.net – Making WPF applications look Metro-styled, even in Windows 7? (Window Chrome / Theming / Theme)

What I did was creating my own Window and Style. Because I like to have control over everything and I didn't want some external libraries just to use a Window from it. I looked at already mentioned MahApps.Metro on GitHub

and also very nice Modern UI on GitHub. (.NET4.5 only)

There is one more it's Elysium but I really didn't try this one.

The style I did was really easy when I looked how it's done in these. Now I have my own Window and I can do whatever I want with xaml... for me it's the main reason why I did my own. And I made one more for you too :) I should probably say that I wouldn't be able to do it without exploring Modern UI it was great help. I tried to make it look like VS2012 Window. It looks like this.

Here is code (please note that it's targeting .NET4.5)

public class MyWindow : Window
{

    public MyWindow()
    {
        this.CommandBindings.Add(new CommandBinding(SystemCommands.CloseWindowCommand, this.OnCloseWindow));
        this.CommandBindings.Add(new CommandBinding(SystemCommands.MaximizeWindowCommand, this.OnMaximizeWindow, this.OnCanResizeWindow));
        this.CommandBindings.Add(new CommandBinding(SystemCommands.MinimizeWindowCommand, this.OnMinimizeWindow, this.OnCanMinimizeWindow));
        this.CommandBindings.Add(new CommandBinding(SystemCommands.RestoreWindowCommand, this.OnRestoreWindow, this.OnCanResizeWindow));
    }

    private void OnCanResizeWindow(object sender, CanExecuteRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        e.CanExecute = this.ResizeMode == ResizeMode.CanResize || this.ResizeMode == ResizeMode.CanResizeWithGrip;
    }

    private void OnCanMinimizeWindow(object sender, CanExecuteRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        e.CanExecute = this.ResizeMode != ResizeMode.NoResize;
    }

    private void OnCloseWindow(object target, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SystemCommands.CloseWindow(this);
    }

    private void OnMaximizeWindow(object target, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SystemCommands.MaximizeWindow(this);
    }

    private void OnMinimizeWindow(object target, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SystemCommands.MinimizeWindow(this);
    }

    private void OnRestoreWindow(object target, ExecutedRoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SystemCommands.RestoreWindow(this);
    }
}

And here resources:

<BooleanToVisibilityConverter x:Key="bool2VisibilityConverter" />

<Color x:Key="WindowBackgroundColor">#FF2D2D30</Color>
<Color x:Key="HighlightColor">#FF3F3F41</Color>
<Color x:Key="BlueColor">#FF007ACC</Color>
<Color x:Key="ForegroundColor">#FFF4F4F5</Color>

<SolidColorBrush x:Key="WindowBackgroundColorBrush" Color="{StaticResource WindowBackgroundColor}"/>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="HighlightColorBrush" Color="{StaticResource HighlightColor}"/>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="BlueColorBrush" Color="{StaticResource BlueColor}"/>
<SolidColorBrush x:Key="ForegroundColorBrush" Color="{StaticResource ForegroundColor}"/>

<Style x:Key="WindowButtonStyle" TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource ForegroundColorBrush}" />
    <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
    <Setter Property="HorizontalContentAlignment" Value="Center" />
    <Setter Property="VerticalContentAlignment" Value="Center" />
    <Setter Property="Padding" Value="1" />
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="{x:Type Button}">
                <Grid Background="{TemplateBinding Background}">
                    <ContentPresenter x:Name="contentPresenter"
                          HorizontalAlignment="{TemplateBinding HorizontalContentAlignment}"
                          VerticalAlignment="{TemplateBinding VerticalContentAlignment}"
                          SnapsToDevicePixels="{TemplateBinding SnapsToDevicePixels}"
                          Margin="{TemplateBinding Padding}"
                          RecognizesAccessKey="True" />
                </Grid>
                <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    <Trigger Property="IsMouseOver" Value="True">
                        <Setter Property="Background" Value="{StaticResource HighlightColorBrush}" />
                    </Trigger>
                    <Trigger Property="IsPressed" Value="True">
                        <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource BlueColorBrush}" />
                    </Trigger>
                    <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="false">
                        <Setter TargetName="contentPresenter" Property="Opacity" Value=".5" />
                    </Trigger>
                </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>

<Style x:Key="MyWindowStyle" TargetType="local:MyWindow">
    <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="{DynamicResource ForegroundColorBrush}" />
    <Setter Property="Background" Value="{DynamicResource WindowBackgroundBrush}"/>
    <Setter Property="ResizeMode" Value="CanResizeWithGrip" />
    <Setter Property="UseLayoutRounding" Value="True" />
    <Setter Property="TextOptions.TextFormattingMode" Value="Display" />
    <Setter Property="Template">
        <Setter.Value>
            <ControlTemplate TargetType="local:MyWindow">
                <Border x:Name="WindowBorder" Margin="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemParameters.WindowNonClientFrameThickness}}" Background="{StaticResource WindowBackgroundColorBrush}">
                    <Grid>
                        <Border BorderThickness="1">
                            <AdornerDecorator>
                                <Grid x:Name="LayoutRoot">
                                    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                        <RowDefinition Height="25" />
                                        <RowDefinition Height="*" />
                                        <RowDefinition Height="15" />
                                    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
                                    <ContentPresenter Grid.Row="1" Grid.RowSpan="2" Margin="7"/>
                                    <Rectangle x:Name="HeaderBackground" Height="25" Fill="{DynamicResource WindowBackgroundColorBrush}" VerticalAlignment="Top" Grid.Row="0"/>
                                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal" HorizontalAlignment="Right" VerticalAlignment="Top" WindowChrome.IsHitTestVisibleInChrome="True" Grid.Row="0">
                                        <Button Command="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemCommands.MinimizeWindowCommand}}" ToolTip="minimize" Style="{StaticResource WindowButtonStyle}">
                                            <Button.Content>
                                                <Grid Width="30" Height="25" RenderTransform="1,0,0,1,0,1">
                                                    <Path Data="M0,6 L8,6 Z" Width="8" Height="7" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                                        Stroke="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType=Button}}" StrokeThickness="2"  />
                                                </Grid>
                                            </Button.Content>
                                        </Button>
                                        <Grid Margin="1,0,1,0">
                                            <Button x:Name="Restore" Command="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemCommands.RestoreWindowCommand}}" ToolTip="restore" Visibility="Collapsed" Style="{StaticResource WindowButtonStyle}">
                                                <Button.Content>
                                                    <Grid Width="30" Height="25" UseLayoutRounding="True" RenderTransform="1,0,0,1,.5,.5">
                                                        <Path Data="M2,0 L8,0 L8,6 M0,3 L6,3 M0,2 L6,2 L6,8 L0,8 Z" Width="8" Height="8" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                                            Stroke="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType=Button}}" StrokeThickness="1"  />
                                                    </Grid>
                                                </Button.Content>
                                            </Button>
                                            <Button x:Name="Maximize" Command="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemCommands.MaximizeWindowCommand}}" ToolTip="maximize" Style="{StaticResource WindowButtonStyle}">
                                                <Button.Content>
                                                    <Grid Width="31" Height="25">
                                                        <Path Data="M0,1 L9,1 L9,8 L0,8 Z" Width="9" Height="8" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                                            Stroke="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType=Button}}" StrokeThickness="2"  />
                                                    </Grid>
                                                </Button.Content>
                                            </Button>
                                        </Grid>
                                        <Button Command="{Binding Source={x:Static SystemCommands.CloseWindowCommand}}" ToolTip="close"  Style="{StaticResource WindowButtonStyle}">
                                            <Button.Content>
                                                <Grid Width="30" Height="25" RenderTransform="1,0,0,1,0,1">
                                                    <Path Data="M0,0 L8,7 M8,0 L0,7 Z" Width="8" Height="7" VerticalAlignment="Center" HorizontalAlignment="Center"
                                                        Stroke="{Binding Foreground, RelativeSource={RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor, AncestorType=Button}}" StrokeThickness="1.5"  />
                                                </Grid>
                                            </Button.Content>
                                        </Button>
                                    </StackPanel>
                                    <TextBlock x:Name="WindowTitleTextBlock" Grid.Row="0" Text="{TemplateBinding Title}" HorizontalAlignment="Left" TextTrimming="CharacterEllipsis" VerticalAlignment="Center"  Margin="8 -1 0 0"  FontSize="16"  Foreground="{TemplateBinding Foreground}"/>
                                    <Grid Grid.Row="2">
                                        <Path x:Name="ResizeGrip" Visibility="Collapsed" Width="12" Height="12" Margin="1" HorizontalAlignment="Right"
                                        Stroke="{StaticResource BlueColorBrush}" StrokeThickness="1" Stretch="None" Data="F1 M1,10 L3,10 M5,10 L7,10 M9,10 L11,10 M2,9 L2,11 M6,9 L6,11 M10,9 L10,11 M5,6 L7,6 M9,6 L11,6 M6,5 L6,7 M10,5 L10,7 M9,2 L11,2 M10,1 L10,3" />
                                    </Grid>
                                </Grid>
                            </AdornerDecorator>
                        </Border>
                        <Border BorderBrush="{StaticResource BlueColorBrush}" BorderThickness="1" Visibility="{Binding IsActive, RelativeSource={RelativeSource FindAncestor, AncestorType={x:Type Window}}, Converter={StaticResource bool2VisibilityConverter}}" />
                    </Grid>
                </Border>
                <ControlTemplate.Triggers>
                    <Trigger Property="WindowState" Value="Maximized">
                        <Setter TargetName="Maximize" Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed" />
                        <Setter TargetName="Restore" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible" />
                        <Setter TargetName="LayoutRoot" Property="Margin" Value="7" />
                    </Trigger>
                    <Trigger Property="WindowState" Value="Normal">
                        <Setter TargetName="Maximize" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible" />
                        <Setter TargetName="Restore" Property="Visibility" Value="Collapsed" />
                    </Trigger>
                    <MultiTrigger>
                        <MultiTrigger.Conditions>
                            <Condition Property="ResizeMode" Value="CanResizeWithGrip" />
                            <Condition Property="WindowState" Value="Normal" />
                        </MultiTrigger.Conditions>
                        <Setter TargetName="ResizeGrip" Property="Visibility" Value="Visible" />
                    </MultiTrigger>
                </ControlTemplate.Triggers>
            </ControlTemplate>
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
    <Setter Property="WindowChrome.WindowChrome">
        <Setter.Value>
            <WindowChrome CornerRadius="0" GlassFrameThickness="1" UseAeroCaptionButtons="False" />
        </Setter.Value>
    </Setter>
</Style>