>>V4 : Theme 22 March Discussion - Read First Post

White Tie · 03-23-2011, 07:11 AM

Changelog

Big rework. This theme has tested very well, bear with it.
Lots and lots of Walter for lots and lots of resizing intelligence.

Known problems / Limitations / Undone

Things which should be considered 'final'

Nothing

Overall

Bad meters. All meters. All Bad.
Almost all mouseover/mousedown states missing.
Faders yet to be addressed
Vertical Scrollbar bug on IO window, believed to be Reaper transparency bug.
Automation buttons don't use the 'pressed' appearance and colouring. Undecided.
Large pan knobs' pointer overruns the knob

Transport:

On states are ...contentious. Please advise ( < asking you a direct question, please!)

TCP

Particularly outrageous and blatant meter hack
Final layouts should be based on element heirarchy drawn from user feedback; these aren't.
Unknown top right hand corner artifact when icons present but hidden due to low track width
Track Icons don't do the vertical center thing; unavoidable.
Some layouts hide controls to improve clarity, for user to choose in appropriate circumstances. Obviously unsuited to inappropriate circumstances...

EnvCPs

Preliminary Walter

Inline ME

Untouched

Items

Return of the V3 strategy. We tried many things, this was always best. I think we have now proved this, if you think otherwise that's cool, but please bring powerful evidence.

Generics

Much yet to do.
Plugin knob pointer colour troubles.

Dstruct · 03-23-2011, 07:28 AM

1. RMS Meter still ugly (please read the first post- WT)
2. Maintoolbar = grey background here (not dark grey as in your screenshot) (fixed in 56b- WT)
3. Playstate text = unreadable on small undocked transport (not a theme thing- WT)
4. Pan knobs = weird and almost unusable faders here (fixed in 56b- WT)

Steve36 · 03-23-2011, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schwa

Oops, the theme did not get put into the installer completely. I've taken the build down, we'll put it back as soon as all the parts are in.

From V4alpha56 thread...

Steve

timlloyd · 03-23-2011, 07:46 AM

tcp fader right alignment looks off by 1 pixel

I really don't like the blobby mcp rec_arm button ...... why can it not just be in line with the other mcp buttons? I don't understand the need for it to be connected to the meter/fader area ...

//////

But ... I like it - looks nice.

... it's got the V3 logo on the master as well ...

flowbot · 03-23-2011, 07:53 AM

I like this button :-) adds a kind of "organic" to the UI... please, don't replace'm!

devez · 03-23-2011, 07:58 AM

I really like those maintoolbar buttons, colors and pictures much clearer.

About the "boot" on mcp rec arm button, maybe it could be extended to right, so that rec arm button would align with other buttons.

Sorry if I write badly, I just don't have the energy to keep dictionary open all the time

Vincent Sermonne · 03-23-2011, 08:06 AM

I love the theme but not the icons and there is not much choice to customize the floating and main toolbar. Thank's for your work !

earlabs · 03-23-2011, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlloyd

I really don't like the blobby mcp rec_arm button ...... why can it not just be in line with the other mcp buttons? I don't understand the need for it to be connected to the meter/fader area ...

//////

But ... I like it - looks nice.

+ 1,000,000
Overall I like it a LOT but that button is just not okay. And knobs for pan... I dunno. Perhaps the little line should be thicker?

Gerold Slama · 03-23-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timlloyd

I really don't like the blobby mcp rec_arm button ...... why can it not just be in line with the other mcp buttons? I don't understand the need for it to be connected to the meter/fader area ...

+1000!!

d. gauss · 03-23-2011, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dstruct

Playstate text = unreadable on small undocked transport)

indeed.

jonyjazy · 03-23-2011, 08:30 AM

Also would like to say those ultra shinny toolbars buttons( for exemple the green ) are very distractive. I can Iamgine docking a lot of toolbars
will be a lot of distraction to the eyes.

My two cents....

griz lee · 03-23-2011, 08:43 AM

I think the new theme is very usable and extremely well considered from a graphic design standpoint.

A lovely piece of GUI art, in fact.

Is there any chance of a laptop layout where the TCP, when as thin as it can be, just shows the track number?

My screen is 1024 x 576 !

Evan · 03-23-2011, 09:05 AM

The media items in this theme I like, but I still don't understand: why do selected items = dark? Contrary to everything else in Reaper? Which also makes selected items look very close to muted items. I have modified a different theme to have selected items become brighter, and it works great.

airon · 03-23-2011, 10:05 AM

Great first, second and third impression.

The vertical TCP is nice. I have access to the FX button even though the TCP is real narrow.

As for the MCP, Large is a flavour I much prefer over standard, and Narrow is just great for larger mixes and it keeps all the elements available.

If anything I'd ask for impossible stuff, so I'll go back and use it a lot now and report back when I've got something more practical to contribute.

BenK-msx · 03-23-2011, 08:55 AM

fine work on colours here, items nice.

anyway - a gripe is mixer, the mute and solo have got too small/insignificant related to their use, importance and for just easy clicking. they were bigger.

one ******* pan knob takes up the same space as mute & solo.

as previously stated i cannot fathom the reason for such large pan knobs they are an unnecessary visual distraction space hog on what are essentially set and forget items.

squint and look at mixer, all you see is pan stuff. then think how often you actually 'tweak' a pan knob or need to quickly know what a tracks pan setting is in a given session.

i like the white on dark faders - you say faders getting attention perhaps they are a touch 'high'/long at the mo.

overall its far better than before that's for sure, will it top rado we shall see!

bestoluck.

plamuk · 03-29-2011, 03:21 PM

v4 default theme is AWESOME. however, in VERTICAL tcp track panel view, when you add an FX control knob and then resize the track height smaller, the PAN knob gets placed overtop the FX control knob.

spikemullings · 04-02-2011, 02:00 AM

Sorry if mentioned already but is the team committed to the centering in the enlarged TCP thing? I had thought perhaps you were not, but it's here again in this theme version. FWIW I prefer the previous V3 behaviour.

VVV · 04-21-2011, 01:49 PM

The default theme is already great but in my opinion would be killer with TCP an MCP all black.

There is still the windows white background problem but black unity woud be so stylish

musicbynumbers · 04-21-2011, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spikemullings

Sorry if mentioned already but is the team committed to the centering in the enlarged TCP thing? I had thought perhaps you were not, but it's here again in this theme version. FWIW I prefer the previous V3 behaviour.

That's about the only major thing for me too and a few other new guys.

I can see the use in it and maybe I just need to get use to it

WyattRice · 04-21-2011, 05:49 PM

I do like how the new theme looks, and I do agree with White Tie on the media item being dark when selected, and light when it's not, but the current selected item looks too dark IMHO, and it's hard to see fade lines and media cues. Here's a pic below with a fade and cue in the item.

musicbynumbers · 04-21-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WyattRice

I do like how the new theme looks, and I do agree with White Tie on the media item being dark when selected, and light when it's not, but the current selected item looks too dark IMHO, and it's hard to see fade lines and media cues. Here's a pic below with a fade and cue in the item.

I don't mind this I think having them have a white line at the top of them would help though.

The time selection needs a new blend mode as it gets lost easily. some kind of mild invert.

bennisixx · 04-21-2011, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WyattRice

I do like how the new theme looks, and I do agree with White Tie on the media item being dark when selected, and light when it's not, but the current selected item looks too dark IMHO, and it's hard to see fade lines and media cues. Here's a pic below with a fade and cue in the item.

how about the zero crossing line be red and the fade be neon green.

Evan · 04-22-2011, 07:10 AM

Regarding the sliders vs knobs debate: there are ways to make everyone happy. It requires some FRs, so just mentioning briefly that e.g. the freeware Synth1 pops-up a slider when adjusting a knob. It works great, with all the space-saving of a knob, and the adjustment benefits of a slider.

Point being? We shouldn't banish knobs because they offer significant screen estate benefits. We should -instead- love them, embrace them... AND organize an improvement plan with the devs to make them accessible to all (incl. pen and touch users)

Regarding the mixer: I still think the minimum height is a bit on the tall side (judging on a typical laptop monitor, 768px vertical). The arrangement view definitely becomes small when the mixer is visible.

Regarding items dark when selected:

I prefer it more like this (quick mockup I did, needs more work)...

In short I like --> Selected = brighter. Selected = strong(er) border in items.

bennisixx · 04-21-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by musicbynumbers

That's about the only major thing for me too and a few other new guys.

I can see the use in it and maybe I just need to get use to it

nah, what is the use again? Its hideous(sorry wt)from an otherwise great presentation.