Classic Shell: Forum

Are there any way to syncronize Metro skin background color and Windows 8 chosen theme color (window border, task bar and etc)?
It becomes important when user picks particular theme with background picture and color rotation.

Edit: Now unofficially possible if you obtain the Metro Glass skin from the Skins sub-forum (see the last post). The menu will follow the Aero color. Note that the Metro Glass skin is not an official skin.


Not at the moment for official skins. It is a difficult problem for 2 reasons:

1) There are 3 color schemes - the old Windows 2000 style settings, where you can control colors and fonts for various elements. Then there's the Aero color. And finally there is the Metro background color. It is not clear which one should be used.

2) A start menu, particularly the Metro skin, needs a whole palette of colors that are designed to work together. There is the background color, the text color, various frames and highlights. It is a nontrivial problem to generate a visually pleasing set of colors based on a single color coming from the system.

I am considering investigating this in the future, but at the moment I don't have a plan.

I moved the topic to the appropriate forum. Please register if you want to continue the discussion.

I just posted a simple example of changing the Metro skin in the skins thread (Jim.skin):
http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=17

I just opened the Metro skin in XN Resource Editor and made some simple color edits.

If you are not very ambitious, this can be done in a few minutes.

The Metro Glass skin will follow the taskbar/system Aero color: http://www.classicshell.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=110
Here's what you can additionally do: in Classic Shell version 3.9.3 and later, there is an "Override Glass Color" setting on the "Menu Look" tab. Don't touch the Glass color as by default it is "Automatic" meaning the color will follow the system Aero color. But it doesn't match the exact shade because the intensity and blending are different. You can tweak the intensity and blending values to make the menu color with the Metro glass skin match the taskbar color.

Depending on the skin you use and its skin options, and whether your taskbar is transparent or opaque, different values of intensity and blending will be required to make the menu color match the taskbar Aero color.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Starting with Classic Shell 4.2.1, there is a Metro skin which follows the Modern UI colors. Also, starting with Classic Shell 4.2.3, the Metro skin in Classic styles of the menu allows transparency (on Windows 8) or glass (on Windows 10). Finally, with Classic Shell 4.2.5, the Metro and Midnight skins support transparency in both columns in Windows 7 style.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.