[TC9b3] Ugly and unnecessary line on classic theme

[ghisler(Author)]

They don't - it's the outer line of a two line look. TC draws a panel above the inner line to make it look less like Windows 3.1 as many people complained.

The line you show in red is actually drawn by TC, it could be removed.

[MVV]

If line #1 on this screenshot is drawn by TC, it should be drawn with another color (with same color as for line #2 -- because 3D elements in Windows have same color for bottom and right borders).

[ghisler(Author)]

#1 is not drawn by TC. It's the outer of two lines drawn by Windows tab control.

[Sob]

So it also means that you "cut" the right outer line (by window border for right panel and by splitter for left panel). Can you do the same for bottom line too? Get rid of outer, instead of inner one? It should fix it for both Classic and Aero themes (at least standard ones).

[ghisler(Author)]

OK, I'm now overlaying the bottom line with the status bar in beta 5, and use that to draw a less dark line (button shadow) instead of the tab control bottom line. What do you think?

[Dalai]

It's a little bit better, in a way. There's still an inconsistency when option "Show tab header also when there is only one tab" is disabled: when there are no tabs open, there's no line, but when at least two tabs are open, TC draws the line. See a screenshot here.

It seems you not only changed the bottom line but the color of the separators between the F buttons as well. Is this intentional?

Regards
Dalai

[MVV]

I see now completely bald bottom window part with new unattractive flat-style separator lines... Please make it as it was in 8.x and previous betas!

Screenshot

What about an option for selecting style for all separator lines? I would prefer old style everywhere which is 100% compatible with pure classic Windows style.

And for some interesting reason I don't see bottm tab border, it is cropped as in 8.x (but not on the Dalai's screenshot).

[Sob]

There's still an inconsistency when option "Show tab header also when there is only one tab" is disabled: when there are no tabs open, there's no line, but when at least two tabs are open, TC draws the line.

It's the same thing as before (TC9 betas). The original full-width line from TC8 is gone and now the lines come from raised tab controls. No tab control, no line. It may look wrong at first sight, but you can't say it's clearly wrong, it's different layout. You'd need extra frame around tab-less panel to make it look same way.

It seems you not only changed the bottom line but the color of the separators between the F buttons as well. Is this intentional?

I'm affraid so, other lines also suffered this fate. It's the great plan to make TC look "less old". I don't think that few flat lines will save it (for those complaining), but even if it did improve the look with some themes, it makes it much worse for Classic. You're welcome to try to find some great argument to help our beloved author to see it. :)

And for some interesting reason I don't see bottm tab border, it is cropped as in 8.x...

Here I have it with both my standard config and clean ini.

[MVV]

I see bottom tab border with clean INI (however bottom right border pixel still has wrong color: it is darker than other border pixels but it must have same color)...

I found an option causing tab control border to be cropped... It is LongInStatus=1! It is completely unclear for me how this option can affect on border.

[ghisler(Author)]

bottom right border pixel still has wrong color

Unfortunately that cannot be fixed: The bottom right pixel is part of the original tab control. If I made the bottom panel 1 pixel wider, it would also overlay the right line of the tab control.

[Dalai]

You'd need extra frame around tab-less panel to make it look same way.

Yep. In the end, I don't really care how it's done. Maybe it's just me, but I'm annoyed by the line being shown/removed when closing/opening tabs. My TCs don't start with any tabs, I only open them when necessary, so I quite often switch between tabs/no tabs. Always showing tab header is also not feasible since it needs valuable space, especially when using portable TCs in recovery environments.

I can live with the changed color, but this line .... Nah.

Regards
Dalai

[Sob]

I found an option causing tab control border to be cropped... It is LongInStatus=1! :D

In both cases, status bar has same position and height and is over the tab control's bottom line (inner one). The only explanation I can think of would be if its background was transparent in one case and opaque (default btnface) in other.

The bottom right pixel is part of the original tab control.

Not that I care too much about it (sure, as a born "pixel hunter" I see it, but I don't want to waste my wishes on two pixels :), but I don't understand, how it can come from tab control:
Image: http://web.hisoftware.cz/sob/tc/tc9-tab-control-cut.png


2Dalai:
I believe that TC draws the extra frame for tab-less panel in Aero mode, so I think it would be doable.

[Horst.Epp]

You'd need extra frame around tab-less panel to make it look same way.

Yep. In the end, I don't really care how it's done. Maybe it's just me, but I'm annoyed by the line being shown/removed when closing/opening tabs. My TCs don't start with any tabs, I only open them when necessary, so I quite often switch between tabs/no tabs. Always showing tab header is also not feasible since it needs valuable space, especially when using portable TCs in recovery environments.

I can live with the changed color, but this line .... Nah.

Regards
Dalai

You got more space by using the Vertical button bar instead of the function key row. If also the command line is switched off there is a lot of files displayed.
How often do you have to use TC in a recovery environment ?
I hate that the layout changes if I have a Tab or not and therefore tabs are always there in any program which uses them (TC, Browsers)

[Dalai]

You got more space by using the Vertical button bar instead of the function key row.

Certainly not. I'm talking about low resolution environments where there are no graphics drivers available. Furthermore, I won't use the vertical button bar, because I don't see any advantage in that (and it's a good thing that it can be disabled).

How often do you have to use TC in a recovery environment ?

Quite often. I install a BartPE environment on every system and primarily use that to create images of the production Windows system, among other things. And there's a TC on that BartPE, of course.

I hate that the layout changes if I have a Tab or not and therefore tabs are always there in any program which uses them (TC, Browsers)

Well, I also hate when the layout changes, hence this thread. If TC would draw the frame around the tabs (with the right color) like it does when themes (Aero, Luna) are enabled, I wouldn't have started this discussion.

Regards
Dalai

[Dalai]

2ghisler(Author)
Could you please add the line/frame around the panel when no tabs are open on classic themes? I really don't know why you make TC show it when themes are enabled but not when they're disabled.

Regards
Dalai