[HTC One X] HebeGuess:
So, what is it? The Dimming Effect.

[YOUTUBE]MTaPPdq3394[/YOUTUBE]

The special effect has been added to AOSP Android since JellyBean 4.1.

While it was only minimal UX addition, some may not even noticed.

For me it's not only a special effect, it is a great showcase of how good UX should / can be.

Whilst not many care about it, I'm actually little fan of this. I dig into it just to have it back..

After Sense 5 comes to Endeavoru, I persue my previous incomplete discovery on it..

Here is how to bring it back on Sense...

For people who just wanna experiece it, go straight to post #2.

For others, continue here..

First, let's look over the diff. between HTC and AOSP's code.

SystemUI.apk - com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView.java

@Override
public void panelExpansionChanged(PanelView panel, float frac) {
super.panelExpansionChanged(panel, frac);

[COLOR="DarkRed"] /* Absent codes on HTC Sense 5. Urghhh, I want the special effect back!!
if (panel == mFadingPanel && mScrimColor != 0 && ActivityManager.isHighEndGfx()) {
if (mShouldFade) {
frac = mPanelExpandedFractionSum; // don't judge me
// let's start this 20% of the way down the screen
frac = frac * 1.2f - 0.2f;
if (frac <= 0) {
mBar.mStatusBarWindow.setBackgroundColor(0);
} else {
// woo, special effects
final float k = (float)(1f-0.5f*(1f-Math.cos(3.14159f * Math.pow(1f-frac, 2f))));
// attenuate background color alpha by k
final int color = (int) ((mScrimColor >>> 24) * k) << 24 | (mScrimColor & 0xFFFFFF);
mBar.mStatusBarWindow.setBackgroundColor(color);
}
}
} */[/COLOR]

// fade out the panel as it gets buried into the status bar to avoid overdrawing the
// status bar on the last frame of a close animation
final int H = mBar.getStatusBarHeight();
final float ph = panel.getExpandedHeight() + panel.getPaddingBottom();
float alpha = 1f;
if (ph < 2*H) {
if (ph < H) alpha = 0f;
else alpha = (ph - H) / H;
alpha = alpha * alpha; // get there faster
}
if (panel.getAlpha() != alpha) {
panel.setAlpha(alpha);
}

[COLOR="DarkRed"] /* Absent codes on HTC Sense 5.
// HTC have their own way for CarrierLabel
mBar.updateCarrierLabelVisibility(false);
*/[/COLOR]
}

Better view on Gist.

Sources code reference: Github - PhoneStatusBarView.java

Now we know the differentiation. Why go hassle way...

Just grab smali code from AOSP plus some simple edits merge into Sense..

I already done smali editing for you.

Just take the code, do baksmali on your SystemUI.apk;

search & replace the method. Recompile, it's Done~

SystemUI.apk - com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView.smali

.method public panelExpansionChanged(Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;F)V
.locals 18

invoke-super/range {p0 .. p2}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelBar;->panelExpansionChanged(Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;F)V

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget-object v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mFadingPanel:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;

move-object/from16 v0, p1

if-ne v0, v6, :cond_3c

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mScrimColor:I

if-eqz v6, :cond_3c

invoke-static {}, Landroid/app/ActivityManager;->isHighEndGfx()Z

move-result v6

if-eqz v6, :cond_3c

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget-boolean v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mShouldFade:Z

if-eqz v6, :cond_3c

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget v0, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mPanelExpandedFractionSum:F

move/from16 p2, v0

const v6, 0x3f99999a

mul-float v6, v6, p2

const v7, 0x3e4ccccd

sub-float p2, v6, v7

const/4 v6, 0x0

cmpg-float v6, p2, v6

if-gtz v6, :cond_75

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget-object v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mBar:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;

iget-object v6, v6, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;->mStatusBarWindow:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView;

const/4 v7, 0x0

invoke-virtual {v6, v7}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView;->setBackgroundColor(I)V

:cond_3c
:goto_3c
move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget-object v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mBar:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;

invoke-virtual {v6}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;->getStatusBarHeight()I

move-result v1

invoke-virtual/range {p1 .. p1}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;->getExpandedHeight()F

move-result v6

invoke-virtual/range {p1 .. p1}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;->getPaddingBottom()I

move-result v7

int-to-float v7, v7

add-float v5, v6, v7

const/high16 v2, 0x3f80

mul-int/lit8 v6, v1, 0x2

int-to-float v6, v6

cmpg-float v6, v5, v6

if-gez v6, :cond_5f

int-to-float v6, v1

cmpg-float v6, v5, v6

if-gez v6, :cond_b3

const/4 v2, 0x0

:goto_0
mul-float/2addr v2, v2

:cond_5f
invoke-virtual/range {p1 .. p1}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;->getAlpha()F

move-result v6

cmpl-float v6, v6, v2

if-eqz v6, :cond_6c

move-object/from16 v0, p1

invoke-virtual {v0, v2}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PanelView;->setAlpha(F)V

:cond_6c
return-void

:cond_75
const-wide/high16 v6, 0x3ff0

const-wide/high16 v8, 0x3fe0

const-wide/high16 v10, 0x3ff0

const-wide v12, 0x400921fa00000000L

const/high16 v14, 0x3f80

sub-float v14, v14, p2

float-to-double v14, v14

const-wide/high16 v16, 0x4000

invoke-static/range {v14 .. v17}, Ljava/lang/Math;->pow(DD)D

move-result-wide v14

mul-double/2addr v12, v14

invoke-static {v12, v13}, Ljava/lang/Math;->cos(D)D

move-result-wide v12

sub-double/2addr v10, v12

mul-double/2addr v8, v10

sub-double/2addr v6, v8

double-to-float v4, v6

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mScrimColor:I

ushr-int/lit8 v6, v6, 0x18

int-to-float v6, v6

mul-float/2addr v6, v4

float-to-int v6, v6

shl-int/lit8 v6, v6, 0x18

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget v7, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mScrimColor:I

const v8, 0xffffff

and-int/2addr v7, v8

or-int v3, v6, v7

move-object/from16 v0, p0

iget-object v6, v0, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBarView;->mBar:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;

iget-object v6, v6, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar;->mStatusBarWindow:Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView;

invoke-virtual {v6, v3}, Lcom/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView;->setBackgroundColor(I)V

goto :goto_3c

:cond_b3
int-to-float v6, v1

sub-float v6, v5, v6

int-to-float v7, v1

div-float v2, v6, v7

goto :goto_0
.end method

Better view on Gist.

Notes:

Implement as your will.. Just remember to give me credit and link to the thread, Thanks.

A Reply/PM will be appreciated.

Credits:

Matias Duarte, Awesome Googlers for the effects, and HTC for not breaks the code hard on Sense.