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olorin15 · May 10, 2003, 08:52 PM

Hi all,

I have a question for Theme creators:

Why don't all of you use OS X installer app for installing your custom themes in the same manner as Izawa is using on his Shinobi, Alumite, etc themes?
Perhaps it's more work than writing .dlta packages? But why did Izawa himself switch to using Installer instead of Duality or ThemeChanger. It seems like a great idea - it's Themer independent, requires no other software, always works

I'm mostly asking this because I've tried his themes recently with the new installer option and they work out great, whereas new Duality keeps messing up ... Last time i tried using it, it could not install a single theme properly

- and yes they were the right themes for my 10.2.5 ... Also, ThemeChanger is fast and nice, but it messes with my CandyBar customized icons ... and it seems like no new versions are comming out.
Right now I'm back to using Aqua (graphite w/ most of the apps enhanced with Metalifizer) - but I know I cn't live without themes - it's an addiciton I developed while running Linux (I tried every single window manager out there, and almost every single theme

i think i have mental problems of some kind =P ) And for now I'm limited to Izawa's themes and Apple's default ... which is still pretty good, but there are new themes coming out and there are others (like Milk, SmoothStripes, FatalE) that I would love to be able to use again!!!
So can someone explain to me why more themers don't use the Installer? Maybe you guys can get in touch with Izawa and get some help from him?

I wish I could get into this theming for OS X thing myself, but it seems like too much work

I created themes for Linux, but only when it required minimum effort (WindowMaker for instance ... ) So keep up the good work!!! And I hope I'll see a more stable solution to theme switching than Duality or ThemeChanger ...

swiz · May 10, 2003, 09:53 PM

Originally posted by olorin15:
Hi all,

I have a question for Theme creators:

Why don't all of you use OS X installer app for installing your custom themes in the same manner as Izawa is using on his Shinobi, Alumite, etc themes?
Perhaps it's more work than writing .dlta packages? But why did Izawa himself switch to using Installer instead of Duality or ThemeChanger. It seems like a great idea - it's Themer independent, requires no other software, always works
I'm mostly asking this because I've tried his themes recently with the new installer option and they work out great, whereas new Duality keeps messing up ... Last time i tried using it, it could not install a single theme properly - and yes they were the right themes for my 10.2.5 ... Also, ThemeChanger is fast and nice, but it messes with my CandyBar customized icons ... and it seems like no new versions are comming out.
Right now I'm back to using Aqua (graphite w/ most of the apps enhanced with Metalifizer) - but I know I cn't live without themes - it's an addiciton I developed while running Linux (I tried every single window manager out there, and almost every single theme i think i have mental problems of some kind =P ) And for now I'm limited to Izawa's themes and Apple's default ... which is still pretty good, but there are new themes coming out and there are others (like Milk, SmoothStripes, FatalE) that I would love to be able to use again!!!
So can someone explain to me why more themers don't use the Installer? Maybe you guys can get in touch with Izawa and get some help from him?

I wish I could get into this theming for OS X thing myself, but it seems like too much work I created themes for Linux, but only when it required minimum effort (WindowMaker for instance ... ) So keep up the good work!!! And I hope I'll see a more stable solution to theme switching than Duality or ThemeChanger ...

This is how my themes were available when I started theme building and users complained about them not being switchable with a theme app. I dont really prefer one over the other, I just make available what the majority of my users asks for.

Vi0 · May 10, 2003, 10:44 PM

I've used Duality 4 to switch themes about 100 times now. And never once did it do something unexpected. Maybe that's because I always revert to Aqua before switching themes. The mac os x installer is ok to use, but I don't like having to restart my computer everytime I change the theme.

fireside · May 11, 2003, 01:02 AM

do you really have to quote the whole entire freaking post swiz when you are the second poster?!

olorin15 · May 11, 2003, 04:07 AM

I can't understand why anyone would complain about not being able to use a theme switcher ... switchers change all the time - they work for a while, then apple changes somthing and they stop working ... sometimes they get abandoned (like chameleon) ...
Also, i do not see how it's easier to use Duality rather than Installer if every time you change a theme you have to revert to Aqua first ... that's such a pain. might as well restart and get a clean system with the new theme.
One problem I have with Installer, of course, is inability to preview themes - but then you always have a screenshot of the theme provided by the author, so you know what to expect.
I thought Duality GT was great at first, unitl i realized it does not always work ... Doesn't anyone else out their share my opinion

I must be weird or something ...

swiz · May 11, 2003, 09:04 AM

Originally posted by fireside:
do you really have to quote the whole entire freaking post swiz when you are the second poster?!

Yes, Ive got too much to do to be anal and go through and edit what gets quoted.

bbxstudio · May 11, 2003, 10:07 AM

Originally posted by olorin15:

So can someone explain to me why more themers don't use the Installer? Maybe you guys can get in touch with Izawa and get some help from him?

Well during development you want to use a theme switcher because you're constantly loading in updated builds to evaluate changes - but how one gets from a finished .dlta to an installer is a mystery (to me anyways)... a tutorial on this by someone in the know (Swiz?) would be uber-cool

Angus_D · May 11, 2003, 10:13 AM

Originally posted by swiz:
Yes, Ive got too much to do to be anal and go through and edit what gets quoted.

So just don't quote it at all?

bbxstudio · May 11, 2003, 10:49 AM

That's right Swiz - behave or the forum police will use up more vertical space riding you about it than your quote took up in the first place - then we're doubly screwed

swiz · May 11, 2003, 10:59 AM

Well I can see in this case that not quoting at all would make sense but usually I quote in longer threads when not quoting would get confusing.

I apologize for this inconvenience and promise to no longer misuse the quoting capabilties of the forum. I will also cease my jaywalking habits and incomplete stop sign "roll-throughs".

bbxstudio · May 11, 2003, 12:41 PM

Hey, how do you guys get 'currently playing in iTunes' info in your sigs? How would a lunkhead like me go about doing that?

swiz · May 11, 2003, 01:20 PM

Hey bbx, didnt want to risk the chance at another quoting ticket so:
http://www.big.or.jp/~crane/

fireside · May 11, 2003, 02:11 PM

i wasnt trying to be mean or anything but its just kinda annoying to see a huge quote on the second post.

Synotic · May 11, 2003, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by swiz:
Hey bbx, didnt want to risk the chance at another quoting ticket so:
http://www.big.or.jp/~crane/

The idea is cool but it exceeds the size limits. I made graphics for tinrib a while ago that was 140x40 and it looked like a minimized itunes window with just the yellow part where it shows the song info. The only thing is that it didn't include ratings and it may have left out album. I'll have to look for it...

swiz · May 11, 2003, 03:13 PM

fireside, I know, I was just messing around too.
Synotic, that would be rad if you could find that, I'd love to have the display as small as logically possible.