Windows 7 aero animations quirk

ncarlson

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Sep 15, 2009
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It has finally happened. The IT department has decided to install windows 7 on a few of the computers at the campus library. These machines equipped with Windows 7 already feel MUCH faster and more reliable. We now have the benefit of being able to run the aero interface now. So, you can see how much of a positive difference this is.

There is one detail that annoys the heck out of me, that I have noticed on all types of computers able to display aero, regardless of the brand or the speed of the computer. This has to do with the fade in / fade out animation that that aero uses. When a window gets created and fades in, the "blur" of the transparent glass effect is not enabled until the last few frames of the animation. This makes it look like the last few frames are skipped, giving the window a "jump" effect, because the glass theme blur is not enabled until the last few frames of the animation, much unlike Vista.

The exact same thing happens for the fade out animation, except this "jump" or "jerk" happens during the first frames, because the glass in the titlebar is unblurred, then the rest of the transition happens. This effect makes Windows 7 feel buggy and cheap, and detracts from the GUI experience that I have expected to at least be like Vista's, or better.

Does anyone notice what I am noticing, and could we discuss this?
 
I normally have the transparency effect disabled, but I turned it on to see what you're talking about. You're referring to the transparency in the top bar of the window, right? I think I'm seeing what you're describing, but if I am then it's occuring whether transparency is enabled or not. Frankly it's not something I've noticed or would worry about...
 
OK, yeah the video is showing what I'm seeing. It could be a "feature" rather than a bug - the final "snap" of the window being an indication that it's ready to go.

Again, this is something that I would never have noticed normally, and even now that you've brought it to my attention it still doesn't register in my consciousness in normal use.

My only comment is that if this is what you're complaining about then the Windows 7 designers must have done a pretty fine job with everything else!
 

ncarlson

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Sep 15, 2009
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Ok, I am surprised that it is actually considered a feature, and not a bug, because it happens on all computers, irregardless.

This is one of my only qualms about Win7, and it's an extremely annoying one. If it's one thing about new versions about windows, I've learned to suck it up and adapt, unfortunately. Thanks for the info. If anyone has more to say about this. please mention it.
 
G

Guest

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Yes!
I don't like that too!
On beta1 they didn't had even transparency enabled on those frames were the bluring effect was absent...
and I don't like the windows titlebar not being opaque in full screen...
and... aero colors in 7, i mean the default theme color is a bit uglish and Vista's default aero colors made those windows look more natural than the 7 one does.
 

U_R_ILLITERATE

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Jan 19, 2012
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I really bugs me when people say irregardless. I mean since it's not a word in the english language.