Quick Insight into the Upcoming OpenGlass v2.5.0

[ALTaleX531]

OpenGlass v2.5.0 — Release Preview

Upcoming OpenGlass v2.5.0 continues our mission to bring authentic, high-performance glass effects to modern Windows while restoring the visual fidelity users remember from Windows 7. This release focuses on broader compatibility, renderer performance, and a deep refactor of the Direct3D glass renderer to achieve pixel-level parity with Windows 7 behavior, alongside a comprehensive round of bug fixes.

Key Highlights

• Switched Detours to SlimDetours: Replaced the Microsoft Detours hooking framework with SlimDetours, reducing runtime footprint, simplifying maintenance, and improving stability with modern Windows.
• Expanded Windows support: Added extended compatibility for Windows 10 1809/1903.
• Renderer performance improvements: Optimized both D2D and D3D glass renderers for lower CPU/GPU overhead and smoother frame times.
• D3D for GlassType 0: The D3D glass renderer is now available when GlassType=0, offering an alternative rendering path with higher performance.
• D3D refactor for pixel-level restoration: Rewrote the D3D glass renderer implementation to more closely match the Windows 7 rendering pipeline, aiming for pixel-accurate restoration of legacy glass effects.
• Improved glass reflections: Tuned glass reflection behavior so it more closely resemble the Windows 7 look and feel.
• Removed accent overrider: The accent overrider feature has been removed due to its outdated nature.
• Bug fixes: Addressed all known issues reported against the previous release to improve reliability across different Windows.

[ittrgrey]

If the accent overrider is to be removed, is there any way in which you could add an exported API so that other software can detect if OpenGlass is active and tweak their visual rendering code accordingly?

Otherwise there's no way for many developers to cater to both glass and non-glass users - legacy DwmEnableBlurBehind and accent policies do not work well together, and the former produces an awful and inconsistent visual (between Windows releases) without OpenGlass running.

[ImSwordQueen]

A thing that accent overrider did better over SXB Win7 Shell UI Accent Overrider was overriding the laggy accent policies with OpenGlass which made performance a lot better overall. (DwmEnableBlurBehind has a nasty issue which makes ALL windows lag if only one uses it on 1904x which accent override fixed)

[ALTaleX531]

I understand, we need a solution that is general and can remove the horrible accent, let me figure out how to make the accent overrider work better.

[ALTaleX531]

I’ve completed roughly 80% of the work, the remaining tasks focus on adding support for the D3D glass renderer backend on Windows 10 builds earlier than 2004.

Another major changes in this release:

1. Service migration
   OpenGlass has been moved from a scheduled task to a Windows Service. This improves responsiveness, enables possible integration with Windows PE, and makes it easier to apply antivirus whitelisting. Note: installing v2.5.0 requires a complete uninstall of any previous OpenGlass versions.
2. Distribution and legal changes
   The release will be offered as both a portable build and an Inno Setup installer. Additionally, to reduce legal risk and avoid potential open-source license violations, we will no longer distribute Microsoft proprietary binaries such as dbghelp.dll and symsrv.dll. Please consider obtaining them yourself from Debugging Tools for Windows and copying them into the OpenGlass installation directory.

[ALTaleX531]

Aside from that, not distributing files like symsrv.dll may significantly impact the user experience, but at present there is no good solution.

[ImSwordQueen]

Aside from that, not distributing files like symsrv.dll may significantly impact the user experience, but at present there is no good solution.

What about implementing the symbol downloading directly into OpenGlass instead of relying on microsoft DLLs? AWM does that and was one of the things that AWM did good.

[ALTaleX531]

AWM uses valinet's library to download symbols, and as far as I know there's no reliable way to get the progress of downloading unless I fork it and spend extra time implementing the infrastructure I need.

[RibShark]

If you download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=36a2630f-5d56-43b5-b996-7633f2ec14ff and install the MSI "Debuggers/dbg_amd64.msi" you will find in the installation folder a a license.txt and redist.txt explicitly allowing you to redistribute those versions of symsrv.dll and dbghelp.dll.

For the GPLv3 compatibility, as long as you aren't using other GPL libraries, you can add the clause "Additional permission under GNU GPL version 3 section 7: If you modify this Program, or any covered work, by linking or combining it with dbghelp.dll, symsrv.dll (or a modified version of that library), containing parts covered by the terms of "MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS - MICROSOFT DEBUGGING TOOLS FOR WINDOWS", the licensors of this Program grant you additional permission to convey the resulting work.", see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs

[ALTaleX531]

I have already implemented my own symbol downloader, which eliminates any concerns regarding licensing, thanks for the guidance though.

[ALTaleX531]

🚀 Three more exciting updates to share:

1. New Glass Translation Architecture
   Thanks to the adoption of a new glass translation architecture, OpenGlass will once again be compatible with the Aero Window Manager, restoring seamless integration with classic Aero effects.

2. Modern Border Disabler Enhancement
   The modern border disabler has been decoupled from the glass frame handler, giving you the flexibility to disable glass while still enjoying a Windows 10 style appearance.

3. Introducing the OpenGlass GUI
   Configuring OpenGlass has traditionally been a complex task. Now, thanks to vibe coding, I’ve developed a simple and intuitive GUI powered by GPT‑5.2 Codex and Gemini 3 Pro. This new interface is designed to make adjustments effortless and to help the modding community grow even more thriving and vibrant.

[ImSwordQueen]

OpenGlass will once again be compatible with the Aero Window Manager

I was wondering, has anything changed for the included options in OpenGlass for the caption buttons and centered titlebar text? Recently someone has made a fork of OpenGlass (https://github.com/nt5point1/OpenGlass-8) that added custom the old centered titlebar text that was in OpenGlass once but removed due to not working on 11(?) and some of AWM's features into OpenGlass and wanted to know if porting those features to 2.5 would require rework (as the core components changed) or they can be slightly tweaked and just dropped into 2.5.0.

Keep up the awesome work 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[ALTaleX531]

The caption buttons and centered titlebar text options themselves haven’t been changed much, so migrating the OpenGlass-8 fork to v2.5.0 shouldn’t be difficult and won’t require major modifications. The restored compatibility with AWM in OpenGlass mainly ensures that glass rendering works correctly even when AWM’s titlebar color hooks are present, which is primarily handled through the implementation of functions like UpdateNCAreaBackground.

[TheDolphinSlayer]

this will be the most stable version yet!

[ALTaleX531]

The attachment has been updated. This release will resolve all the bugs mentioned above.

[LittleFox2024]

Trying it out, seems to work really well for me (Windows 11 25H2, 26200.7623). I've had no major issues so far.

[ALTaleX531]

OpenGlass v2.5.0.2719

We are pleased to announce the release of OpenGlass v2.5.0.2719. This version focuses on incremental improvements in performance, usability, and configuration efficiency. While the changes are relatively modest compared to the previous release, they further refine stability and user experience.

OpenGlassSetup.zip

Changelog

1. D2D Glass Renderer Optimization

   • Minor adjustments have been made to improve rendering efficiency.

2. Occlusion Region Fix

   • Resolved an issue where occlusion regions were not applied when transparency was disabled.

3. New Auto Option for ColorizationColorCaption

   • Introduced a new Auto option for ColorizationColorCaption and its variants, now set as the default.
   • The broader adoption of Auto options significantly reduces configuration workload.

4. OpenGlassGUI Performance Enhancements

   • Improved responsiveness and overall performance of the graphical interface.

5. Installer Improvements

   • The Inno Setup Installer now supports removing user configurations during uninstallation.

Summary

This release does not introduce major changes compared to the last version, but it represents another step toward a stable and efficient platform. If no issues are reported, this version will be considered ready for formal stable release.

Future Plans

• Installer Distribution: The next formal release will include only the Inno Setup Installer, and the portable version will no longer be provided.
• Symbol Files: PDB symbol files will no longer be distributed, as reproducible builds have been enabled.
• Digital Signing: In the longer term, we may introduce digital signatures to further enhance trust and authenticity.

Fun Facts

[EndlessLuck]

Triggering aero peek on some programs that are not minimized can cause a DWM crash, happens to me with task manager but not other programs, i do not have any other DWM related mods loaded on Windhawk rn but it still happens. If i minimize task manager then look at it with aeropeek DWM doesnt crash.

[ALTaleX531]

Thank you for the report. This has been confirmed as a bug introduced during the recent fix for #255, and it will be resolved in the official release.

[RibShark]

When HDR mode is enabled, the colour saturation for the window borders seems to be almost zero, showing pretty much as grey. Even the desktop watermark appears to be a dark-grey colour rather than white. If I take a screenshot of the window border with HDR mode turned off and then open that screenshot with HDR mode on, the colour shows fine so I don't think it's a colour profile issue. When Win+Shift+S is pressed to take a screenshot it goes back to normal, but I think that's just Windows disabling the HDR processing.

[ALTaleX531]

@RibShark Thank you for the report. This appears to be a tone mapping issue. I don’t know much about HDR, so I’m still looking into it. Since I don’t currently have an HDR-capable display around, I won’t be able to debug this until I return home for the Spring Festival.

[AllieTheFox]

In the latest beta, ive noticed that the opaque behavior for the taskbar is quite inconsistent compared to the latest release, sometimes even when no windows are fully maximized, the taskbar will stay opaque rather than going transparent again, or other times it will stay transparent even with a maximized window

[ALTaleX531]

Thank you for the report. This has been confirmed as a bug introduced by the rewrite of the glass translation architecture for restoring compatibility with AWM, which only affects glass regions generated by DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow. It will be fixed in the official release.

[AllieTheFox]

Thank you for the report. This has been confirmed as a bug introduced by the rewrite of the glass translation architecture for restoring compatibility with AWM, which only affects glass regions generated by DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow. It will be fixed in the official release.

the taskbar used in the bug report is using DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow to render glass

edit: unless perhaps I misunderstood your phrasing? Also i should note that the state it gets stuck in (opaque or transparent) seems to be dependent on whether or not there is a maximized window present at explorer.exe startup, if there is one then it'll permanently keep the area as opaque or vice versa if not

[ALTaleX531]

Sorry for the misunderstanding caused by my phrasing. What I meant is that this bug only affects glass regions generated by DwmEnableBlurBehindWindow. If the glass region is generated by the accent overrider, then this issue does not occur.

Also i should note that the state it gets stuck in (opaque or transparent) seems to be dependent on whether or not there is a maximized window present at explorer.exe startup, if there is one then it'll permanently keep the area as opaque or vice versa if not

In fact, the bug happens because the colorization is not updated after receiving a window maximize event.

[LittleFox2024]

In the latest beta, I'm having an issue where if I lock the computer or use ctrl+alt+del, the blur effects automatically switch back to to some defaults (namely blur balance at 1, afterglow balance at 10, and color balance at 89). I am using AuthUX and Explorer7 so perhaps that is messing with it? Not completely sure. I set the values I wanted both systemwide and for my current user through the GUI. I checked the registry and they were changed there, but after locking they reverted back to the defaults. I turned off Accent Override and all other mods that seemed like they could cause the issue. Attached are some screenshots. Not super easy to tell but look near the caption buttons and you can see the blur change. Also includes the composition parameters to show the change.

What I want it to look like:

After locking/ctrl+alt+del:

[ALTaleX531]

Duplicate of #4.

[LittleFox2024]

Ok thanks, now I know what the problem is. Sorry about that.

[ALTaleX531]

[AllieTheFox]

what does this do if I may ask

[ALTaleX531]

OpenGlass forces MPO to be disabled by hooking the above functions, ensuring blur effects render correctly to resolve issues #30 and #200. The purpose of these functions is to select suitable surfaces per frame and test whether MPO can be enabled for them.

[Skyyblaze]

Would it maybe be possible to have a setting to allow MPOs still if someone is willing to live with the visual bugs? I would like to try OpenGlass again but MPOs are handy for performance reasons on my gaming PC.

[ALTaleX531]

It might be a little late to mention now, but OpenGlass has already adopted a better approach: MPO is only disabled when a surface using MPO overlaps with a visible blur surface above it. This ensures MPO works normally in most cases without breaking blur effects, and there’s no noticeable performance drop. Given this, do you still want me to add a toggle to control MPO disabling behavior?

[Skyyblaze]

Oh I see thanks for the explanation! That sounds like a very reasonable approach and I would have to test if that is enough for my usecase. Currently I use DWMBlurGlass but I follow both projects with great interest so I'll try to test OpenGlass again over the next few days and see how it goes. If I still think a "MPOs Enabled" switch would be handy I will report back!

Thanks for the great work!

[RibShark]

Selecting a theme atlas doesn't seem to have any effect. I tried restarting DWM afterwards and still nothing.

[ALTaleX531]

I think you might have pointed CustomThemeAtlas to a path that DWM cannot access.

[TheDolphinSlayer]

Any more thoughts on frame highlights? Not to add any more load on your shoulders since you're about to release an update, just curious

[ALTaleX531]

Any more thoughts on frame highlights? Not to add any more load on your shoulders since you're about to release an update, just curious

@TheDolphinSlayer Unfortunately, I currently have no plans to implement it, as I have a whole bunch of issues waiting for me to fix.

[ALTaleX531]

I may need to release another test build before the official release, which will therefore be delayed. Since the last test version, a large number of changes have been introduced, including but not limited to major refactoring caused by DRM. These changes inevitably require extensive testing to ensure stability and reliability.

At the same time, I also hope to address the rendering issues of glass under WCG/HDR. This is crucial for delivering a truly modern experience to users with modern hardware.

I sincerely hope for your understanding and support. Countless hours and effort have already been poured into this release, and I want to make sure it meets the standards we all expect.