Clear or dark default theme?

[oops66]

Hello,

Cosmetic and marketing aspects:
I think than XnViewMP should have by default a dark theme (I guess than more than 50% of people prefer a dark theme for an image viewer)

JohnFredC dark theme sample here:
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.p ... 620#p67620


User friendly aspect:
I also think than the "Undo" and "Redo" icons should be by default into the View Mode toolbar, ("Save As" too).
Especially useful for none expert users.
Same case into the Browser mode tollbar with an new icon for "JPEG Lossless Transformation", "Layout", "Thumbnails Size"

[vommie]

I think software should use by default the standard system colors to stay native.

Alternatively, XnViewMP could run a wizard when it get started the first time, which asks the user for the layout scheme, language, colors, file association, theme and so on.

[oops66]

Right, having an option at the first XnViewMP run to choose the theme, etc... is a good idea, ...I support.

Maybe via a XnViewMP Tweak UI with a new "themes" tab ( with some pre-configured themes) ???
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=19160

[JohnFredC]

option at the first XnViewMP run to choose the theme

Agree!

Further, a mechanism that can load a theme during installation would also be a welcome addition to the UI. The user might choose different color schemas for different layouts, for instance.

"Theme" should be an additional property of each layout.

[XnTriq]

Can't we have a dark and a native theme?

• 

One of the features I like best about XnView is its "visual" configurability. If everyone wanted XnView to look as much like LightRoom as possible, then I'd agree (because that would be all right with me).

But I doubt everyone does.

To my way of thinking, each Workspace could have all: a Layout Group, a Theme, and a Thumbnail Definition, and a Behavior Definition... or any combination.

Users could share an entire workspace or only a single component, such as a theme.

Menu options/toolbar buttons would make switching between themes, etc quick and easy. XnView would be come almost chameleon-like and save some of us a lot of time!

Yes, i'll add a button to reset theme...

Please "load from file" button too!!!

[vommie]

Can't we have a dark and a native theme?

The question of this thread was which of both should be the default theme - not which should be the only one

[JohnFredC]

Well I vote "dark", but my version is incomplete (tabs, menus, etc, not the best).

[XnTriq]

Can't we have a dark and a native theme?

The question of this thread was which of both should be the default theme - not which should be the only one

Verboten?! Excusez-moi, Genosse Blockwart

[budz45]

I think software should use by default the standard system colors to stay native.

Alternatively, XnViewMP could run a wizard when it get started the first time, which asks the user for the layout scheme, language, colors, file association, theme and so on.

YES I agree. I always believe in user options in software I use.

If users prefer to use dark theme and want it as a 'sort of' default then a prompt wizard at default may be the best solution to this issue after all.

[xnview]

I can add a dark&light theme, but mine is incomplete
Do you think that we must keep style windows/clearlook/motif/..?

[oops66]

I can add a dark&light theme, but mine is incomplete

Hello,
Mine too...
But I think it's pretty impossible to switch from a theme to an other one (especially from a clear to dark theme, or the opposite) without changing some other colors options (folder colors, fonts, item color for a selection...) - not only the theme.
But maybe 2 generics" themes + other colors options..." (clear & dark) can be included by default into the xnview.ini file, and ask for a choose at the first run ???

It's what why, I think the best way to customize XnViewMP in the future, is to use a stand alone application (why not also at the first run) : maybe via a XnViewMP Tweak UI, with a new " theme&other colors options..." tab ( with some pre-configured themes + other colors options + custom...) ???
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=19160

...Do you think that we must keep style windows/clearlook/motif/..?

Maybe we can keep them for the moment ?

[XnTriq]

Corel PHOTO-PAINT X3 (2006) is the newest “industrial-strength” photo editing software in my arsenal. Its UI doesn't come with a “dark editing room” color scheme, so I don't have any hands-on experience in that regard. What I do know is, that reading bright text on dark background for a prolonged period of time puts a lot of strain on my eyes.
Does this mean that I'm opposed to the idea of a dark UI? Not at all! MP should strut its stuff wherever possible.

I've been using XnView since the very early days. The main reason why I never got tired of it has been its versitility. XnView is whatever the user wants it to be: Graphics viewer, image converter, photo organizer, file manager, etc. My initial scepticism that the move to Qt might diminish some of this flexibility is long gone, but I'm still a little worried that MP may be perceived as just another photo software — which it's not.

Before introducing a dark UI – which would be geared towards photo adjustment tasks – the means for painlessly switching from one theme/workspace to another should be put into place. That's basically all I'm asking for.

[JohnFredC]

the means for painlessly switching from one theme/workspace to another should be put into place. That's basically all I'm asking for.

I agree. Correct layout and theme management are the most important part. It takes too many steps currently.