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Dragon T · 06:04 PM

Is it possible for a window's dropshadow to be controlled by the theme?
Can it be turned off or on as the Theme is changed?
Is this ever likely to be possible?
I believe that would increase the range of Theme styles that could work in osX.

At the moment, most 'positive' themes work well with drop shadows, however a 'neutral' or 'negative' theme would need drop shadows turned off.

'postive': the window sits forward of the desk top,
'neutral': the window sits flush with the desk top,
'negative': the window is etched into the desk top.

phillryu · May 13, 2004, 06:09 PM

Currently you can modify window shadows using WindowShadeX, a utility from Unsanity, but this feature isn't included in ShapeShifter... yet. I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually became an option however, as the two applications are both developed by Unsanity and use the same APE engine.

Ozzpot · May 13, 2004, 06:10 PM

Unsanity (the same company that makes ShapeShifter) makes a small freeware haxie called ShadowKiller. It just turns off aqua shadows in OSX. I imagine it would be very simple to integrate this into ShapeShifter so that themes would decide whether shadows were on or off. I imagine that over time, more and more haxies will be merged into ShapeShifter, but I can see this being one of the first as it is free anyway and probably easiest. As long as there is enough demand for it that is. I must say it's neevr occurred to me as important but then I have never considered the possibility off neutral or negative themes.

Dragon T · May 13, 2004, 06:13 PM

It would be very cool if they combined all their gui stuff into one app.
Please Unsanity =)

smeger · May 13, 2004, 06:19 PM

We're listening.

It's unlikely that something like Windowshade would ever be fully integrated into ShapeShifter since WindowShade does a lot of non-theme-related stuff (like, uhh, windowshading). But it's not at all impossible that there may be some feature overlap in the future.

Frisbee · May 13, 2004, 06:43 PM

Stardock would disagree with windowshading being unrelated to theming, with windowblinds' little ability to make a windowshade button

.

Dragon T · May 13, 2004, 06:45 PM

cool =)
Mighty Mouse would be a nice addition to Shapeshifter...
and (from a non Unsanity gui modifier) CandyBar compatible system icon changing facilities would be great also.

Ozzpot · May 13, 2004, 07:18 PM

The only problem I can see with all these haxies being included in one package (aside from the fact that it would be too complicated for most peoples tastes and needs) is that it would have to cost more right?

I myself have bought ShapeShifter, MightyMouse, WindowShade X, Silk and Xounds. That's $65 in total. Would Unsanity really put all this in one $25 package? They'd have to if they didn't want to be flamed like they were when SS was first released. Certainly those people may be tempted into buying if ShapeShifter did all that, but I'm not sure if that extra custom would make up the defecit. I don't see the problem in just having several haxies other than from a financial point of view. Before you flame me for that, I have no job and no money either. I just think my iBook is worth treating with software of this quality once in a while.

phillryu · May 13, 2004, 07:28 PM

Right. What seems logical is to include barebones options for themers to control amount of shadows in TP. This would mean it would be invisible to users, and up to themers to set shadows on or off in their guikits. I think that makes the most sense.

phillryu · May 13, 2004, 07:29 PM

Originally posted by Ozzpot:
The only problem I can see with all these haxies being included in one package (aside from the fact that it would be too complicated for most peoples tastes and needs) is that it would have to cost more right?

I myself have bought ShapeShifter, MightyMouse, WindowShade X, Silk and Xounds. That's $65 in total. Would Unsanity really put all this in one $25 package? They'd have to if they didn't want to be flamed like they were when SS was first released. Certainly those people may be tempted into buying if ShapeShifter did all that, but I'm not sure if that extra custom would make up the defecit. I don't see the problem in just having several haxies other than from a financial point of view. Before you flame me for that, I have no job and no money either. I just think my iBook is worth treating with software of this quality once in a while.

I think a GUI customization pack is a great idea! With some advertising, I'm sure this could translate into a lot of sales

fireside · May 13, 2004, 07:31 PM

Originally posted by phillryu:
Right. What seems logical is to include barebones options for themers to control amount of shadows in TP. This would mean it would be invisible to users, and up to themers to set shadows on or off in their guikits. I think that makes the most sense.

while i agree it should be invisible, i do think the user should have the option of keeping the shadows the way they are as default or the way the themer wants the shadows to be. the same with the application skins.

ps: ShapeShifter needs a facelift.

Ozzpot · May 13, 2004, 07:31 PM

More work for the Smegmeister! Yay!

kwyjiboy · May 14, 2004, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by smeger:
We're listening.

It's unlikely that something like Windowshade would ever be fully integrated into ShapeShifter since WindowShade does a lot of non-theme-related stuff (like, uhh, windowshading). But it's not at all impossible that there may be some feature overlap in the future.

I asked about 10 months ago, when Windowshade 3 wasn't out yet, if it was possible to add window-snapping to Windowshade X. A lot of programs have this option within them, but most don't. The effect would mean snapping a window to the screen edge when it is within 10 pixels or so. Or rather than making this a Windowshade feature, maybe this would warrant a seperate APE altogether. I suggest seperate because bundling such an effect in with Windowshade would mean that excluding an app from it would also exclude it from snapping.

Personally, I like to have evey window aligned neatly, to the pixel, and this isn't easy by hand. It can be quite frustrating. I wonder how many other users would like a global window-snapping utility. Some windowmanagers on linux have this as a feature.

On the PC, there's a freeware utility that does this. It also snaps windows to each others' edges, so you can align them against themselves. It's called allSnap.

I wonder how many others would like window snapping, if I mention it here. I anticipate a couple will say, "I wouldn't use it."

Yes. that's why checkboxes were invented. Just turn it off.

smeger · May 14, 2004, 02:33 PM

kwyjiboy, you should email that suggestion to Unsanity. I'm not responsible for WindowShade, but I think it's a good idea.

Frisbee · May 14, 2004, 04:37 PM

I really like that idea. It'd make me even happier to have registered WSX..

Jaey · May 14, 2004, 06:30 PM

Originally posted by kwyjiboy:
<SNIP>

Sage · May 14, 2004, 11:28 PM

Excellent idea... I'm also one of those types who's horribly paranoid about getting a window exactly touching the border. If my Safari window is just one pixel off, I notice, and it bugs me.

Catfish_Man · May 15, 2004, 12:45 AM

Originally posted by kwyjiboy:
I asked about 10 months ago, when Windowshade 3 wasn't out yet, if it was possible to add window-snapping to Windowshade X. A lot of programs have this option within them, but most don't. The effect would mean snapping a window to the screen edge when it is within 10 pixels or so. Or rather than making this a Windowshade feature, maybe this would warrant a seperate APE altogether. I suggest seperate because bundling such an effect in with Windowshade would mean that excluding an app from it would also exclude it from snapping.

Personally, I like to have evey window aligned neatly, to the pixel, and this isn't easy by hand. It can be quite frustrating. I wonder how many other users would like a global window-snapping utility. Some windowmanagers on linux have this as a feature.

On the PC, there's a freeware utility that does this. It also snaps windows to each others' edges, so you can align them against themselves. It's called allSnap.

I wonder how many others would like window snapping, if I mention it here. I anticipate a couple will say, "I wouldn't use it."

Yes. that's why checkboxes were invented. Just turn it off.

I've attempted to implement this in an app I was making (just for that app). It turns out to be annoyingly hard to do in Cocoa, because the windowing system basically takes over the window during drags, so the program can't move it. I imagine it'd be easier to do at the level APE works at, but I don't really know.

Rosyna · May 15, 2004, 01:35 AM

Originally posted by fireside:
while i agree it should be invisible, i do think the user should have the option of keeping the shadows the way they are as default or the way the themer wants the shadows to be. the same with the application skins.

ps: ShapeShifter needs a facelift.

I remember this problem in Kaleidoscope. The themes got so many features that everyone asked for the option to turn them off. the CP for Kaleidoscope basically became a huge checkbox area for on/off options. I would hate to see SS follow that direction.