Concerto Theme

[bFooz]

Toolbar icons are a bit taller then normal. Then where I had two rows of buttons, they won't fit now. See images. I have tried a few other themes and there is no such a problem.

[bFooz]

A separator layout would be fine, maybe just a narrow blank #333333 strip.

[bFooz]

Mixer - Track color on MCP is hard to read on first sight, espacially when there is a lot of tracks and you need to scroll from one end to another looking for a particular track. TCP colors are well readable though I think.

Maybe create some stylish backlight in style of global automation?

[bFooz]

TCP - "Compact folder" arrow would need some love. Or a tracknumber?



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And a suggestion - what about making a half-collapsed folder like this



and fully collapsed folder with completely hidden children tracks.

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The "end folder" icon is a bit off of the overal alignment. Also notice the faders' length (don't know if this is solvable or needs solving, since when I expand TCP to the right, fades are aligned).

[bFooz]

Blankfiles, tell me, aren't all these things I report too much? I would like this theme to be as polished as possible but do not know your goal.

[bFooz]

MCP - these pan guys are hard to grab. The mouse have to be really inside the tiny slider. In my old theme (RADO V4) there are also pan sliders and when I click anywhere to the area of the control, pan jumps right there.

[bFooz]

I am also thinking about those back-lit icons and global automation.



Do you think it is consistent enough, since the theme is completely flat with no shadow anywhere, just there. Global auto looks pretty good though but does not look coming from the same family as a track auto.

[Blankfiles]

Originally Posted by bFooz

Blankfiles, tell me, aren't all these things I report too much? I would like this theme to be as polished as possible but do not know your goal.

Do not worry!! Your help is very useful and you know you have the eye to see everything detail which is a great asset for me.sa seems a lot but in reality it is only small retouch here and the, my biggest problem Is that I also work to blend with the theme yesterday, working with I got all its small bug but the biggest is the darkness of this theme after 4 hours to go to work with I immediately How hard it is on the eyes
And by the same fact makes me want to redraw it, keep the same approach but change the whole, I would not want to disappoint the people who already like the visual product, but I assure you that working hard on this theme so i need your opignon if I stay it as it is with some arrengement or if I redraw it, I am to redraw it to up the level and you ??

I am very satisfied with the help you can bring and my goal is limited to only reaper himself I love the challenges haha ​​

[krahosk]

I like that team work, keep it up you guys! :-) We're going to have a really good looking theme here. :-)

[bFooz]

Sorry, but I was not able to compeletely understand your english :-).

You say you want to redraw it but I don't know what changes you would like to make so it's difficult for me to advice you whether to do that or not (if that is what you're asking).

It might be hard on eyes because of the contrast and because in the web of thin lines the intended shapes are not easily readable.

What if you increase brightness of some parts. First come to eye "track dividers" in the mixer and track view. Currenly they seem to be at #333333. If you brighten it up, individual tracks will gain some definition.
Next the line behind the fader, especially in the MCP.

I have actually never used any dark theme, just bright ones.

[Lunar Ladder]

Please don't suddenly redo it completely because it's dark . If you've come this far already, please release the greatest dark theme (imo) Reaper has seen so far, instead of adding more light and contrast, little by little, until there's nothing left of an actually dark theme with a great design. Just my opinion, of course.

[bFooz]

Or maybe if you ditch horizontal lines across peak meter and also those numbers (6,18,30,45,54) in MCP, it would get cleaner. Or maybe just lines or just numbers.

Actually I have been thinking about this and found out that you probably need to remove (or darken) as many lines as possible. First cadidates are lines around solo and mute button. Next candidates are those horizontal lines mentioned above.

Do you have any graphical backgound (education, professional work as a graphic person)? I have had a look at Ableton's dark theme (because it seems the closes to this one out of all pro dark themes I could find) and how it deals with colors and did some analysis.

[Lunar Ladder]

Just to add: compare the very first screenshots in this thread with the most recent ones. Which one is more easy on the eyes during 8-10 hour sessions, in dim light conditions? Sigh.

Don't get this the wrong way, I like the recent ones very much too, and I'm sure I'm able to use either style as I work, and take delight in doing so. They are excellent concepts. However, the thing that initially got me interested in this theme was, it seemed there was finally going to be a great looking dark theme without too busy contrasty bright areas.

Now the author is having second thoughts, thinking maybe he should redo the whole theme as a lighter one, because it seems hard on the eyes in its current state. And now there's talk of removing the lines (that weren't originally there), so maybe it's going the full circle back to where it was after all, with just carefully and moderately improved contrast in some key details, not everywhere.

These are the dangers of trying to please everyone and risking ending up with something entirely different - and of course I'm just one more person in that "everyone" crowd, haha

[bFooz]

LunarLadder, you're quite right.

Comapring the first screenshot with the recent one, I now see the contrast on the first one was quite good, while the recent one seems hard on eyes. And also the border in a track color around MCP seems to be better removed.

Regarding track color and these observations, I suggest to remove shiny thin border around track (TCP and MCP), keep shiny thin line (TCP - vertical to the left; MCP - horizontal underneath) and colorize track names in MPC and TCP like it is currently in TCP.

[bFooz]

TCP bug - volume fader.

image - top=0dB, middle=max, bottom=min. Notice the small dot at both ends of the line. It is hidden with max but visible with min.

[WKG]

Originally Posted by Lunar Ladder

Just to add: compare the very first screenshots in this thread with the most recent ones. Which one is more easy on the eyes during 8-10 hour sessions, in dim light conditions? Sigh.

Don't get this the wrong way, I like the recent ones very much too, and I'm sure I'm able to use either style as I work, and take delight in doing so. They are excellent concepts. However, the thing that initially got me interested in this theme was, it seemed there was finally going to be a great looking dark theme without too busy contrasty bright areas.

Now the author is having second thoughts, thinking maybe he should redo the whole theme as a lighter one, because it seems hard on the eyes in its current state. And now there's talk of removing the lines (that weren't originally there), so maybe it's going the full circle back to where it was after all, with just carefully and moderately improved contrast in some key details, not everywhere.

These are the dangers of trying to please everyone and risking ending up with something entirely different - and of course I'm just one more person in that "everyone" crowd, haha

I agree.

I very much like the first screenshots as well.

[vidalsh]

Originally Posted by WKG

I agree.

I very much like the first screenshots as well.

I agree too

The first secreenshots are nice to view. The latter ones has so much contrast and are disturbed to view.

[Blankfiles]

Thats funny :P because at the very beginning, first image, many said we need more of contrast, so ok I haved adjust with presize color tools, I am asked to go back to the very beginning, it is a bit why I have To reconsider the theme, nothing is official for the moment but little in this direction and this version is fully scalable

[bFooz]

Well, I do not consider this last image a step in right direction. At the beginning people asked for more contrast because they did not know it will have a negative overall effect.

[Lunar Ladder]

Originally Posted by Blankfiles

it is a bit why I have To reconsider the theme, nothing is official for the moment

Trust your initial vision, it's very good.

I mean, you clearly have talent for this and it's probably the best dark theme for Reaper in the making. So trust that thing you had going on, adjust the actual technical issues / bugs in good spirits , and do slight tweaks to the brightness balances if you feel the need. But don't go "design by committee" too much, otherwise there will always be things to reconsider, endlessly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_by_committee

You have a strong concept and vision here already, no need to alter it dramatically.

[Blankfiles]

Exact for the negative effect !!!that realy hard to play with black and white for any kind of level you are in the first page I was use a presise colorlab grey scale shema but I am not 100% in love whit this version hehe and it seen to be the same thing for the majority here

[bFooz]

Originally Posted by Lunar Ladder

Trust your initial vision, it's very good.

Agree.

[Blankfiles]

ok I will back whit ,The only problem with the first version is that I will have to replace any element like for example the color in the control volume because when the automation its activate we do not see the color of this activation and the compromise I have to do is I keep The numbers in the meter and the theme is not scalable or I withdraw the numbers and the theme will be scalable and compromise on some element like colors in general but all ca is very possible and fast to do I am on holliday for fews days I can work there and see what it can give

haha I love this challenge !! thx for all of you

[vidalsh]

Originally Posted by bFooz

Well, I do not consider this last image a step in right direction. At the beginning people asked for more contrast because they did not know it will have a negative overall effect.

Yes, that has much sense.

People usually want more contrast to one first coloured impression, but this is no one good direction to work a lot of hours with those contrasts.

The firsts ones were more equilibrated, more lineal contrasts.

It´s really difficult to match colors, tones and contrasts to create one equilibrated view.

First is a general impression for viewer, and then there should be only contrasts for needed elements working in actual state.

This is one that I have to do in all themes to match contrasts and colors to work for hours.

By the way, I could work in some of them but I don´t have the beta version.

[Blankfiles]

Back whit the first color shema ,new color name section,that the official ,no more change for the moment loll lots of work thanks all to give this awesome feedback to help me to take this way !

[Lunar Ladder]

Originally Posted by Blankfiles

Back whit the first color shema ,new color name section,that the official ,no more change for the moment loll lots of work thanks all to give this awesome feedback to help me to take this way !

Bravo!

[bFooz]

Great! Waiting for the next beta.

[exidus]

That is a step in the right direction I think. There is too much strain on the eyes with the current version...
Count me in for the next test too

[OPI]

Originally Posted by Lunar Ladder

Bravo!

Nice!


I hope the tcp's get some real love.

[vidalsh]

Originally Posted by Blankfiles

Back whit the first color shema ,new color name section,that the official ,no more change for the moment loll lots of work thanks all to give this awesome feedback to help me to take this way !

Awesome man, that´s first one is the way to go...

please, send me one private with beta to try...thanks...

[Blankfiles]

Tcp Result

[wjmwpg]

Looks mighty fine.

[bFooz]

Nice. Maybe I would add back the bright colored line. I see you changed the horizontal fader cap to be similar to a vertical one, good unifying step IMO.

Also separating an Insert and Auto buttons to separate lines is fine. Looking a bit harsh now with different alignments and element sizes though.

I also like reduced visual space between tracks comparing to the first beta.

One thing I have to mention again - mute and solo buttons should stay at the same position whether the track is expanded or collapsed. The argument is that you want to see at first glance which tracks are soloed or muted but when you have them all at different heights, it is now really difficult to look for those buttons all over the TCP left to right randomly.

Im my mixing habits, I do not consider polarity switch to be that important to deserve a place among pan, mute and solo. Useful would be if you would find a good UI way to put a volume knob there somewhere when the track is collapsed.

[OPI]

Originally Posted by Blankfiles

Tcp Result

Awesome...

[BRBWaffles]

Originally Posted by bFooz

One thing I have to mention again - mute and solo buttons should stay at the same position whether the track is expanded or collapsed. The argument is that you want to see at first glance which tracks are soloed or muted but when you have them all at different heights, it is now really difficult to look for those buttons all over the TCP left to right randomly.

I second this. Having Solo and Mute always visible is vital.

[Glacierise]

Smashing indeed 🙂

[Indemuse]

It would be nice to have input from other beta testers.

[Indemuse]

Originally Posted by Lunar Ladder

Bravo!

Yes, looking very nice!

[Luster]

Ok. I am not a beta tester but can't hold some thought going through my head - overall IMHO it looks lovely.

There are two points missing for me:

• Orientation by brightness of areas. Just imagine that the mixer, the tcp, the ruler, the transport bar and the arranger (content) has overall different brightness values.
• Weighting. Just imagine that important stuff (track name - heavy/bold) is very easy to distinguish from the track number (medium weight) and things like separation lines or the fader lines that stay that thin.

Right now the mock-up looks good but for me it's just too much of the same lines on dark background.


With best regards.

[drejkee]

Originally Posted by Blankfiles

Back whit the first color shema ,new color name section,that the official ,no more change for the moment loll lots of work thanks all to give this awesome feedback to help me to take this way !

very pleasant appearance! for me - the most interesting, compare to other themes.