Lmms: New Default Theme

[tresf]

This is a thread to discuss the possibility of replacing our current default theme.

Creative decisions naturally bring strong opinions, but with those opinions should also come good arguments.

Some points to focus on:

1. Should this be the new default theme
2. What major problems need to be fixed with this theme
3. Should this new theme be staged for 1.2, 2.0, etc.
4. What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)
5. What to call the old theme (e.g. "Vesa", etc)

Before:

After

Marked notes as per @DeRobyJ

This conversation supersedes #880. The forked repository which contains this theme is located here. Cross-posts are welcome and encouraged.

FYI - @RebeccaDeField @Umcaruje @intemerson @budislav @SimoneIervasi @IvanMaldonado @musikBear @StakeoutPunch @cubician @michaelgregorius

[dednikko]

As a user, I will say that I prefer the darker "noir" theme, as the higher
contrast leads to faster text and icon recognition, for me.

On Thu, Feb 18, 2016, 1:38 PM Tres Finocchiaro [email protected]
wrote:

This is a thread to discuss the possibility of replacing our current
default theme.

Creative decisions naturally bring strong opinions, but with those
opinions should also come good arguments.

Some points to focus on:

1. Should this be the new default theme
2. What major problems can need to be fixed with this theme
3. Should this new theme be staged for 1.2, 2.0, etc.
4. What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)
5. What to call the old theme (e.g. "Vesa", etc)

_New Theme_
[image: lmmsthemeprogress]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/7960169/12161719/24d9e5ae-b4ae-11e5-9d4a-a46289096464.png

_Current Theme_
[image: image]
https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/6345473/13155476/e61c2150-d64b-11e5-9852-30c693af5acc.png

This conversation supersedes #880
https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/issues/880. The forked repository which
contains this theme is located here
https://github.com/HDDigitizerMusic/lmms-alt-theme/issues. Cross-posts
are welcome and encouraged.

FYI - @RebeccaDeField https://github.com/RebeccaDeField @Umcaruje
https://github.com/Umcaruje @intemerson https://github.com/intemerson
@budislav https://github.com/budislav @SimoneIervasi
https://github.com/SimoneIervasi @IvanMaldonado
https://github.com/IvanMaldonado @musikBear
https://github.com/musikBear @StakeoutPunch
https://github.com/StakeoutPunch @cubician https://github.com/cubician
@michaelgregorius https://github.com/michaelgregorius

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/issues/2587.

[SimoneIervasi]

The name "Noir Theme" is very nice

[DeRobyJ]

Quite a nice theme, reminds me of Mixxx.
But I don't know if having white ff.ff.ff text on black backgroud is really ok.
Users may change it easily tho.

The BBeditor is fantastic, as well as the icons.
The sample track is a bit invisible xD

I want to try it out asap!

I would actually suggest to change the bars of the windows to make them less visible and contrasting

[tresf]

The sample track is a bit invisible xD

Thanks, this screenshot is slightly dated, that issue is already being addressed.

But I don't know if having white ff.ff.ff text on black backgroud is really ok.

I agree that the shade of white used may be too much against the black or near-black background. @Umcaruje /@RebeccaDeField can we get some mockups with varying intensity? What are your thoughts on this topic?

[budislav]

Should this be the new default theme

Absolutely.

What major problems need to be fixed with this theme

I think contrast is so high (black is too much black). I had these problem when I was worked on laptop screen. Every design from my laptop was too much dark for others. @RebeccaDeField Try to increase brightness for 20 and decrease contrast to -50.

Edit: @budislav don't tag @Rebecca, instead tag @RebeccaDeField :white_check_mark: -@tresf.

What to call this theme

Rebecca

[DeRobyJ]

I think we should also keep the square on those icons

[midi-pascal]

Really, really nice!

1. For sure :smile:
2. This theme is very readable except for the digits (Tempo, Time, FX channels,...): for my old eyes one pixel thickness for the numbers make them a bit less readable than before. :cry:
3. 1.2 would be great!
4. I like "Noir" very much
5. "Classic" or "Gris" ("Grey" in French, referring to "Noir")?

Beautiful artwork anyways :+1:

[LocoMatt]

Honestly I prefer current theme. It's more friendly for eye. New theme isn't bad but if i were new user of LMMS I'd feel confused. Even if we compare it to any other software (not only DAW), color schemes are not that contrasting as in this theme. For longer sessions it might be very tiring for eyes.

[michaelgregorius]

Should this be the new default theme?

I vote yes as it is much more consistent and polished than the current theme. Although I agree with the others that we should try a version with a bit less contrast as well.

What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)?

I still think that "Rebecca Black" would be a great name. :wink: On a more serious note I think "Noir" is a quite fitting name (in case the theme will stay rather dark).

[Umcaruje]

Should this be the new default theme

Yes, so much yes.

What major problems need to be fixed with this theme

The others are right, it needs to get evened out contrast and brightess-wise. I also think the knobs should get redesigned.

Should this new theme be staged for 1.2, 2.0, etc.

I think we should stage it for 1.2

What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)

'Noir' sounds ok, I would also suggest 'modern'

What to call the old theme (e.g. "Vesa", etc)

'plastique', maybe?, or just 'olddefault'

[IvanMaldonado]

Should this be the new default theme

I also think this should be the new default theme, it looks very cool and replaces the old windows 98 look the old theme had.

What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)?

'Noir' sounds good to me, and I think the old theme should be called "Classic" since some users could feel like they miss the old theme a little bit and they may want to use it again so "Classic" defines the old theme very well.

What major problems need to be fixed with this theme

I support you guys, this theme needs a bit more contrast, specially in the b+b editor. The gear besides each track looks like a flower to me and the midi icon looks like those things balloons have in the bottom, maybe it could use an icon that resembles more the midi entrance. I also would like to see how the mixer looks when there is something playing.

Huge respect for this theme, I hope I can see it soon in LMMS as the default :+1:
.

Should this new theme be staged for 1.2, 2.0, etc.

1.2 please

[budislav]

I thought you guys are gentlemen :)
This theme should be called by Rebecca. She worked on this too long and since she is a lady I think she deserve it without a question. Little sign of gratitude from us.

[RebeccaDeField]

First of all, I want to say that I am very honored for this theme to have your consideration as the new default. There is a lot of great feedback on this thread that I will definitely implement.

So that we are all on the same page, here is the latest screenshot (there are still things in progress here):

@dednikko Thank you for the kind words.

But I don't know if having white ff.ff.ff text on black background is really ok.

@DeRobyJ As Tresf said, it is a great idea to try some different shades of off-whites instead of the pure white. :+1:

Absolutely

@budislav I means a lot to me that you appreciate our work, especially from a designer like you.

I had this problem when I was worked on laptop screen. Every design from my laptop was too much dark for others.

You are right! I tested the theme on a laptop as well. Thank you for the suggested settings. I will try that out. I also want to test my theme on a couple of different monitors after decreasing the contrast.

I think we should also keep the square on those icons

@DeRobyJ That is a great idea. I'll add it to the list.

one pixel thickness for the numbers make them a bit less readable than before.

@midi-pascal Thanks for the feedback. I will definitely try increasing the pixels and see how it looks.

@LocoMatt I totally see where you are coming from. I still appreciate the old theme as well. Dizzy put a lot of work into making huge improvements, and I took all of his work in consideration when making this theme. :)

I think everyone can agree that this theme will benefit from decreasing the dark shades and giving the buttons/knobs more contrast. I will work on this.

@michaelgregorius Haha. Although this theme might is darker, I actually rarely used pure black. If anything, it would be Rebecca Dark Grey instead of Rebecca Black ;P

I also think the knobs should get redesigned.

@Umcaruje Yes, the knobs in that screenshot are just placeholders. I am either going to create something custom or come up with a new design.

specially in the b+b editor

@IvanMaldonado Please clarify what part of the BBeditor you are referring to. Great suggestions on the icons. I will add those to my list. :)

She worked on this too long and since she is a lady I think she deserve it without a question. Little sign of gratitude from us.

Again, I really want to thank everyone for the kind words and consideration. I also want to thank all of the many people that made great contributions to this theme.

What major problems need to be fixed with this theme

You can see all of the issues here --> https://github.com/HDDigitizerMusic/lmms-alt-theme/issues
I will be adding all of the new issues to the fork that people have mentioned on this thread as well.

What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir," etc)

It seems that the names people have really liked so far are Modern and Noir. Modern Noir might be a great compromise between the two. I sort of like the juxtaposition in Modern Noir. :)

What to call the old theme (e.g. "Vesa", etc.)

I really like the idea of Classic or Classic by Vesa.

[Spekular]

I think perhaps the BB steps could have a narrower outline, and maybe they
should be green too?

[musikBear]

My thought are like @budislav and several others

I think contrast is so high (black is too much black).

budislavs lower contrast is more eye friendly.
Especially the sliders are almost not visible for us with low eyesight.
You should btw not look at the image on this page, open it in full size and resolution, in order to judge the visuals (sorry if that is too obvious)

I also have to say, that it would need to be used for an hour to be able to really access the ergonomics. But it is with no doubt a very fine design.

Should this be the new default theme

with a tiny change in contrast, yes

What major problems need to be fixed with this theme

how the sliders stand out in respect to the background, eg contrast

Should this new theme be staged for 1.2, 2.0, etc.

I see no reason not to use this in 1.2

What to call this theme (e.g. "Noir", etc)

RebeccaNoir. :)

What to call the old theme (e.g. "Vesa", etc)

VesaGris, to stick to nomenclature

Btw how does normal, nolength and selected notes look like in piano-roll. That is after all where most work is done, and hence what is looked at the most :)

[IvanMaldonado]

I was talking of this part, the contrast between the clear and dark squares is minimum to me, I have to make a little bit of effort to tell when a step ends.

I have to say that I am not able to see colors properly which means I could be the only one who complains about this but if just 1% of lmms users are colorblind like me, we would be grateful to have a bigger difference in contrast :smile:

[StakeoutPunch]

I think the old theme should be called "Classic" since some users could feel like they miss the old theme a little bit and they may want to use it again so "Classic" defines the old theme very well.

I feel a little late to the party, but I wouldn't mind seeing the theme before Vesa's redesign included and named "Classic" ;)

_I'm not being serious_

@RebeccaDeField It is looking great!

[RebeccaDeField]

@Spekular I can make the border smaller, but the reason it is blue was so that it matched the track color. I thought it would be clearer that way, but I can still try making it green.

@musikBear The contrast issues on this theme will be taken care of :) As for the piano roll notes and such, a lot of hard coding has recently been removed from the program, so a lot of the more finite edits are still to come.

@IvanMaldonado I see what you're saying. Good point. I'll add it to the list. BTW I can't seem to locate the balloon looking midi icon. Can you crop the screenshot so that I can understand? Thanks!

@StakeoutPunch But don't you miss that lovable note face?

(Couldn't help myself from making this)

[IvanMaldonado]

I meant this one:

Sorry, not the best comparison :P

[RebeccaDeField]

@IvanMaldonado No problem. Makes sense now. I'll try to rework the controller icon.

[lotalaki]

I've just noticed that icon with the face, did not read all the things you wrote here. Just one thing: leave the current icon as it is. Please.

[DeRobyJ]

That cute logo should be used in some kind of kawaii theme xD

[iansannar]

I actually like Rebecca's remake of the old logo a lot. It's cute but not tacky.

[RebeccaDeField]

@DeRobyJ @cubician Thanks! A kawaii theme would be awesome, but I just made it for laughs yesterday in a few minutes :P

@lotalaki Yes, the current geometric icon stays for this theme.

If anyone would like to contribute to the Modern Noir Theme you can take a look at what needs to be done here.

[liushuyu]

@RebeccaDeField Wow, this theme just made me refreshed! And I feel like I were using another software other than LMMS XD!!

But anyway, good job! Keep on going! :+1:

[claell]

I don't know how much can be themed, but there are still things looking old like the window borders etc.
Also how about using approaches of other Audio-programs as inspiration?

[Umcaruje]

like the window borders

Look up #2516

[RebeccaDeField]

@claell As @Umcaruje said, the title bars, among many other things, are being worked on. :)

I haven't specifically copied a single program, but I reference a ton of on other DAWs and even some good UI's in general for inspiration.

[claell]

@RebeccaDeField Alright.Thanks for creating this design.

[RebeccaDeField]

Update:
We are finishing up the last tasks before this theme is completed. I ran into some computer issues that halted my progress, but those issues have been resolved.

Most of what needs to be done are things that only I can do, but I am very excited to see that the list is not very long!

What I am working on
I am currently working on the colors and contrast. I worked out a good idea of what I want it to look like here. Once that has been completed, I will rebase my fork with the new changes everyone has made upstream and make some changes to elements that were previously hard coded.

Since I am the designer of this theme and will be taking care of most of the remaining changes, it might make more sense to add me as the Assignee for this thread if possible. :) @tresf

How you can help
Thanks to the many awesome people who have contributed to this theme, there is not much left for you guys to do. At the moment, I have a more generic knob icon in place for the controller. If you have an opinion of what you think it should look like, I would love to hear it here.

That's it for now! As always, I will keep everyone posted.

[tresf]

@RebeccaDeField I think at this point, we should be working from a PR so that developers can have some time to chime in before this is merged.

Pull Requests allow commits to be issued after the request has been made (to the originating branch) and they still show up in the request, so it provides a nice back and forth between the feedback process and the one requesting the change.

I had originally assigned this to @Umcaruje as I expected him to issue the PR, but if the devs are serious about shipping 1.2 with this theme, we should start working from a PR as soon as possible.

I'll ask you and @Umcaruje to coordinate that portion and continue to use this thread (or the PR) for any remaining discussion items.

[tresf]

Since I am the designer of this theme and will be taking care of most of the remaining changes, it might make more sense to add me as the Assignee for this thread if possible. :) @tresf

Just read this. I'll switch you over for now as requested. Edit: Can't assign a non-admin (GitHub limitation). But that's fine, we'll assume it's you.

[RebeccaDeField]

@tresf Thanks for clarifying, that makes sense. I am finishing the last changes to my version of the theme that I will release on the LSP. Once this is completed, I will hand over all of the work to the LMMS admins and contributors to make as many changes as they please for the default version.

The primary reasons for doing it this way...

• I definitely consider all feedback, but I currently have the final say on any changes to my theme. The default theme should allow the Admins and contributors to have the final say on any edits or changes.
• The look of the default theme will develop over time as other people add contributions outside of my work. I would like to add a version to the LSP as I imagined it and for people who might want to use the original version.
• I wanted my theme to look as close to the original concept as possible. The default theme should not be limited by this goal.

I think it will simplify the process greatly if I finish the last bits of work that need to be done and add it to the LSP. Then, we can go forward with the 1.2 version if it becomes the default. This will ensure that the final product will fit the look that the whole LMMS team wants while still allowing me to finish the design that I started.

if the devs are serious about shipping 1.2 with this theme, we should start working from a PR as soon as possible.

I agree. Because this theme is so close to being done, I think that we will be able to start working from a PR very soon. My guess is that that my version of this theme will be ready early April, if not sooner. If my work needs to be done sooner to be ready for 1.2, let me know and I will adjust my plans accordingly :)

[tresf]

back and forth between the feedback process and the one requesting the change.

I currently have the final say on any changes to my theme. The default theme should allow the Admins and contributors to have the final say on any edits or changes.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. The mandatory and very necessary feedback (issue a PR) I was referring to was not artistic, but rather technical in nature. The devs will find these quicker with a PR. This is just a quality control measure, not meant to drive design, so your theme will benefit from it. Opinions happen and we'll do our best to keep them to a minimum and focus on major usability when the PR is created. Best regards.

[Umcaruje]

@tresf I don't really have access to the fork where rebecca's working on, so I can't help with the rebasing and issuing a PR. That said, @RebeccaDeField if you ever have any trouble with git or the new changes, let me know, I am here to help :)

[RebeccaDeField]

@tresf I understand and agree with you. :+1:

As of now, I can't move the files yet because most of what I need to do involves fixing and updating the css and it would cause some conflicts to move it over now. It will make sense and cause less problems if we move this into the PR once that is done.

The rest of the tasks I need to complete are very few. To keep things simple and efficient, I'm going to go ahead and finish up those tasks, then we can then work on it via PR as you said and add my version to the LSP without any delays. Any additions, design or technical will then continue on PR. :)

@Umcaruje I really appreciate all of your help! I will definitely let you know if I need any assistance.

[RebeccaDeField]

How you can help
There is not much left for you guys to do. At the moment, I have a more generic knob icon in place for the controller. If you have an opinion of what you think it should look like, I would love to hear it here.

The controller icon has now been finalized, but I realized that the last bit of coding help I need is with the Title Bars. If we can finalize the title bars for the current default theme and make a pull request for the master LMMS branch, I can pull in the updates and code up the title bars for the Modern Noir theme.

I'm getting very excited about this as I'm wrapping things up :D

[Umcaruje]

Wellp, I was working on the title bars and I refactored @BaraMGB's code, but I'm having issues with the buttons. I'm about to fall asleep so I'll do a full write-up on my problem tommorow, but I'll probably need help from someone more experienced with qt than me to solve it.

[RebeccaDeField]

I'm about to fall asleep so I'll do a full write-up on my problem tomorrow

@Umcaruje No problem! I'll talk to you more about this tomorrow then :)

I'll probably need help from someone more experienced with qt than me to solve it.

Anyone more experienced with QT willing donate some time and work with @Umcaruje to find some solutions?

[BaraMGB]

I have a look at this in the next days. @Umcaruje can I pull your latest version anywhere?

[Umcaruje]

@BaraMGB https://github.com/Umcaruje/lmms/tree/subwindow

I'll write up my idea if I have the time this evening, Life is a bit crowded rn.

[RebeccaDeField]

Thank you @BaraMGB. I think that the title bars will be the last task that I need assistance with before this gets moved into the PR. :)

I've finished pretty much all of the graphical changes. Now, I just have to work with Github to get my fork straightened out and update the CSS so that we can move forward with the version via PR as @tresf said.

[RebeccaDeField]

If anyone noticed a bit of inactivity from me the last week or so it's because I've been really involved with an upcoming fundraiser in my local area with a tight deadline on some graphics.

Just want to keep you all updated :)

[RebeccaDeField]

Hey guys, I'm finishing up everything on the github end of things, but before this is moved into the PR I need to test some things and in order to test those things I need to have a current version of the Master LMMS (beta) to be compiled from source. I need to run it on Windows 7

This is not something that I currently know how to do, although I'm sure I could learn if no one is available, but I would really appreciate it if someone is willing to donate some of their time :)

@tresf @Umcaruje @BaraMGB @michaelgregorius

[tresf]

@RebeccaDeField I'll fire one off and upload it to Github. The build process is quite simple (albeit timely) however it does currently require a Linux build machine which can take some time to setup properly. We'd happily provide a build of latest master. It will be a Qt5 release.

[RebeccaDeField]

@tresf Thank you so much for your time, assistance and direction :)

[tresf]

Build of latest master branch: https://github.com/tresf/lmms/releases/tag/v1.2.0-RC1.3

32-bit is still compiling, upload to follow. ✅ Uploaded.

[Umcaruje]

@RebeccaDeField Here are some windows qt-5 builds, with the new window decoration merged, this should really help out with the designing: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B49dcRGtm8vJcV9LU0xqZW81QjQ&usp=sharing

And remember, if you have trouble adding the CSS changes, that github is your friend, and you can see the whole history of the style.css here (if you ever need to add something manually, if there's a merge conflict): https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/commits/master/data/themes/default/style.css

Lastly, if you ever get stuck up with git, please feel free to ping me over on github, as I'll probably be able to help.

[RebeccaDeField]

@Umcaruje Thank you for the resources. I really appreciate it.

So, my Windows laptop basically died a week ago (surprise, surprise) but my primary computer (with all of my files, so no data lost) runs on Linux so I followed the steps that Tresf linked to and compiled it from source with the help of a SysAdmin friend of mine. As soon as that process had finished, the new title bars were completed (Yay!). I didn't see an uninstall script so we followed the instructions found on an LMMS forum to delete certain folders before re-installing.

After running the make command it failed on...

/usr/bin/ld: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libfltk.a(Fl_x.o): undefined reference to symbol 'dlsym@@GLIBC_2.2.5'
//lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libdl.so.2: error adding symbols: DSO missing from command line
collect2: error: ld returned 1 exit status
plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeFiles/RemoteZynAddSubFx.dir/build.make:96: recipe for target 'plugins/RemoteZynAddSubFx' failed
make[2]: ** [plugins/RemoteZynAddSubFx] Error 1
CMakeFiles/Makefile2:8636: recipe for target 'plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeFiles/RemoteZynAddSubFx.dir/all' failed
make[1]: ** [plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeFiles/RemoteZynAddSubFx.dir/all] Error 2
Makefile:127: recipe for target 'all' failed
make: *** [all] Error 2

We're going to continue to trouble-shoot the issue, but if you have any insight into this, I would really appreciate it. :)

[tresf]

This is discussed here:

2755, #2748

@jasp00 is trying to fix up some building warnings and we're hitting some snags along the way. Sorry for the inconvenience.

For now you should be able to do a git reset --hard 0c9bf9b and get back to the good subwindow build.

[jasp00]

The libfltk.a issue should have been fixed with #2754.

[RebeccaDeField]

@jasp00 Alright, re-installed with @tresf's instructions and your fix. It worked! :+1:

Will keep everyone updated on my progress as always :)

[RebeccaDeField]

Okay, so I'm close enough to getting this theme wrapped up that I would like to confirm that I will be making the pull request the way that you guys would like to have it done. Please see the steps below for what I was planning, but please correct me if I'm wrong as I am still learning how to use Github.

• Update my current fork with the new css and any changes that may have occurred upstream
• Make the commit upstream to the master branch
• Place files within in a folder titled MordernNoir (or whatever name is officially decided upon) and place it within the themes folder, next to the Default folder
• Create a new pull request comparing my commit to the current LMMS Master

P.S. Can we move forward with ModernNoir name if we don't have any other ideas? :smile: We might want to also decide on a new name for the current Default. If I recall correctly, @diizy was the one who designed the majority of the current theme. He might have some feedback about the name.

[liushuyu]

Can we move forward with ModernNoir name if we don't have any other ideas?

Of course, I should say ...

Place files within in a folder titled "MordernNoir" (or whatever name is officially decided upon) and place it within the themes folder, next to the Default folder

Hmm, if you really want to make your theme the default, just name your theme as default and overwrite(or override) the original theme folder, then put your files in the default theme folder.

Please correct me if I'm wrong as I joined Github since I started working on this theme and I have been learning as I go.

That's okay as we were also noobs when we just joined GitHub :smile:

BTW, if you want to close this issue automatically when your PR got merged, just make a PR or commit contains closes #2587or fix #2587 and this issue will get closed once the PR got accepted.

Great job! :+1: :tada:

[RebeccaDeField]

Hmm, if you really want to make your theme the default, just name your theme as default and overwrite(or override) the original theme folder, then put your files in the default theme folder.

There was a lot of talk about leaving the current default for people that want to switch to the classic theme. That's why I didn't want to overwrite anything. I guess we could call this one the default and rename the original to classic?

Thanks! :+1: :tada:

[liushuyu]

I guess we could call this one the default and rename the original to classic?

That's really a good idea, I should say...

[BaraMGB]

@RebeccaDeField Do you have a current screen shot of this theme? I remember, you wanted to change the brightness, isn't it?

[RebeccaDeField]

Do you have a current screen shot of this theme?

@BaraMGB There are still some things that need to be done, but I'll post a screenshot very soon. :+1:

I remember, you wanted to change the brightness, isn't it?

Yes, that is one of the first changes that I tackled. You can see some older screenshots of the new colors here, but I have made updates since then so I will be posting some newer pictures real soon.

[DeRobyJ]

I'm curious about piano-roll with note markings, may you attach a screen of it when it's ready, please? :)

[RebeccaDeField]

@DeRobyJ Sure thing! If you want to make any changes, that can be done once this is added to the PR. :)

[RebeccaDeField]

I have finished my version of this theme and I am ready to create the pull request. Please see the updated screenshots below. :smile: :tada:

Before:

After

@tresf please update this issue with this new screen shot. :+1:

Marked notes as per @DeRobyJ

When I try to push my commit to create a pull request I get a permission denied error. I'm obviously missing something, but I haven't created a pull request before, so I would really appreciate some more detailed instructions if someone would be willing.

[liushuyu]

@RebeccaDeField : I assume you tried to push to LMMS/lmms repository instead of yours. But actually, PR is issued from your own repository. Just push your latest changes to your own repository. And click on Create Pull Request to issue the pull request.

If you have any further concerns, please feel free to ask us :+1:

[RebeccaDeField]

I assume you tried to push to LMMS/lmms repository instead of yours.

@liushuyu Thank you, that is exactly what I needed to know about the pull request.

Just push your latest changes to your own repository.

I'm having troubles with updating my fork. I can't seem to get it to update to the latest version or pull in all of the newest commits correctly. Do you have any ideas for what I could do to reset my fork to the latest version. I already have backups of the theme files that I can put in place once that is done.

[liushuyu]

I'm having troubles with updating my fork. I can't seem to get it to
update to the latest version or pull in all of the newest commits correctly.

A pull request will only include your unique changes to the main repository
base, you can try to issue a pull request and see if there were some
unresolvable conflicts. If there weren't any, you'll be fine and just
confirm opening the PR

[DeRobyJ]

Looks awesome! Great work!

[musikBear]

Amazing work @RebeccaDeField -Absolutely stunning :tada:

[RebeccaDeField]

Thank you for the kind words, everyone! Thanks to @liushuyu and @Umcaruje I think I have some direction for getting my fork in working order and making the pull request. I will let you know if I have any other questions :+1:

[tresf]

Am I the only one that feels that there is not enough contrast between the workspace background and the content (window title, sidebar, etc) ?

[RebeccaDeField]

@tresf Can you edit the screenshot in GIMP to what background color would be optimal for you? The "Select by color" tool should make that easy.

[tresf]

Sorry, I won't have time to make mock-ups for a while, just inquiring about general usability.

[tresf]

To clarify a bit... I'm not trying to criticize the background color used in the new theme, but rather question the contrast between components as they tend to bleed into eachother on my screen. For example, the sidebar's color and the window title bar's color is almost indistinguishable from the background color on my PC (Dell monitors) as well as on my Mac (LG Television). Perhaps this is intentional, but I'm not sure that making mock-ups of different background colors is the best approach, but perhaps a conversation about how the end-users feel so that the designers can offer some solutions which don't sacrifice their own wishes/fundamental design.

[DeRobyJ]

I suggest we create a google form for a survey after RC2 is out, because this overall low contrast (cool, imo, and also good for the eyes) might be bad on some screens, thus we need feedback from the users.
Even tho we still deliver the classic theme!
In the maintime, we should discuss what questions to put there.

Let's say our goal is to avoid that most users return to classic theme.

For me, the recent changes on pianoroll are in the right direction, while this black backgroud is cool for two facts: it's similar to KXStudio distro, and it encourages the user to put their custom background.

[tresf]

Let's please not survey. We have well suited testers and designers right here on this tracker. Let's not make this bigger than it is.

[liushuyu]

Besides changing the background color, there's another way: adding bold clear window border. I don't know if this works for 'half-blind' people (like me) :smile:

[RebeccaDeField]

Sorry, I won't have time to make mock-ups

No problem. As one busy person to another, I respect your time.

Getting this kind of feedback is what helps to improve things :+1:

I am definitely open to tweaking the background color as this is one of the design elements that I found myself changing often when creating the theme. Notice that earlier screenshots had a much darker background.

When I received feedback that the contrast was to high, I decreased it on all of the elements considerably. This could have left the BG a little too light for the rest of the elements. I can easily make a PR for this if other LMMS users feel that darkening the BG will improve the usability for them as well.

Requesting some feedback from:
@LocoMatt @budislav @michaelgregorius @BaraMGB @Umcaruje @midi-pascal

[budislav]

[BaraMGB]

In my opinion, the suggestion of @budislav goes in the right direction. All looks a little bit clearer. The difference between the elements are better to see.

[musikBear]

It is a known issue that pure white in text, has a tendency to 'spill' into other colors, and just a few percent graying can inhance readability. But is the font pure white? I do see fuzzy 'spill' in the screenies

[RebeccaDeField]

@musikBear The text is an off-white color (not pure white), but Budislav edited the screenshot and may have different monitor settings for his font rendering so there may be some other variables.

Busy atm. Will reply with more info later.

[musikBear]

@RebeccaDeField :+1:

[grejppi]

I'm concerned about the lack of contrast between overlapping windows:

[RebeccaDeField]

@grejppi Great observation. I believe that this could be fixed by adding more clear outlines around the windows. I'm thinking that #14171a would be a good shade as it would look a bit closer to the classic theme.

@budislav Thanks for the feedback! :+1: I appreciate it. I took a look at your screenshot and it looks to me that you decreased the contrast in an image editing program.

I have noticed that there are two sorts of conflicting opinions among LMMS users when it comes to contrast. There are those who prefer very low contrast to reduce eye strain and those that prefer very high contrast to increase the clarity and readability. I believe that lowering the contrast this much might only work for some.

Someone would have to take screenshots of every section of the program updated them in an image editor with decreased contrast, color pick and then update each element in CSS, followed by updating all of the SVGs. This is what I did when I decreased the contrast to be very close to the first screenshot you posted here. This process takes quite a bit of time (more than I have to spare), but if someone has the time, there is no reason why they can't go through the steps necessary and make a PR for that.

I wonder if adjusting the BG color and border individually instead of changing every color in the program could solve the lack of contrast that Tres and grejppi are experiencing with those elements.

As you all know, I love collaboration and I'm open to other ideas :)

[Serkan-devel]

can we have a deticated way to use custom themes like on owncloud with at deticated css folder?
I know that this project isn't written in a web language but could it be possible?

[Sawuare]

@RebeccaDeField
I think that the steps in the "Beat + Bassline editor" should be green just like the notes in the "piano roll". It doesn't make sense that these steps are the only thing that is cyan and everything else is green.

[RebeccaDeField]

@Hussam-Eddin-Alhomsi The BBeditor is blue to match the color in the song editor, just as the automation is purple and the piano roll is green.