[opinion] Should I Develop This Theme?

Hi guys and gals

I have been starting to play around with a few ideas for a WindowBlinds theme... It's kind of a dark version of the panther theme (ish), but I think done in a much nicer way than the horrible one on WinCustomize that was posted here a while back.

I am worried though that this is 'yet another' dark theme when all we seem to be getting at the moment is dark themes... I wanted to post a very little preview and see if you thought I should bother to carry on and develop it properly or not, in light of current/near future releases.

Here's the preview (Please note that at the moment these are all just graphics... I have messed with a couple of things in SkinStudio so far but not put anything substantial together... That's the purpose of this preview... To see if you think I should spend the time required to make the theme)

Opinions and any comments/suggestions are welcome. Also, if I do end up making the theme... Talented themers for other popular programs (Mozilla, Trillian etc) would be welcome to work on ports. If anyone feels the need to contact me personally about this, feel free to get hold of me on any of the IMs I have listed, or send me a PM.

Cheers... Hope you like the work so far,

#129514

make it a visual style instead

I would use it in a heartbeat

#129516

Originally posted by ibanezcollector@Mar 15 2004, 03:22 AM

make it a visual style instead

I would use it in a heartbeat

amen. i really dont like dark themes but this looks great.

-bunkka :canadian:

#129518

Looks good. Would like to see this come through.

Maybe use some pastel colours instead of just white text? For substyles, that is.

Keep up the good work, mate. :naughty:

#129520

Originally posted by silencedge@Mar 15 2004, 03:37 AM

Looks good. Would like to see this come through.

Maybe use some pastel colours instead of just white text? For substyles, that is. 

Keep up the good work, mate.  :naughty:

ya for substyle, but its kinda difficult when its too light, then it just strains peoples eyes, but that would be a good addition.

-bunkk :canadian:

#129521

Just a couple of suggestions.

Fix the min, max and close buttons. They seem to be oval in the screennshot.

Change the Toobar button arrow colors to white or to the color of the inactive titlebar text.

#129526

Originally posted by bunkka@Mar 15 2004, 03:46 AM

ya for substyle, but its kinda difficult when its too light, then it just strains peoples eyes, but that would be a good addition.

-bunkk :canadian:

I agree. Hence my suggestion for some pastel colours. Easier on the eyes. And having light blue/ light green/ pink/ golden text gives a whole fresh look to the desktop as well.

#129528

On the topic of colours:

I have tried using white for the min mac close buttons... And for some reason it doesn't exactly look that great. As for sub themes with different colours... We'll see... I'm not the most experienced themer in the world, my background is in graphics but I'm still finding my feet in terms of how things work with windowblinds etc. Incidentally, I have asked a couple of people but still don't really know... Is there a way that anyone knows of to animate the over state of the min max close buttons? I wanted to have a kind of pulsing effect on them.

On the topic of an MsStyle:

I personally don't use MsStyles... But would be glad to allow someone to do a port if they should so desire

On the topic of the buttons looking oval:

Funny thing that... Yes, I agree after looking at it, they do look slightly ovalised... But they actually aren't... They're all 12x12 circles. Must be something to do with the way they are coloured playing a trick on the eyes. I'll look into it.

Asking for help now:

To any of you that know what's what in WindowBlinds, do you think you could tell me why if i start a theme in SkinStudio Pro (latest version) and get part way through (I had been testing titlebar and buttons), when i next open it the theme seems empty and I can't edit anything? I can still load the theme thus far into Windows... But in skinstudio it refuses to work. Weird, and a pain in the a$$... I don't particularly fancy not being able to exit skinstudio the whole time I am working on the theme... It's likely to take me a while! (Incidentally I created the theme as a UIS2 WindowBlinds theme... That is right, isn't it?)

Cheers,

#129542

I think the last days/weeks showed that there is currently no way for black MSStyles.

(Font coloring Problem)

So I think WB is the right way to go (also in fact of the wonderful per application setting)

#129579

That looks awesome. I think development on it should start soon so that someone can work the visual style aswell Release them both at the same time. Visual Style and Windown Blinds theme, and i think we will all be happy campers :naughty:

Thanks in Advance & good luck,

Adam S.

#129598

Looks promising ! Develop it !

#129734

DUH!

Yes you should

#129756

as a regular user of dark themes, id like to say that this looks promising. i however dont use windown blinds(shh dont tell silencedge). but i can always hope some one ports it.

i say go for it

#129770

This is a very nice start! I would love to see this as a VS!

Just my taste:

- I'd make the font(s) smaller (see Bubbabyte's Creme VS)

- provide an alternate orientation of the window widgets on the right

- reduce the size of the toolbar buttons to about 75% of what they are now

- try to smooth out the rounded corners on the window titlebars

#129774

Originally posted by DTOXX@Mar 15 2004, 12:57 PM

This is a very nice start! I would love to see this as a VS!

Just my taste:

- I'd make the font(s) smaller (see Bubbabyte's Creme VS)

- provide an alternate orientation of the window widgets on the right

- reduce the size of the toolbar buttons to about 75% of what they are now

- try to smooth out the rounded corners on the window titlebars

so, in essence, you want Windows, right?

www.neowin.com

have fun!

#129779

Looks really good, might even considering getting windowblinds. (Y)

#129795

Originally posted by Duckie@Mar 15 2004, 05:10 PM

so, in essence, you want Windows, right?

www.neowin.com

have fun!

- I'd make the font(s) smaller (see Bubbabyte's Creme VS)

I like small fonts onscreen, since they make visual sense to me when combined with the screen res that use (1600+). By default, Windows does not utilize fonts at the point size I like to see.

- provide an alternate orientation of the window widgets on the right

What's wrong with this? I'm right handed...I like widgets on the right. It's just an option, not an obligation

- reduce the size of the toolbar buttons to about 75% of what they are now

Again, I like small and elegant interface components. XP doesn't provide for this by default, and I usually select VS's based upon this criterion as well as a few others.

- try to smooth out the rounded corners on the window titlebars

It's just a little detail. I think that the Mac GUI is beautiful and well planned. Smoothing out these corners makes sense as far as craftsmanship goes, and is an omage to the OS that inspired this VS.

I'm just giving my opinion, Duckie.

#129802

Smoothing out the corners may be a little bit of a problem... i'll give it a go, though...

Windows, unlike OSX, doesn't support antialiasing of GUI elements. That's why the OSX interfaces look soo lovely and smooth. i've managed to work the titlebar buttons so they look a lot smoother.. which is good... but i'm not sure how i can make the titlebar look any much better. If anyone can shed any light on this, please... let me know

So far as other suggestions... They will all be taken on board. Some may not make it into this skin... some may have to wait for later creations... But I will think about all of them and see how things look/work for each.

(Damn I wish xero were around more lately so i could pick his brains lol!)

Cheers,

#130027