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rm199 · Jun 22, 2005, 03:11 AM

Yes I know it is a crazy obsession but I love the avalon glass window frame rather than brushed metal. Is there any possibility in Tiger or will this never happen?

Tokigaleif · Jun 22, 2005, 05:26 AM

I second this request

Originally Posted by rm199

Yes I know it is a crazy obsession but I love the avalon glass window frame rather than brushed metal. Is there any possibility in Tiger or will this never happen?

pyn · Jun 22, 2005, 08:42 PM

no. if the gradient is transparent black is drawn behind it thus you would get a black window instead of transparent, though BEVELS can be transparent, but they can't be larger than a certain amount which would not help you.

read more @ guiki

Mike S. · Jun 22, 2005, 09:44 PM

So is that a Quartz or ShapeShifter limitation? I don't know what guiki is...

I'd hate to think I'm going to have to use Windows to get the best looking GUI though the next major step from Enlightenment looks to be pretty spiffy.

esXXI · Jun 23, 2005, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by Mike S.

So is that a Quartz or ShapeShifter limitation? I don't know what guiki is...

I'd hate to think I'm going to have to use Windows to get the best looking GUI though the next major step from Enlightenment looks to be pretty spiffy.

1) GuiKi

2) As far as I know, it's a limitation in the way applications are rendered. It's just not doable unless something big happens.

3) I'd wait before Longhorn is out before claiming it's the best looking, I personally doubt anything shown will be the shipping "look."

Rosyna · Jun 23, 2005, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by rm199

Yes I know it is a crazy obsession but I love the avalon glass window frame rather than brushed metal. Is there any possibility in Tiger or will this never happen?

I think you mean Aero. And this?

Note that this isn't a real screenshot, it's a mockup created by someone at MS and sent to some MS shill that claims to be an unbiased reviewer. Was sent to him by either a marketer or a PM at MS.

CaptainHaddock · Jun 23, 2005, 04:56 AM

Yes, and I remember that some of the Longhorn search "screenshots" were obviously Photoshopped images as well.

It would be cool, though, if more interface elements in OS X Leopard were made translucent. Thanks to CoreImage, you could apply almost any graphical filter to the translucency, like blurring or lens distortion. Once Quartz 2D Extreme is enabled by default, there's no reason it can't be done.

Mike S. · Jun 23, 2005, 06:21 PM

3) I'd wait before Longhorn is out before claiming it's the best looking, I personally doubt anything shown will be the shipping "look."

Whether it's shipped in that form or not; if the capabilities shown in that mock-up (I didn't know it was a mock-up, where was that info discovered?) are representative of what's achievable then the Windows themeing community will take advantage of them.

rm199 · Jun 24, 2005, 04:18 AM

I agree, I don't really care if that is a mock up or not - I like it quite a bit more than brushed metal.

Sounds like it is not something to look forward to for a little while though (either OSX or Windows)

In the meantime I use Path Finder's transparency function to subtle effect and it is quite pleasing compared with Finder IMO.

DeathMan · Jun 26, 2005, 07:39 PM

GUI is not windows, or window dressing. You might say, "Windows will have clearer windows", but unless things change from the screenshots I've seen, there is no chance of Windows having a better Graphical User Interface. I'm not a big fan of brushed metal, but I don't think clear windows would make things better.

Also notice Paint still sucks.

Kevin · Jun 26, 2005, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by Mike S.

I'd hate to think I'm going to have to use Windows to get the best looking GUI

You wont. Be sure if MS has a good idea, they will screw it up.

loki74 · Jun 27, 2005, 12:45 AM

hmm. I think that introduxing yet another GUI "feel" in OSX would be a mistake.. A lot of people are already confused as where the pinstripe, plastic, & metal fits in. (at least from what I've read...)

It is a cool effect (thank you, Adobe!) and I am certain that CoreImage is capable of rendering it in realtime. I mean, that dashboard ripple effect? I think that that is realtime (if you have a QT movie playing behind the ripple, the ripple will apply to the movie as it moves). For such a thing, that would also be the case. I mean whats it do? alphablend and blur. CoreImage can definitely do that. Fo' sho'.

That being said... looking good can only take you so far. If it looks good but functions poorly, that will do nobody any good. And hell, from what it looks like to me, thats not even in Longhorn right now. I mean, the 4000-Series LH releases are completely scrapped, and the early 5000-Series releases dont look so different from XP, although with some suspicioiusly Mac-like large icons and sh!t, and a severly less intuitive start menu. A lot of the "cool stuff" that people were looking forward to with the 4000-Series releases are not in the 5000. Grantend, MS may put them back. But the whole thing with that stuff getting scrapped and going back to the drawing board? doesnt bode well for MS, or LH.

Brien · Jun 27, 2005, 02:13 AM

What about those chat invitation windows in iChat?

They're translucent.

lookmark · Jun 27, 2005, 09:57 AM

Anyone else suspect that Aqua is about to get a considerable, across-the-board visual refresh in Leopard, just in time to compete with Longhorn's Aero (whatever that ultimately looks like)?

I mean, Apple didn't develop CoreImage for nothing...

esXXI · Jun 27, 2005, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by lookmark

Anyone else suspect that Aqua is about to get a considerable, across-the-board visual refresh in Leopard, just in time to compete with Longhorn's Aero (whatever that ultimately looks like)?

I mean, Apple didn't develop CoreImage for nothing...

That and the speculation (bordering on expectation) of a res. independent UI. Can't wait to see it.

bentoon · Jun 27, 2005, 10:48 AM

Worse comes to worse and You can run Longhorn on your Mac next year

(boo, hiss)

monkeybrain · Jun 27, 2005, 11:53 AM

That transparency is possible, not using any normal elements from themes though. But it is possible for a developer to make his whole own interface that looks like Aero, anyone remember Aerobrowser? http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...highlight=aero

bentoon · Jun 27, 2005, 05:04 PM

Interesting, but

"AeroBrowser is currently in development and due to the nature of some of its contents cannot be released at this time."

http://grabberslasher.no-ip.com/aerobrowser/

TheGUiTom · Jun 27, 2005, 05:31 PM

If you want transparent windows, download WindowShade X.
http://www.unsanity.com .

Mike S. · Jul 7, 2005, 09:07 PM

I caught a story via Slashdot the other day about Longhorn. PC World did a preview of an early version of the OS and what should show up in their screenshots but the much requested glass elements...

Thing is, after seeing the screen (low res mind you) I'm not really impressed by it. It's a nice visual touch for screen caps but usability seems to suffer.

It actually looks ugly when you factor in overlapping windows and I don't much care for the lack of a readily distinguishable title bar even on nothing but a desktop pattern.

The source article, Image one and Image two

I'm currently enjoying SIRO for Panther quite a bit.

Lucky8 · Jul 23, 2005, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by TheGUiTom

If you want transparent windows, download WindowShade X.
http://www.unsanity.com .

Windowshade makes the whole window transparent when it is minimize or not active.
I just want the silver brush part to be transparent.