Old 06-10-2017, 11:55 AM   #1
pipelineaudio
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Default Good color contrast for editing

Drum editing (among other editing) can be very frustrating for me, and I would suspect others, because item color, selected item color, item color in time selection, and selected item color in time selection can make it very hard to pick colors with enough contrast in all those different situations for the gridlines and stretch markers.

Has anyone been able to come up with a good color scheme so that you can clearly see the grid whether the item is selected, unselected, in a time selection, selected in a time selection, and still know if its the 1 beat or the 2 beat or the in between beat?

If so, please let me see!

I have made an FR for this issue at http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=192831 but perhaps you guys already have colors that are working for you, if so please let me know about it!
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Old 06-10-2017, 01:42 PM   #2
exidus
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have you tried to draw the grid on top of the items?

(Preferences -> Appearance -> Grid line Z order)
And next to it you have a checkbox Show dotted grid lines.
These might help.

Otherwise you can try the skin from my signature. I payed special attention to this detail when making it.
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Old 06-10-2017, 01:55 PM   #3
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A constructive suggestion:
Please tell us what theme or color setting in a theme works out so far best for you. So everybody get a more precise idea where the problem is.

Overall you have to consider this. Some theme devs and modders use the software in a specific way, where your needs are not considered simply because they never see it (on screen) in that way like you - different workflows...
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Old 06-10-2017, 02:32 PM   #4
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Yes, I have done the girds over under dotted not dotted

So for example, a picture that shows all of the items and states involved, in a HSV item fill mode to really highlight the different pieces involved



We have several items and states:
Unselected item not in time selection
Selected item not in time selection
Unselected item in time selection
Selected item in time selection

Gridline Start of measure in Unselected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Selected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Unselected item in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Selected item in time selection

Gridline Start of beats in Unselected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Selected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Unselected item in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Selected item in time selection

Another gridline in between beats, and then stretch markers

HSV adjust seems to help a lot for instant contrast, but is not available for gridlines or stretch marker lines
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Old 06-10-2017, 03:19 PM   #5
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TBH I couldn't work with that much colour going on on screen. I don't see anything, it just hurts my eyes and I have to think too much about what it can mean. But I believe I have a clue where your problem lies.
Let's try the other way around. Please tell, what is too unclear for your on the following screenshot (I hope I included every state you wanted but maybe a example project to share would be handsome).


Btw - you are not colorblind? Just asking - no offence.
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Old 06-10-2017, 03:47 PM   #6
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If you read the whole post I said that i purposely exaggerated the color to show that even crazy exaggerated it is still hard to see.

SO first of all in the picutre you linked, I cant see which gridline is start of measure, which is start of beats and which is in between beats

I can barely see the time selection (the side lines of it show it well, but if I were zoomed in more I wouldnt be able to see them)

There seems to be no difference in selected in time selection and selected outside of time selection

I wouldn't know if the darker colored items are muted, but perhaps you have a very clear contrast to the muted items or tracks

That said, I do like the idea of white peaks for selected and dark for unselected, if Im reading that right, that seems pretty smart, but not sure what would happen if the time selection contrast were clearer.

I'll repost the factors that give me the most grief in my own work

Unselected item not in time selection
Selected item not in time selection
Unselected item in time selection
Selected item in time selection

Gridline Start of measure in Unselected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Selected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Unselected item in time selection
Gridline Start of measure in Selected item in time selection

Gridline Start of beats in Unselected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Selected item not in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Unselected item in time selection
Gridline Start of beats in Selected item in time selection

Another gridline in between beats, and then stretch markers
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Old 06-10-2017, 04:20 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pipelineaudio View Post
I can barely see the time selection (the side lines of it show it well, but if I were zoomed in more I wouldnt be able to see them)
Honestly - I can't follow you on that route. It's like ignoring the whole picture for me. The time selection is indicated by several things:
  • more highlight on everything within
  • the dark red lines going down on the borders
  • the fat red line above arrangement
Even zoomed into the time selection (for me it's coupled with loop selection - but I guess that is standard) you clearly know that you are in that area because you see always a big fat red line above the tracks. Sorry, I don't see a problem here.


The same for start of measure and beat - in the overall arrangement is enough clue for me to know where the next starts. Yeah, it's all subtle but personally it gives enough information so I don't get lost. If I have to be sure I just look above in the ruler.


Regarding the inversion of the selected items. Nick Moritz established this in his themes and I find it pretty good working. Here you could also say that the item colour is lost when selected. Well, yeah but if I select an item, I saw the colour beforehand and when I forget what I selected - just look to the left and see what the track is called.
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Old 06-10-2017, 04:48 PM   #8
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I agree that you would see this different. I would like more contrast, especially for the time selection. I dont see anything wrong with you working the way you do, I would just like more contrast. Hopefully theres some magic combination that will work, or more perfectly, we will get item fill mode selection for grid and stretch marker lines
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Old 06-10-2017, 06:08 PM   #9
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try pink ugly but it always stands out... like for start of measure

white for the beats

your choice for inbetween the beats... blue, yellow or green
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Old 06-10-2017, 06:34 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hopi View Post
try pink ugly but it always stands out... like for start of measure

white for the beats

your choice for inbetween the beats... blue, yellow or green
Crazy, the pink even works over the red. Now I need to figure for the other 8 or whatever things, for the item colors. Luster's black vs white for the peaks seems to work pretty well, then I can knock down some of the other colors
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Old 06-11-2017, 01:38 AM   #11
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Looking at Default Commala 5 Light there is the same highlighting of selected items but additionally it keeps partly the item colour. Maybe this is even better.
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