How to get WPF window title bar color in Windows 8.1?

Question

To customize the appearance of a window using the WindowChrome class, I would like to get the WPF window title bar color in Windows 8.1.

I tried first

SystemParameters.WindowGlassColor 

But this property, but does not include the correct alpha value (it is always 255).

Secondly, I tried a function:

 DwmGetColorizationColor 

It seemed to work well. The return value has the correct color information, including the alpha channel. However, by changing the “color intensity” using the slider in the Color and Appearance dialog box, the return value will disappear from the actual value and display a strange color.

So, does anyone have any ideas on an alternative method or workaround?

Answer 1

I have found a solution. In fact, the main point has already been discussed.

• Get active color in Windows 8 auto color theme
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The sequence will be:

• Retrieve parameters using the DwmGetColorizationParameters function (undocumented API).
• Converts the colorizationColor parameter to a color that ignores the alpha channel.
• Prepare the base gray color (R = 217, G = 217, B = 217).
• Mix the two colors using the colorizationColorBalance parameter, which corresponds to "Color Intensity".

So my code is as follows:

 public static Color? GetChromeColor() { bool isEnabled; var hr1 = DwmIsCompositionEnabled(out isEnabled); if ((hr1 != 0) || !isEnabled) // 0 means S_OK. return null; DWMCOLORIZATIONPARAMS parameters; try { // This API is undocumented and so may become unusable in future versions of OSes. var hr2 = DwmGetColorizationParameters(out parameters); if (hr2 != 0) // 0 means S_OK. return null; } catch { return null; } // Convert colorization color parameter to Color ignoring alpha channel. var targetColor = Color.FromRgb( (byte)(parameters.colorizationColor >> 16), (byte)(parameters.colorizationColor >> 8), (byte)parameters.colorizationColor); // Prepare base gray color. var baseColor = Color.FromRgb(217, 217, 217); // Blend the two colors using colorization color balance parameter. return BlendColor(targetColor, baseColor, (double)(100 - parameters.colorizationColorBalance)); } private static Color BlendColor(Color color1, Color color2, double color2Perc) { if ((color2Perc < 0) || (100 < color2Perc)) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("color2Perc"); return Color.FromRgb( BlendColorChannel(color1.R, color2.R, color2Perc), BlendColorChannel(color1.G, color2.G, color2Perc), BlendColorChannel(color1.B, color2.B, color2Perc)); } private static byte BlendColorChannel(double channel1, double channel2, double channel2Perc) { var buff = channel1 + (channel2 - channel1) * channel2Perc / 100D; return Math.Min((byte)Math.Round(buff), (byte)255); } [DllImport("Dwmapi.dll")] private static extern int DwmIsCompositionEnabled([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)] out bool pfEnabled); [DllImport("Dwmapi.dll", EntryPoint = "#127")] // Undocumented API private static extern int DwmGetColorizationParameters(out DWMCOLORIZATIONPARAMS parameters); [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)] private struct DWMCOLORIZATIONPARAMS { public uint colorizationColor; public uint colorizationAfterglow; public uint colorizationColorBalance; // Ranging from 0 to 100 public uint colorizationAfterglowBalance; public uint colorizationBlurBalance; public uint colorizationGlassReflectionIntensity; public uint colorizationOpaqueBlend; }