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Jay Condon · Dec 4, 2004, 01:38 AM

Check this out.....and I guess transparency is on the way

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/25271

bentoon · Dec 4, 2004, 02:31 AM

they say they are working on transparency...

G0Ducks · Dec 4, 2004, 09:55 PM

Originally posted by bentoon:
they say they are working on transparency...

Hrm. This is interesting, however, I'm not sure I'd have a use for it. For me, it's like an almost there app. They should figure out the ol' show/hide stuff.

R

mugget · Dec 5, 2004, 09:31 PM

that's really kind of cool. you can either have it brighten when you mouse-over, or darken.

and it's really good to see someone just release an app like this... after all the talk of manipulating the menubar to actually hide it... i guess this is at least one step closer.

but it is funny what they say the reason for this app is... to stop the menubar burning into your screen. LOL.

slava · Dec 6, 2004, 03:11 AM

Well, hate to be raining on someone's parade, but this app will have a hard time doing anything with the menubar other than fading it unless the developers rewrite it with a different algorithm. Right now it does exactly what it claims -- displays a semi-transparent, color-tinted window on top of the real menubar, and animates it on mouse over/mouse out.

To make it actually hide a menubar, it would have to manipulate the menubar window in the each app, and sadly, this only can be done by using APE or similar patching engines.

We'll see how the product evolves though. =)

bookofjames · Dec 6, 2004, 04:14 AM

sorry to piggyback on this thread, but what are some programs that you guys are using to mod the menubar; i.e. change the arrangement of the items on the menubar, etc.

I heard there was this program called menu master, but i couldn't figure it out..

mugget · Dec 6, 2004, 07:55 AM

menumaster isn't really for modding the menubar i think... only the actaul menu's themselves.

so slava - i see you've had a look at the app. so - you're hard at work on a hiding solution?

slava · Dec 7, 2004, 05:18 AM

Originally posted by mugget:
so slava - i see you've had a look at the app. so - you're hard at work on a hiding solution?

Well, not per se -- a certain project and preparations for MWSF is killing all of my time. Think there's really a need for such a tool? And if yes, what features would it have?

Randman · Dec 7, 2004, 05:23 AM

With Dashboard, Konfabulator and other third-party apps. it would be interesting if an app could either make the menu bar transparent (blending in better with a desktop), or possibly to make the menubar "hide" as the dock could.

Adramelech · Dec 7, 2004, 10:00 AM

Originally posted by Randman:
it would be interesting if an app could either make the menu bar transparent (blending in better with a desktop), or possibly to make the menubar "hide" as the dock could.

Some time ago there was an app called "Barmaid" that did this. Search this forum for it.

Randman · Dec 7, 2004, 10:12 AM

I know about barmaid, thanks. I also know that people have had trouble with it.

mugget · Dec 7, 2004, 08:05 PM

Originally posted by slava:
Think there's really a need for such a tool? And if yes, what features would it have?

yes yes yes!!

basically - it would hide the menubar or course.

there could be options for reveal on mouse-over, or perhaps there could be another option to have it hidden all the time? (if someone wants to use a 'right-click contextual menu' kind of extra. i can't remember the name - but isnt' there an app/'hack' that allows you to acess the top menu options via right-click?). i guess you could also have the usual options like hide speed, hide method (ie - slide, fade, instant vanish.) and maybe with Tiger... could the menubar be set to hide via a 'ripple' effect? or maybe a cube transition applied to the menubar so it could 'roll' up off the screen.

that last part might be getting a bit crazy.

actaully... would it be possible to have it ripple out when you actaully click a menu? for instance if i click the 'Help' menu - a ripple could come out from that point on the menubar (travelling only on the menubar) to both edges of the screen. that would be cool.

(i'm particularly thinking of the possible capabilities of CoreImage/Video in Tiger...

)

then i guess you could also have options for menubar transparency - and maybe a bit of a color change option.

but i'd love to just have the menubar hidden - that's taking up 22 pixels of my vertical resolution you know!

and being able to have the menubar hidden with other windows taking up the screen - right to the top is a much different way to use OS X.

i guess i've gone a bit crazy with ideas, but what the hell? if you want more just let me know and i'll think some up.

mugget · May 12, 2005, 12:09 AM

well slava how's this magical app coming along?

i just somehow happened accross this thread... re-reading some of that stuff in my last post... crazy stuff... but can anyone say if that's possible or not?

as i said if you want more ideas about some possible effects from CoreImage/Video just let me know and i'll think up some more crazy stuff.