Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

moosedesign · 10:47 PM

Hello everyone, I've been lurking for a while to learn more about OS X GUI customization, and didn't want to post with dumb noob-like questions if I could avoid it.

That said, let me get some gushing out of the way: Much of the interface work that I have seen on here is stunning. I'm finding that swiz in particular (Milk 2.5) has a sense of style that I can relate to... Beautiful work man, just stunning.

Love the black interfaces as well, but I can't live with them. Cathode really is lush...
Dig those Max themes as well. Very clean...

Me: I'm the art director for a startup company that is creating a suite of products for home automation... including, and I think you folks will appreciate this: GUIs for touchscreen interfaces. We're starting out small with some small monochromatic passive displays (white, black, and 4 shades of grey... talk about a challenge), but there are plans for color screens (15"-17" and up). I'll share more as I can and when I can due to NDA.

Some work I did to apply for the job is fair game though so take a gander if you'd like. Its a click through, and was done very very quickly so it lacks polish, but have at it:
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/1-1.htm
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/2-1a.htm
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/a1-1.htm

I am definitely more of a traditional print and web designer, but I am really looking forward to working on some Mac ideas I've gotten now that I've seen what the OS is capable of. The bar has been set extremely high by all the talent on here...

OK, a couple of questions:
1. I've seen a few screenshots here with the trashcan/dock tucked into the corner and am wondering how that was accomplished. Looks good, and adhere's to usability principles much better.
2. I saw a flat GUI customization that I can't seem to track down with flat red/orange/green buttons on the top left... no shading, and white windows. I liked it. Very simple, very clean. I know its not much to work from, but hopefully someone knows what I'm talking about. Might have been a variation on the Milk theme.

Thanks, and hopefully, work permitting, I will be able to frequent the board regularly.

Cheers,

Richard

digitaljames · Dec 19, 2004, 10:35 PM

Originally posted by moosedesign:
Much of the interface work that I have seen on here is stunning. I'm finding that swiz in particular (Milk 2.5) has a sense of style that I can relate to... Beautiful work man, just stunning.

Welcome to the Macnn GUI forums Moose.....the Milk 2.5 Theme is done by Max Rudberg not Swiz although both are among the best OS X themers here.

Randman · Dec 19, 2004, 10:38 PM

The trash can was a widget from Konfabulator.

moosedesign · Dec 19, 2004, 10:43 PM

Originally posted by digitaljames:
Welcome to the Macnn GUI forums Moose.....the Milk 2.5 Theme is done by Max Rudberg not Swiz although both are among the best OS X themers here.

Ah... my mistake. I think I downloaded it off of Swizstudio, so I just assumed. Regardless... a beautiful interface.

moosedesign · Dec 19, 2004, 10:44 PM

Originally posted by Randman:
The trash can was a widget from Konfabulator.

edit: it just occured to me that my discription wasn't clear enough. I know which one you are talking about, but I was interested in whatever makes it possible to scoot the dock over to the right along the bottom to push the trash into the corner. Does that make sense?

Not the free floating Konfabulator trash widget.

bentoon · Dec 19, 2004, 10:46 PM

Welcome Richard,
the theme you want I think is here:
http://www.cepophan.com/themes/
There are a few Trash mods out there, I think you may be referring to somekind of Konfabulator widget, I am blanking out...
Those are very nice designs I hope to see you develop some,
Cheers,
J

digitaljames · Dec 19, 2004, 10:49 PM

Originally posted by moosedesign:
edit: it just occured to me that my discription wasn't clear enough. I know which one you are talking about, but I was interested in whatever makes it possible to scoot the dock over to the right along the bottom to push the trash into the corner. Does that make sense?

Not the free floating Konfabulator trash widget.

You want Tinkertool. Get it at versiontracker.com

moosedesign · Dec 19, 2004, 10:50 PM

Originally posted by bentoon:
Welcome Richard,
the theme you want I think is here:
http://www.cepophan.com/themes/
There are a few Trash mods out there, I think you may be referring to somekind of Konfabulator widget, I am blanking out...
Those are very nice designs I hope to see you develop some,
Cheers,
J

That's it! Good Grey was what I was looking for. Thanks! I appreciate the compliment as well!

Now I just need to find the time to update my main site to make it Safari compatible... *hangs head in shame*

moosedesign · Dec 19, 2004, 11:01 PM

Originally posted by digitaljames:
You want Tinkertool. Get it at versiontracker.com

Excellent, thanks again!

sh0nuff · Dec 20, 2004, 06:08 AM

Another newbie user... Long Time gui nut, first time writer..

Ive usually had little problems fixing any difficulties i've had, but a problem has come across my attention that I cant seem to fix.

I love the darker gui kits for shapeshifter (currently using unity) Howerver, i HATE the way the fonts in the darker themes are very whispy grey. Its fine against the dark backgrounds, and in windows, but in my brpwser, in any text field....these are all white. Even the box im typing this in is white. So i can barely read what I'm doing half the time.

Suggestions on where to fix this??

Cheers,

Sh0

Gerrit Vanoppen · Dec 20, 2004, 09:00 AM

Originally posted by moosedesign:
<snip>
Some work I did to apply for the job is fair game though so take a gander if you'd like. Its a click through, and was done very very quickly so it lacks polish, but have at it:
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/1-1.htm
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/2-1a.htm
http://moosedesign.com/clients/VNET012703/a1-1.htm
I am definitely more of a traditional print and web designer, but I am really looking forward to working on some Mac ideas I've gotten now that I've seen what the OS is capable of. The bar has been set extremely high by all the talent on here...
<snip>

Hello Richard,

Nice to have you at the forum. I'm not particulary crazy about brushed metal, but your designs look way better than Panther IMHO. Perhaps this is caused by using the heavy contrasting "hi-tec" horizontal bars - whatever, good work.

BTW, I'm using DockMover to manipulate the Dock's position, works without logging out/in.

ArcticBear · Dec 20, 2004, 09:44 AM

DragThing also allows the trash can to be put back on the desktop. It's actively developed and extremely customizeable. I prefer this utility to the monstrosity that is Apple's Dock (which I have reduced to 1 pixel in height and sent to the time-out corner).

Welcome to the forums.

moosedesign · Dec 22, 2004, 12:54 AM

Originally posted by ArcticBear:
DragThing also allows the trash can to be put back on the desktop. It's actively developed and extremely customizeable. I prefer this utility to the monstrosity that is Apple's Dock (which I have reduced to 1 pixel in height and sent to the time-out corner).

Welcome to the forums.

LOL, yeah, I know what you mean about the Dock... just horrific from a usability standpoint. I used to use DragThing in OS 9 and really liked it, so I will have to look that up again. Thanks for the welcome!

moosedesign · Dec 22, 2004, 12:58 AM

Originally posted by Gerrit Vanoppen:
Hello Richard,

Nice to have you at the forum. I'm not particulary crazy about brushed metal, but your designs look way better than Panther IMHO. Perhaps this is caused by using the heavy contrasting "hi-tec" horizontal bars - whatever, good work.

BTW, I'm using DockMover to manipulate the Dock's position, works without logging out/in.

Thanks for the kudos. Don't know where I stand on brushed metal. That design was pretty much a first for me to do a little creative exploring. I tend to lean in more of a Bauhaus, minimalist direction in my designs forsaking a lot of textures and frills. Should be a good idealogical fit for GUI design.

Cheers on the DockMover. I will have to check that out.

Banghazi · 01:26 AM

There is a plethora of small apps that will easily accomplish the alternate positions of the dock.

Control Freak, Cocktail, OnyX, and TransparentDock are ones I actually use frequently; not sure exactly which one is doing it for me; but one of them has apparently enabled the positioning options in my dock's contextual menu (TransparentDock probably)

BTW all of those apps beat the snot out of TinkerTool on any level IMO, per the things they are capable of.

And if you start using TransparentDock, beware. Repair permissions after every use.

moosedesign · Dec 22, 2004, 01:23 AM

Originally posted by Banghazi:
There is a plethora of small apps that will easily accomplish the alternate positions of the dock.

Control Freak, Cocktail, OnyX, and TransparentDock are ones I actually use frequently; not sure exactly which one is doing it for me; but one of them has apparently enabled the positioning options in my dock's contextual menu (TD probably)

BTW all of those apps beat the snot out of TinkerTool on any level IMO, per the things they are capable of.

And if you start using TransparentDock, beware. Repair permissions after every use.

Excellent, will have to check som eof those out. Don't know if I want to be repairing permissions regularly though. That said, I am using a Powerbook, so I rarely turn it off.