Subject:Skins?

Posted by: Adji

Date:7/10/2009 1:12:01 PM

Anyone know if its possible to change the LOOK of AP7? It would be cool if you could even just change the overall colour from grey to black, or to blue, or whatever. Any ideaS?

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: pwppch

Date:7/10/2009 3:38:50 PM

ACID pays attention to the theme and colors you have set up under Windows, but there is no means to "skin" ACID.

Peter

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:7/10/2009 4:06:46 PM

Thankfully.

A whole can of worms, and a trivial extravagance at best.

'Skins' are for toys, not for serious applications.

geoff

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: pwppch

Date:7/10/2009 4:09:31 PM

What do you think of the new Vegas 'dark' color scheme?

Peter

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:7/10/2009 7:06:46 PM

Yeah, I purchased it the other week.

Hated dark - but not just because it is different to what I am used to. Also it looks more like PT-Free when 'dark'.....

I went straight back to 'light'. I find nothing is gained by reducing the colour-contrast between intelligence (ie file-names, buttons, controls, etc) and passive background. There is also less differentiation in 'Vegas Colour Scheme =dark' between the backgrounds, window frames, and various panels.

Maybe a slider control to vary between default and dark ?

Either way I would prefer a bolder 'grab-bar' to dilineate the docked 'floating' sections from the Timeline section - always found it a bit vague - just the thin line on the transport control bottom and the bottom section top.

geoff

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Adji

Date:7/11/2009 5:36:08 AM

Hey man, eyah its deifnitly just a toy to enhance the viewing experience thats all. I dunno, I feel more inspired if I sit down and look at something that I think looks quite cool. Not saying AP7 doesnt look cool, but it would be a bit better darker imo. Maybe a fader like you suggested could be cool?
Its just a trivial matter not an important one.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Lthrboots

Date:7/11/2009 8:17:44 AM

To me it is an important feature to be able to change the color scheme, such as a slider (like in Adobe After Effects) because I work on music a lot and the harsh brightness gets to my eyes after a while, so changing the brightness/colors helps reduce that glare from the bright default, and it makes it easier to work on projects longer. Anyone who has used the feature in After Effects will tell you that it helps quite a bit with eye strain relief.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:7/11/2009 6:08:10 PM

I use Sonar 8 for my daw recording and while it's not skinable, you definitely can make a whole lot of color changes to the gui which make it more useable for a particular person. Not everyone likes or can even work with the same colors as another person. There are certain color combos that just do NOT work together, and having the ability to make those changes is wonderful.

And I don't know anyone who would consider Sonar 8 a toy and not a serious application. Sure, it's not ProTools, but then again nothing is except the real thing. And one can do real serious audio recording in Sonar just as you can in PT or other programs.

Jack

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: april.exe

Date:7/11/2009 6:40:40 PM

Using the Royale Noir theme in XP and pushing up the color saturation/tint in AP7 settings seems to help.

Experimenting with different fonts applied in XP's Display properties/Appearance/Advanced settings is interesting.

As far as using themes at all I usually dont. The second I see any latency issues theyre off.

Tried both of theese trasparency apps with no problems...........

Taskbar transparency.........

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,24157-order,4/reviews.html

Window trasparency........

http://www.elgorithms.com/downloads/chaoscrystal.php

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:7/12/2009 2:30:18 PM

Brightness/contrast control on monitor ? in the absence of alternative. That would work for all your other apps too !

geoff

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: feign

Date:7/13/2009 6:19:37 PM

Who the hell needs skins? A more useless waste of installer time, disk space and memory I can't imagine. I'd rather have the little bit of memory taken up by skins to be freed for my actual work. If you're really that overtly conscious of the color theme, it only means you're not concentrated fully on your music!

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: thirdnostril

Date:7/14/2009 8:58:17 AM

"If you're really that overtly conscious of the color theme, it only means you're not concentrated fully on your music!"

It ONLY means that, huh?

Couldn't be anything else?

Different opinion, maybe? Nope?

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Adji

Date:7/14/2009 1:49:42 PM

Well Im glad people arnt blatantly attacking me for a simple, honest suggestion.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Adji

Date:7/14/2009 1:52:15 PM

It means Im not concentrating on my music huh?

Have you heard of the colour of music? Music and colour are incredibly linked to each other. Before making a blatant incorrect statement like that, Id maybe think a little baout what your going to say. Music note are basically a palette of colours. So colour is important to me, I like to feel comfortable when Im sitting at the screen. A nice mellow blue for when Im working on a ballad, a dark fiery red when Im working on a metal tune. Colour creates emotion and atmosphere, perhaps your the one is a little close minded?

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: feign

Date:7/14/2009 6:09:25 PM

Ooh, sorry to have gotten under some thin skins. I'm an artist by profession, that's my main working gig. Music is a sideline. Color and design are my job. I know all about color theory and the psychological effects of color. Have you ever written music on staff paper? Do you need a red stripe around the edge of it to write fiery music? I doubt Beethoven did.

I have no disagreement with your working methods. I just don't want someone else's working methods making my software run slower. I hope that skins are never integrated into Acid. It already needs all the resources of your computer that it can get to process MIDI and filters and effects and recording in real-time without latency issues. Nobody needs decorative skins taking up even a few kb of memory on top of that. That's the only issue that concerns me.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: april.exe

Date:7/14/2009 6:29:38 PM

Reshack (freeware) will open the acid70.exe and sliders and borders, pointers, splash screen are in there in the bitmap folders.

There must be other apps along this line. Maybe more geared towards the gui.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: gunga

Date:7/14/2009 7:58:06 PM

"'Skins' are for toys, not for serious applications."

Ouch...may we never redecorate, change clothes or hairstyles?

I personally like to customize my apps ( a bit ) especially when I have to look at some freakin' video screen for hours on end.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Adji

Date:7/15/2009 3:08:14 AM

Feign,

I doubt that chaning the colour of the screeans would have any serious effect on your computer processing power.

Yes I write music on staff paper as Im doing a degree in music, no i do not need a red line lol, but you see my point?

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: jackn2mpu

Date:7/15/2009 4:50:41 AM

feign said:
Ooh, sorry to have gotten under some thin skins. I'm an artist by profession, that's my main working gig. Music is a sideline. Color and design are my job. I know all about color theory and the psychological effects of color. Have you ever written music on staff paper? Do you need a red stripe around the edge of it to write fiery music? I doubt Beethoven did.

I have no disagreement with your working methods. I just don't want someone else's working methods making my software run slower. I hope that skins are never integrated into Acid. It already needs all the resources of your computer that it can get to process MIDI and filters and effects and recording in real-time without latency issues. Nobody needs decorative skins taking up even a few kb of memory on top of that. That's the only issue that concerns me.

I replied:
If your computer is that hard up for resources that a few kb of ram will make it a problem to record, you've got some serious problems in lack of computer power. With proper optimization of the audio engine in a recording app even a 1 gig ram system can do some great things. And who runs with only 1 gig ram if they can put more in? If that's all you have, you might want to try something a bit more efficient for recording. Try downloading the demo of Sonar 8 and you might be surprised at what a machine can do with a program that lets you make gui changes and how easy it can make you work and let you concentrate on the music.

You want an example of how working with a program that has a horrible gui color set try the Izotope Mastering Effects Bundle if you have Soundforge. WAY too dark and the simple addition of color changes would make the plugins a lot easier and quicker to work with, thereby enhancing your workflow.

Jack

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Kappeesh

Date:7/16/2009 2:18:46 PM

vistamizer for xp is a pretty cool whole os mod. i'm using it and it does make acid look a little better :)

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: thirdnostril

Date:7/17/2009 7:41:26 AM

"Ooh, sorry to have gotten under some thin skins."

If by "gotten under some thin skins," you mean "acted like the hind end of a horse," then you're spot on.

"I'm an artist by profession, that's my main working gig."

Thank God it's not "diplomat."

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: pwppch

Date:7/17/2009 11:32:44 AM

Ok, enough already.

We have heard the arguments both ways.

Agree to disagree and leave it at that.

Thanks
Peter

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: [r]Evolution

Date:7/20/2009 9:20:04 AM

Windowblinds is the best by far for me.
You can assign Color Schemes/Skins to individual apps... so if you like the way your OS looks but just want to change 1 app... you can do it. Or, you can assign different Skins to different apps. They've got tons of Skins in every imaginable color combination.

I'm in the edit bay almost all day every day so to give what I'm staring at all day a new look is refreshing to my creativity and mood. I've never been a fan of the Windows '98 look of the Sony apps and Windowblinds cures that with NO Hit on my Resources.

We are 'Creatives' so whatever brings out your Creativity... do it!
If it's as simple as changing a 'Skin'... do it!
After all, it's your computer/workstation, your workflow, your vibe... it's YOURS... do it!
(and don't listen to others who try to make themselves more Professional or Creative than you because your priorities are not the same as theirs.)

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: kitekrazee

Date:7/23/2009 3:35:24 PM

"What do you think of the new Vegas 'dark' color scheme?

Peter"

I didn't like it at first and changed it immediately. I changed it back since I still have Vegas 8 and this was an easier way to know which version I'm using.

I just hope the GUI never goes thru any major changes. I like the consistency that exists in SF, Acid and Vegas.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:7/23/2009 6:34:51 PM

Functional and business-like. No flashy gimmicks. Glad it's not just me !

geoff

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: alltheseworlds

Date:7/25/2009 7:58:36 PM

I've long since left Acid for greener and more robust pastures, but I like to drop in on my 'old love' every now and then. And this thread is hilarious. It's got the same desperate pathos as a guy trying to convince us that he likes his girlfriend to be fat and ugly !

I'd post a link to my new host's 'skinning thread' but I'd feel guilty. I don't want to start handing out shots of a supermodel when you guys are dating the fuglies !

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: shakey

Date:8/16/2009 5:16:16 AM

I agree, there is no way to change the white/grey background of the arrange page, it really glares after a while very uncomfortable after using something like sonar or protools 8. Also, I wish that you could tint the background of the clips in correspondance to the colour of the waveform, like on protools, logic, sonar, reason, record or any other daw, rather than just having them white, they really hurt my eyes after long periods. Acid looks really drab and dated, pretty much exactly the same as acid 2.

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:8/17/2009 10:13:50 AM

"I've long since left Acid for greener and more robust pastures, but I like to drop in on my 'old love' every now and then. And this thread is hilarious. It's got the same desperate pathos as a guy trying to convince us that he likes his girlfriend to be fat and ugly !

I'd post a link to my new host's 'skinning thread' but I'd feel guilty. I don't want to start handing out shots of a supermodel when you guys are dating the fuglies !"


This has to be the most inane thing I've heard in quite awhile...quite possibly more than that old forum member from the Sonic Foundry days that heralded the end of ACID Pro.

Is there something wrong with plain?

Maybe I don't like to be as shallow and superficial as some others...

oh, snap!

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: shakey

Date:8/17/2009 10:38:18 AM

I don't really mind about flashy graphics or anything, I would just like the option to darken the background a bit to reduce glare and eyestrain

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:8/17/2009 2:10:22 PM

Then I suggest turning down the brightness on your monitor. Eyestrain is potentially INCREASED by reducing the contrast between information and background.

geoff

Subject:RE: Skins?

Reply by: shakey

Date:8/23/2009 12:59:15 PM

yes but that doesn't change the fact that it is grey and boring! It is the colour of concrete, one of my most hated substances.

As for the system load argument, it is irrelevant. Sonar has a "flashy" interface, and renders the screen far more smoothly and efficiently than acid. This is because they pay attention to efficient programming and streamlining, rather than just bolting on new features. If the graphics engine was streamlined to the extent that sonar's is then it would more than compensate for the massive system drain which being able to change the colour of the background would represent. I'm sure it hasn't been touched since acid 2.