 Per-Pixel-Alpha Frames.
SkinCrafter has implemented a true support of semitransparent frames! Here is a short tour of this great feature!
What OS will it work under?
Basing on per-pixel-alpha blending feature, semitransparent skins will function properly under Windows 2000 and later.
What are the advantages of semitransparent frames?
If you deal with non rectangular windows shapes you might notice rounded corners looking jagged when placing darker windows over light background or vice-versa.
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not transparent |
per-pixel-alpha enabled |
This problem is effectively resolved when using transparent borders, which look darker over dark background and lighter over light one.
How it works.
To enable semitransparency feature and apply it to your application you just need to use a proper skin. That means that no code change is required but only a skin replacement.
One more note before we proceed further, per-pixel-alpha is a hardware supported functionality. And we have implemented a software emulation for those computers with old graphics adapters.
To turn on a semitransparent in SkinBuilder, go to ObjectBrowser->Windows->Window Frame and take a look at Use Semitransparency item in Properties pane.
Select "True" and insert alpha png images into the frame sides and here is the result:
Quite nice, isn't it?
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