[beverson]

Okay, I can just see everyone freaking out that I even asked this questions, but how can one put the brushed metal on Mail? I have a friend who wants to do this, and he found Metallifizer, but it seems to only work on Jaguar and hasn't been updated for Panther. Is there any other way to do this? Are there any other apps or utils that can put brushed metal on Carbon apps that are normally Aqua? Any inside info on Metallfizer?

Please try and restrain yourself if you are inclined to post back indignantly wondering why the hell anyone would want to have more brushed metal. I understand that most people hate it, and that's fine. But not helpful.

Thanks.

[Horsepoo!!!]

no, metalizing Aqua apps is often a bad thing.

[beverson]

Originally posted by Horsepoo!!!:
no, metalizing Aqua apps is often a bad thing.

Why is that? Can you be more specific?

[SupahCoolX]

Actually, I think Mail could benefit from Metal. It makes sense for it to follow the design of the Finder and the other iApps. The "source" list on the left is the list of accounts/folders, a top pane for the message list, and a bottom pane for the selected message. Move the search bar to the top right corner, and there you go. Interface consistency.

[RayX]

Originally posted by SupahCoolX:
Actually, I think Mail could benefit from Metal. It makes sense for it to follow the design of the Finder and the other iApps. The "source" list on the left is the list of accounts/folders, a top pane for the message list, and a bottom pane for the selected message. Move the search bar to the top right corner, and there you go. Interface consistency.

Just make the whole OS metal while you're at it eh?

Metal makes sense for applications that interface with digital devices, iApps for example, or applications that represent digital devices, DVD Player, Calculator.

Anything else is

Apple's latest addition to the HIG to cover the Finder throws things out of whack a bit.

One other thing, brushed metal being different every-time it is used doesn't make things any better either.

[MartiNZ]

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Much as I hate to say it, the whole brushed metal thing is growing on me as its use increases further and further! And to my mind, it makes more sense for Mail than it does for Finder.

The big thing I don't like about brushed metal is how easy it is to move windows without meaning to, because there are so many places where clicking causes movement! But then again, having borders for dragging and such is quite useful, as there are in most cases. I don't like the implementation of metal for Safari, what with the non-standard toolbar and a lack of such borders - I think if it's going to look like an aqua window anyway, it should just be aqua.

But overall, standard brushed metal wouldn't be too bad.

[RayX]

Originally posted by MartiNZ:
Yes, that sounds like a good idea.

If you were referring to my post, I was actually being sarcastic. I added a to make it more obvious.

[Superchicken]

it's never made sense to me that Mail.app doesn't get brushed, if address book and the finder are brushed mail should be too.

[MartiNZ]

Originally posted by RayX:
If you were referring to my post, I was actually being sarcastic. I added a to make it more obvious.

No no, I was referring to the one above - quite nice timing as it turned out though . I guess I should use the reply function more often. Anyway, as you said, the problem is that the BM interface is never used the same twice really. I think the iApps are moving pretty much in the right direction for consistency - especially with the new version of iPhoto, which has a much improved interface look. With any luck (actually with a lot of luck!) the next iTunes will be real BM as well rather than its own skin! As for Garageband ... well, I just don't know quite what happened there - it might look quite good as a proper interface, of any sort!

I don't think that the editing interface of Address Book should be encouraged - iCal handles this much better but it still seems to be very much ad hoc at this point!

But I can definitely see Mail in brushed - I guess we just wait and see!

[RayX]

To no one in particular:

Mail should not be metal. If you don't know why, you shouldn't be asking.

[BryanM]

Mmm hmm, ok... But really, I'm interested too. Is there anyway to change the look of mail to metal? I know everyone has opinions about the looks of metal and aqua, and that's swell, but I've read post after post after post about that elsewhere. Let's get back on task here gang. Super.

[macrophyllum]

Download Apple's free developer tools. Control-click on Mail.app in the Finder and choose "Show package contents". Navigate to the different .nib files and open them in Interface Builder and find the checkbox in the Info panel to make the window "brushed metal". That should do it.

If this sounds way to weird or hard, maybe don't do it because you could screw things up editing the .nib files.

Good luck.

[Dale Sorel]

Originally posted by RayX:
Mail should not be metal. If you don't know why, you shouldn't be asking.

Why thank you, master know-it-all of the Mac universe

[BryanM]

Worked great! Thanks!

[mattyd]

Originally posted by SupahCoolX:
Actually, I think Mail could benefit from Metal. It makes sense for it to follow the design of the Finder and the other iApps. The "source" list on the left is the list of accounts/folders, a top pane for the message list, and a bottom pane for the selected message. Move the search bar to the top right corner, and there you go. Interface consistency.

also, as much as i i hate to admit that Microsoft did something well and did it FIRST -- i do like the new three column Outlook/Entourage.

implement Mail that way and it would look a lot like Address Book.

[NYCFarmboy]

Running Metallifizer just fine on Panther here.

and MAIL is showing up just fine in metallic.



You need to check your Metallifizer preferences in the APE (application enhancer) Manager..I have mine set on Global.

With Panther I don't think its that big of a deal to have the metal appearance, but on Jaguar I did not like the white horizontal stripes on everything.

[Truepop]

Originally posted by mattyd:
also, as much as i i hate to admit that Microsoft did something well and did it FIRST -- i do like the new three column Outlook/Entourage.

implement Mail that way and it would look a lot like Address Book.

Nah, the three column idea on a mail client is just like columns in the finder, not enough room to show much of anything (subjects and senders) and yet takes up the whole screen. I don't like a mail program that does that.

And the only way mail would have brushed metal is to have the source list. Which I think might work out if they try it. instead of filters have smart inboxes. But I like my drawer and aqua. it may not be the most powerful mail client but it beats the pants off any free mail client I have used before.

[SupahCoolX]

Originally posted by Truepop:
instead of filters have smart inboxes.

Great idea! Tons of potential uses!

[bkb]

Originally posted by NYCFarmboy:

Gorgeous

[MartiNZ]

Agreed. All it needs after that is a metal border, metal toolbar buttons and blue and white striped lines in the message list .

[eevyl]

Standard toolbar items look dreadful with brushed whatever, and that's only one of the thousand flaws brushed metal has. Do a search for it it has been discussed to death here.

[bkb]

Originally posted by eevyl:
and that's only one of the thousand flaws brushed metal has

Could you list ten of them?

[eevyl]

Originally posted by bkb:
Could you list ten of them?

[list=1][*]Standard toolbar icons look awful[*]Inactive window texture is the same as active one[*]Most Aqua widget look weird, ie the new Panther "tabs"[*]It needs a white container so text is readable easily[*]Sheets come down from nowhere, in Panther they hacked a "slot"[*]The apps that use it didn't follow the guidelines Apple did, rather they forced the change.[*]Slower to redraw, two layers being drawn for each brushed metal window, and those are usually big with wide borders to look "cool".[*]It throws OS interface consistency out of the window, each app has a different look, even if they are all brushed, they all end up using custom widgets as the Aqua ones don't fit most of the time.[*]Although some "clear" guidelines say which apps should be brushed, it is not followed by Apple itself. Disk Utility should be brushed, it interacts with digital devices and has a sidebar.[*]Drawers look strange, not entirely brushed and in fact don't behave like part of the brushed window as you cannot move it by draggin from any point of the drawer.[/list=1]

[monkeybrain]

Is it possible to move the mailboxes to a pane rather than the drawer? I don't think a drawer should be used in mail since it's normally kept open all the time, when drawers should be for temporary controls.

[bkb]

Originally posted by eevyl:
[list=1][*]Standard toolbar icons look awful[*]Inactive window texture is the same as active one[*]Most Aqua widget look weird, ie the new Panther "tabs"[*]It needs a white container so text is readable easily[*]Sheets come down from nowhere, in Panther they hacked a "slot"[*]The apps that use it didn't follow the guidelines Apple did, rather they forced the change.[*]Slower to redraw, two layers being drawn for each brushed metal window, and those are usually big with wide borders to look "cool".[*]It throws OS interface consistency out of the window, each app has a different look, even if they are all brushed, they all end up using custom widgets as the Aqua ones don't fit most of the time.[*]Although some "clear" guidelines say which apps should be brushed, it is not followed by Apple itself. Disk Utility should be brushed, it interacts with digital devices and has a sidebar.[*]Drawers look strange, not entirely brushed and in fact don't behave like part of the brushed window as you cannot move it by draggin from any point of the drawer.[/list=1]

Wow. I didn't realize there was so much involed. But it seems a lot of your comments are subjective (looks wierd..., look strange..., look awful..., etc...). I don't think all these points are hard facts. I'm not taking away from some good points you've made though. But I'm guessing there are these sort of disadvantages to ALL themes - and that you cannot use these to justify an end to Brushed Metal. Clearly, it is a matter of personal preference, and in this case, we disagree.

What I don't understand is this. If Brushed Metal is so flawed, then why would Apple persist in using it?

BKB.

[NYCFarmboy]

*laughing*

personal preference on what looks good is completely subjective.

I myself like the brushed metal look obviously.

but understand that some people like the white look or something else.

we all have our own reasons.

I myself like the metalized look because it separates the work area of the application (white) from the toolbars (darker metalic). A tool bar is a tool bar is a tool bar. I'd rather have my eye drawn to what I'm working on inside the application than to the application headers themselves.

[bkb]

Originally posted by NYCFarmboy:
*laughing*

personal preference on what looks good is completely subjective.

I myself like the brushed metal look obviously.

but understand that some people like the white look or something else.

we all have our own reasons.

I myself like the metalized look because it separates the work area of the application (white) from the toolbars (darker metalic). A tool bar is a tool bar is a tool bar. I'd rather have my eye drawn to what I'm working on inside the application than to the application headers themselves.

So then we agree with each other. I am a fan of Brushed Metal. Not only for the reason you mentioned, but also because I just like the look. I think it is consistent with the overall design of my PowerBook - where the bright whiteness of the screen focuses my attention where it shoult be, and away from the actual aluminium case. Brushed metal is an extension of that, on screen.

[Adam Betts]

Originally posted by eevyl:

1. Standard toolbar icons look awful

Yeah, this is something Apple should address in their HIG.

I discussed about that a bit in my weblog