Windowblinds Master Skin

Master Skinner Xiandi released a new Master Skin for WindowBlinds last week, and I unintentionally forgot to post about it. As with all her skins, it brings stunning detail and design and is a must have in your WindowBlinds collection.

Windowblinds Master Skin

Make your Windows 10 and 11 desktops unique with WindowBlinds 11! Customize the Start menu*, taskbar, window frames, and control buttons on up to five devices. WindowBlinds lets you customize desktop interface themes called skins to personalize the look and feel of your desktop.

Choose skins for each of your application types. Make your word processing software stand out from your design programs by giving each one a unique look with a different skin or color scheme. Exclude applications from WindowBlinds or choose other compatibility settings to fit your style.

Each purchase includes SkinStudio, the powerful companion application for WindowBlinds 11 that enables you to create your own skins. Edit controls, Start menu*, taskbars, Explorer windows, fonts, colors backgrounds and more with SkinStudio.

Customize only the parts of the Windows interface you want to change and SkinStudio will do the rest! This makes it easy for inexperienced users to create a great skin quickly, while advanced users can still enjoy designing every aspect of the Windows interface.

I've brought up this problem in these forums a few times but have gotten very little response from Stardock. I find it interesting that some skins with transparency work just fine. For example one of the skins that Vampothika recently released for free, Psynaptix, works perfectly fine as regards transparency. Vampothika has stated that the skin is good for Win 7/8/10. When you apply the skin there is only one option, 7/8/10.

An example of the blurry problem is Dark Glass by Don5318. In the description Don5318 states: The start menu (task bar, and title bar) is transparent on Win 7/8.1, on Win 10 they are blurred, except the task bar. There is an option to apply the skin for each Win version.

When I made a widget for Dark Glass the area of the Start Panel which is transparent in 7/8.1, Places targa file, is transparent. The targa file for Places is what you would expect in terms of transparency (as in 7/8.1) and not blurry like in Win10. There is only one targa file for Places so I don't understand why there's true transparency in 7/8.1 but blur in 10. I am using Dark Glass as an example. Not saying Don5318 did anything wrong. Other recent skins are like this as well.

It seems unlikely to me that the transparency in 7/8.1 or blur in 10 would be the intended outcome for multiple skins by various skinners, Naked Noir by vStyler is another example of this problem or maybe it's not a problem? I suspect this is a glitch in SkinStudio or WindowBlinds 10. This hasn't been explained by Stardock even though I've questioned it a number of times.

The preview for Dark Glass shows Places to be transparent not blurry. Don5318 explains that this skin will have blur in 10 and if you look close enough you can see that the preview looks like it is done in Win7 or 8.1. This presentation/preview Of Dark Glass by Don5318 only shows the 7 or 8.1 version. Places has true transparency. At least Don5318 makes an attempt to distinguish with an explanation of the difference in Win versions. Other Master Skins I've purchased are displayed with transparent start panels but when used in Win10 are just blurry. I think Master skinners should show a preview of what you are actually purchasing. In other words a preview of transparency in 7/8.1 and a preview of blur in 10.

So can someone from Stardock explain what causes this transparency issue? I'd really like to know. I'd like new skins to have true transparency and not just be blurry. That doesn't seem to be possible anymore. If this is impossible, especially for Master skins, I feel I'm not getting what I'm paying for if the distinction isn't clearly displayed or explained. If true transparency isn't possible in 10 then the buyer of the skin should be informed of that or it should be illustrated via the preview for every master skin where this issue exists. The way the Master Skins with transparency are being currently presented/displayed is deceptive and not indicative of what you are purchasing.

Chasbo, I explained in my description what the transparency does in Win 10, so now the potential buyer can make a decision, so, why should I have to show pictures of it, I find it very disconcerting! I can't control how Win 10 handles transparency, but, I will explain to people in my description what is going on. I believe that SKS (Skinstudio) needs to be updated, it doesn't do that things that it use to, in older OSs, another thing, there are areas that no matter how you try to apply transparency, it doesn't work, it shows up as gray image, when applied. There are items that suppose to allow glass/transparency, but they don't, so I do the best I can, with what I've got to work with. So Chasbo, If you have the answer to the transparency in Skinstudio, please enlighten me! I do know one thing, I have one more Master skin (currently working on) that will have transparency, and it will be my last one, I will never do another one, I don't need this BS!!!!! You know what, to HELL with the transparent skin I'm working on, I'm SCRAPPING IT, I may not do another skin PERIOD!!!!! I'm done, I need a break!

Quoting Chasbo, reply 4 Not saying Don5318 did anything wrong. Other recent skins are like this as well.At least Don5318 makes an attempt to distinguish with an explanation of the difference in Win versions.

I have purchased your skins Don and plan on purchasing more of your skins. You are a Master Skinner. I couldn't do what you do if my life depended on it. I am very sorry I used Dark Glass as an example.

I am frustrated with Stardock because of them not admitting to this and other problems. At least they could say that in future versions of the software they will attempt a fix. I realize the way Microsoft updates the OS and the way they make some parts of the OS it's harder and harder to skin but at least Stardock could acknowledge the problem. The other major one is the one that Lightstar has talked about with dark skins.

I'm pretty sure the problem is not with the skins or even Windows 10, since in WB 10.65 everything's just fine it's not too blurry and it's not too clear and produces a moderate transparency/blurriness similar to win 7, I tried modifying and manipulating any settings and files I could think of but nothing has worked so far.I'm out of ideas, even changing registry value for BlurBehind doesn't work and only affects start 10, so the only option left is to keep my fingers crossed till the next update.

Quoting Neil Banfield, reply 8The next update to WB will offer the option to use the old blur effect Vs the newer one on later versions of Windows 10. This will be a global setting not per skin though.Note that skins can have transparency without blur already. The stronger blur only applies when blur is requested by the skin.

In Dark Glass, I was wanting to add a slight transparent Explorer background, so I added transparent images to the "Active/Inactive (Glass) and all I got (when applied) was a gray background, so If I was doing something wrong, I'd like to know, as this type of skinning is fairly new to me, so maybe in the settings somewhere, I missed someting.

Has anyone thought it may be Start10? I know that if I go into SKS and disable blur on the start menu, WinFX animations work. With blur enabled in SKS, the animations for WinFX do not work. But disabling blur also disables start menu animations made by the WB skinner.

Quoting Chasbo, reply 6I'm as graceful as a bull in a china shop. I shouldn't have specifically used Dark Glass as an example. I apologize and hope you can accept my apology.I have purchased your skins Don and plan on purchasing more of your skins. You are a Master Skinner. I couldn't do what you do if my life depended on it. I am very sorry I used Dark Glass as an example.I am frustrated with Stardock because of them not admitting to this and other problems. At least they could say that in future versions of the software they will attempt a fix. I realize the way Microsoft updates the OS and the way they make some parts of the OS it's harder and harder to skin but at least Stardock could acknowledge the problem. The other major one is the one that Lightstar has talked about with dark skins. As I said at least you pointed out the issue. I know it's a pain to do more than one screenshot but it would show the skin as it actually is.I was trying to make a point about Stardock mainly. i guess it came out wrong. In all honesty I think that they care more about Dreams and games anymore.Again I apologize. Please don't stop skinning because of this old fools careless ranting.

Apology accepted Chuck, it's so frustrating when you're trying something new (like transparency) as it was intended, but not having much luck at it. My lack of understanding, doesn't help, but, as far as I know, there's no instructional manual with SKS (Skinstudio), there's a lot of stuff/settings in the "extra settings" tab that I don't understand. I've had other skinners help me in skinning, but transparency wasn't one of them, but, to be fair, I wasn't into transparency, at the time. I'm hoping that in the future, these issues can be addressed/explained. I'd still like to know how to make the "Explorer" background transparent.

Quoting Neil Banfield, reply 8The next update to WB will offer the option to use the old blur effect Vs the newer one on later versions of Windows 10. This will be a global setting not per skin though.

But the WinFX animations do not, due to blur being set on in SKS. Dave, I have no idea about the old skins, since all my machines are windows10. Neil once told me that if a start menu has blur enabled in SKS, then WinFX animations will not work. He is correct.