Subject: FVWM: Transparent Pager background

From: "Ryan Daly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 14:34:47 -0500 (EST)

I know I've seen this done, but I can't figure out what I'm missing (I
thought this was just a simple option, but maybe not).

How can I make the background of my Pager transparent?
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From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 20:02:56 +0000

> How can I make the background of my Pager transparent?

I tired to answer the same transparency questions.

Please read the archives or search in Google.

Later I will add FAQ entries.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: "Ryan Daly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 16:34:50 -0500 (EST)

> Please read the archives or search in Google.

Yeah, I tried those.  This is what I have in my .fvwm2rc:

...
*FvwmTheme: Colorset 6 RootTransparent, bg average, Tint black 20, bgTint
black 20
...
*FvwmPager:             Colorset * 6
*FvwmPager:             ParentalRelativity
...

Am I missing something there?

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From: Robert Wittek <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 22:58:40 +0100

> Am I missing something there?

Do you use fvwm-root --retain-pixmap to set the background?

Regards,
Robert

---

From: "Ryan Daly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 17:10:59 -0500 (EST)

> Do you use fvwm-root --retain-pixmap to set the background?

Actually, no.  I'm using JPG images for my background.  Should I convert
thsoe images over to pixmaps?
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From: Robert Wittek <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 23:19:07 +0100

> thsoe images over to pixmaps?

Well, at least this is the way I got transparency working for me. If
there is a better possibility (without converting), I would like to
know about it, too.

Regards,
Robert

---

From: Ben Winslow <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 17:40:42 -0500

> there is a better possibility (without converting), I would like to

There are some other programs that can accomplish the same thing (and
know how to read more formats), e.g. Esetroot (distributed with Eterm)
or wmsetbg (distributed with WindowMaker.)  I think both of these
programs set the necessary data to make transparent terminals happy
implicitly.

-- 
Ben Winslow <[email-masked]>

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2003 23:51:41 +0000

> Later I will add FAQ entries.

Ok, the updated FAQ is available on fvwm.org.

This should answer 98% of all transparency questions.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: Dominik Vogt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 10:37:58 +0100

> *FvwmPager:             ParentalRelativity
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Try

  Style FvwmPager ParentalRelativity

instead.

Ciao

Dominik ^_^  ^_^

---

From: "Ryan Daly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 09:38:37 -0500 (EST)

>> *FvwmPager:             ParentalRelativity

Yeah, that was the problem.  What's the difference between the two?  Is
*FvwmPager setting options within the Pager, and Style telling the WM how
to handle that app?  (Sort of...?)
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From: "Ryan Daly" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 09:37:21 -0500 (EST)

> This should answer 98% of all transparency questions.

Excellent.  Thank-you.

---

From: Dominik Vogt <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 16:17:11 +0100

> to handle that app?  (Sort of...?)

"*FvwmPager: ..." is a module option that is passed only by the
module binary itself.

"Style FvwmPager ..." defines a style that applies to all
*windows* with the name FvwmPager - which is usually the case for
pager windows.

In this specific case, the distinction is unclear because (a)
ParentalRelativity is a bad style name (it's almost impossible to
guess what it stands for) and (b) you have to set options in both,
the module and fvwm itself.

Ciao

Dominik ^_^  ^_^

---

From: KONTRA Gergely <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 17:13:11 +0100

> This should answer 98% of all transparency questions.

I've still no luck with the menu decorations...
Transparent menu, and Pager works, but not for borders and titles and
buttons...
Do I need a CVS version?

fvwm 2.5.8 compiled on Nov  8 2003 at 22:31:59
with support for: ReadLine, Stroke, XPM, PNG, Shape, XShm, SM, Bidi
text, Xinerama, XRender, XFT, NLS

Gergo
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From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:54:55 +0000

> fvwm 2.5.8 compiled on Nov  8 2003 at 22:31:59

You need fvwm version 2.5.5 or better (2-Dec-2002).

Did you read the place in the FAQ that says you should use one of the
certain background setter utilities? This point is repeated 2 times
(actually 3 times now) in the FAQ, I don't know how it may be improved.

Personally I think transparency is fun, but not the most usable thing.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: Thorsten Zantis <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 20:12:41 +0100

> Personally I think transparency is fun, but not the most usable thing.

Well, it's the only way to have a look at one's desktop background on a screen covered 
with windows, which is why I don't see usability in icons on the root window :-) But I 
like the pager icons in that screenshot, are they available somewhere? I only found the 
64x64 ones...

> Mikhael.

bye, Thorsten

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 20:15:45 +0000

On 12 Dec 2003 20:12:41 +0100, Thorsten Zantis wrote:
> 
> like the pager icons in that screenshot, are they available somewhere?
> I only found the 64x64 ones...

These are from wm-icons cvs, but you may find the original set somewhere.
The new wm-icons release will be when it is ready, so currently use cvs.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: KONTRA Gergely <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:55:34 +0100

> (actually 3 times now) in the FAQ, I don't know how it may be improved.

That's what I have do.
But still no luck.

BTW, when using FvwmButtons, and an xosview inside:

(1x3, Swallow (Respawn,UseOld) "FvwmPager", 'FvwmPager' )
(1x4, Colorset 23, Swallow "xosview", "Exec xosview -xrm 'xosview*background:$[bg.cs23]'")

The pager also uses the same colorset, and works, but, xosview's
background is not transparent.

Trick: if I move the Button bar, it becomes transparent.

What do I miss?

I also set Style "xosview" ParentalRelativity

thx
Gergo

---

From: Chris Rouch <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 10:23:14 +0100

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 23:51:41 +0000

> This should answer 98% of all transparency questions.

Thanks.

I think the bit about tinting is wrong though. I'm just using 
'xv -root -quit' to set the background and have in my .fvwm2rc

Colorset 23 Transparent, fg White, bg #4e71ad, bgTint black 50,Tint \
	black 50
MenuStyle * MenuColorset 23

I still get a tinted, transparent menu. This is exactly what I want - so
plese change the FAQ, not the behaviour.

Only true for menus though, not for modules. 

This is with 2.5.7.

Regards,

Chris

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 17:17:26 +0000

> Only true for menus though, not for modules. 

This works, but menus flicker pretty noticeable using this method.
They flicker much less with "RootTransparent buffer". Also "bg average"
does not work, so you can't automatically get good colors for 3d effect.
Also I feel that if I suggest to use "Tint" together with "Transparent"
(something that I don't really suggest) then we will get a lot of
questions, why this does not work at all with decorations and modules.
The wording in FAQ seems to be ok (but I will replace "possible to tint"
with "possible to efficiently tint"), FAQ should not replace the man
page, but provide useful hints and pointers.

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: Olivier Chapuis <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2003 23:14:38 +0100

> page, but provide useful hints and pointers.

Totally agree with you, FvwmThemes man page explain when tint can be
used with Transparent. This is complicated (you need to now the
window layer of the module).

BTW, what about moving FvwmThemes man page into  fvwm.1?

Regards, Olivier