How do you use [`DwmGetColorizationColor`][1]?

The [documentation][2] says it returns two values:

- a 32-bit `0xAARRGGBB` containing the color used for glass composition
- a boolean parameter that is true &quot;if the color is an opaque blend&quot; (*whatever that means*)

Here&#39;s a color that i like, a nice puke green:
![alt text][3]

You can notice the color is greeny, and the translucent title bar (against a white background) shows the snot color very clearly:
![enter image description here][4]


i try to get the color from Windows:

    DwmGetColorizationColor(dwCcolorization, bIsOpaqueBlend);

And i get

    dwColorization: 0x0D0A0F04
    bIsOpaqueBlend: false

According to the documentation this value is of the format `AARRGGBB`, and so contains: 

    AA: 0x0D (13)
    RR: 0x0A (10)
    GG: 0x0F (15)
    BB: 0x04 (4)

This supposedly means that the color is (10, 15, 4), with an opacity of ~5.1%.

But if you actually look at this RGB value, it&#39;s nowhere near my desired snot green. Here is 

- (10, 15, 4) with zero opacity (the original color), and 
- (10,15,4) with 5% opacity against a white/checkerboard background:

![alt text][5]

Rather than being `Lime` green, `DwmGetColorizationColor` returns an almost fully transparent **black**.

So the question is: **How to get glass color** in Windows Vista/7?

i tried using `DwmGetColorizationColor`, but that doesn&#39;t work very well.


----------

A [person with same problem, but a nicer shiny picture][6] to attract you squirrels:
![alt text][7]

&gt; So, it boils down to –
&gt; DwmGetColorizationColor is completely
&gt; unusable for applications attempting
&gt; to apply the current color onto an
&gt; opaque surface.


----------

i love [this guy&#39;s screenshots][8] much better than mine. Using his screenshots as a template, i made up a few more sparklies:

![alt text][9]

![alt text][10]

![alt text][11]

![alt text][12]

![alt text][13]

![alt text][14]

*For the last two screenshots, the alpha blended chip is a true partially transparent PNG, blending to your browser&#39;s background. Cool! (i&#39;m such a geek)*

*Edit 2: Had to arrange them in rainbow color. (i&#39;m such a geek)*

*Edit 3: Well now i of course have to add Yellow.*


----------

## Undocumented/Unsupported/Fragile Workarounds ##

There is an undocumented export from `DwmApi.dll` at entry point 137, which we&#39;ll call `DwmGetColorizationParameters`:


    HRESULT GetColorizationParameters_Undocumented(out DWMCOLORIZATIONPARAMS params);

    struct DWMCOLORIZATIONPARAMS
    {
       public UInt32 ColorizationColor;
       public UInt32 ColorizationAfterglow;
       public UInt32 ColorizationColorBalance;
       public UInt32 ColorizationAfterglowBalance;
       public UInt32 ColorizationBlurBalance;
       public UInt32 ColorizationGlassReflectionIntensity;
       public UInt32 ColorizationOpaqueBlend;
    }

We&#39;re interested in the first parameter: `ColorizationColor`. 

We can also read the value out of the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
        ColorizationColor: REG_DWORD = 0x6614A600

So you pick your poison of creating appcompat issues. You can 

- rely on an undocumented API (which is [bad][15], [bad][16], [bad][17], [and can go away at any time][18])
- use an undocumented registry key (which is also [bad][19], and [can go away at any time][20])




See also
--------
- [Is there a list of valid parameter combinations for GetThemeColor / Visual Styles API][21]
- [How does Windows change Aero Glass color?][22]
- [DWM - Colorization Color Handling Using DWMGetColorizationColor][23]
- **[Retrieving Aero Glass base color for opaque surface rendering][24]**

----------

i&#39;ve been wanting to ask this question for over a year now. i always knew that it&#39;s impossible to answer, and that the only way to get anyone to actually pay attention is to have colorful screenshots; developers are attracted to shiny things. But on the downside it means i had to put all kinds of work into making the lures.


  [1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969513(VS.85).aspx
  [2]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969513(VS.85).aspx
  [3]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/wvxka.png
  [4]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/njgQ8.png
  [5]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Ieqai.png
  [6]: http://www.withinwindows.com/2010/07/01/retrieving-aero-glass-base-color-for-opaque-surface-rendering/comment-page-1/#comment-7276
  [7]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/bDs4v.png
  [8]: http://www.withinwindows.com/2010/07/01/retrieving-aero-glass-base-color-for-opaque-surface-rendering/
  [9]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/W6D8t.png
  [10]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/lE9Ua.png
  [11]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/A3SZs.png
  [12]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/Teto2.png
  [13]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/7WQ2x.png
  [14]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/1gyTe.png
  [15]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2003/12/23/45481.aspx
  [16]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2005/09/01/459023.aspx
  [17]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2009/11/16/9922753.aspx
  [18]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2009/11/16/9922753.aspx
  [19]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2005/03/09/390706.aspx
  [20]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/oldnewthing/archive/2003/11/03/55532.aspx
  [21]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1888361/is-there-a-list-of-valid-parameter-combinations-for-getthemecolor-visual-style
  [22]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1487919/how-does-windows-change-aero-glass-color
  [23]: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/vista/dwmcolorcolor.aspx
  [24]: http://www.withinwindows.com/2010/07/01/retrieving-aero-glass-base-color-for-opaque-surface-rendering/

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Vista/7: How to get glass color?