Winstep

Software Technologies


 Winstep Forums


Print view
Board index : Winstep Forums : General Discussion  [ 19 posts ] Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 5:03 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Here's a theme (work-in-progress!) that's designed to be productivity oriented - no unnessary, distracting 'thrills and spills' and also using as little resources as possible.

The screen grab was made in a setup with the basic default configuration but with effects etc. disabled. The NextSTART Taskbar is still rudimentary and needs a lot of work still, there's no original recycler and I may just leave that as is. The shelf was moved to the right edge. All modules are shown.

Also shown is my own version of the NextSTART Startmenu. (This version in this setup is not complete - I still have to copy the fullly completed version over.) The "Your Apps Here!" menu item is a folder menu to be configured to point to a folder where the user has categorised all his app for easy access and oversight. (I use one of these myself and have done so for near as dammit 30 years on various OSs.) The menu is loosely based on the classic Windows start menu.

Just about everything is translucent/transparent to a greater or lesser degree, ranging from 90% opacity (dock) to 40% (shelf and most modules). Menu titlebars are fully opaque, as is the startbar - at any rate at present, I may change this still.

The dock at the top uses the bitmap for the bottom dock, in spite of the correct configuration. (This fault occurs in all themes, except sometimes when the dock has only five icons or less.)

The wallpaper uses parts (some - slightly modified - layers) of one of my works of digital art dating back over 20 years and re-discovered earlier this year. It'sin full 4K format and will work fine at that resolution but best effect is probably at medium resolutions. (The original is at what would roughly be 32K res. at 1200 DPI.)

All in all, this is, more or less, how the user should see and start to use it when first installed!
Attachment:
20181028SrnGrab-W10Prod-Def-01.jpg

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:21 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
N.B. - The histograph colour of the in-shelf metering modules now matches that of the desktop modules, or at least, the darkest colour of the latter as that is drawn from a graduated bitmap.

Also, there now are colour-matched frames/grid lines available for the shelf.

In my theme development setup I now run with the CPU, RAM, and NET modules as well as the digital clock in the Startbar - best place for them, IMO.

One question has arisen - can the Start button text run on two lines? If you Jorge could answer that, or anybody else, I'd appreciate it. Would prefer 'Next Start' split up on two lines rather than use a smaller font size.

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:30 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2016 11:46 am
Posts: 568
nice work


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:41 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
seeker wrote:
nice work

Thank you kindly, sir. :)

It's meant to fit in well with Windows 10, including with the apparently popular 'Dark Theme' (or whatever they call it), and to provide a visually calm, easily recognisable environment to get on with work.

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:42 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:30 pm
Posts: 11930
nexter wrote:
One question has arisen - can the Start button text run on two lines? If you Jorge could answer that, or anybody else, I'd appreciate it. Would prefer 'Next Start' split up on two lines rather than use a smaller font size.


No, sorry, you're not supposed to write the whole of War & Peace in the Start Button. :wink:

_________________
Jorge Coelho
Winstep Xtreme - Xtreme Power!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies


Back to top
 Profile WWW 
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 9:47 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
winstep wrote:
nexter wrote:
One question has arisen - can the Start button text run on two lines? If you Jorge could answer that, or anybody else, I'd appreciate it. Would prefer 'Next Start' split up on two lines rather than use a smaller font size.

No, sorry, you're not supposed to write the whole of War & Peace in the Start Button. :wink:

Well damn and double damn! I'd hoped to add Anna Karenina and Dr. Zhivago to War & Peace as well to the Start Button! :P Thanks Jorge - a smaller font it is then. :)

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 5:13 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
N.B. 2 - Forgot to say, the NextSTART Start Menu will have a vertical title bar eventually (the bitmap's ready and waiting). However, I can't for the life of me figure out how I did that in the past - certainly looks like we didn't have sub-themes back then, and I can't quite figure how to configure all this. If anybody or Jorge could tell me it would be much appreciated. :)

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:13 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
nexter wrote:
N.B. 2 - Forgot to say, the NextSTART Start Menu will have a vertical title bar eventually (the bitmap's ready and waiting). However, I can't for the life of me figure out how I did that in the past - certainly looks like we didn't have sub-themes back then, and I can't quite figure how to configure all this. If anybody or Jorge could tell me it would be much appreciated. :)

I dug up a very old NextSTART theme of mine from the days when NextSTART was all we had, so likely about NS 2.x, that featured a vertical title bar for the (main) parent menu and a horizontal one for all other menus. It seems the only way to do that in those days was to duplicate the theme, and then configure the user settings to use the vertical title bar theme for the main menu only, and then configure all other menus to use the horizontal theme. So no clues there whatsoever. :/

H E L P ! ;)

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:11 am 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:51 pm
Posts: 337
Location: Oregon, USA
winstep wrote:
nexter wrote:
One question has arisen - can the Start button text run on two lines? If you Jorge could answer that, or anybody else, I'd appreciate it. Would prefer 'Next Start' split up on two lines rather than use a smaller font size.


No, sorry, you're not supposed to write the whole of War & Peace in the Start Button. :wink:

What about just "War &", Jorge?

Ric, it looks really nice. I approve whole-heartedly.


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:36 am 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
DesertDwarf wrote:
winstep wrote:
nexter wrote:
One question has arisen - can the Start button text run on two lines? If you Jorge could answer that, or anybody else, I'd appreciate it. Would prefer 'Next Start' split up on two lines rather than use a smaller font size.


No, sorry, you're not supposed to write the whole of War & Peace in the Start Button. :wink:

What about just "War &", Jorge?

Ric, it looks really nice. I approve whole-heartedly.

LOL!

Why, thank you kindly Ric. :) Still a lot to be ironed out, but getting there.

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 5:52 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Well, we're getting there, slowly. Shelf now has matching grid lines for those who use them, and we're nearly there with the vertical title bar for main menu and normal, horizontal title bar for detached menus. Unfortunately, for some reason I can't fathom the theme doesn't seem to want to see the SubTheme, so it's only giving vertical title bars on everything.

Hoping to fix that pronto and post a new screen grab ASAP.

Meanwhile, here's a grab showing the vertical title bar, alas on both main and detached sub-menu.
Attachment:
File comment: Vertical Title Bar - on main and, alas, sub-menu
001015_VMenuTBProb.png
001015_VMenuTBProb.png [ 180.69 KiB | Viewed 20216 times ]

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:04 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:30 pm
Posts: 11930
In the MAIN menu configuration file, it MUST have a line saying:

ThemeHasSubtheme=True

_________________
Jorge Coelho
Winstep Xtreme - Xtreme Power!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies


Back to top
 Profile WWW 
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Wed Nov 07, 2018 6:57 pm 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
winstep wrote:
In the MAIN menu configuration file, it MUST have a line saying:

ThemeHasSubtheme=True

I know Jorge, and it has. But thank you anyway. :)

I compared the two config files of the Darkmatter theme with my two ancient themes' config files (one for vertical, one for horizontal title bars - we didn't have sub-themes in those early days) and also my new theme's config file, then used the Darkmatter files as starting point for my new ones, substituting the values with my own ones. In my theme folder, the files for the sub-theme went into the 'SubTheme' sub-folder, except some that are shared such as buttons, arrows, etc. which are in both. So, e.g., the 'SubTheme' sub-folder only has the horizontal title bar and roll up and rotate gadgets etc., while the main folder has the vertical title bar, close gadget, etc. etc.

I'll go over the configs again for a forth time and see. So far haven't been able to see anything.... But, as so often, it can be hard to see the wood for all the trees.... ;)

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:49 am 
Offline
Global Moderator
Global Moderator

Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:19 pm
Posts: 2330
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Well, I've gone over every line in both config files twice more, and still I can't see where the problem might be Jorge. :(

_________________
nexter - so, what's next?

Just a volunteer Moderator, not connected to or affiliated with Winstep Software Technologies, and not an official part of customer service though I do try to help when and where I can if my scarce time permits


Back to top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: A Productivity Theme
PostPosted: Thu Nov 08, 2018 4:23 am 
Offline
Site Admin
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2004 8:30 pm
Posts: 11930
Sigh. Send the theme over and I'll look at it when I can.

_________________
Jorge Coelho
Winstep Xtreme - Xtreme Power!
http://www.winstep.net - Winstep Software Technologies


Back to top
 Profile WWW 
 
Post new topic Reply to topic Board index : Winstep Forums : General Discussion  [ 19 posts ] Go to page 1, 2  Next
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 63 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron