Aero plug-in

[Afrow UK]

Enables Windows Aero glass effect on NSIS (outer) UI.

http://nsis.sf.net/File:Aero.zip

Edit: Worth noting this plug-in does nothing on < Vista or when DWM composition (glass) is disabled on installer init. The plug-in handles theme changes once it has been loaded (i.e. reverts to original UI if glass is disabled).

Stu

[MSG]

Looks very nice indeed, thanks for sharing!

[T.Slappy]

hah, funny I will try it!

[Smurge]

nice plug-in, thank you very much!

[Anders]

I made a plugin similar to this a while back but I never got around to posting it since I could not find a documented value to use for the text glow size. Did you just make one up or what?

I guess I don't have to complete my version now, thanks Afrow =)

[Afrow UK]

Just used 10. You can actually get the glow size from the current theme using another API so I may change it.

I've had a report of the button text being transparent on one or two machines which doesn't seem to happen on any of mine so I might need to fix that soon. When you use the branding text with glow, it has to paint a black brush where the aero is but that results in the button text being transparent too (looks awful) and therefore I've had to do some simple button drawing myself (using WM_PAINTCLIENT). To fix the button text at the moment I'm just using WM_PAINTCLIENT onto the current DC's HBRUSH (this seems to work fine for me - but I don't really know why lol). However, I may have to use double buffering (BeginBufferedPaint) with a portion with full opacity (BufferedPaintSetAlpha) to fix properly. Will post new version today probably. Other option is owner draw the buttons but I want to avoid that. I'd rather let Windows do it for me (WM_PAINTCLIENT).

Stu

[Afrow UK]

New version uploaded which uses the glow size for the current theme and fixes the button text transparency bug on some systems.

FYI to get the glow size (12 by default) you use GetThemeInt with TMT_TEXTGLOWSIZE. The theme I used is "CompositedWindow::Window".

Probably worth mentioning also that if you use /nobranding then because the plug-in does not need to draw any glow text, it doesn't need to use a black brush for the aero (I use magic pink instead with SetLayeredWindowAttributes/LWA_COLORKEY). As a result, the buttons are untouched and therefore you get the proper button glow fade in/out on mouse in/out. Owner-drawn or WM_PAINT handled buttons lose this fade in/out unfortunately and there's nothing one can do about it. Even .NET apps loses this effect if you set UseCompatibleTextRendering=true for buttons. The missing effect is not noticeable though (unless you're me lol) so branding text is on by default .

Stu

[Anders]

Is SetLayeredWindowAttributes + DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea a valid thing to do? IIRC SetLayeredWindowAttributes had problems with the DWM in the early Vista days.


You are using "CompositedWindow::Window" when loading and "Window" in WM_THEMECHANGED, this can't be correct can it?


Also, you are hard-coding a 2px change in what I assume is some sort of button border hack? What about alternative Visual Styles?

[Afrow UK]

Originally Posted by Anders

Is SetLayeredWindowAttributes + DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea a valid thing to do? IIRC SetLayeredWindowAttributes had problems with the DWM in the early Vista days.


You are using "CompositedWindow::Window" when loading and "Window" in WM_THEMECHANGED, this can't be correct can it?


Also, you are hard-coding a 2px change in what I assume is some sort of button border hack? What about alternative Visual Styles?

1. I've tested on Vista and it seems to work OK. Maybe I shouldn't bother though and just go with the black brush method. Both methods are written about by Microsoft developers though IIRC.

2. Well spotted. Will fix.

3. Yes. I'm having to set the inner part of the button to opaque to fix the black->transparent button text. I originally used 4px but 2px seems to be the minimum. I never thought of other themes. Not sure if there is a better way to do this without having to draw the button myself. Any ideas?

Stu

[Anders]

In my plugin I use one of the theme api's to calculate the size of the button IIRC

Also, you are destroying windows you don't own, this is not OK IMHO (In my Aero plugin I hide them and if aero is turned off, I display them again, 100% original layout in classic theme...)

As a final note; I don't really think "_WndProc_" is the best prop name to use, it is a bit generic, I'm using "NSIS:P:Aero", feel free to using something similar (or the same, both plugins should not be used at the same time anyway)

[Afrow UK]

So is that how your plug-in does the buttons too or does it owner-draw them?

Stu

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Afrow UK

So is that how your plug-in does the buttons too or does it owner-draw them?

I use subclassing and WM_PRINT?CLIENT? like you do, but I use one of the GetThemeBackgroundSomething functions to calculate the area to mask off for the round corners.

I was going to look into adding the animation back but got bored and stopped working on the plugin...

[Afrow UK]

Is it GetThemeBackgroundRegion? How would that be used with BufferedPaintSetAlpha which requires a RECT?

Stu

[Anders]

I'm thinking it was GetThemeBackgroundContentRect

But you should be able to get a RECT from HRGN also...

Or you can use the HRGN to mask off the HDC...

[Afrow UK]

So far so good although I've just remembered why I had to destroy those controls instead of hiding them (at least for MUI). MUI hides/shows them itself when you enter/leave the welcome/finish pages. How did you overcome this or did you not notice this problem?

Stu

[Anders]

I probably re-hide them on every page change...

[Afrow UK]

In response to WM_NOTIFY_OUTER_NEXT? It seems that the show function gets called after that notification and so my attempts fail. Calling the old window procedure first also doesn't seem to work. I guess one option, which would also avoid any potential flickering of the controls being shown/hidden, would be to move them off the UI on plug-in load while saving their original positions...

Stu

[Yathosho]

here's what happens when defining MUI_BGCOLOR (mind the background of those buttons)

[Afrow UK]

I'll look into it thanks.

Stu

[Afrow UK]

New plug-in version (.2) uploaded. Still waiting for Yathosho to check his button issue is fixed though (but I can't seem to reproduce so perhaps it is fixed).

Fair number of changes/fixes:

1.0.0.2 - 4th May 2011
* Fixed typo Window -> CompositedWindow::Window in WM_THEMECHANGED
(thanks Anders).
* Now uses theme text colour for branding text (but still original
font).
* Improved fall-back drawing if DWM composition is disabled (all drawing
then handled by Windows/NSIS).
* Now re-shows old branding text and horizontal ruler when DWM
composition is disabled.
* Plug-in now loads even if DWM composition is disabled, but could be
enabled.
* Now only handles WM_CTLCOLORBTN for the Back, Next and Cancel buttons.
* Now uses GetThemeBackgroundContentRect to determine the button area
to draw opaque.

Stu

Edit: Oh and I changed the button property names to _StuAeroWndProc_

[jiake]

Feedback for others:


Chinese charactor didn't display when using this plug-in.

[T.Slappy]

@jiake: Did you use Unicode NSIS?
I assume ANSI NSIS cannot display them correctly.

[jiake]

I have not used the plugin yet, for I am still using Windows XP.
The problem was found by other person, he lets me to feedback.

[Afrow UK]

Currently using MultiByteToWideChar in the ANSI plug-in (DrawThemeTextEx is Unicode only) so this is likely the problem. I will change the code to avoid it when I have time (i.e. call GetWindowTextW).

Stu

[Afrow UK]

New version uploaded which should fix your Chinese characters bug (I hope).

1.0.0.3 - 19th May 2011
* Now always uses GetWindowTextW for the branding text (as DrawThemeTextEx is Unicode only).

Stu

[Afrow UK]

New version:

* Fixed transparent button text in some situations for Next/Back/Cancel buttons.

http://nsis.sourceforge.net/File:Aero.zip

Stu

[Yathosho]

no longer got that problem with the latest build

[Yathosho]

Originally Posted by Afrow UK

* Fixed transparent button text in some situations for Next/Back/Cancel buttons.

did anybody say transparency?

[T.Slappy]

@Yathosho: MUI2 contains two dialogs: outer [which is transparent] and inner dialog [that grey area]
There is probably som problem with inner dialog transparency...

[Afrow UK]

I'm not sure what you are trying to do but you can't mix Aero with Windows controls without owner drawing them. I had to draw the navigation buttons myself to fix the transparency issue (and it still wasn't perfect until the last release). The problem is that the transparency key is black (and it has to be) and so all black objects (text etc.) will be rendered transparent.

Stu

[Yathosho]

Originally Posted by Afrow UK

I'm not sure what you are trying to do but you can't mix Aero with Windows controls without owner drawing them. I had to draw the navigation buttons myself to fix the transparency issue (and it still wasn't perfect until the last release). The problem is that the transparency key is black (and it has to be) and so all black objects (text etc.) will be rendered transparent.

Stu

this made the difference, not the colors

code:
#old code

ShowWindow $HWNDPARENT 2

BringToFront

Aero::Apply ;causes infrequent crashes



#new code

Aero::Apply ;causes infrequent crashes

ShowWindow $HWNDPARENT 2

BringToFront

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Just noticed this plug-in. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing

[Afrow UK]

I haven't experienced any crashes. Please can you post a script which reproduces the problem.

Edit: and what is the minimize and bring to front for?

Stu

[isawen]

First of all I would like to give you a big for the great work you have made with this plugin.

And my question is ...
The branding text is displayed on WelcomeFinish page when Aero is activated; when Aero is deactivated, the branding text is hidden. I'm used to not have this branding text on the first and last page. Did you intend to have this branding text displayed while Aero is activated or it's a bug? Is there a way to not have it displayed on first&last page?

Thanks
Isawen

[Afrow UK]

At the moment the branding text is either drawn or it isn't. It's not a static text control, it is simply drawn where the original static text used to be. Because of this, MUI does not hide/show it. I will fix it when I have time.

Stu

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Afrow UK

Edit: and what is the minimize and bring to front for?

Stu

I'm guessing this fixes some kind of drawing bug...

[Afrow UK]

1.0.0.5 - 9th July 2011
* Branding text now hidden when branding text static text control is hidden.

Stu

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Is there any chance to have the branding text centered in "classic" UI?

[Afrow UK]

Possibly but keep in mind there's a hidden Back button there so even if I do centre it it won't be centred in between Cancel and Close. The original branding text isn't centred IIRC it just happens to fit nicely for classic UI (when you have all 3 buttons).

Edit: It is in fact but still only centred between the 3 buttons.

Stu

[LoRd_MuldeR]

Originally Posted by Afrow UK

Possibly but keep in mind there's a hidden Back button there so even if I do centre it it won't be centred in between Cancel and Close. The original branding text isn't centred IIRC it just happens to fit nicely for classic UI (when you have all 3 buttons).

Edit: It is in fact but still only centred between the 3 buttons.

Stu

Yup, I know it's centered between the three buttons and still wouldn't be perfectly centered with only two buttons visible. Anyway, I think it looks better than glued to the left button. Also moving the buttons down by a few pixels wouldn't hurt (if possible).

Thanks