problem with XP toolbar separators

from Stardock Forums

i'm wondering how can i make on windows XP on toolbars (explorer)
horizontal separators invisible/transparent ?

i noticed that when i edited .msstyle that vertical separators can be invisible(transparent)
but horizontal i can't force OS to "aknowledge"

i made same steps as with vertical ones, make empty(transparent) image in PNG format and convert it to 32bit BMP with alpha-channels
that didn't work, so i tried white image with only 1% of opacity (99% transparent) and again convert it to 32bit BMP with alpha chanels

it never works, and i know that XP's uxtheme does NOT accept PNG's


(i also know that windows blinds (6) CAN make horizontal separators transparent, but i don't want to use WB)

 

so how to do it in old fasion way ?
i'm getting anoyed over that small detail/bug :P

4,148 views 8 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I dont know about the way you are doing it, but all your bitmaps for windowblinds should be 24 bit. If you want transparency, you need to use magic pink which is 255, 0, 255. Try that and see if it works.

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

nah i'm not using WB
i'm editing .msstyle, and no the 24bit pink doesn't work there

as original resource uses 255,0,0 red color (4bit)
and even if whole image is red, XP simply refuses to make it transparent (without those 2 dots that form long line)

 

makes me wonder how WB acomplishes to force XP engine to accept it via WB itself
and why .msstyle can't acomplish that

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

wow can't believe among so many skinners nobody knows solution on this °_°

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting HeleX, reply 3
wow can't believe among so many skinners nobody knows solution on this °_°
End of HeleX's quote

IMHO, the solution is to use WB and SKS, but...

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

wow can't believe among so many skinners nobody knows solution on this °_°
End of quote

Most of us skinners here use WindowBlinds. There may be some long-time member(s) that might know something about .msstyles, but my guess is that the majority would not.

I know how to do what you're asking in SkinStudio, but that won't help you concerning .msstyles. :-|

Come on over to the dark side... skin for WindowBinds! B)

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

i did skins for window blinds and i know WB can do it
but as WB uses same skin engine as windows does, it seems illogial to me that WB can make it
and windows on its own cannot

Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

Perhaps an .msstyles forum...?

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

WindowBlinds is capable of many things that cannot be done using a msstyle file.

Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top

i am aware of that and i wouldn't ask this if the resource/capability for the thing i described didn't exist