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bOOzo · May 25, 2003, 05:37 PM

Read all about it on my homepage!

Feel free to post thought, comments, critisism etc.

I'mDaMac · 06:05 PM

Looks great with the highlights. Finally looks like true brushed metal. Great work Max

BTW, nice touch on the menu extras.

SwarmyCurve · May 25, 2003, 06:09 PM

You have really topped yourself!

Its a great update and looks very accurate.

I'm going to switch to it and test it out and if I find any buggy things, I'll post here.

digitaljames · May 25, 2003, 06:24 PM

Great Update Max....posted a possible bug for ya at your forums....

mrtew · May 25, 2003, 06:34 PM

Looks sweet! I bet that lower left version is how Panther will look if they go for the brushed look that the rumors have been predicting. I sure do miss the supercool metal Apple window and metal widgets from the old version though. I might just edit them back in! :-]

mrtew · May 25, 2003, 06:37 PM

Originally posted by digitaljames:
Great Update Max....posted a possible bug for ya at your forums....

That bug is Apple's, and it's the reason that Max didn't want to do the highlight thing all this time.... you have to use Unsanity's Metalifizer to make it look right. Unsanity.com Max mentioned that on the Brushed page where you download the theme.

bOOzo · May 25, 2003, 06:43 PM

Glad you people seem to like it so far

Originally posted by mrtew:
Looks sweet! I bet that lower left version is how Panther will look if they go for the brushed look that the rumors have been predicting. I sure do miss the supercool metal Apple window and metal widgets from the old version though. I might just edit them back in! :-]

I was going to update the brushed x-+ and apple menu, because I think the old ones are pretty ugly, but I could not come up with anything. So instead of holding the theme off, I released it like this. I might make new metal buttons in a future version.

Jazzphone · May 25, 2003, 06:45 PM

can someone post a screenshot or some open windows, the finder and other non cocoa apps.

digitaljames · May 25, 2003, 06:54 PM

TheIceMan · May 25, 2003, 06:57 PM

Max:
It looks fantastic. What a great update! Thanks Max.

mrtew · May 25, 2003, 07:30 PM

Originally posted by bOOzo:
All variations:
� Remade the look of the menus. Thanks to MrTew who originally came up with the idea of black and transparent menus.

You didn't get them black and transparent enough though still! They are a cloudy dark gray. Go blacker! Your new menuitems are killer though! I love them!

Gatorzx2 · May 25, 2003, 07:50 PM

Nice job Max. Your menu items are beautiful!

ambush · May 25, 2003, 08:04 PM

Insane! Wooo!

Good job!

Sage · May 25, 2003, 08:16 PM

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Though, dagnabbit Max, now I can't decide whether to use SmoothStripes Gloss Blue, or Brushed Plastic Blue!!

Gah, they're both so great!

Sage · 08:39 PM

Quick question: Does anybody know why the brushed themes always render non-standard menubar items a bit unusable? It always causes them to get really fuzzy... (ie: PTHClock, Snard, TigerLaunch, etc.)

[edit]: And I just realized something else... this theme perfectly matches my keyboard and mouse! I have a Logitech Elite keyboard and an MX500 mouse, both which have mostly black surfaces, with white text printed on them, and some brushed metal surfaces... perfect!

swiz · May 25, 2003, 09:26 PM

I agree the third row is most consistent with Apples design aesthetics and looks kick booty. Awesome Max.

Dace · 10:53 PM

Finally, plastic white buttons... however, I find the view and path buttons in the Finder toolbar have corners that are too rounded. Safari's buttons are not as rounded, anyways that's my opinion. Also, I don't think the buttons should have any blue...they should only be all white and blue when pressed (except maybe for the view buttons which technically are pressed anyways). I noticed you went with pill buttons which are nice, but somehow I think Safari rectangle buttons would have been better. Another variation perhaps?

You left the aqua tabs and checkboxes, how about brushed tabs like in Safari? Maybe squared buttons like Sfari's X Stop button for the checkboxes? Thanks for the great theme. And that's my creative critizism...for now.

New suggestions, since this is an all brushed theme...how about getting rid of the aqua resize handle and aqua scroll bars. Maybe making the scroll bar background brushed and the scroll bar indented? Or creating a plastic white indented scroll bar. Leave the traffic buttons though, those are nice. And the menu bar selected items...how about making it indented when selected?

wigglywoo · May 25, 2003, 10:59 PM

Very nice Brushed Plastic looks good. Excellent work.
Maybe in the future we might see a Aqua extreme sunken Plastic variation. What do you say bOOzo Max.

TheIceMan · May 25, 2003, 11:14 PM

mrtew:
What theme is that you're using? Can we get it if it's available? Also, how did you get the font to be applicable like that & what font is that?

mrtew · May 26, 2003, 12:48 AM

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
mrtew:
What theme is that you're using? Can we get it if it's available? Also, how did you get the font to be applicable like that & what font is that?

That's my theme that I am working on, and the font thing is possible using the new version of Silk that hasn't been released yet either.... the font is Babylon5 credits.

NetworkShadow · May 26, 2003, 01:05 AM

I never was a big fan of brushed, but it looks like you did a good job, and it looks great. (considering I don't like the brushed look)

I hope to see that original theme of yours next.You were talking about it some time ago I recall.

Vi0 · May 26, 2003, 02:22 AM

Great theme. Easily my favorite. like the new recessed elements.

there seems to be a problem with some apps like omniweb and candybar though.
when you click the desktop or another window, the inactive window's buttons have big circular marks around them.

here's a pic.

TheIceMan · May 26, 2003, 02:46 AM

mrtew:
Wow. Now you have peaked my interest. Any plans and/or dates on when you would release that theme? Thanks.

bOOzo · May 26, 2003, 05:56 AM

there seems to be a problem with some apps like omniweb and candybar though.
when you click the desktop or another window, the inactive window's buttons have big circular marks around the

You have to use Unsanitys Metallifizer, then you wonthave this problem.

I hope to see that original theme of yours next.You were talking about it some time ago I recall.

Well, I'm not sure it's something I want to release as it is now. And I want to make updates to exsisting themes too.

Maybe in the future we might see a Aqua extreme sunken Plastic variation.

I've thought about it before, but I think I'll wait and see what happens in 10.3 before I make something like that.

Finally, plastic white buttons... however, I find the view and path buttons in the Finder toolbar have corners that are too rounded. Safari's buttons are not as rounded, anyways that's my opinion.

You might be right, I justed the same shape as the Aqua objects, and not as safaris buttons.

Also, I don't think the buttons should have any blue...they should only be all white and blue when pressed (except maybe for the view buttons which technically are pressed anyways).

I followed Aquas rules when it comes to color.

I noticed you went with pill buttons which are nice, but somehow I think Safari rectangle buttons would have been better. Another variation perhaps?

I might make the popup buttons less rounded, but oush buttons are supposed to be rounded - that's how it is in iMovie 3.

You left the aqua tabs and checkboxes, how about brushed tabs like in Safari? Maybe squared buttons like Sfari's X Stop button for the checkboxes?

The safari tabs can't really be used in a theme, because they rely ona darker background.
I don't think the checkboxes/radiobuttons would look good in stop button style. The plastic buttons are still a mix with aqua and I left it at just changin buttons.

New suggestions, since this is an all brushed theme...how about getting rid of the aqua resize handle and aqua scroll bars. Maybe making the scroll bar background brushed and the scroll bar indented? Or creating a plastic white indented scroll bar. Leave the traffic buttons though, those are nice. And the menu bar selected items...how about making it indented when selected?

Well, that's ensentially what the Brushed button variation does, but I like the aqua scrolls in the other variations.
Since the area around the menu items are pushed in, it don't think they should be indented.

You didn't get them black and transparent enough though still!

Well, I like them like this. That way the look like they are attached to the slected menu title.

Quick question: Does anybody know why the brushed themes always render non-standard menubar items a bit unusable? It always causes them to get really fuzzy... (ie: PTHClock, Snard, TigerLaunch, etc.)

Could you please who some pictures? I don't have any third party menu items myself. The only thing I can thing about is that some menu items have dropshadows, is that what youmean by fuzzy?

Other than that, thank you for the positive feedback

wigglywoo · May 26, 2003, 07:24 AM

quote:
I've thought about it before, but I think I'll wait and see what happens in 10.3 before I make something like that.

Yeah it maybe 10.3's look. Hope so.

mrtew · May 26, 2003, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by Sage:
Quick question: Does anybody know why the brushed themes always render non-standard menubar items a bit unusable? It always causes them to get really fuzzy... (ie: PTHClock, Snard, TigerLaunch, etc.)

It's not the brushed themes themselves, it's the Metalifizer that exaggerates the shadows on menubar items to the point where they look fuzzy. It's like it gives them two shadows or something. And the scrollbar bug with metallifizer in Preview.app really bugs me too. Open a big picture in Preview and view it 'Actual Size' and then try to use the scrollbar. I hate that.

Synotic · May 26, 2003, 11:50 AM

Wow. You've outdone yourself

I'm using the Brushed Buttons with Blue widgets variation.

I have some suggestions but you may not like them because they require changing all the brushed buttons

Anyways, when you look at the the recessed Close/Minimize/Expand buttons, it looks like a crater was dug for them in the metal, and then the water filled it. If you were to think of it on a 3D plane, the z-height of the water doesn't go past higher than the crater/hole. Does that make sense? Otherwise the water would spill over. The same thing with the plastic buttons. The metal buttons however look like they have a crater dug for them, and then they are placed in the crater but their z-height is higher than the height of the crater. It seems somewhat out of place. my idea is to make the brushed buttons flatter. Here's a mockup with the flatter button on the right:

Also when you push down on the buttons, I'm not too much of a fan of the all black inner shadow. It looks a bit off. I think the highlight should still be there.

I'm not sure I'd actually ever see that button in real life though. Is the "+" symbol supposed to be carved out of the metal? If you really want it to seem real, you would make it more of a push-in effect like hitting a key on your keyboard.

I also concur with the comment made earlier about having the Aqua buttons be all white and then blue/multi-colored once you click on them. Except for the scroll bar, although it's not really a button.

Again, great theme, HTH

Sage · May 26, 2003, 12:58 PM

Max - Ah, mrtew is right in that it's Metallifizer that causes that problem.

mrtew - Do you know if Unsanity is working on a fix for that problem, or if they're even aware of it?

Dale Sorel · May 26, 2003, 06:02 PM

Metalifizer screws up iMovie too

ae86_16v · May 26, 2003, 06:11 PM

Max: Great job man. I love this theme.

I got a question for you though. I notice that the them makes all then windows with top rounded corners and bottom with square corners.

I think it'll look better with all round corners.

Am I missing something?

Nevertheless, awesome job.

Dace · May 26, 2003, 06:14 PM

Originally posted by bOOzo:
I followed Aquas rules when it comes to color.

I guess you're right.

Originally posted by bOOzo:
The safari tabs can't really be used in a theme, because they rely ona darker background.

What's wrong with these Safari-like tabs?:

Jazzphone · 07:42 PM

GREAT THEME Max, Love the highlight, looks great, Ive modded the theme to fit my taste, I think you should do this in the next version of the theme. Since this is how apple handles the brushed apps

Brushed

bOOzo · May 26, 2003, 07:20 PM

Wow. You've outdone yourself

I'm using the Brushed Buttons with Blue widgets variation.

I have some suggestions but you may not like them because they require changing all the brushed buttons

Anyways, when you look at the the recessed Close/Minimize/Expand buttons, it looks like a crater was dug for them in the metal, and then the water filled it. If you were to think of it on a 3D plane, the z-height of the water doesn't go past higher than the crater/hole. Does that make sense? Otherwise the water would spill over. The same thing with the plastic buttons. The metal buttons however look like they have a crater dug for them, and then they are placed in the crater but their z-height is higher than the height of the crater. It seems somewhat out of place. my idea is to make the brushed buttons flatter. Here's a mockup with the flatter button on the right:

Also when you push down on the buttons, I'm not too much of a fan of the all black inner shadow. It looks a bit off. I think the highlight should still be there.

I'm not sure I'd actually ever see that button in real life though. Is the "+" symbol supposed to be carved out of the metal? If you really want it to seem real, you would make it more of a push-in effect like hitting a key on your keyboard.

I also concur with the comment made earlier about having the Aqua buttons be all white and then blue/multi-colored once you click on them. Except for the scroll bar, although it's not really a button.

Again, great theme, HTH

Glad you like it

I see your point, but I'm not willing to redo them again.. I think they might look better if I just changed the bevel gradient to be deeper. Those are nice mockups though.
The + is supposed to hollowed out, and the light is coming from 90� and lits the bottom edges.

got a question for you though. I notice that the them makes all then windows with top rounded corners and bottom with square corners.

I think it'll look better with all round corners.

Am I missing something?

Nevertheless, awesome job.

I went with squared bottoms for consistency's sake. There is a note about it in the read me.

What's wrong with these Safari-like tabs?

Nothing - did I say there was?

It looks nice, but I'm not sure it would actually be doable. And I'm not looking for more to do right now.

Jazzphone
GREAT THEME Max, Love the highlight, looks great, Ive modded the theme to fit my taste, I think you should do this in the next version of the theme. Since this is how apple handles the brushed a

Glad you like it

It's not a bad mod, but I prefer the brushed menubar, to tie up the look.

fireside · May 26, 2003, 07:31 PM

cant you link to that damn photo Jazzphone? i hate it when the page streches. most annoying thing ever.

Stuphalina · May 26, 2003, 07:44 PM

Hey Max - any chance of safari buttons to match the plastic finder buttons? I like the ones you made but they seem a shade or two too light.

DigitalEl · May 27, 2003, 12:03 AM

Somebody in another thread said "explain it to me like I'm in second grade." I guess that's what I need, because I can't get Brushed to work. I'm running 10.2.6 and Duality 4.01. Here's the process.

-Currently running Smoothstripes.
-Launch Duality and return things to Apple Aqua.
-Select Brushed (w/plastic buttons)
-Select Apply.

The theme loads, but it's always the Brushed with the Aqua buttons. I am running Metallifizer and don't have that upper right corner glitch on Cocoa apps, but the glitch is there on my Menubar... Right between the edge of the Menubar clock and the right edge of my screen. No amount of logging out or restarting fixed the glitch or gave me the plastic buttons in the Finder.

What did I miss?

I should say, I have no problem running previous versions of Brushed or Smoothstripes Gloss, my current theme.

bOOzo · May 27, 2003, 04:20 AM

Originally posted by DigitalEl:
Somebody in another thread said "explain it to me like I'm in second grade." I guess that's what I need, because I can't get Brushed to work. I'm running 10.2.6 and Duality 4.01. Here's the process.

-Currently running Smoothstripes.
-Launch Duality and return things to Apple Aqua.
-Select Brushed (w/plastic buttons)
-Select Apply.

The theme loads, but it's always the Brushed with the Aqua buttons. I am running Metallifizer and don't have that upper right corner glitch on Cocoa apps, but the glitch is there on my Menubar... Right between the edge of the Menubar clock and the right edge of my screen. No amount of logging out or restarting fixed the glitch or gave me the plastic buttons in the Finder.

What did I miss?

I should say, I have no problem running previous versions of Brushed or Smoothstripes Gloss, my current theme.

I heard similar problems, I think it's because Duality 4 uses resource switching and that causes it not to switch the layo resources and therefore the menubar looks bad.

What I would recommend is to either reinstall Duality 4 or try switching it with ThemeChanger.

Hey Max - any chance of safari buttons to match the plastic finder buttons? I like the ones you made but they seem a shade or two too light.

The style I use is the newest one used in iTunes 4, and it is different from Safari. I don't think I will make a safariskin though, not yet at least.

DigitalEl · May 27, 2003, 04:35 AM

Thanks Max. When I get home from work, I'll have to try ThemeChanger. Thanks for the consistently great themes. Glad you're enjoying your iPod. Well deserved!

ae86_16v · May 27, 2003, 05:36 AM

Originally posted by DigitalEl:
Somebody in another thread said "explain it to me like I'm in second grade." I guess that's what I need, because I can't get Brushed to work. I'm running 10.2.6 and Duality 4.01. Here's the process.

-Currently running Smoothstripes.
-Launch Duality and return things to Apple Aqua.
-Select Brushed (w/plastic buttons)
-Select Apply.

This is what I did,

1. Select "Turn off Duality" and go back to Aqua and hit apply.
2. Logged out and come back in. Everything should be in Aqua.
3. Then Select Brush w/ plastic buttons.
4. Logged out and everything should work now.

If not, yeah like Max said, try reinstalling Duality or try out Themechanger. I think Duality just has some bugs in it.

ubba · 07:12 AM

Just to show you a little bug.
For some reason in Adobe Illustrator (carbon app) the instruments palette's top is black.
Strange.. in Adobe Photoshop it works very fine.
But this isn't a problem because Brushed 3 is w o n d e r f u l!

.....
jo

bOOzo · May 27, 2003, 07:53 AM

Originally posted by ubba:
Just to show you a little bug.
For some reason in Adobe Illustrator (carbon app) the instruments palette's top is black.
Strange.. in Adobe Photoshop it works very fine.
But this isn't a problem because Brushed 3 is w o n d e r f u l!

.....
jo

Yes, I saw that. That palette does not use the utility window resource, it just shrinks the regular (large) titlebar, and for somereason it goes black in brushed. Also, all the other palettes in Illustrator ignores the strethings of the titlebar, so they look bad if you resize them. I suppose Illustrator 11 will fix this..

ubba · May 27, 2003, 08:51 AM

Don't worry!

It's a little (black) drop in an ocean of very beautiful (brushed) items.
Thx again.

....
jo

Brien · May 27, 2003, 10:13 AM

Wow... I think I'm in love with this theme....

iRebound · May 27, 2003, 12:07 PM

max, another bug

other than that the theme looks great. great job

bOOzo · May 27, 2003, 01:02 PM

Originally posted by iRebound:
max, another bug

other than that the theme looks great. great job

If you mean the titlebars, you need to use metallifizer! Doesn't anyone read "Read Me"s any more...?

iRebound · 01:13 PM

Originally posted by bOOzo:
If you mean the titlebars, you need to use metallifizer! Doesn't anyone read "Read Me"s any more...?

oops so sorry. i just skimmed through the read me. i didn't have metallifizer installed so i didn't read 'Important about Metallifizer!'

smeger · May 27, 2003, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by bOOzo:
I heard similar problems, I think it's because Duality 4 uses resource switching and that causes it not to switch the layo resources and therefore the menubar looks bad.

I'm pretty sure that this is the reason. I think that Duality ignores the 'layo' when resource-switching since it's format changed between OS X 10.1 & 10.2.

So, this'd make sense.

fisherKing · May 28, 2003, 12:44 AM

sorry, i'm a little late to the party (was out-of-town)

great theme, sharp, distinctive. i like the plastic version, the blue widgets. fave part: transparent menus, the black menu items (battery, airport)

what a great time to own a mac..!

exa · May 28, 2003, 03:31 PM

Wonderful theme, didn't realize I actually liked brushed metal (when everything uses it that is). Only issue is the titlebar/window not blending (wonder if this was posted already), because real brushed metal apps have the window and titlebar blend into one thing (metallifizer takes care of this for cocoa apps of course).

exa · 03:49 PM

Hm just noticed a bug, iTunes still displays the 'stoplights' instead of the blue buttons under the brushed theme and blue appearance. Or is it just me?