If anyone is interested, final version of Aero Glass for Win8 has already been released. Version for Win8.1 RTM will be available in a few weeks.
Just sent 9 bucks for 3 PC. One small anomaly: Blue selection rectangle box (mouse button hold and move) is visible behind Windows frames, but not behind taskbar. @BigMuscle: I will send much more, if you will do the version, which will create simple transparency like W8 taskbar has (for both taskbar and Windows frames). In that version taskbar could remain untouched and only Windows frames could have "clear-nonblured-transparency". Maybe this "clear-nonblured-transparency" could work on museum legacy PC too, which aren't Aero-compliant. )
It's Windows thing which has nothing to do with DWM - at least, the same thing happens even on Win7. Option to hide blur and draw pure transparency is planned. However, thanks to Direct3D software emulation available in Win8 even non-compliant PCs are able to render blur effect.
Great. Simple transparency is superb feature for v1-1. User interface could be just simple checkbox (and machine number). BTW: It will even work at non-compliant DX 9.0 video card (as my 10 years old 3rd notebook), while blur will not (using v1-0 on that museum piece (DX v8-1, 64MB separate VRAM) produces fully opaque, while native W8 taskbar is transparent (before v1-0 installation)). ) I would send around 50 bucks for feature. )
But it's the logic of the problem. If you say that you have Direct3D 8 video card which does not render blur but only fully opaque windows then you will see fully opaque windows also in the case when plain transparency (non-blurred) is used.
Yep, on that ancient laptop (BTW: I only tried DWMHook there for fun.) there is ATi Mobility 9000 (DX 8.1). By default setting it has same (simple) transparent taskbar as other cards (and I think, it is same kind of transparency, what was already available in W2000, I don't know, how this simple transparency is rendered.). Using DWMHook makes it opaque. I understood (NOW) DWMHook makes its magic through DirectX 9, so this device is out, but... ...I like to use it on other PCs (Intel i7 980 six core and mobile Intel Sandy Bringe i7 27xxsomething with nV GTX275 (5 years old) and (GTX560M mobile), where it works without ANY problems.) For those computers I would like to use non-blurred transparency, because I like it more...
Ok, coding it was pretty easy so I added also special algorithm for those who would like to change amount of blur. I will release it as soon as possible.
mmmm ColorizationBlurBalance ColorizationBlurBalanceInactive Pls, what are default values for: -Windows 7 Blur Style =100? -Windows 8 (Taskbar) Style = 0? And that value is decimal not hexadecimal, right?
BlurBalance is for setting the transparency level. It cannot be said what is the default value - it just depends on the color what you set in the control panel.
Hey, installed your software, it's great. I only tested the 1st preview before. You should add a tray icon with GUI for settings though, with enable/disable toggle, it's always useful.