Tweaking the 'system' interface

Publicradio · 11-10-2022, 12:12 PM

I am really enjoying Reaper for Linux, as someone who has used linreaper for years. Linreaper runs the Windows version of Reaper, using Wine, and if you want to change the font or colors of your system menus, you have to run winecfg and edit those settings as you would on an old version of Windows, like XP.

Native Linux Reaper feels a lot more integrated, and that's great; however, the system chrome, like the top menu and the dialogs (the unthemable parts) still has a bit of a Windows feel to it. The dependencies apparently include GTK, but it doesn't feel like a GTK interface. It doesn't even feel like QT, but rather a mono UI, or something like that.

Anyway, I would like to change the font and colors of the unthemed UI to match my OS, but I don't see how to do this. With some Linux programs, you have to run a special program to match them up (like qt5ct, for QT 5 tweaks).

The biggest issue with the UI for me, right now, is that it's very limited in font support. All foreign characters show up as 'tofu', as the Japanese say — just outlined boxes. I would like to change the font to something with more foreign language support (like Google's Noto font, which stands for 'no tofu'). But I don't know how to do this.

Glennbo · 11-10-2022, 01:05 PM

Check out Feed The Cat's script,

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread....ht=unthemeable

for colorizing un-themeable areas in REAPER for Linux.

/AND/ · 11-10-2022, 02:03 PM

Yeah, I'm also looking for a way to change the appearance of system-specific UI elements. Apple does a very good job of offering appealing such elements, whereas Windows and Linux just plainly suck. At least there are ways to find replacements on Linux, but I also don't know how to apply them.

Publicradio · 11-10-2022, 02:18 PM

Well the link Glennbo posted looks like an excellent solution, which I will have to try out. I'm still concerned about the lack of language support, though.

Glennbo · 11-10-2022, 03:17 PM

Another thing about the Feed The Cat script is you can load a theme, run the script, and if you like the colors it created, go back and load the theme you really want to use, without running the script again, and you'll still have the colors from the first theme.

I use a modded version of White Tie's Imperial theme, but the script generates Windows 3.1 looking colors with that theme, so I loaded theme after theme, running the script until I liked all the colors it generated, then I loaded my modded Imperial theme back up. Looks like this now.

Publicradio · 11-11-2022, 07:44 AM

Looks good. I posted this already, in the thread you linked, but I can only get some elements to change color. For instance, in your screenshot, reaEQ is on dark gray. When I ran the script, it stayed the same, system colors.

Glennbo · 11-11-2022, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Publicradio

Looks good. I posted this already, in the thread you linked, but I can only get some elements to change color. For instance, in your screenshot, reaEQ is on dark gray. When I ran the script, it stayed the same, system colors.

I think it might have something to do with themes that have been created after the "Theme Adjuster" function went live in REAPER.

From what I remember, newer themes had effect on things like ReaEQ where older themes like the dark mod of Imperial that I use did not.

https://stash.reaper.fm/theme/2486/M...ReaperThemeZip

I'm pretty sure the link above is the theme I used to run the script on. After setting the colors with that theme, I loaded the LCS Short Dark theme I've used for years and didn't run the script.

Publicradio · 11-11-2022, 06:50 PM

Thanks. I switched to that theme, ran the script, then switched back. I think there's just too much of a mismatch between the theme I'm running (a HiDPI mod based on the default v5 theme) and the dark elements. They all looked uniform when I had your theme installed but when I switched, I had some light elements, buttons in the docker had black text on a dark button, and soon.

I think I will have to play with the theme tweaker, the script, and try again. But fwiw, the script seems to work as intended.

Glennbo · 11-11-2022, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Publicradio

I think I will have to play with the theme tweaker, the script, and try again. But fwiw, the script seems to work as intended.

You'll probably get there with that approach.

tkna · 02-26-2024, 08:53 AM

I found that this fixes the garbled Japanese characters.

Back up all settings before doing this.

1. Action
2. Filter:"dev theme"
3. "Theme development: Show theme tweak/configuration window"
4. Filter:"font"
5. Assign Japanese font to all fonts

Screenshot1: https://0x0.st/HRZq.png
Screenshot2: https://0x0.st/HRZT.png

However, as far as input is concerned, it does not seem to be possible yet, and it may be necessary to type in an editor and then copy-paste.

- OS: Arch Linux x86_64
- Kernel: 6.7.6-arch1-1
- WM: sway
- reaper: 7.11-1

11-10-2022, 12:12 PM	#1
Publicradio Human being with feelings Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 262	Tweaking the 'system' interface I am really enjoying Reaper for Linux, as someone who has used linreaper for years. Linreaper runs the Windows version of Reaper, using Wine, and if you want to change the font or colors of your system menus, you have to run winecfg and edit those settings as you would on an old version of Windows, like XP. Native Linux Reaper feels a lot more integrated, and that's great; however, the system chrome, like the top menu and the dialogs (the unthemable parts) still has a bit of a Windows feel to it. The dependencies apparently include GTK, but it doesn't feel like a GTK interface. It doesn't even feel like QT, but rather a mono UI, or something like that. Anyway, I would like to change the font and colors of the unthemed UI to match my OS, but I don't see how to do this. With some Linux programs, you have to run a special program to match them up (like qt5ct, for QT 5 tweaks). The biggest issue with the UI for me, right now, is that it's very limited in font support. All foreign characters show up as 'tofu', as the Japanese say — just outlined boxes. I would like to change the font to something with more foreign language support (like Google's Noto font, which stands for 'no tofu'). But I don't know how to do this.

11-10-2022, 01:05 PM	#2
Glennbo Human being with feelings Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 9,098	Check out Feed The Cat's script, https://forum.cockos.com/showthread....ht=unthemeable for colorizing un-themeable areas in REAPER for Linux. __________________ Glennbo Hear My Music - Click Me!!! --

11-10-2022, 03:17 PM	#5
Glennbo Human being with feelings Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 9,098	Another thing about the Feed The Cat script is you can load a theme, run the script, and if you like the colors it created, go back and load the theme you really want to use, without running the script again, and you'll still have the colors from the first theme. I use a modded version of White Tie's Imperial theme, but the script generates Windows 3.1 looking colors with that theme, so I loaded theme after theme, running the script until I liked all the colors it generated, then I loaded my modded Imperial theme back up. Looks like this now. __________________ Glennbo Hear My Music - Click Me!!! --

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11-10-2022, 02:03 PM	#3
/AND/ Human being with feelings Join Date: Aug 2022 Posts: 731	Yeah, I'm also looking for a way to change the appearance of system-specific UI elements. Apple does a very good job of offering appealing such elements, whereas Windows and Linux just plainly suck. At least there are ways to find replacements on Linux, but I also don't know how to apply them.

11-10-2022, 02:18 PM	#4
Publicradio Human being with feelings Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 262	Well the link Glennbo posted looks like an excellent solution, which I will have to try out. I'm still concerned about the lack of language support, though.

11-11-2022, 07:44 AM	#6
Publicradio Human being with feelings Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 262	Looks good. I posted this already, in the thread you linked, but I can only get some elements to change color. For instance, in your screenshot, reaEQ is on dark gray. When I ran the script, it stayed the same, system colors.

11-11-2022, 06:50 PM	#8
Publicradio Human being with feelings Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 262	Thanks. I switched to that theme, ran the script, then switched back. I think there's just too much of a mismatch between the theme I'm running (a HiDPI mod based on the default v5 theme) and the dark elements. They all looked uniform when I had your theme installed but when I switched, I had some light elements, buttons in the docker had black text on a dark button, and soon. I think I will have to play with the theme tweaker, the script, and try again. But fwiw, the script seems to work as intended.

02-26-2024, 08:53 AM	#10
tkna Human being with feelings Join Date: Oct 2023 Location: Tokyo Posts: 45	I found that this fixes the garbled Japanese characters. Back up all settings before doing this. 1. Action 2. Filter:"dev theme" 3. "Theme development: Show theme tweak/configuration window" 4. Filter:"font" 5. Assign Japanese font to all fonts Screenshot1: https://0x0.st/HRZq.png Screenshot2: https://0x0.st/HRZT.png However, as far as input is concerned, it does not seem to be possible yet, and it may be necessary to type in an editor and then copy-paste. - OS: Arch Linux x86_64 - Kernel: 6.7.6-arch1-1 - WM: sway - reaper: 7.11-1