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venom600 · Oct 27, 2007, 05:07 AM

Anyone know how to get the solid menu bar in 10.5? I like the one I saw on the installer DVD, but when I started using it, I got the transparent menu bar that I hate. Any way to change that yet?

Kevin · Oct 27, 2007, 06:53 AM

Isn't there a preference to turn it off?

.Neo · Oct 27, 2007, 08:06 AM

No, and there never was.

swiz · Oct 27, 2007, 09:20 AM

I want an opaque menubar too Im looking for the Apple menu images now cause that gray thing is fugly.

Kevin · Oct 27, 2007, 10:21 AM

swiz that still wont do the blur thing. It's just Apple not being consistent again.

Jobs used to talk about MS just not having "taste" and thinking about the "dollar"

*shakes head*

Chuckit · Oct 28, 2007, 12:34 AM

Originally Posted by swiz

I want an opaque menubar too Im looking for the Apple menu images now cause that gray thing is fugly.

I'm fairly sure the menubar is dynamically generated. It's not actually a transparent image. It takes your desktop picture, blurs it and superimposes a gradient over it. The only way to make it look opaque is to draw a bar on the top of your desktop picture.

.Neo · Oct 28, 2007, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I'm fairly sure the menubar is dynamically generated. It's not actually a transparent image. It takes your desktop picture, blurs it and superimposes a gradient over it. The only way to make it look opaque is to draw a bar on the top of your desktop picture.

On Windows Vista all transparent elements are located as png files in the Windows folder. The blur effect is generated on-the-fly.

I imagine it works the same way on Mac OS X Leopard. Then again you could be right as well.

------------------------------------------

Never mind, when taking a screen shot of the Menu Bar the desktop picture goes along with it. This doesn't happen when making a screen shot of a contextual menu. So you're probably right.

mrtew · Oct 28, 2007, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I'm fairly sure the menubar is dynamically generated. It's not actually a transparent image. It takes your desktop picture, blurs it and superimposes a gradient over it. The only way to make it look opaque is to draw a bar on the top of your desktop picture.

Yeah I think it's worth it to put a black bar on the top of you desktop picture to get rid of that new look.

lpkmckenna · Oct 28, 2007, 08:28 PM

I think the best possible hack for this would be a program that sets a user-configurable color over the desktop picture but under the menu bar. Thus, you could have a reddish desktop with a greenish menu bar (if you wanted such a thing.)

cruciarius · Oct 29, 2007, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

I think the best possible hack for this would be a program that sets a user-configurable color over the desktop picture but under the menu bar. Thus, you could have a reddish desktop with a greenish menu bar (if you wanted such a thing.)

That'd be a simple job for a Konfabulator widget (aka Yahoo Widget Engine). Simple white bar with colorizing options.

Chuckit · Oct 29, 2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

I think the best possible hack for this would be a program that sets a user-configurable color over the desktop picture but under the menu bar. Thus, you could have a reddish desktop with a greenish menu bar (if you wanted such a thing.)

That won't work how you're thinking. The menubar is actually opaque. Anything you put under it will get drawn over as though nothing were there. The menubar draws a blurry version of the desktop picture itself, so the color you want has to be in the desktop picture.

Helmling · Oct 29, 2007, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

That won't work how you're thinking. The menubar is actually opaque. Anything you put under it will get drawn over as though nothing were there. The menubar draws a blurry version of the desktop picture itself, so the color you want has to be in the desktop picture.

Yeah, he's saying that it would automatically superimpose the color you want in the desktop pic...at least that's what I thought he meant.

Really, why doesn't Apple just give us an off-switch for this feature? (As I was lamenting moments ago in another thread.)

anselm · Oct 29, 2007, 01:03 PM

"why doesn't Apple just give us an off-switch for this feature?"

Because Apple knows best what`s good for you. ..At lest that`s what they think.

Chuckit · Oct 29, 2007, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Helmling

Yeah, he's saying that it would automatically superimpose the color you want in the desktop pic...at least that's what I thought he meant.

Oh, I thought he meant a floating colored bar under the menubar.

fisherKing · Oct 29, 2007, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by anselm

"why doesn't Apple just give us an off-switch for this feature?"

Because Apple knows best what`s good for you. ..At lest that`s what they think.

i want an ON-off switch; i'd like to have the translucent bar on my 12" 1.5g powerbook (and don't understand why i don't have it!)

swiz · Oct 29, 2007, 09:00 PM

I've actually come full circle on this, now I notice myself missing the non-opaque menubar when Im on my iBook.

dLister · Oct 30, 2007, 12:24 AM

I know this is currently an unpopular opinion, but I actually like it, and found my way to this thread looking for a way to increase it. I am all for usability, but I don't see the utility in having the menu bar opaque over the portions of desktop that have no menu items.

PimPamPet · Oct 30, 2007, 04:31 AM

I saw a little freeware app on Versiontracker 1 or 2 days ago that let you set the menubar to opaque. Any help??

software download - VersionTracker

[edit: I'm now reading the feedback and I see it's not really trustworthy... sorry guys!]

eyevaan · Oct 30, 2007, 01:19 PM

... it's kind of funny . . . we all just spent the last 2 years (including those first 'leaks' of the UI) trying to make a transparent menubar and now that Apple gives it to us - we want it back the other way.

HOWEVER - I must agree, if Apple is listening at all, seems like they would have incorporated a preference to adjust it, even if it required a restart to enable the new settings.

drnfchx · Nov 2, 2007, 02:39 PM

I dislike the new menubar as well.
I'm sure a haxie wil come up soon

Untill then I'll photoshop my desktop images.

cgc · Nov 2, 2007, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by eyevaan

... it's kind of funny . . . we all just spent the last 2 years (including those first 'leaks' of the UI) trying to make a transparent menubar and now that Apple gives it to us - we want it back the other way.

HOWEVER - I must agree, if Apple is listening at all, seems like they would have incorporated a preference to adjust it, even if it required a restart to enable the new settings.

When you say "we" I know you aren't referring to me since transparent windows, menu bars, etc all distract and make things more difficult to read.

Curiosity · Nov 3, 2007, 02:05 AM

Originally Posted by swiz

I want an opaque menubar too Im looking for the Apple menu images now cause that gray thing is fugly.

Still, it does beat a white bar. A white bar really is ugly.

Kevin · Nov 3, 2007, 11:57 AM

I am going to say I am GLAD my computer does not support the opaque menu bar. I've already done something about the square corners and white white menus.

mrtew · Nov 3, 2007, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

I am going to say I am GLAD my computer does not support the opaque menu bar. I've already done something about the square corners and white white menus.

I think you mean it doesn't support the transparent menu bar and thus you're lucky enough to have an opaque one. Can you please share your solution to the white menus with the rest of us?

kilechki · Nov 3, 2007, 01:30 PM

Reading the apple board discussions, the absence of transparent menu bar on Go5200 GPUs is a bug which should be fixed in 10.5.1.

Which is good, I miss the transparency.

Kevin · Nov 3, 2007, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by mrtew

I think you mean it doesn't support the transparent menu bar and thus you're lucky enough to have an opaque one. Can you please share your solution to the white menus with the rest of us?

Just hacking the resources right now. Testing the waters. Haven't implemented anything yet. Not giving "directions" until I know if there is any repercussions.

Originally Posted by kilechki

Which is good, I miss the transparency.

How can you miss something you've never had?

mrtew · Nov 3, 2007, 09:33 PM

The most freaky thing about the transparent menubar is that it's not really transparent like was mentioned above.... and you really see it when you use Expose and some windows slide up under the menubar with the bottoms of them poking out a little under it but you can't see them thru it.... you still see the blurry washed out desktop where they should be..... VERY lame looking.

.Neo · Nov 3, 2007, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by mrtew

The most freaky thing about the transparent menubar is that it's not really transparent like was mentioned above.... and you really see it when you use Expose and some windows slide up under the menubar with the bottoms of them poking out a little under it but you can't see them thru it.... you still see the blurry washed out desktop where they should be..... VERY lame looking.

Some of the betas did show 'Exposéd' windows underneath the Menu Bar which looked like a complete mess. Luckily Apple was smart enough to fix it.

cgc · Nov 4, 2007, 01:20 PM

Has anyone found an Automator action or something to automatically add a 21 px gray border to the top of all selected images? Maybe I'll play around...