V3/V4 Mashup in progress...

AdamWathan · 10-05-2011, 07:18 AM

How does this look so far to everyone?

groovemaster · 10-05-2011, 07:50 AM

basically it looks good to me...
but (of course

) as I like contrasts (so that as many people, also older ones can work with the theme)
I'd like to see more contrast between the track title and the "track title background".
Another thing I never understood in many themes...why has the bpm value and the time signature to be so little?
And why is the color of these two a bright grey and not white?

musicroom · 10-05-2011, 12:58 PM

I like it Adam! I could see me using this.

_

AftersixProductions · 10-05-2011, 02:40 PM

Looking good, Adam.

I'd use it.

nilhartman · 10-05-2011, 02:59 PM

+1

I'll certainly use it too.

jdutaillis · 10-05-2011, 04:19 PM

I'm totally loving the V4 Default so I probably wouldn't use this.

But gotta say it does look pretty sweet! Great idea, Adam. Nice work!

nofish · 10-05-2011, 05:34 PM

I'm mostly still using v3 default currently, v4 didn't didn't catch me (yet).
So this one might become a good compromise I could see me using.
I like it so far.

Mod Bod · 10-05-2011, 06:46 PM

I like it. It's easy enough for me to read with it's good contrast. It has some 3D qualities but not so much that it's distracting. (I like flat graphics.) The button bars aren't too busy.

Can't wait to see the mixer.

Mod Bod · 10-05-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groovemaster

basically it looks good to me...
Another thing I never understood in many themes...why has the bpm value and the time signature to be so little?
And why is the color of these two a bright grey and not white?

Agreed. There's plenty of space so why make the text so small. My two 22" wide screens sit back 24" or better because there is a Qwerty keyboard as well as a midi keyboard. My speaker width dictates that there is about 30" between my eyes and the screen. Things get awfully hard to read when they are small. (Especially with these trifocals.)

J3FFR3Y2692 · 10-05-2011, 07:01 PM

Looks really good Adam.

V3 theme for some reason has just always been the best theme so far for me. So this would be perfect. I also really enjoy the PT feel to it

bluzkat · 10-05-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mod Bod

Things get awfully hard to read when they are small. (Especially with these trifocals.)

David,

Talk to your optomitrist about some 'computer' glasses. There is no way I can work at the computer with my regular glasses (bi-focals).

Computer glasses are single 'strenghth' and can be made to accomodate custom distances from the screen. I've been using them for several years now. I can't live/work without them.

j.herran · 10-06-2011, 04:01 AM

Looks good!! Keep working on it!

davidandmary1 · 10-06-2011, 10:12 AM

Love it Adam! Looks great to me. I would definitely use it! Thanks!

ramses · 10-06-2011, 10:21 AM

+1
Looking really good! And a brilliant idea as well.

AdamWathan · 10-07-2011, 05:21 AM

Small update, what's the consensus on the PT style green lettering?

nilhartman · 10-07-2011, 05:46 AM

I prefer the lettering in first preview. Not found of the meters colors too.
Still really liking the first screenshot tho.

AdamWathan · 10-07-2011, 07:24 AM

Yeah I'll probably go back to the white.

The mixer VU isn't finished sorry, forgot to mention that. It will look like the TCP VU with solid blocks of green, then yellow, then orange, then clipping. I despiiiise the gradient meters in Reaper, not useful IMO :/

nilhartman · 10-07-2011, 07:41 AM

... whereas I like those gradient meters

I've never mod any Reaper theme, but is that easy (if you keep the meters the way you describe) for me to put the gradient meters back ?

ramses · 10-07-2011, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWathan

Yeah I'll probably go back to the white.

The mixer VU isn't finished sorry, forgot to mention that. It will look like the TCP VU with solid blocks of green, then yellow, then orange, then clipping. I despiiiise the gradient meters in Reaper, not useful IMO :/

Yep, white's better in my opinion. And the solid block metering sounds good as well. Would you consider making a mcp layout completely without metering as well? For us guys that sometimes find the blinking lights a bit distracting...

ngarjuna · 10-07-2011, 11:23 AM

Late to the party but...this theme looks outstanding!

Sibben · 10-07-2011, 01:51 PM

Wow. I never use themes but this I might. Really, really promising.

Juca · 10-07-2011, 05:31 PM

Nice work Adam.I hope you have the theme finished fastly....
Congrats.

Mod Bod · 10-07-2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nil Hartman

I prefer the lettering in first preview. Not found of the meters colors too.
Still really liking the first screenshot tho.

I also prefer the white lettering. Much clearer to read.

run, megalodon · 10-14-2011, 04:46 PM

Tcp is very nice and clear, looking very good. My one niggle with that is the separate input and meter fields. I think Reaper's way of having them together is simpler. Mixer is where it would really help to add the input field imo, but I don't remember if you can or not. I don't know how much I like the v4 elements, but I wouldn't say I dislike them. I really enjoy the flatness of the tcp. It's not that they crash, but I just like most things to be flat.

run, megalodon · 10-14-2011, 06:17 PM

PS, I always that the envelope panel curve was weird. Maybe it's worth changing?

J3FFR3Y2692 · 10-14-2011, 08:39 PM

Any more pictures Adam?

AdamWathan · 10-14-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J3FFR3Y2692

Any more pictures Adam?

Hasn't change much, did some work on the meters that's about it...

Click for huge pic...

Probably gonna share it as is pretty soon. I was thinking about getting someone on board to help me redesign the TCP buttons to fit in better with the other stuff in the theme but probably won't bother. I suck ass at designing graphics, completely useless.

AdamWathan · 10-14-2011, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by run, megalodon

Tcp is very nice and clear, looking very good. My one niggle with that is the separate input and meter fields. I think Reaper's way of having them together is simpler. Mixer is where it would really help to add the input field imo, but I don't remember if you can or not. I don't know how much I like the v4 elements, but I wouldn't say I dislike them. I really enjoy the flatness of the tcp. It's not that they crash, but I just like most things to be flat.

Unfortunately you can only display the inputs over the meters when the track is armed. I like to see the inputs all the time so it needs to be separate.

This is how I originally had it:

I think the new styling is slicker though.

J3FFR3Y2692 · 10-15-2011, 12:08 AM

Looks perfect.

run, megalodon · 10-15-2011, 12:52 AM

How about some solid buttons just like the fields you made for track name and input? You could just put some text over them to start with like the current buttons. You could pull almost everything from the current buttons if you want since it's almost all antialiased.

Also, I was just messing around and found that if you delete the shadow around the button edges it makes everything look a little bit clearer. Here it is:

I guess it'd be a bit of work to do it with all of the buttons and states. I was just messing with a screencap so I don't have pngs.

run, megalodon · 10-15-2011, 03:41 AM

Ok, I made some buttons by editing a Rado element (that's allowed, right?). The colors will need some tweaking and the text on top might not do well, but what do you think? Should I keep messing with it?

henge · 10-15-2011, 07:33 AM

Adam this is great! Any chance of getting a TCP layout with full horizontal metering?
Thanks

AdamWathan · 10-15-2011, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by run, megalodon

Ok, I made some buttons by editing a Rado element (that's allowed, right?). The colors will need some tweaking and the text on top might not do well, but what do you think? Should I keep messing with it?

Ooo that is a good start man! What Rado element are you working from? And are you just copying the actual button icons pixel by pixel from the v3 buttons?

They do look nice with no/less shadow, definitely like that. The thing I don't like about the originals is that they are too 3D and round or something. I think they would look better if the shadow highlight under the buttons were darker instead of lighter, if that makes sense. I like the Pro Tools buttons which are a really sharp 2 color gradient, just half the button lighter and half darker. I don't like when things start to get too fancy!

run, megalodon · 10-15-2011, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWathan

Ooo that is a good start man! What Rado element are you working from? And are you just copying the actual button icons pixel by pixel from the v3 buttons?

They do look nice with no/less shadow, definitely like that. The thing I don't like about the originals is that they are too 3D and round or something. I think they would look better if the shadow highlight under the buttons were darker instead of lighter, if that makes sense. I like the Pro Tools buttons which are a really sharp 2 color gradient, just half the button lighter and half darker. I don't like when things start to get too fancy!

It was the solo button. I just grabbed it from a screen cap and moved the edges so that it would fit exactly over the v3 buttons (after I removed the shadow). And yeah, just traced over the v3 icons into a new layer and put that on top of the new button background for each button.

The thing that I realized was really off with the originals is that the shadow changes color from top to button. Near the top it becomes almost the same color as the outline of the button, which gives the eye the impression that the button is misshapen; bigger at the top than the bottom.

Okey dokey, I will get to work today.

J3FFR3Y2692 · 10-15-2011, 04:54 PM

I did this really quickly but being completely honest, I like Mega's better. I don't like mine, because it sort of goes too far from the look of v3.

run, megalodon · 10-15-2011, 09:44 PM

Ok, here is another mockup. It looks almost exactly like the first... heh. It's been slow going since I don't really know what I'm doing either. I made the three buttons next to the folder button light, since the dark in the other mockup didn't really look right. The text on the buttons is a bit more legible. All the colored buttons are very pale, I want to make it very easy to tell what's on and off at a glace for arm, mute, and solo. Tell me if it's too much. If everything's all right, I'll go ahead and make a full set with states for the tcp and mcp just like this.

run, megalodon · 10-15-2011, 09:49 PM

Also, I think I can make some other stuff fit better, like the transport and the faders. I can try that out after I finish the buttons.

timlloyd · 10-16-2011, 02:08 AM

I think you should go with dark text on those buttons

run, megalodon · 10-16-2011, 02:23 AM

you might be right brah

BTW Adam, what program did you use to make those dark rectangles? Something mac exclusive?

timlloyd · 10-16-2011, 02:58 AM

Hm, actually that's harder to read :-/