XnView MP & theme

[JohnFredC]

I still think that user-contributed themes would be a great idea (in addition to the "official" light-medium-dark themes). If there was a way to share layouts, toolbars, themes, thumb-designs, etc., then the best ones could be incorporated into the distribution packages and listed in settings for the user to switch between.

See again my post in the thread: here.

Partly this issue is about storage (INI files and what-not) and partly this issue is about the UI.

The issue with MP currently is that there is not yet a "simplification" layer (=WYSIWYG dialog) between the user and the style sheet that combines all of the options/adjustments.

A question: if a style element is defined twice in a QSS file, does QT use the second one? I think it does, and if so, then a style editor could layer changes on top of a basic theme by addressing a subset of the elements present in the "master" style.

Perhaps Tweak UI would be a good tool for something like that.

[xnview]

The issue with MP currently is that there is not yet a "simplification" layer (=WYSIWYG dialog) between the user and the style sheet that combines all of the options/adjustments.

So an unique dialog to be able to edit all colors of XnViewMP (currently in options), and theme qss file?

A question: if a style element is defined twice in a QSS file, does QT use the second one? I think it does, and if so, then a style editor could layer changes on top of a basic theme by addressing a subset of the elements present in the "master" style.

I think yes

[JohnFredC]

So an unique dialog to be able to edit all colors of XnViewMP (currently in options), and theme qss file?

Well yes, ultimately, that would be the best approach. (Though there are more important things to do for MP functionality first.)

But a logical reduction of the many different theme components into groups that share the same "colors" etc would be beneficial. For instance, in the current "dark" theme, the toolbars do not share the same backgrounds. The "mini" toolbar background is controlled by something else.

So the effort should be: simplify, simplify, simplify, and then group.

• 1. Identify an MP standard "look" (3D or not to be, that is the question!)
  
  • Most of the irritating visual "noise" in the current "dark" theme derives from superfluous lines and borders used to give a "3d" look. Some of them could be eliminated (see my example post, above) by assigning the same colors to them as the backgrounds they lie on.
  2. Identify which components should share the same "theme" colors
  • Toolbars, for instance.
  3. Identify a (relatively small) set of color settings to be exposed in the "theme designer" UI.
  
  • For instance: toolbar background, active tab, inactive tab, panel backgrounds, row backgrounds, etc.
  4. Publish a guide
  
  • ...that shows the relationships between the various widgets/controls and assigned colors.
  5. At this point, a theme designer UI could be built...

It would be best that direct manipulation of the QSS file by obsessives (such as myself) would remain, but an efficient tool to change MP 1.x's look/UI/behavior and "package" it for sharing would be huge.

Huge I say!

[XnTriq]

I used a text editor... if anyone knows of a good QSS stylesheet editor please speak up!

• Qt Quarterly
  • Issue 25 · Q1 2008: Qt Designer's New Features » Improved Style Sheet Editor
• TeamSpeak 3 Designs & Skins
  • Tutorials » How to create a Team Speak 3 design [basic]

This is all I got

[artscoop]

In general, a good CSS editor will be enough for the properties, at least.

[JohnFredC]

Do you have a recommendation?

[XnTriq]

I have serious doubts that a general purpose CSS editor can serve as “a ‘simplification’ layer (=WYSIWYG dialog) between the user and the style sheet that combines all of the options/adjustments” for skinning UI elements of a Qt application.

• Smashing Magazine
  • List of CSS Tools
  • 25 Useful WYSIWYG Editors Reviewed
  • CSS Editors Reviewed
  • 50 Extremely Useful And Powerful CSS Tools
  • 35 CSS-Lifesavers For Efficient Web Design
• Speckyboy Design Magazine
  • 7 Free CSS Editors, Which Is the Best? You Choose.
• Resources.SaveDelete.com
  • Top 10 Free Online CSS Editors For Web Designers
• CSShook Gallery
  • Best CSS Editors
• Oiko CSS Editor
• TopStyle Lite (via SnapFiles or Softpedia)

[JohnFredC]

Thanks for those links.

I have serious doubts that a general purpose CSS editor can serve as “a ‘simplification’ layer (=WYSIWYG dialog) between the user and the style sheet that combines all of the options/adjustments” for skinning UI elements of a Qt application.

I completely agree... was just hoping for something for us to use in the meantime.

Edit: Thanks for those great links!

[XnTriq]

Edit: Thanks for those great links!

You're welcome, Mister C.

More inspiration for a dark theme — This time courtesy of Nokia's own Qt Creator IDE:

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