The future of DWMBlurGlass

[SandTechStuff]

The last release was around 6 months ago. There have not been any commits, besides translations, in both the master and test branches in quite some time. There are lots of issues marked as “fixed in upstream project”, which I assume is OpenGlass, that have been sitting around. Since @ALTaleX531 is leaving the Windows modding community soon and @Maplespe has been inactive, what does the future of DWMBlurGlass look like?

The release of Windows 11 24h2 would warrant an update, as OpenGlass now supports 24h2, but there hasn’t been any talk from Maplespe or ALTaleX as far as I know.

Is development expected to resume eventually, or is it halted? I would hate for this project (and OpenGlass) to become abandonware.

It isn't my intention for this to be a call to action, I just genuinely want to know the state of mind you both are in and how you feel about DWMBlurGlass going forward.

As always, thank you for this amazing program, it’s what introduced me to the Windows modding community.

[TheInsane101]

I think most people have shifted their attention to OpenGlass since it performs better, is more stable, and provides a much more immersive Aero experience since it works seamlessly with Startisback with no issues and can be controlled directly from the control panel. That being said, Altale had explained that the main purpose of DWMBlurGlass, unlike OpenGlass, is to explore various shader effects.
I don't know if other people are able to take this project on their own course and make their own forks; Vruh has already made forks that include the button glow and others that have an optimisation option (occlusion culling). Isn't that what open source software enables you to do?
The only thing that is closed source is the GUI, but others have made GUIs for previous versions in the past, and the program is still usable without a GUI anyway; the GUI is only a convenience tool.
Maplespe and Altale gave us a MASSIVE headstart on what to work on; we're already in a much better place than we were just 11 months ago when there was no source code on ANY shader effects for DWM.

[SandTechStuff]

It seems for now, DWMBlurGlass is safe. Maplespe just released a new version, along with making part of MiaoUI open source.

I think most people have shifted their attention to OpenGlass since it performs better, is more stable, and provides a much more immersive Aero experience since it works seamlessly with Startisback with no issues and can be controlled directly from the control panel.

Yeah I've noticed this too, but most of the accurate Aero effects are Windows 10 only in the legacy branch, such as button glow and the improved Aero shader. Windows 10 support is ending in under a year, and Windows 11 will (unfortunately) become the standard. DWMBlurGlass provides near parity in its features in Windows 10 and 11.

Also, not having a GUI makes it very troublesome to quickly experiment with options. Having to change a registry dword, uninstall OpenGlass, then reinstall OpenGlass just to find out I put the wrong value can be very time consuming. Having a GUI streamlines this process and also allows people who do not have an advanced knowledge of Windows get the customization they want.

Altale had explained that the main purpose of DWMBlurGlass, unlike OpenGlass, is to explore various shader effects.

Exactly. Many people are just here for the Aero effects, myself included to some extent, but developing and exploring different effects can lead to further innovation.

I don't know if other people are able to take this project on their own course and make their own forks; Vruh has already made forks that include the button glow and others that have an optimisation option (occlusion culling). Isn't that what open source software enables you to do?

Yes, this is true. Being open source, people can continue these projects, but that is not a guarantee.

[Maplespe]

The truth is that both myself and ALTaleX are busy with their own things, work and school.
At the same time, I have my own website and other non-open source software to maintain and update, and I can't take care of all of them at the same time.
So, for the future of this project, I think most of the basic functionality is already implemented, and we have OpenGlass, AWM, and various Windhawk mods that complement each other, don't we? So I'm sure you guys can always find the right combination for you.

So in the future this project may not be updated as often, but don't worry, it doesn't mean this project will be abandoned.

[SandTechStuff]

The truth is that both myself and ALTaleX are busy with their own things, work and school.

I get that you and ALTaleX are busy, 100%. We cannot expect you to put your personal life aside for this program that provides cosmetic changes. That is the reason I stated that my post was not a call to action.

we have OpenGlass, AWM, and various Windhawk mods that complement each other, don't we?

You are correct, but most of the current options like AWM and OpenGlass Legacy target Windows 10. DWMBlurGlass is one of the only programs that strives to have feature parity on both Windows 10 and 11. It also provides features that from Windows 10 exclusive programs, such as Windows 7 button height and glow, that would otherwise be unavailable on Windows 11.

So in the future this project may not be updated as often, but don't worry, it doesn't mean this project will be abandoned.

I appreciate your response, and thank you for the closure. Knowing the project will not be abandoned is good to hear.

[Skyyblaze]

Thanks for always putting the work in for us @Maplespe I really appreciate it, you and ALTaleX are amazing! One question, what is this AWM you mentioned?

[TheInsane101]

@Skyyblaze AWM is a separate program by Dulappy that tweaks parameters of windows like the titlebar text size and alignment, and implements the proper accurate text glow from Vista and 7 (DWMBG's glow is inaccurate). It also tweaks each individual caption button's sizes. Basically, it focuses on modding every other aspect of DWM window rendering except for blur shaders and colours. You don't need Windhawk mods anymore. https://github.com/Dulappy/aero-window-manager

Config presets are shared as registry keys, which have already been added by Vaporvance and Imswordqueen to their msstyles theme posts.

[Skyyblaze]

@TheInsane101 I see thanks for that, wow it looks super handy and interesting, too bad it doesn't seem to work on Windows 11 but DWMBlurGlass can do the most important things thankfully.