Logoff Buttons on Start Menu

Published on February 19, 2006 By jazzymjr In WindowBlinds

I am trying to make my first transparent Start Panel. All has gone well up to this point. I decided I didn't want the buttons on there, just a button for the text (Logoff/Turn off Computer, etc.). Well I made a "dummy" transparent image to use as the buttons. However, the transparent image comes up as a black square where the button should be. So then I made an image the same color as the bottom bar, but when I make it transparent, it comes up black as well. If I don't make it transparent, it comes up as the color of the bottom bar before the transparency was applied, so you can see the "square" a little, and, needless to say it is not transparent. Is there anyway to do this in WB5?

Thanks in advancy for any help.
MJ

Comments (Page 2)

thebleedingedge

on Apr 29, 2006

use the three button state. trust me it works. i've done this many times. iwhen you use the three button state it will show both logoff and shutdown buttons. i can't think of a reason you would need anymore than logoff

and shutdown. the nine button state will not show mouse over. the only way to get that to work is using the xp classic colors.

leave the nine button state the way it is in the buttons section. everything you need to do is in the background section.

thebleedingedge

on Apr 29, 2006

if you want to use my current theme as an outline to go by. email me or post and i'll get it to you.

Daiwa

on Apr 29, 2006

No email link in your profile & I don't find any skins using your handle as author.

But I think I'm beginning to understand. My only remaining question would be the left-to-right order of placement of the background glyph images. Should I use images of two buttons in three states or three buttons in two states? And should the order be:

B1Normal - B1M/O - B2Normal - B2M/O - B3Normal - B3M/O or:

B1Normal - B2Normal - B3Normal - B1M/O - B2M/O - B3M/O

I guess that's 3 questions.

Thanks.

thebleedingedge

on Apr 29, 2006

all you need is a set of 3 three buttons. normal, pressed and mouse over. the three buttons will be used on both logoff and shutdown. typically i use generic buttons, that way there is none of the mixing of logoff for shutdown or vice versa.

thebleedingedge

on Apr 29, 2006

also i just fixed my email not showing. it's now visible.

Daiwa

on Apr 29, 2006

Perfect. Still, I could swear I've seen a few skins with distinct buttons for each (Shut Down & Log Off) that would highlight on mouseover, though obviously I may be mistaken. I'll go with the generic button for now.

Thanks for all your help!

thebleedingedge

on Apr 29, 2006

your welcome!

Daiwa

on Apr 30, 2006

Shucks.

I've got a transparent background, transparent buttons & a .tga background glyph image that uses transparency. No matter what transparencytranslucency settings I use, I'm getting a black box where the normal button image should appear (sort of on top of the glyph "pseudobutton" which I can see peeking out of one side of the black box).

Maybe I could send you the skin & you could take a look - show me what simple step I'm too dumb to figure out?

Daiwa

on Apr 30, 2006

Image editing can be a little frustrating at times - apparently a .png import didn't quite go right for the transparent button image the first time around. Once I redid the import, resized the background image and set the glyph alignment to left, everything worked!

Using alpha blending, transparency & translucency enabled for the background & button images.

I really appreciate dull razr's help - give him a promotion, guys.

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