<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 18/12/2007, <b class="gmail_sendername">jmak</b> <<a href="mailto:jozmak@gmail.com">jozmak@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Hello,</blockquote><div><br>Hi,<br><br>I just managed to get this out of my spambox before I emptied it. Perhaps it also landed in spam for other Gmail users. <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Yesterday, ubuntu's art direction notes were released. The design and<br>the direction of the outlined solutions are outstanding. Hopefully,<br>they manage to solve all the outstanding issues presented in the<br>specifications. Suggestion: let's syncronize xubuntu's visual
<br>development with these specifications, as much as possible.</blockquote><div><br>Sounds cool to me, and plastic looks good too. Can't see to clearly what it is that they did different, it's just darker I guess. Looks good in any case.
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">You can read the specs here:<br><br><a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/BasicIdeals">
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hardy/Alternate/BasicIdeals</a><br><br>As you noticed from the specs, the new design direction is to move<br>away from the glossy interface toward a flatter more plastic<br>interface. This is the direction, I suggest for xubuntu development as
<br>well. This will require changes in the gtk theming, icon theming,<br>window manager theming, among others. I already have some ideas; soon,<br>I will put together a mockup for further discussion.<br><br>But in order to be able to proceed, we have to settle a few issues
<br>right at the beggining. These are:<br><br>1) Panels. I conclude from the previous discussions that the dual<br>panel setup will remain. But we still have to hammer out an optimal<br>panel size and panel color.</blockquote>
<div><br>Isn't colour decided by the GTK theme? <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">2) GTK themes. As you see, ubuntu designers want a completely new gtk
<br>design. Not sure yet, but they also use the murrina engine, that we<br>are already using. The gtk theme is so unique that it is unlikely that<br>we can find something even remotely similar to that among the<br>available stock designs. So, one of the possibility would be talking
<br>to the author and ask him to create a color variations for xubuntu.</blockquote><div><br>Haha, we were earlier to adopt the awesome Murrine engine than Ubuntu - take that! :P<br><br>Seriously though, if that would possible I suppose it would be great :)
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">3) The icon theme. Possible candidates, crashbit and oxyGnome. Here is<br>a screenshot:
<br><br><a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Xubuntu/GutsyIdeas">https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Xubuntu/GutsyIdeas</a><br><br>I personally prefer oxygnome becase they are not glossy but more<br>plastic like, exactly that we want. And also very complete.
</blockquote><div><br>If it matches the GTK theme, fine with me.<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">4) Icon label backgrounds. This is something we already discussed a
<br>few months ago but haven't decided what to do about them. For me,<br>these are one of the most annoying visual distractions in xubuntu.<br>Ideas: get rid of them completely. In the mean time, create an entry<br>in the documentation that explains users how to change the font colors
<br>of the icons. This is in fact very easy and I think is well within the<br>expertise even for less experienced users. The other possibility would<br>be to write a simple graphical configurator something like the murrina
<br>configurator.</blockquote><div><br>Changing the font colours isn't really an option for me, since I have a different wallpaper everytime I login. The labels are more suitable in cases like that. Just my two cents.
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">5) Wallpaper. Dark-blue, multicolor? Work in progress.<br><br>6) GDM login. Work in progress.
<br><br>7) Usplash. I've heard anything about it. Still broken? Anyone?</blockquote><div><br>In my Gutsy installation the screen has a resolution of 1280x1024 while the Usplash only takes about 800x600. It's a different kind of black than the normal screen-black. Though I have to admit, the logo and progress bar look prettier when smaller.
<br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Notes: Obviously, we have to work with xfce built in limitations. We<br>won't be able to match all xubuntu design elements exactly to that of
<br>ubuntu's. For instance, we wont be able to use panel transparencies,<br>widget transparencies and drop-shadows, because we dont use compiz by<br>default. But we have to strive to create an overall visual appearance
<br>that is as close to ubuntu as it can.</blockquote><div><br>Murrine can now use transparency if compositing is enabled and fallback to normal widgets if not: <a href="http://www.cimitan.com/blog/2007/12/12/gtk-rgba-transparent-widgets-with-the-murrine-engine">
http://www.cimitan.com/blog/2007/12/12/gtk-rgba-transparent-widgets-with-the-murrine-engine</a><br><br>Not sure if the version that will come with Hardy already supports it. Would be useful, of course :) <br></div><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Please speak up on the issues mentioned above, or add yours to the<br>list, to be able to settle them as quickly as possible.<br><br><br>jmak<br><br></blockquote></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Vincent