Google-play-music-desktop-player-unofficial-: Windows Store App Taskbar Icon

Created on 2 Apr 2017 · 4Comments · Source: MarshallOfSound/Google-Play-Music-Desktop-Player-UNOFFICIAL-

Hello,

Just a minor request. Is there any possibility that the icons used for the windows store app could be updated to match more closely with the overall theme of windows store apps? When pinned to the taskbar, the icon for GPMDP kinda clashes with other modern UI apps' icons due to the background plate:

example

Source

PazerOP

All 4 comments

The Windows Store put that background there, I'm like 99% sure it put it there for a reason 😆

If you want to get rid of the background you can install the non-UWP version 😆

MarshallOfSound on 3 Apr 2017

👎1

The windows store did not cause that background to be shown. The problem is that you have provided a plated image where an unplated one was supposed be shown. Check your package.appxmanifest (this is an example from another windows store app):

example

The top row is the plated one, which will be shown in the "all apps" list on the left of the start menu. The bottom row is the one that will be shown in the taskbar (as well as a few other places). The background in the bottom row is not actually part of the image, that's just the background color for the app icons (a separate setting in the package.appxmanifest). The OS then chooses whether or not to show the background color, or to keep it transparent. Result:

example

Addionally, mail, movies & tv, photos, etc are all windows store apps (from Microsoft) that do not have this issue.

PazerOP on 3 Apr 2017

@PazerOP I don't know what to tell you mate, I never set that background up, and I definitely don't choose to provide a plated image. I literally give it the same transparent background icon I give everything else. What the Centennial converter or the Windows Store does with that icon is entirely up to it.

The manifest and assets are generated on the fly so I haven't set this up specifically

MarshallOfSound on 3 Apr 2017

👎1

This does seem to be related to conversion process. By default, it looks like desktop apps don't have "nice" icons:

Additionally, if you don’t follow step 4, you don’t get proper support for unplated assets. What does it mean? That your converted app, by default, will apply a background to the icon that is displayed in the taskbar, even if you have set transparent as BackgroundColor in the item in the manifest, like in the following sample:
...
With a proper resources file, instead, you’ll be able to get an icon taskbar with a nice transparent background. You can see the difference between the two approaches in the following image (I apologize if they’re a bit blurry, but it’s just to give you an idea of the final effect).