alake wrote:panel at top:


panel at bottom:


Yeah, that'd make sense to me. Is there a prefix we should be using in the tasks.svg for the panel location top/north, botto/south, etc.?

Also, is there a similar indicator for the currently selected systray Icon?

Thanks again for all your help and patience Marco!

That's unfortunately the bad news :/

At the moment there isn't anything like that, the taskbar has only a single one set of frames, also there isn't graphics for open applets like the systray, so it will have to be done more "blindly"

The panel itself has an option for prefixes nort- south- east- west- (not used in the current theme) so i would go for using the same prefixes?

Then i would just use the active task graphics for the currently open systray item.

We'll then get back and forth while i implement the support for it in Plasma Next. I know it's not optimal but a bit of blind driving is needed...

notmart wrote:The panel itself has an option for prefixes nort- south- east- west- (not used in the current theme) so i would go for using the same prefixes?

Those prefixes make sense to me.

notmart wrote:Then i would just use the active task graphics for the currently open systray item.

Hang on a minute, cuz I'm evaluating some design options:

Does the taskbar look better like this

or like this

My bias right now is towards the second one since the indicator provides more visual stability for the asymmetric icon and text of task entry (active/inactive indicator creates a wide base). The first one creates a slight sensation of instability (task entry icon and text create a narrower, off-center base under the indicator - feels like it might topple over).

Systray items son't suffer from the same asymmetry as the task items so you could either have their active indicator on top or underneath. I say keep it the same as the task entries (like you suggest), in which case yeah, use the active task graphics. If we wanted to allow it to be different from the task entries, then it might be useful to have either another element in tasks.svg or another svg. I'm not sure it's worth the effort for it to be different, but I just thought I'd mention it.

notmart wrote:We'll then get back and forth while i implement the support for it in Plasma Next. I know it's not optimal but a bit of blind driving is needed...

Pffft! Driving blind is my specialty!

Just a quick word in edge wise - Nuno and Uri have just finished talking about the new icon theme and the issues that will bring to the Plasma Theme we're on. I'll let them introduce the issue soon. But just so you all know we have a icon design direction again!

jensreuterberg wrote:Just a quick word in edge wise - Nuno and Uri have just finished talking about the new icon theme and the issues that will bring to the Plasma Theme we're on. I'll let them introduce the issue soon. But just so you all know we have a icon design direction again!

That's great to hear! We'll make any adjustments necessary, no problem!

The posts in this thread somehow missed my radar for the last few days.

One word: gorgeous

As for the clocks, I kinda agree with Marco, otherwise we might come to the same issue regarding [1]. Just do not go for http://vvvv.org/sites/default/files/ima ... .04.26.png or we will get sued.

[1] Jens: "There was also the issue that Plasma will be used also in a professional setting and worries where raised that our icons where not "adult" enough"

p.s. Just to add something totally old school that I'd like to wear on my wrist

ivan wrote:The posts in this thread somehow missed my radar for the last few days.

One word: gorgeous

As for the clocks, I kinda agree with Marco, otherwise we might come to the same issue regarding [1]. Just do not go for http://vvvv.org/sites/default/files/ima ... .04.26.png or we will get sued.

[1] Jens: "There was also the issue that Plasma will be used also in a professional setting and worries where raised that our icons where not "adult" enough"

p.s. Just to add something totally old school that I'd like to wear on my wrist

Oooh the hands on that watch face are drool-worthy.

About lines in the panel - I personally prefer the lines under the task's also I'd like to make it thinner, "sharper" or more ephemeral as it where. Right now I'm sketching up clocks - and I realized I had a question - can a clock use more information? Like having a secondary dial with month's or days?

Also I have to admit I'm a bit torn here - on the one hand I personally don't like classical clocks (I've never owned a wrist watch in my life) but having an analog clock seems such a massive thing to the work I don't want to avoid it. I just want to explain what I'm going for here - I consider the analog clock "flair" and nothing else. Am I correct in this assumption? I have never really seen them as being actually relevant to anyone so, with that in mind, if my assumption is correct - the clock is a perfect place to balance details in the design language for the theme and desktop and also add more extravagant design to hammer home the design goals.

But since I simply don't use them - perhaps I'm wrong in this?

@Jens well, the clock needs to look professional. The 70's and 80's designs usually tend not to be

> the clock is a perfect place to balance details in the design language ...

I do agree with this. I just wanted to move your thoughts from the deformed-spacy-overly-aggressive-clocks (the first two).



p.s. The reason I remembered the Zeppelin watch is that it was always the only watch in the in-flight sale magazines that I'd ever wear.
p.p.s. With the notable exception being Yuri Gagarin's watch http://silver-rockets.com/images/2009/0113_watch.jpg

@alake:

The theme looks fantastic so far!

alake wrote:Does the taskbar look better like this

or like this

I prefer the first one, because it's easier for me to find the active task. In the second one the "indicators" are near the screen edge, which makes them harder to see.

Also, I like how they visually separate the tasks from the rest of the desktop (i.e., the wallpaper) in the first picture.

clocks

Just throwing it out there: what do you think of a more simple, abstract clock?

Example:



Obviously needs better fonts, better colors, better shadows etc. (guess who's not an artist), but you get the idea. Idea shamelessly ripped off from BeClock.

Hans wrote:Just throwing it out there: what do you think of a more simple, abstract clock?

Example:



Obviously needs better fonts, better colors, better shadows etc. (guess who's not an artist), but you get the idea. Idea shamelessly ripped off from BeClock.

Fantastic idea Hans!

Lots of good idea for clocks. I'm quite open regarding clock ideas right now. I do think it is one of the areas where we can and should go for a little flourish. An intentional nod to the essential human whimsey that prevents a clean, crisp, professional environment from feeling cold and sterile. It can be the red pocket square or the bold-patterned socks in a crisp business-casual outfit that might otherwise seem Wall-Street-cold, unimaginative and boring.

I pushed a few more updates this weekend. The tracker has been updated.

Probably better to judge on a live install than with screenshots (hover, pressed, etc.). You can try the theme live by downloading a snapshot from here. Choose File>Download then decompress the downloaded file into ~/.kde/share/apps/desktoptheme. That said, it would be great if one of the plasma devs could load it up and post a screenshot here so we can evaluate the visuals on the target platform. Here are a couple random ones from my plasma 1 install so far:




click for fullsize (from left to right: window not focused, window asking for attention, window focused, window minimized)

Lots more to do, but I think we're making decent progress.

I will tell them during the meeting in a few minutes ... <3 awesome work Andrew!

Hans wrote:

Obviously needs better fonts, better colors, better shadows etc. (guess who's not an artist), but you get the idea. Idea shamelessly ripped off from BeClock.

that would need a different implementation since doesn't have hands but kindof circular progress bars.
I'm okay with it, but would need a different code path implemented in the same clock applet, that would i fear open for new bugs..
(also, having text with shadows is still a bit problematic)

alake wrote:

notmart wrote:Does the taskbar look better like this

or like this

My bias right now is towards the second one since the indicator provides more visual stability for the asymmetric icon and text of task entry (active/inactive indicator creates a wide base). The first one creates a slight sensation of instability (task entry icon and text create a narrower, off-center base under the indicator - feels like it might topple over).

Regardless if it's up or down, would it be the same on all panel locations or dependednt from it?

btw, the reason i proposed it as "up", was to have the same design i tought for the tabbar, (that is just a ripoff of most tabbars in web pages nowdays) the current tab having a colored line that faces the "content" page. in the case of the taskbar, the "context" would basically be the desktop.... maybe is a bit of a stretch i don't know

alake wrote:

nice
(not sure if the gradient gives it a style slightly different from the rest tough?)