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TransparentBar v0.2.4
TransparentBar v0.2.4
Optional support links for TransparentBar, without changes to the taskbar connector.
What comes bundled:
- transparentbar.exe - Native Windows host application (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.2.4.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Windows installer (
TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.4.exe) - Per-user installation - Portable ZIP (
TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.4.zip) - Application, bridge, build provenance, and SHA-256 sums
New and improved features in 0.2.4:
-
Buy me a coffee in the tray menu
- Opens the support page in your default browser only when selected.
- Browser-launch errors follow the existing application error handling.
-
Support information in About / license
- Displays the same optional support URL alongside the project and license information.
-
Repository support links
- Added a Support section and navigation link to the README.
- Added a custom funding URL for the GitHub Sponsor button.
Note
Donations are optional. TransparentBar remains free and open source; it does not open donation pages automatically or handle payments inside the app.
Compatibility and verification
- Connector sampling intervals, color blending, fullscreen behavior, DPI handling, and installer shutdown behavior are unchanged.
- No new dependency, webview, payment SDK, or background network check.
- Regression check keeps the HTTPS destination consistent across the app, README, and GitHub funding configuration.
Downloads
Full Changelog: v0.2.3...v0.2.4
TransparentBar v0.2.3
TransparentBar v0.2.3
Responsiveness update that makes the connector pick up newly scrolled edge colours faster.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.2.3.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.3.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.3.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- A different connector appearance
- Strip height, pattern, and gradient profile are unchanged; only the capture weighting and fade speed moved.
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.2.3:
-
Responsive Strip Hide
- Lowered the settled sampling interval from 250 ms to 64 ms, so the strip disappears within a tick of the maximized window closing, restoring, or losing focus.
- Foreground and location events now wake the 16 ms connector timer immediately, so hide detection no longer waits for the settled interval.
-
Faster Cross-Fade Convergence
- Raised the per-frame blend from 30% to 50% of the remaining colour gap.
- A newly scrolled edge now reaches its final colour in roughly half the time (about 8 frames instead of 13 at a full colour swing), while still avoiding an abrupt snap.
- The 250 ms settled-interval easing is unchanged, so idle battery use is unaffected.
-
Faster Active Polling (60 ms to 16 ms)
- Lowered the active connector sampling interval to 16 ms, so edge capture runs roughly every frame (60 Hz).
- Newly scrolled colours are picked up within a single frame instead of waiting up to 60 ms between captures.
- CPU cost stays negligible because the 4-row strip is unchanged and uploads are skipped when colours do not change.
-
Sharper Row Weighting Toward the Visible Edge
- Sample rows are now weighted by the square of their distance from the top (1:4:9:16 across the 4-row band) instead of linear (1:2:3:4).
- The bottom row closest to the maximized window now dominates the sample, so freshly scrolled content at the very edge registers in the next frame rather than being averaged down by rows above it.
New and improved minor features in 0.2.3 include:
- Regression Coverage: The existing blend-convergence and edge-dominance tests pass unchanged, confirming the faster fade still eases rather than snaps.
- Synchronized Versioning: Updated Cargo manifests, PE file resources, Inno Setup manifests, About dialog, taskbar bridge channel, and both versioned download filenames to 0.2.3.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Target Architecture: Windows 10 & 11 x64 (MSVC static CRT), primary and secondary bottom taskbars.
- Test Suite: 19 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing.
Downloads & Verification
- Windows installer (TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.3.exe)
- Portable ZIP (TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.3.zip)
Full Changelog: v0.2.2...v0.2.3
TransparentBar v0.2.2
TransparentBar v0.2.2
Connector polish and resilience update adding a subtle grid pattern, accessibility options, DWM and Remote Desktop safety gates, and adaptive strip sizing.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.2.2.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.2.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.2.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Visual noise by default
- The faint grid pattern is subtle by design and can be turned off in the tray menu
- Connector failures during Remote Desktop or when DWM composition is off
- Sampling pauses instead of rendering blank or stale pixels
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.2.2:
-
Subtle Grid Pattern on the Connector
- Added a faint square-grid overlay (7% line alpha, 28 px cells scaled by DPI).
- Horizontal lines brighten the sampled colour, vertical lines darken it, both fading with the same vertical falloff as the gradient.
- Toggle it with Connector pattern in the tray menu; the setting is stored per user under
HKCU\Software\TransparentBar.
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Accessibility: Reduced Connector Animation
- New Reduce connector animation tray toggle disables the cross-fade, so sampled colours snap to the new edge immediately.
- Useful for colour-vision and motion sensitivities, and for users who prefer instant updates.
-
DWM Composition Safety Gate
- Checks
DwmIsCompositionEnabledbefore sampling; when composition is off the strip hides instead of showing stale pixels. - Resolved at runtime from
dwmapi.dll, preserving compatibility with older Windows builds.
- Checks
-
Remote Desktop Pause
- Detects
SM_REMOTESESSIONand suspends connector sampling entirely while the desktop is remote, saving CPU during RDP work.
- Detects
-
Adaptive Strip Sizing
- Strip height capped at 55% of the taskbar height, so thin taskbars (e.g. tablet mode) no longer get an oversized strip.
- Strip width is capped at 1920 px for ultra-wide screens.
- Both bounds scale with monitor DPI like the rest of the connector geometry.
New and improved minor features in 0.2.2 include:
- Synchronized Versioning: Updated Cargo manifests, PE file resources, Inno Setup manifests, About dialog, taskbar bridge channel, and both tray settings keys to 0.2.2.
- Regression Coverage: New unit tests for the grid pattern and replace-motion snap, and for proportional strip sizing on thin taskbars.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Target Architecture: Windows 10 & 11 x64 (MSVC static CRT), primary and secondary bottom taskbars.
- Style Plumbing: A
Stylestruct (pattern, reduce motion) is read from the per-user registry on every connector update, so tray toggles apply without restarting. - Test Suite: 19 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing.
Downloads & Verification
- Windows installer (TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.2.exe)
- Portable ZIP (TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.2.zip)
Full Changelog: v0.2.1...v0.2.2
TransparentBar v0.2.1
TransparentBar v0.2.1
Comprehensive feature and optimization update introducing versioned download filenames, installer file version metadata, multi-monitor taskbar support, display sleep/lock energy savings, adaptive connector refresh, and dynamic tray version tooltips.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.2.1.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.1.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.1.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Background polling when locked or monitor sleeping
- Sampling completely pauses during session lock or display suspend
- Colliding download filenames
- Installer and ZIP names are uniquely versioned to prevent browser
(1),(2)auto-numbering
- Installer and ZIP names are uniquely versioned to prevent browser
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.2.1:
-
Versioned Download Filenames
- Release installer is now named
TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.1.exeand portable package isTransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.1.zip. - Downloading successive updates no longer collides with previous setup files in your Downloads folder.
- Release installer is now named
-
Installer File Version Header Fix
- Fixed an issue where the Inno Setup executable reported
File version: 0.0.0.0in Windows file properties. - Explicitly embedded
VersionInfoVersion=0.2.1.0and textual product versioning in the installer binary.
- Fixed an issue where the Inno Setup executable reported
-
Multi-Monitor Secondary Taskbar Support
- Extended taskbar detection to support secondary monitor taskbars (
Shell_SecondaryTrayWnd). - When an application is maximized on a secondary display, the connector strip seamlessly moves and docks over that monitor's taskbar.
- Extended taskbar detection to support secondary monitor taskbars (
-
Display Sleep & Session Lock Energy Savings
- Integrated
WM_WTSSESSION_CHANGEandWM_POWERBROADCASTsystem events. - Completely suspends connector timers and hides the overlay when Windows is locked (Win+L) or displays enter low-power sleep mode, conserving laptop battery.
- Integrated
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Adaptive Connector Refresh
- Operates at 60 ms during active mouse wheel scrolling, tab switching, and cross-fading.
- Automatically relaxes to 250 ms when screen content settles unchanged for over 1.2 seconds, instantly waking back to 60 ms on the next detected change.
New and improved minor features in 0.2.1 include:
- Dynamic Tray Tooltip: Hovering over the system tray icon now displays
TransparentBar v0.2.1based on compiled package metadata. - Synchronized Versioning: Updated Cargo manifests, PE file resources, Inno Setup manifests, About dialog, and inter-process channels to 0.2.1.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Target Architecture: Windows 10 & 11 x64 (MSVC static CRT).
- Power & Session Integration:
WTSRegisterSessionNotificationloaded dynamically fromwtsapi32.dllwith safe fallback. - Test Suite: 17 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing, including adaptive interval states and multi-monitor docking.
Downloads & Verification
- Windows installer (TransparentBar-setup-v0.2.1.exe)
- Portable ZIP (TransparentBar-windows-x64-v0.2.1.zip)
Full Changelog: v0.2.0...v0.2.1
TransparentBar v0.2.0
TransparentBar v0.2.0
Comprehensive update refining the maximized-window connector with smooth color cross-fading, twice-as-fast sampling rates, bottom-edge weighted capture, and a trimmed 34 px profile.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.2.0.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Background bloatware or telemetry
- Zero analytics and 0% idle CPU footprint; operates entirely offline on local Win32 APIs
- External runtimes or browser engines
- 100% native Rust binary with static CRT (no WebView2, Electron, or .NET dependencies)
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.2.0:
-
Smooth Color Cross-Fading
- Replaced rigid color snaps with an exponential ease (~30% delta convergence per frame).
- Color changes when scrolling content or changing tabs now transition smoothly over several frames rather than flashing abruptly.
- Resizing or hiding the strip resets the blend cleanly to prevent ghosting or stale color interpolation.
-
High-Frequency 60 ms Connector Refresh
- Accelerated active edge sampling from 120 ms to 60 ms while a supported window is maximized.
- Allows the connector strip to track rapid mouse wheel scrolling and page navigation in near real-time.
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Bottom-Edge Weighted Scanline Sampling
- Sampled rows are weighted exponentially toward the bottom edge closest to the taskbar.
- Newly scrolled content entering the viewport is registered immediately instead of waiting for the full multi-row sample buffer to fill.
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Trimmed Connector Profile
- Reduced the base strip height from 42 px down to a sleeker 34 px (at 96 DPI).
- Preserves the gentle 1.65 falloff curve and 90% peak opacity while creating a subtler, less intrusive bridge into the transparent taskbar.
Note
The connector refresh timer is strictly adaptive: it operates at 60 ms only when a supported maximized window is active, and drops to an idle 1000 ms check (without pixel capture) otherwise. Disabling the connector completely disarms the timer.
New and improved minor features in 0.2.0 include:
- Version Synchronization: Synchronized package version, resources, installer metadata, About dialog, and inter-process status mapping to 0.2.0.
- Release Supersession: Fully consolidates the experimental v0.1.10 changes under the permanent v0.2.0 tag.
- Failure Safety: Timer allocation or capture failures automatically hide the strip and trace diagnostics rather than freezing a stale gradient.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Target Architecture: Windows 10 & 11 x64 (MSVC static CRT).
- Sampling Geometry: Samples device pixels immediately above the overlay seam (
overlay_top - sample_rows), avoiding feedback loops. - DPI Compatibility: All metrics (strip height, seam overlap, sample rows, blur radius, overhang) dynamically scale with
GetDpiForWindow. - Testing Coverage: 17 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing, including exponential blend convergence and bottom-row dominance assertions.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.9...v0.2.0
TransparentBar v0.1.9
TransparentBar v0.1.9
Resolves coordinate mismatches and delayed sampling on displays using Windows display scaling (such as 125%, 150%, or 200%).
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.1.9.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Fixed 96-DPI assumptions or hardcoded scale factors
- All metrics scale dynamically using the real DPI of the monitor hosting the taskbar
- Unnecessary background polling
- Sampling remains conditioned on maximized window states
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.1.9:
-
Per-Monitor DPI Awareness V2
- TransparentBar now declares Per-Monitor V2 DPI awareness at startup.
- Eliminates DPI virtualization where
GetWindowRectreturned scaled logical coordinates whileBitBltcaptured physical device pixels. - Prevents the sampling band from landing several rows above the actual visible application edge on scaled displays.
-
Dynamic Scaling of Connector Geometry
- Strip height, seam overlap, sample rows, blur radius, frame overhang, and edge slack are computed dynamically from monitor DPI.
- At 125% scaling (120 DPI) or 150% scaling (144 DPI), connector elements maintain precise physical pixel alignment without distortion.
-
Scaled Maximized Docking Tolerances
- Windows invisible resize frames grow proportionally with DPI scaling.
- Docked-window detection now adapts to scaled window overhang, preventing false rejections of maximized windows on high-DPI displays.
Note
SetProcessDpiAwarenessContext and GetDpiForWindow are resolved at runtime via GetProcAddress, preserving full backward compatibility with older Windows 10 releases while enabling Per-Monitor V2 on modern builds.
New and improved minor features in 0.1.9 include:
- Runtime Verification: Added automated tests verifying the DPI scaling table, docking decisions from 96 to 288 DPI, and Per-Monitor V2 awareness context.
- Fallback Safety: Falls back gracefully to system DPI awareness if Per-Monitor V2 is unsupported by the host environment.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Metrics Calculation:
scale = (base * dpi + 48) / 96provides integer rounding across all standard scaling tiers. - Test Suite: 15 host tests and 7 bridge tests passing.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.8...v0.1.9
TransparentBar v0.1.8
TransparentBar v0.1.8
Major architectural overhaul of the taskbar connector, introducing dynamic full-width edge sampling and live updates during scrolling.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.1.8.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Single-color center pixel approximations
- The connector now samples every column across the taskbar width
- Continuous polling during fullscreen video or gaming
- Background sampling remains suspended during fullscreen activity
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.1.8:
-
Full-Width Per-Column Edge Sampling
- Replaced the legacy single-pixel center sample with a full-width, four-row edge capture.
- Each column receives its own local color with horizontal box blur smoothing (
radius=8), allowing dark margins and bright center panels to coexist naturally.
-
Independent 120 ms Connector Refresh Timer
- Added an isolated, window-owned refresh timer that tracks content changes while an app is maximized.
- Scrolling, switching tabs, and navigating web pages update the gradient automatically without requiring window focus or click events.
-
Strict GDI Synchronization
- Enforced checked
GdiFlush()synchronization before CPU pixel reads to guarantee all BitBlt transfers complete before sampling.
- Enforced checked
-
Seam-Aware Capture Placement
- Adjusted the screen capture rectangle to sample device pixels immediately above the overlay seam (
bar.top - 2 - rows), eliminating feedback loops.
- Adjusted the screen capture rectangle to sample device pixels immediately above the overlay seam (
Important
If a capture or render operation fails, TransparentBar automatically hides the strip rather than leaving stale or corrupted colors displayed.
New and improved minor features in 0.1.8 include:
- DIB Section Reuse: Pre-allocates and reuses 32-bit DIB sections across frames, uploading to
UpdateLayeredWindowonly when column colors change. - Geometry Relocation Handling: Automatically hides the connector if taskbar dimensions shift before capturing the new edge.
- Deterministic Native Tests: Added two-frame DIB BitBlt regression tests proving live scanline updates.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Alpha Math: Pre-multiplied BGRA layout with 90% top opacity and 1.65 power falloff.
- Resource Cleanup: Full RAII management across memory DCs, DIB sections, and system hooks.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.7...v0.1.8
TransparentBar v0.1.7
TransparentBar v0.1.7
Localization and UI polish update switching all interfaces to English, synchronizing tray menu themes with Windows system preferences, and refining update checks.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.1.7.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Custom heavy theme engines
- Context menus use native Windows dark/light styling via undocumented
uxtheme.dllordinals
- Context menus use native Windows dark/light styling via undocumented
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.1.7:
-
Complete English Localization
- Converted all tray menu items, status notices, About dialogs, and setup wizard tasks to standard English.
- Menu options: Taskbar connector, Run at sign-in, Check for updates, About / license, and Exit.
-
Windows System Theme Synchronization
- Reads
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize\SystemUsesLightTheme. - Dynamically applies dark or light context menu theming using
uxtheme.dllordinals 135 (SetPreferredAppMode) and 136 (FlushMenuThemes).
- Reads
-
Explicit Update Confirmation Dialog
- Clicking Check for updates in the tray menu now always shows an immediate response dialog.
- Displays an informative message when already on the latest version, or offers a one-click prompt to visit GitHub Releases when a newer version exists.
New and improved minor features in 0.1.7 include:
- NUL-Safe Header Parsing: Fixed WinHTTP header parsing where trailing NUL bytes from
WinHttpQueryHeaderscould prevent redirect tag parsing. - Enhanced Regression Tests: Added unit tests covering NUL-padded release tags, semver comparisons, and tray notification routing.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Theme Handling: Seamlessly responds to Windows theme changes upon menu invocation without requiring application restarts.
- Test Suite: 8 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.6...v0.1.7
TransparentBar v0.1.6
TransparentBar v0.1.6
Enhances the taskbar connector with automatic fullscreen suppression, an integrated GitHub update checker, and tuned gradient profiles.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.1.6.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Connector overlays during media playback or gaming
- Fullscreen applications automatically suppress the connector strip
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.1.6:
-
Automatic Fullscreen Suppression
- Detects fullscreen media (YouTube, video players), presentations, and DirectX games via
SHQueryUserNotificationState. - Hides the connector strip automatically during
QUNS_RUNNING_D3D_FULL_SCREEN,QUNS_PRESENTATION_MODE, andQUNS_APP.
- Detects fullscreen media (YouTube, video players), presentations, and DirectX games via
-
Integrated GitHub Release Update Checker
- Adds Check for updates to the tray menu and conducts an asynchronous check on startup using native WinHTTP.
- Notifies the user via a tray balloon and updates the menu label to Update available (vX.Y.Z) when a new release is detected.
-
Refined Connector Visual Profile
- Increased strip height from 28 px to 42 px with 90% peak top opacity, a gentler 1.65 falloff curve, and a 2 px seam overlap.
- Adjusts Z-order immediately above
Shell_TrayWndrather than topmost, avoiding conflicts with system overlays.
New and improved minor features in 0.1.6 include:
- Docked-Bounds Verification: Added
is_docked_above_taskbarlogic to distinguish truly docked maximized windows from floating or offset windows. - Unit Tests: Added test coverage for window bounds verification, version comparisons, and semver parsing.
Click here to view technical & architectural details
- Network Efficiency: WinHTTP checks use lightweight
HEADrequests to/releases/latestbefore falling back to GitHub API JSON endpoints. - Test Suite: 7 host unit tests and 7 bridge tests passing.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.5...v0.1.6
TransparentBar v0.1.5
TransparentBar v0.1.5
Introduces an optional maximized-window connector strip to bridge the transition between applications and the transparent taskbar.
What comes bundled:
- TransparentBar.exe - Native Windows host executable (x64)
- transparentbar_bridge-0.1.5.dll - Native taskbar transparency bridge
- Inno Setup Installer (
TransparentBar-setup.exe) - Standard per-user installation with desktop shortcut option - Portable ZIP Archive (
TransparentBar-windows-x64.zip) - Standalone package with SHA-256 verification sums
What doesn't come bundled:
- Mandatory visual intrusions
- The connector strip is completely optional and can be toggled on or off at any time
New and improved MAJOR features in 0.1.5:
-
Maximized-Window Connector Strip
- Creates a soft, layered gradient strip at the top of the taskbar when a foreground window is maximized.
- Samples the edge color of the maximized window to create a seamless aesthetic transition into the transparent bar.
-
Native Tray Toggle with Registry Persistence
- Adds a manual toggle option to the tray menu.
- Preference is stored per-user under
HKCU\Software\TransparentBar\TaskbarConnector(default enabled).
-
Event-Driven Hook Integration
- Tracks window state via
SetWinEventHook(EVENT_SYSTEM_FOREGROUND,EVENT_OBJECT_LOCATIONCHANGE), updating without continuous desktop polling.
- Tracks window state via
New and improved minor features in 0.1.5 include:
- Gradient Math Verification: Added unit tests for 32-bit premultiplied alpha layout and mathematical falloff curves.
- Shell Filtering: Excludes desktop worker windows, taskbars, and core system shells from triggering the connector.
Note
This initial connector release remained visible over some fullscreen video players. Fullscreen suppression and Z-order refinements are introduced in v0.1.6.
Downloads & Verification
Full Changelog: v0.1.4...v0.1.5