Detcord76

Join Date 09/2013

Transparency & Blur Behind in Windows Explorer with WindowBlinds 10? [Feature Request]

I've been using this theme with WindowBlinds8 since 2013 (Ion by neone6) in Windows 7 and I absolutely loved the blur behind explorer and context menus everywhere in the OS.

Screenshot (Windows 7 Ultimate, WindowBlinds8, Explorer):

Background Blur Explorer Win7

(had to blur out a lot of personal info since this screenshot is from a random screen recording from a year ago)

I've gotten used to this theme over the last 8 years. After finally switching to Windows 10 this year, I did a good enough job at making it both look and feel exactly like my Windows 7 install.

Screenshot (Windows 10 Pro v20H2, WindowBlinds v10.89, Explorer):

Explorer Transparency Windows 10

The only thing missing now, is the blur behind explorer and overall transparency / glass effect. I have used Glass2K for transparency but I can't find any way to add blur behind explorer windows. Only transparency without blur doesn't look nearly as good, and is very very distracting if I'm multitasking and have multiple windows open / stacked on top of each other.

I've seen screenshots from the Curtains update where transparency and blur has been added, and it looks amazing, but sadly, I can't have this exact theme with Curtains, and Windowblinds/Curtains can't work together either.

I would love to see blur and transparency behind windows with a future WindowBlinds update! (just like in curtains, preferably glass blur)

It'll be even more amazing if this blur could work on any program's window across the system. (programs like notepad, settings, etc)

Since windowblinds hooks it's DLLs into all skinned programs system-wide, I hope it's possible to make it work.

Thanks!

windowblinds

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Fi1thi-Cupcaike

Hello,
I have forward your request to the Stardock Support Team for their review and recommendations. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We really do appreciate your feedback, Thanks

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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So w/ WindowBlinds & Curtains, ya can have transparent blur on title bars, or on explorer backgrounds... but def not both!

Just bought WindowBlinds, Curtains, Start11, Groupy, and Icon Packager. About $80. Startin me wonderin if is worth it.

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Quoting Fi1thi-Cupcaike,

reply 2

3 years later, still no blur for explorer backgrounds w/ WindowBlinds. Or am I missing something?

Seems messed up ya can blur explorer backgrounds in Curtains, but not on title bars. Plus, ya can blur title bars in WindowBlinds, but not backgrounds? Well jeez, WTH?

So w/ WindowBlinds & Curtains, ya can have transparent blur on title bars, or on explorer backgrounds... but def not both!

Just bought WindowBlinds, Curtains, Start11, Groupy, and Icon Packager. About $80. Startin me wonderin if is worth it.

Yes, that the limitation on Windowblinds and Curtains. It can not run both at the same time, this is known and can not be change. For what it worth, it depends on how you use these applications.

Also, do know that you can have Windowblinds, Curtains and Start11v2 plus few more with much-much cheaper price if you get the ObjectDesktop package. https://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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Quoting basj,

reply 1

Hello,
I have forward your request to the Stardock Support Team for their review and recommendations. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We really do appreciate your feedback, Thanks

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

Issue is it's been 3 yrs since it was forwarded to team, a new version of Windows already came out since, but WindowBlinds still can't have transparent blur for explorer backgrounds. There are free open source utilities add this feature for explorer now, but WindowBlinds can't figure this out.

Stardock can do it just fine for their other product... and no, this is not an inherent limit of how WindowBlinds works, because I can use an open source tool to add transparent blur to WindowBlinds enhanced explorer backgrounds. I only can't use that tool together with WindowBlinds, because of other unrelated issues in WindowBlinds (I'll do a separate post after organizing some details, about a bunch of stuff that's broken in WindowBlinds - Edit: unrelated to transparency or other tools, as in completely separate issues, thus why I'll make a separate post).

The point here: for a premium solution with a premium price, there's no good reason this feature can't work in WindowBlinds for Windows 10.

When's it gonna be fixed?

As for price of ObjectDesktop package... I don't see how it matters, given that I already said that I already purchased the tools I wanted, and if they don't work anyway, then I'm def not buying them again, lol. Anyway that package price is subscription based, which I am no fan of, so I bought the products separately with perpetual licenses. Is that okay?

Sorry if I seem a little annoyed. It's just because I kinda am.

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Yes, I sent the request, but, it is up to Support and Dev to implement a request or not. Some request can never be implement for OS and WB limitation itself.

Quoting Fi1thi-Cupcaike,

reply 4

But stardock can do it just fine for their other product... and no, this is not an inherent limit of how WindowBlinds works, because I can use an open source tool to add transparent blur to WindowBlinds enhanced explorer backgrounds. I only can't use that tool together with WindowBlinds, because of other unrelated issues in WindowBlinds (I'll make a separate thread once I've organized the relevant details).

What you said above, hint to show that Windowblinds can not do it, since if it do it, some other thing might no longer work. If you look at Stardock Curtains, it can have transparent Explorer background but, it can not do lot of other things that Windowblinds can do. This is why, or, one of the reason, Curtains was introduce to do something that Windowblinds can not do. If Windowblinds can do what Curtains can do, there no point to release Curtains.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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No. It's just lazy and sloppy. There is no good reason it can't work in WindowBlinds, except the dev team can't be bothered to fix the app.

Hint: I am not even a developer and can't code anything, but I got WindowBlinds to show transparent blurred explorer backgrounds, by using some open source code, in a single afternoon.

Edit: The unrelated issues I mentioned previously were just that... unrelated (I'm pretty sure I did literally say that, but I went back and edited to make it even more clear). As in they are issues present in WindowBlinds (on current Windows 10 builds) regardless of whether I use the open source code I mentioned before. They are not issues which appear only under specific circumstances, but they are always present no matter what, and are unrelated to explorer background transparency and blur, or any third party tools or code.

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Jafo

Join Date 03/2001

+1720

Quoting Fi1thi-Cupcaike,

reply 6

No. It's just lazy and sloppy. There is no good reason it can't work in WindowBlinds, except the dev team can't be bothered to fix the app.

Hint: I am not even a developer and can't code anything, but I got WindowBlinds to show transparent blurred explorer backgrounds, by using some open source code, in a single afternoon.

There's a lot of presumption there, other than your admission not to be a developer.

People can make things do 'stuff' that otherwise isn't happening, yes. Whether or not that does or does not adversely impact actual system functioning or even simply be universally reliable is something you do need a Developer for.

Windowblinds has been continuously developed for the better part of 30 years for literally generations of Operating Systems. Calling the Developer "just lazy and sloppy" is disingenuous at best.

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Only reason I saw for it not being doable is "since if it do it, some other thing might no longer work."

OK & I've worked closely with developers long enough to know that's, far as reasons go, well... don't wanna get myself banned here so soon, so won't repeat myself. Fact that it definitely can be done, and given WindowBlinds' main purpose and function, begs the questions; why not in past three years already, & when?

Sorry if my adjectives where disrespectful. Just seems like the general vibe here is pretty dismissive. Which I suppose is fair enough. Takeaway: WindowBlinds could do this in Windows 7, but not in Windows 10, even though it is 100% doable, the feature simply may never be implemented because... reasons. So, guess I should've just done better research before buying WindowBlinds.

Edit: I mean... did I never heard of "trial?" As in, only myself to blame, lol.

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I am not sure if Support or Dev would like to come in and explain to you why it can not be done. However, I have forwarded your problem/question to Stardock Support Team for their respond. Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates. We appreciate your feedback and patience.

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

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There is a tool called "System Transparency" that I believe neone6 used in the past to enhance the look of his blinds. I have used it occasionally. Perhaps it can solve this person's issue stated on this thread. Like Mr. Spock has said, "There are always alternatives." Since neone6 has used it, it probably is a safe app to use. personally, I have not had any problems with it, nor have I experienced any software conflicts.

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Quoting 3java3,

reply 10

There is a tool called "System Transparency" that I believe neone6 used in the past to enhance the look of his blinds.

Thnx you for the tip! There are many apps that can make windows trasparent. But that one looks interesting because it sounds like it doesn't need to be enabled for different windows individually. According to description though, it can't do blur, like most similar tools. Correct me if I'm wrong though!

If I just wanted transparent windows, I would probably use WindowTop, because it can do simple transparency as well as any other tools, but also has an experimental "glass" feature, that actually can give apps transparent backgrounds with blur (and keep text/ui elements non-transparent). That is the only app I saw that can do transparent blur universally. That experimental glass effect can cause some bad artifacts in some applications, but it works real nice in some apps, like text editors (it can save different settings to be automatic for individual apps).

For just explorer windows, ExplorerBlurMica and DWMBlurGlass are pretty great. Two very promising projects.

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