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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > GUI Customization > Black Aqua Theme?

Black Aqua Theme? (Page 2)
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NetworkShadow
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Dec 29, 2003, 03:55 PM
 
Originally posted by angelmb:
"Swiz already did that for Jag."

Can you link it, please?

Panther support?

Thanks.
You'll have to ask swiz for it since it's nolonger on his site, he hasn't updated it for Panther but you could install it with SS.
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rhythmicmoose
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Dec 29, 2003, 04:03 PM
 
Have you tried Swiz's Studio Pro? It's pretty similar. www.swizcore.com
     
angelmb
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Dec 29, 2003, 05:08 PM
 
I found it, after see the preview pic, looks nice but the Apple Pro UI have thinner scrollbars, buttons... that give you the visual effect you have a higher resolution, that is cool.
     
mrtew
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Dec 29, 2003, 05:26 PM
 
Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
.... I'd try and move away from that almost brown color ...

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
It's just a brownish tint of grey...

Originally posted by NetworkShadow:
... I'm not really happy with the direction it's headed. Mainly the choice of the almost brown color.... it should have more almost black color to it and less brown. ....

Dude! Seriously, it's NOT brown, brownish, almost brown, brownie, brownish tint, making brown, kinda brown, or even a little bit brown. Stop saying it's brown. It's gray. Pure gray. Like a black and white photo, gray. Either your eyes are blasted out by using too much blue (probably; judging from your signature image) or your monitor just needs adjusting. Use the examples below and the Calibrate button in the Color tab of your Displays SystemPref until the center one looks pure true gray.



P.S. It's not even a wee little bit brown.

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angelmb
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Dec 29, 2003, 05:35 PM
 
"You'll have to ask swiz for it since it's nolonger on his site, he hasn't updated it for Panther but you could install it with SS."

I got it here:
http://swizcore.com/SS/macOSX.php

Yes, installed with SS, but not working.

You can read there: "I'm quite sick still, really unsure of what it is altogether but a doctor visit this week will answer some questions I hope. All I know of right now is that my digestive system is having problems. I just want to let everyone know the reason I am not reponding to any email until I am better. "

Somethings are just priority to others.
     
MorphOSX
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:02 PM
 
As to the coloration, Ilike the 5% blue option. As for the close/min/max widgets, how about something more fitting the design concept? That is, more like a solid colored glass widget that is inset into the bar as opposed to what's there? Maybe even widgets that match the overall look and feel of the OS (with a blue or red or multi-color glow behind them as though they were glowing behind semi-smoked glass, perhaps?)

Dave
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:12 PM
 
Originally posted by MorphOSX:
As to the coloration, Ilike the 5% blue option. As for the close/min/max widgets, how about something more fitting the design concept? That is, more like a solid colored glass widget that is inset into the bar as opposed to what's there? Maybe even widgets that match the overall look and feel of the OS (with a blue or red or multi-color glow behind them as though they were glowing behind semi-smoked glass, perhaps?)

Dave
We'll see with the blue/gray/whatever. It really is gray. It's the exact same color as you find in DVD Player (at least Photoshop says so). That'll have to be a decision for once it's closer to completion.

I like your idea for the widgets. I'll see what I can do. They look better on the updated titlebar (which I haven't posted), but I'll work a little more on them.
     
codywalton
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:16 PM
 
Originally posted by mrtew:
Dude! Seriously, it's NOT brown, brownish, almost brown, brownie, brownish tint, making brown, kinda brown, or even a little bit brown. Stop saying it's brown. It's gray. Pure gray. Like a black and white photo, gray. Either your eyes are blasted out by using too much blue (probably; judging from your signature image) or your monitor just needs adjusting. Use the examples below and the Calibrate button in the Color tab of your Displays SystemPref until the center one looks pure true gray.



P.S. It's not even a wee little bit brown.
Listen to the man! He knows what he's talkin' 'bout.

BTW I actually like all 3 variations above. It would be great if slight Grey, Blue, Brown, and maybe Red variations were included in the guiKit.
     
neo_2510
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:34 PM
 
I like the 5% blue design and the widgets are nice too. But it would be great to change the title bar to something smooth and not that glossy thing. Maybe go with something like a gradient, like the original aqua title bar, but way darker
     
swiz
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:55 PM
 
Originally posted by angelmb:
I found it, after see the preview pic, looks nice but the Apple Pro UI have thinner scrollbars, buttons... that give you the visual effect you have a higher resolution, that is cool.
I would LOVE to make it exactly like the pro interface but the pro interface uses all the Small elements from the OSX GUI instead of the normal sizes. If there were an option somewhere in the OSX GUI to use small or large elements we'd be all set . Smeger?

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NetworkShadow
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Dec 29, 2003, 06:58 PM
 
It's a trick of the eye, grey can pickup color from around it thus it looks kinda brown to me.

The blue looks a lot more black... and a lot better.
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bluevertical
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Dec 29, 2003, 07:41 PM
 
Really nice work. I vote for the A too.
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MorphOSX
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Dec 29, 2003, 08:06 PM
 
Rhythmic: I'll sit down tonight and see about making some widgets that exemplify what I'm talking about. If you'd shoot me a PM with your e-mail, I'd appreciate it.

Dave
     
mrtew
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Dec 29, 2003, 08:06 PM
 
If the theme is made 5% blue it will clash terribly with the DVD player and will make IT look brown by comparison! The whole point of this theme was to make something that looked as cool as the DVD player and you guys are voting to make yet another bluish gray theme instead!!! aAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhh!

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Kujo
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Dec 29, 2003, 08:35 PM
 
this great idea is really starting to look bad
     
NetworkShadow
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Dec 29, 2003, 08:47 PM
 
Originally posted by mrtew:
If the theme is made 5% blue it will clash terribly with the DVD player and will make IT look brown by comparison! The whole point of this theme was to make something that looked as cool as the DVD player and you guys are voting to make yet another bluish gray theme instead!!! aAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhh!
It seems to me that you can't do it in ALL the one color if you want the original button color... It's just too one toned, it might be a good idea to come up with a matching 2nd color to use for the title-bar and a few other elements.
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sushiism
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Dec 29, 2003, 08:50 PM
 
those progress bars are abit too much like the default windows ones for my liking
     
mrtew
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Dec 29, 2003, 10:24 PM
 
Originally posted by Kujo:
this great idea is really starting to look bad

Which idea? The idea for a DVD player black aqua button based theme, or the idea of a bunch of people shouting out ideas and criticisms for it?

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 29, 2003, 10:57 PM
 
Morph: I did earlier, but with the spotty internet at this hotel I didn't get a chance to post it. To whoever suggested that they didn't like the glossy look of the new titlebar, I apologize for the following mockup update.

NetworkShadow et al: Yes, it's monochromatic. Dark themes tend to do that. Yes, the 5% blue might be closer to what everyone wants, but the mockups will continue to be the original gray. Worry not. If the color really isn't working, and if even as the system theme with no object of comparison nearby it still looks brown, I'll fix it. It's also quite likely there will be multiple color schemes, so there will hopefully be a less one-toned version as well.

Latest mockup:

The top titlebar is only in there as a comparison.
( Last edited by rhythmicmoose; Dec 30, 2003 at 09:00 AM. )
     
fireside
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Dec 29, 2003, 11:16 PM
 
that link dont work.
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 29, 2003, 11:18 PM
 
Originally posted by fireside:
that link dont work.
I know.

I don't really have time to sort it out right now. I'll post on here again when it's working. Sorry.
( Last edited by rhythmicmoose; Dec 29, 2003 at 11:24 PM. )
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 30, 2003, 09:01 AM
 
Latest mockup is working now.
     
mrtew
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Dec 30, 2003, 09:29 AM
 
Originally posted by rhythmicmoose:
Latest mockup:
Looks cool but I have to inform you before you get any farther with those widgets that they can only be 14px wide by 16high. Yours are 16wide so they'll either end up squished, shrunk, or redesigned by the final! If you look back thru the older themes it's amazing how many of them won't work anymore with the new smaller widgets. I don't think the brilliant AluminiteX theme's gorgeous widgets are possible, nor are Maggra's, and of course Max's XP isn't. Aqua is a cruel mistress!

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
FB Eye
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Dec 30, 2003, 11:47 AM
 
I don't especially like the new widgets...

Those looked better


Now they look too soft and blurry...
My worthless 2�
     
Tulkas
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Dec 30, 2003, 12:05 PM
 
I can shut my face no more.

Have you all gone blind? Thats the ugliest thing I've seen since... well for awhile.

I thought you people were good.

Those cows won't know what hit 'em. They won't know what hit them even after it hits them, because they're cows.
     
MacDog
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Dec 30, 2003, 12:16 PM
 
I prefer the one with the blue in it, but that's just me.

No matter what it looks like in the end, another X theme will be more than welcome by me.
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 30, 2003, 03:32 PM
 
Originally posted by Tulkas:
I can shut my face no more.

Have you all gone blind? Thats the ugliest thing I've seen since... well for awhile.

I thought you people were good.
I appreciate your directness, but there's only one of us people. Just me. Don't bring anyone else into it. Thanks.
     
swiz
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Dec 30, 2003, 03:43 PM
 
Originally posted by mrtew:
Looks cool but I have to inform you before you get any farther with those widgets that they can only be 14px wide by 16high. Yours are 16wide so they'll either end up squished, shrunk, or redesigned by the final! If you look back thru the older themes it's amazing how many of them won't work anymore with the new smaller widgets. I don't think the brilliant AluminiteX theme's gorgeous widgets are possible, nor are Maggra's, and of course Max's XP isn't. Aqua is a cruel mistress!
With Shapeshifter I bellieve custom widget sizes are possible.

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benign
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Dec 30, 2003, 04:07 PM
 
This version of 'Black Plastic' would
be a great addition to any theme
user library - very good work.

... and Swiz- glad to see you are well ;)
Any official word on a JetBlack release ?
( Last edited by benign; Dec 30, 2003 at 04:17 PM. )


Simple Empire...
     
Frisbee
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Dec 30, 2003, 04:29 PM
 
I say tint it 5% blue... The original definitely looks dark grey, but the blue tint is so much more soothing. Two of the best teasers / screenshots I've seen in a while, JetBlack and Omega, both have the blue tint, and they look so much better than previous dark themes. Colorless dark themes always seem so... bland.
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 30, 2003, 04:32 PM
 
Originally posted by Frisbee:
I say tint it 5% blue... The original definitely looks dark grey, but the blue tint is so much more soothing. Two of the best teasers / screenshots I've seen in a while, JetBlack and Omega, both have the blue tint, and they look so much better than previous dark themes. Colorless dark themes always seem so... bland.
You have a point, but I'll say it again... the released theme will be whichever looks better once it's actually a finished interface, but the mockups will continue to be the original gray.
     
angelmb
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Dec 30, 2003, 05:27 PM
 
do you remember the Simon game widgets?, they looks really great. I also think the game had a 'plastic' interface :-/
     
angelmb
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Dec 30, 2003, 05:30 PM
 
I mean Simon Extreme:

http://www.lumacode.com/simon/

a interface like that will be also nice, just my opinion

A pity I only can do suggestions that is, I am not a theme dude.
     
rhythmicmoose
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Dec 30, 2003, 06:28 PM
 
Originally posted by angelmb:
I mean Simon Extreme:

http://www.lumacode.com/simon/

a interface like that will be also nice, just my opinion

A pity I only can do suggestions that is, I am not a theme dude.
Heh heh. We should talk to the Simon Extreme developer and encourage him to make a theme out of that textured rubber interface. I'd use a theme like that.
     
codywalton
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Dec 30, 2003, 06:31 PM
 
Originally posted by angelmb:
I mean Simon Extreme:

http://www.lumacode.com/simon/

a interface like that will be also nice, just my opinion

A pity I only can do suggestions that is, I am not a theme dude.
oh, look they were even nice enough to put a link to the photoshop files.
http://lumacode.com/simon/SimonGraphics.dmg

Good god, if you don't use these buttons on the "Dark Aqua" theme, please somebody make a "Simon X" theme....
     
neo_2510
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Dec 30, 2003, 06:45 PM
 
Originally posted by angelmb:
I mean Simon Extreme:

http://www.lumacode.com/simon/

a interface like that will be also nice, just my opinion

A pity I only can do suggestions that is, I am not a theme dude.
I downloaded that game and I have to say that this would be a damn great theme...
     
Kujo
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Dec 30, 2003, 06:53 PM
 
Originally posted by Tulkas:
I can shut my face no more.

Have you all gone blind? Thats the ugliest thing I've seen since... well for awhile.

I thought you people were good.
i agree the first mockup looked the best.. now its getting funny looking. i thought everyone wanted to make black AQUA? if i am wrong its no big deal. :/
     
mrtew
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Dec 31, 2003, 01:16 AM
 
Originally posted by swiz:
With Shapeshifter I bellieve custom widget sizes are possible.
Swiz, now you're just saying the opposite of whatever I say! You know very well that the widgets have to be smaller or shapeshifter wouldn't shrink them all down when it imports an old theme! It would make 'custom' sized ones!!!

I love the U.S., but we need some time apart.
     
Tulkas
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Dec 31, 2003, 01:25 AM
 
Originally posted by rhythmicmoose:
I appreciate your directness, but there's only one of us people. Just me. Don't bring anyone else into it. Thanks.
Oh, sorry man. Been a bit frustrated... sorry for taking it out on you.

I just think the widgets are a bit fuzzy. They should be sharp. The lighting on those (the ones benign quoted) doesn't match the titlebar so it looks funny.

Nice theme, I like them dark.

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rhythmicmoose
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Dec 31, 2003, 11:52 AM
 
Originally posted by Tulkas:
Oh, sorry man. Been a bit frustrated... sorry for taking it out on you.

I just think the widgets are a bit fuzzy. They should be sharp. The lighting on those (the ones benign quoted) doesn't match the titlebar so it looks funny.

Nice theme, I like them dark.
No problem. I guess I just didn't want you to be attributing any of the unprofessionalism in these mockups to Swiz. The fuzziness and whatnot is all my doing.

I agree, the widgets are still fuzzy. I got them a little sharper yesterday, and will continue to work on them.

I will also look into fixing the lighting problem. I'm new at this, and your patience and constructive criticism is all greatly appreciated.
( Last edited by rhythmicmoose; Dec 31, 2003 at 12:12 PM. )
     
WICKEDfour
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Jan 1, 2004, 01:58 AM
 
Keep it up, rhythmicmoose!

Personally, I love the design, including the lighter clicked state. Just my recommendation as to the direction of the theme here, but you should try to match the black aqua buttons' look and behavior. For example, I think that the lighter state may look odd as the clicked behavior, but it'd look great as a default button indicator. (I'm talking about pulsating buttons; you can define a separate resource to a default button to animate, in case you didn't know, just trying to help out.)

Oh, and I forget who said it, but I see where you're getting the alleged brown coloring. I have an LCD that hasn't been configured in any special way, as well as a tube CRT connected to my Mac; both displays are also using the same ColorSync profile. rhythmicmoose's mockups do look slightly brown on the LCD in relation to the perceived color on my CRT. However, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

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rhythmicmoose
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Jan 1, 2004, 11:23 AM
 
Originally posted by WICKEDfour:
Just my recommendation as to the direction of the theme here, but you should try to match the black aqua buttons' look and behavior. For example, I think that the lighter state may look odd as the clicked behavior, but it'd look great as a default button indicator.

<snip>

Oh, and I forget who said it, but I see where you're getting the alleged brown coloring. I have an LCD that hasn't been configured in any special way, as well as a tube CRT connected to my Mac; both displays are also using the same ColorSync profile. rhythmicmoose's mockups do look slightly brown on the LCD in relation to the perceived color on my CRT. However, I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Yup. I'd been thinking about that. I think that's probably how the buttons are going to be.

Exactly. It'll be different for different people and different monitors. However, the gray the looked slightly brown to me at times in Photoshop looks very nice and very... gray when used in an entire window. From the bits I've plugged into ThemePark so far it looks pretty darn usable and a whole lot less brown than the mockups.

The mockups will be on hold for a while as I try to clean up some of the graphics and start building the theme.
     
WICKEDfour
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Jan 1, 2004, 11:32 AM
 
Originally posted by rhythmicmoose:
However, the gray the looked slightly brown to me at times in Photoshop looks very nice and very... gray when used in an entire window.
Do you have Color Management turned on in Photoshop? All I do is digital stuff (not to be printed out), so I keep it off. Could that be why you're having coloring differences?

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khufuu
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Jan 1, 2004, 11:49 AM
 
Originally posted by rhythmicmoose:
Update:

One of my biggest beefs with most themes is that many people want to make everything SO monochromatic.

I like the widgets. I'd like them a little brighter but not too much. I would also like to see the 'old finder mode' widget (top right) to be a shaded aqua blue similar to the other stop-light widgets; gotta have an aqua tribute somewhere.

The only other thing I would suggest would be to tone down the brightness of the Title Bar Text for the window that is currently not in focus.

Great start!
     
rhythmicmoose
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Jan 1, 2004, 01:37 PM
 
Originally posted by WICKEDfour:
Do you have Color Management turned on in Photoshop? All I do is digital stuff (not to be printed out), so I keep it off. Could that be why you're having coloring differences?
No. It's off. The brown is just an illusion is what I meant. The illusion pretty disappears when the color is used in all of the windows. If it doesn't, you'll probably need to recalibrate your monitor.
     
DekuDekuplex
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Jan 6, 2004, 05:18 PM
 
Originally posted by khufuu:
One of my biggest beefs with most themes is that many people want to make everything SO monochromatic.


I completely agree. This is really a matter of personal preference, but it seems that there are two types of Mac-users: those who like everything monochromatic, and those who prefer color. I happen to prefer color.

As a matter of fact, for a while, I tried adding clarity to my messages by using blue for pro-Mac� and red for anti-Mac� terms, and two posters objected (although one assented), so I eventually stopped, but I've regretted the decision since. Looking at my recent posts now, they look relatively two-dimensional.

Originally posted by khufuu:
I like the widgets. I'd like them a little brighter but not too much. I would also like to see the 'old finder mode' widget (top right) to be a shaded aqua blue similar to the other stop-light widgets; gotta have an aqua tribute somewhere.

The only other thing I would suggest would be to tone down the brightness of the Title Bar Text for the window that is currently not in focus.

Great start!
IMHO, comparing


and

,

I strongly prefer the former, for the following reasons:
[list=1][*]The widgets are more colorful. For some reason, they remind me of the warp drive nascelles in starship NCC-1701-D: Enterprise in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as they glow just before engaging warp drive. The glow hints of a hidden, awesome power about to be unleashed.
[*]The title bars are more glossy. They look like they've just been taken out of the box--pristine. They remind me of the morning dew. The latter ones look like they've been sand-blasted by the wind for a while.[/list=1]

Personally, I would also prefer to see the following changes:
[list=1][*]I would prefer the widgets not to glow when in the background, to glow dimly when in the foreground or under the mouse pointer, and to glow as brightly as photon torpedoes from "Star Trek" when pressed. This would seem to be a further development on the "hidden, awesome power" theme.
[*]The vertical bars in the progress bars would look nicer if they were thinner. I agree with sushiism's posting in that they seem a bit "too much like the default windows ones for my liking." As a Switcher, I don't want to be reminded of Windows. Thinner seems better.
[*]Since this opinion, and others like it, are incompatible with some of the others already posted here, it seems that we need multiple variations on a theme. Perhaps "Aqua After-Dark" for the former one (because lights come on after dark), and "Aqua Black" for the latter one (because it is monochromatic).[/list=1]

Here's one question, though:
  • I'd like to get started on my own theme, also, but am unsure about how to coordinate with others. It seems that some people here are using the ThemePark 1.2.1 theme editor to create themes and ShapeShifter 1.0.1 to facilitate theme switching, but is there any central site coordinating these efforts, perhaps sharing code, and supporting version-tracking? I don't want to need to reinvent the wheel, or to start from an outdated version. Perhaps somebody could PM me on this point.

--DekuDekuplex

[Last edited to add the three-brightness-level widgets suggestion.]
( Last edited by DekuDekuplex; Jan 6, 2004 at 05:30 PM. )
PowerBook® 17-inch [Rev. A] @ 1 GHz
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"Furuike ya, kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto."
-- Matsuo Basho
     
rhythmicmoose
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Status: Offline
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Jan 6, 2004, 05:27 PM
 
Thank you very much for your comments. I will keep them (and all the rest, of course) in mind once I get back to working on this.

Damn exams...
     
mdc
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY²
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Jan 8, 2004, 07:43 AM
 
i think both themes are coming on very nicely.

my 2c. i prefer the title bar widgets from rhythmicmoose's theme.
maybe these can be graphite for mrtew's theme and vice versa
     
bbxstudio
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Canada
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Jan 8, 2004, 08:35 AM
 
Originally posted by swiz:
With Shapeshifter I bellieve custom widget sizes are possible.
SS in Jaguar can do this well but there are discrepencies between Carbon and Cocoa apps and widget spacing when using larger widget sizes in Panther. Remains to be seen whether or not this'll get fixed, but for now it's the source of much frustration to me anyways.
     
Patcarla
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Montpellier
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Jan 8, 2004, 09:30 AM
 
Originally posted by bbxstudio:
SS in Jaguar can do this well but there are discrepencies between Carbon and Cocoa apps and widget spacing when using larger widget sizes in Panther. Remains to be seen whether or not this'll get fixed, but for now it's the source of much frustration to me anyways.
Agreed. The discrepency of spacing between cocoa and carbon apps is really a pain in the a..Another one is the fact that the fill elements are sometimes added and sometimes stretched..
Powerbook 1.67ghz 15" (100GB HD, 128MB VRAM, 1.5GB RAM)
     
 
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