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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > GUI Customization > Architect beta released.

Architect beta released.
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Atomic Rooster
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Sep 6, 2008, 07:38 PM
 
It says beta 1 but when I downloaded it, it was beta 2 already.

http://www.slightlypretentious.com/

Anyways it's 10.5 only so I couldn't fudge around with it.

So let's here your thoughts.

I assume its just a theme builder and a theme changing app would be needed.

I hope this is gonna be good.
     
Chuckit
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Sep 7, 2008, 12:57 AM
 
Yeah, it's just a theme builder. I assume the other half is the "Facade" they advertise at the top of the page ("Coming soon").

I'm not really a theme creator, but from what I've played around with them, I'd say it's got a long way to go before it's as good as Theme Park. It took me something like 10 minutes just to change the close button on a window. It's got a ton of identical resources with not particularly distinctive names like "Active, Close, Regularwin", "Active, Close, Colorsryg, RegularWin", "Activenokey, Close, Colorsryg, Regularwin", "Close, Colorsryg, Regularwin"...you get the idea. There are a lot of the little buggers spread out everywhere, and for somebody like me with a very limited number of remaining brain cells, it's a little confusing. Granted, most of it isn't that crazy, but it just doesn't feel very neatly organized on the whole yet. It also doesn't seem to have quite as many things you can theme as Theme Park, though maybe I just haven't found them yet.

On the other hand, for controls, it handily groups the Aqua/Graphite and Regular/Small/Mini versions. I don't know how much regular theme creators care about that sort of stuff, but it sure makes it see more comprehensible to mortals like me. That way I can think, "Oh, this is how I make that element look the way I want." Hopefully they'll put more of that in as it progresses.

So yeah, it's a beta. I look forward to seeing where they take it. Should be interesting. The actual theming tool isn't ready yet, so a lot remains to be seen.
Chuck
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0157988944
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Sep 7, 2008, 07:37 PM
 
yeah, I was really excited about it, and it isn't that great. There are tons of duplicate controls and it barely covers a fraction of the UI. Plus a crapload of the UI elements are from Tiger, and seeing as this is Leopard only, it makes it all the weirder.

And yeah, Facade is the theme application app.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 7, 2008, 09:03 PM
 
Can't wait to see some themes come from this. I haven't run anything by Unsanity for months since Leopard and the prospect of theming without a running hack in the background seems so much better.
     
Curiosity
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Sep 8, 2008, 01:11 AM
 
Can any of these themes or builders be used to change the background colours in any windows?
     
Chuckit
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Sep 8, 2008, 03:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
Can't wait to see some themes come from this. I haven't run anything by Unsanity for months since Leopard and the prospect of theming without a running hack in the background seems so much better.
You're going to have to hack your system one way or the other if you want to do theming on OS X. Doing it in temporary memory is actually the safer way of applying a hack in general, because then all you have to do is stop the process and its effects go away. If a change you make on disk hoses your system, you have to reinstall.

Also, we don't know yet which way Facade will do it. (Do we?)
Chuck
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mrtew
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Sep 8, 2008, 06:49 AM
 
Originally Posted by Chuckit View Post
You're going to have to hack your system one way or the other if you want to do theming on OS X. Doing it in temporary memory is actually the safer way of applying a hack in general, because then all you have to do is stop the process and its effects go away. If a change you make on disk hoses your system, you have to reinstall.
Yeah I kinda fondly remember the early days of OSX when you didn't ever know for sure whether the weirdness was caused by an unstable OS or applying three newly released themes with Duality and Themechanger at the same time as a system update.

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 9, 2008, 10:01 PM
 
I have never had any problems with replacing my resources. I am not stupid. I have multiple backups. Not just Time Machine but a clone too. I wold rather replace the resources with permanent extras than use a hack that could potentially conflict with other apps and use up memory.

I'm sure the Theme changer will be smart. This is 2008. It'll have safetys and a way to restore the original. Even then, I have backups.

Bring it on!

First people complain about Unsanity and Haxies and APE's. Now they're complaining about replacing the resources directly. If you want a theme, get used to it! If you want Aqua. Stop complaining for the sake of the people who do want themes and are prepared to take the steps to change them.

I used to sudo in the Terminal and replace my Extras while still logged in. It's no big deal.
     
mrtew
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Sep 9, 2008, 10:26 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
I have never had any problems with replacing my resources. I am not stupid. I have multiple backups.
I doubt if you would have multiple backups or consider it stupid not to if you never had any problems with replacing your resources!

Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
I used to sudo in the Terminal and replace my Extras while still logged in. It's no big deal.
That's nothing.... I changed the permissions on my Resources folder and replaced the Extras the Apple (drag and drop) way while logged in. Several times a minute!

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 9, 2008, 10:58 PM
 
I used to log into Root and do it! Yeah.

I use sudo now, but I actually had a Root account set up.

Oh yeah. I was a bad boy.
     
Atomic Rooster  (op)
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Sep 11, 2008, 06:55 AM
 
Only 9.99. Shifter was 20.00 I think. I also think this time themes may have a price.

http://facadeapp.com/
     
Jasoco
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Sep 11, 2008, 06:40 PM
 
I don't like the sound of "Theme Store". That implies that people will be selling their themes. I don't want to buy a crappy theme. I'll probably make all my themes myself.
     
mrtew
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Sep 14, 2008, 08:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
I don't like the sound of "Theme Store". That implies that people will be selling their themes. I don't want to buy a crappy theme.
How about a totally excellent theme? Would you be interested in buying that? If not then why pre-insult themes you haven't seen yet? You're just to cheap to buy anytheme!

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Ren Qian
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Sep 15, 2008, 07:10 PM
 
All I really used is Ayofe anyway so if that isn't available then I can't see myself buying any theme anyway so why buy this? And would there be a trial period for themes or would you be stuck with something you thought looked cool initially but later found unusable? I know theming takes a lot of work but the bottom line I guess is that if someone finds something they jive with they pretty much just use that so why should we have to buy everything in between while we search for that particular theme? I don't mean to be a party pooper and I wholeheartedly agree with some competition with SS but if it's paying for everything or paying a one time fee I think I'll stick with (non-existant) SS.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:19 PM
 
I will not buy themes. I'm sorry but it's silly. Unless there is a perfect way to preview the theme in full, not just in a screenshot, but a way to apply it and try it before I spend whatever they are charging so I can see exactly what I am getting.
     
mrtew
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:22 PM
 
So you won't buy themes. Or you wont' buy them unless you can preview them? Or you just post without thinking about what you're saying?

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:27 PM
 
If I can't see what it looks like in every app, iTunes, QuickTime, VLC, any app that doesn't use a standard UI I won't even risk it. I have downloaded many ShapeShifter themes that LOOKED nice in the sample screenshot, but then found out their iTunes skin was horrible.

If I can't even get a refund for a crappy theme, I will not spend even 99 cents.

Why are you defending this so badly? It's not like music where you know what the song sounds like.

If there is a foolproof way to preview the theme in full first, then yes, I will buy it. I've used a lot of SS themes I might want to try again. And I'd probably pay for them if I could be guaranteed that the author was going to update it with each OS release and not just abandon it because they gave up. If they're going to charge for the themes, they have to make sure they are up to the commitment required. Are they going to expect me to buy each update? Will it be one price for every version? How will they do DRM? Will there be DRM? How will they keep people from giving out themes willy nilly to get around paying?

Will it be another App Store fiasco? Or have they thought it through completely?
     
mrtew
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:39 PM
 
I'm not defending it at all, let alone badly. Just asking what your talking about dude. What about if you buy a theme and like it for a week and then decide it sucks? Then do you want your 99 cents back? I do compare it to music. I buy music all the time and then decide I don't like it. Everyone does. Software too. And shoes. And movies. And cars.

At the risk of again badly defending something I have no connection to whatsoever, I have to ask, what's so different about themes? I do agree thought that almost ever single one that I download thinking it'll be cool looks terrible to me, but I think it's more a matter of what you're used to and not getting used to something new. Probably why Aqua mods are the only really popular themes.

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Jasoco
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Sep 17, 2008, 09:41 PM
 
No. Stop putting words. I just want to make sure the theme is exactly what I want before I plunk down real cash money for it. It's like buying a house and then finding out the roof is full of holes and the basement leaks every time it rains.
     
mrtew
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Sep 17, 2008, 11:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
I will not buy themes. I'm sorry but it's silly. Unless there is a perfect way to preview the theme in full, not just in a screenshot, but a way to apply it and try it before I spend whatever they are charging so I can see exactly what I am getting.
Originally Posted by Jasoco View Post
No. Stop putting words. I just want to make sure the theme is exactly what I want before I plunk down real cash money for it. It's like buying a house and then finding out the roof is full of holes and the basement leaks every time it rains.
I guess you really will not buy themes if you're waiting for a "perfect way to preview the theme in full", "to make sure the theme is exactly what you want before you plunk down real cash money for it." I guarantee you there is no 'perfect' preview of a theme that's 'exactly' what you want and never will be. I'm sorry but even hoping for that is what's 'just silly'.

Sorry to jump all over you, but it bugs me when a new theme is released and half the comments are just people saying how ugly it is, (especially when it's my theme) and now people are doing it without even seeing a theme.

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Ren Qian
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Sep 18, 2008, 08:04 AM
 
Icontainer compatible? Just curious I guess. It was a nice option in SS when you could switch themes and icons at the same time. I went back to the site and read the fine print which stated some themes would cost money and some would be free. What I was thinking is that if themes cost money then they wouldn't be open sourced to the community which would mean you wouldn't have a ton of modded variations anymore. Good or bad? I dunno. I guess the best thing this release is doing is stirring up the community again so I won't complain anymore about prices.
     
Invictus
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Sep 23, 2008, 06:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by Atomic Rooster View Post



I hope this is gonna be good.
me too
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Timothy Leary's brain
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Sep 26, 2008, 10:58 PM
 
BOO! Anyone alive in here?
     
seanc
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Sep 27, 2008, 01:48 PM
 
What's it like in Timothy Leary's brain?
( Last edited by seanc; Sep 27, 2008 at 02:58 PM. )
     
zerock
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Oct 14, 2008, 09:17 PM
 
so... facade says coming out in october... when in october???
     
   
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