[Settings] Mica & modern titlebar

[niels9001]

Summary of the Pull Request

• Adding Mica as a background material for Settings and OOBE windows.
• Modern titlebar inline with W11 guidelines
• Moving the NavigationView.PaneToggleButton to the titlebar so we have more vertical space
• Adding a "Debug" label whenever Settings runs in debug so it's easier to distinguish when running side by side the GA version.
• Upgraded to WinUIEx 2.2 (as it includes a theme switching fix). Moved from WinUIEx.Backdrop to Window.SystemBackdrop.

Titlebar - before vs. after

Mica

PR Checklist

• Closes: Settings: apply Mica backdrop #24890
• Communication: I've discussed this with core contributors already. If work hasn't been agreed, this work might be rejected
• Tests: Added/updated and all pass
• Localization: All end user facing strings can be localized
• Dev docs: Added/updated
• New binaries: Added on the required places
  • JSON for signing for new binaries
  • WXS for installer for new binaries and localization folder
  • YML for CI pipeline for new test projects
  • YML for signed pipeline
• Documentation updated: If checked, please file a pull request on our docs repo and link it here: #xxx

Detailed Description of the Pull Request / Additional comments

Validation Steps Performed

[htcfreek]

@niels9001
Can you please validate that the them selection related code changes doesn't break the custom them for the Keyboard control.

[htcfreek]

And did you miss to push the debug label code?

[Jay-o-Way]

• Can we use this?

<Window x:Class="MyApp.MainWindow">

    <Window.SystemBackdrop>
        <MicaBackdrop MicaKind="BaseAlt"/>
    </Window.SystemBackdrop>

</Window>

From https://learn.microsoft.com/nl-nl/windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/microsoft.ui.xaml.media.micabackdrop?view=windows-app-sdk-1.3#examples

• Then, Can we move away from WindowEx?

[niels9001]

• Then, Can we move away from WindowEx?

We use it for more than just Mica.. so I don't see a clear reason why we would move away from it if those helpers aren't part of WinAppSDK?

[davidegiacometti]

Mica & modern titlebar in settings! 😍

I don't have any problem with WinUIEx, just consider that in the 2.2 (released yesterday) backdrop APIs have been deprecated.

PowerToys is still using 2.1 at the moment.

[niels9001]

Mica & modern titlebar in settings! 😍

I don't have any problem with WinUIEx, just consider that in the 2.2 (released yesterday) backdrop APIs have been deprecated.

PowerToys is still using 2.1 at the moment.

Yeah, and we'd need to update to the latest WASDK so that we can set it in XAML.. I believe there was a crash preventing this and you'd need to manually set it in code behind.

I'd let this go in as is, and then do a PR updating WinUIEx/WinAppSDK and replacing the WinUI backdrops with the WASDK backdrops.

[crutkas]

Think we just upgraded to app sdk 1.3.1

[jaimecbernardo]

Yeah, main is on 1.3.1 already.

[niels9001]

@Jay-o-Way @jaimecbernado @crutkas Updated to WinUIEx and removed the WinUIEx mica backdrops. Still using the WinUIEx Acrlyic for the flyout though, as the default DesktopAcrylicBackdrop doesn't match the required effect. Seems that this still requires code behind.

Anyways - this PR is ready for review. But maybe to wait until 0.70 is released to get this in?

[crutkas]

I’m inclined to wait at this point.

[Jay-o-Way]

Working and looking good! 👍🏻
Why wait?

[jaimecbernardo]

I've pushed a fix for the build issue.
@niels9001 , Thanks for opening this PR. Is it ready for review?
Does any of the other utilities using WinUIEx also need changes to take the update into account? (File Locksmith, Hosts, Measure Tool, Peek, Registry Preview)

[jaimecbernardo]

Also, isn't the WinUIEx upgrade #26000 ? This one seems to upgrade it as well.

[niels9001]

Also, isn't the WinUIEx upgrade #26000 ? This one seems to upgrade it as well.

Yeah, it was needed for this PR as well with the latest APIs and bugfixes. Feel free to merge that first.. this PR is ready for review!

[jaimecbernardo]

Added a missing NOTICE.md entry to try to get CI to pass.
@niels9001, when comparing this PR with 0.70.1, it seems that the Settings window is no longer reacting to theme changes from dark to light and vice-versa. I mean, it seems to react, but only after navigating a bit around Settings. Any idea why this would be the case?
Other than that, it LGTM!

[Jay-o-Way]

One thing

[niels9001]

@niels9001, when comparing this PR with 0.70.1, it seems that the Settings window is no longer reacting to theme changes from dark to light and vice-versa. I mean, it seems to react, but only after navigating a bit around Settings. Any idea why this would be the case? Other than that, it LGTM!

I have no idea.. seeing the same thing. When putting this PR in I'm 100% sure this was tested and it worked as expected 😣. When debugging, it seems that the ThemeListener.ThemeChanged event gets triggered late - so if that event would come in on time everything works as expected. So not sure how to fix it.. but maybe also not that big of a deal :)

[jaimecbernardo]

Alright. Anyway, theme does change eventually and it sounds like low priority. I'll open an issue after merging.
I'll do another test on Windows 10 and then I'll bring this PR in ;)
Thanks for the contribution!

[jaimecbernardo]

LGTM! Thank you for the contribution! Works well on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
I'll open an issue for the new theme change delay this PR seems to bring.