of the other app off of it.

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Can you post a screenshot of the bleeding?

Never did I think I would ask that question. ;P

Reply #19 from Stardock Forums Top

I.R. Brainiac's replies were useful! thanks!!