Thoughts on theme creation

[RicardoTM]

So I've been working on the UI theme creation for my gauges skin and I have some doubts about how to implement it. I would like to read opinions on this.

On one hand, I want the user to have some control over it, but not too much. On the other hand I also want it to be easy for the user.

It won't include a UI for it, it will require the user to edit the variables in a file, this file would be named after the theme and the user can switch between them by changing a variable on a user.inc file.

The thing is that the skin has a dark and light mode toggle button, so each theme would require to have both options.

I have 2 ideas.

The first is to let the user choose both the dark and light colors manually, then the theme would be created automatically (all color variables would be written based on those colors)

The second is to only let the user select a single color, calculate if that color is dark or light, and let the skin create it's counterpart version for either the dark or light mode.

In both options the user would also have control over the accent color, they can either decide to let it be set automatically (based on 4 options: mono, complementary, neighbor or inverted) or simply select the color manually.

What system do you think would be better? More automated or more controlled? I think that having the option to choose 2 colors for a theme is nice, but at the same time the idea of simply selecting a single color and letting the skin get its light/dark counterpart automatically is pretty neat as well. What would you guys do?

[Yincognito]

I would have not implemented any theme or color calculation in the first place, letting the user choose any color or color combination he preferred, for any little part of the skin, with the risk of potentially making elements indistinguishable from the background. The obvious benefits of this would have been no additional development work on the skin, no additional questions on further customization, and complete freedom for the user to color its version as desired.

However, since you already have these systems in place, why not taking full advantage of them, via the 2nd option? You will get questions about further customization if the user wants a different dark / light detection or counterpart, but then, any choice bar the one in the paragraph above would (which is why I mentioned it to begin with).

[RicardoTM]

I would have not implemented any theme or color calculation in the first place, letting the user choose any color or color combination he preferred, for any little part of the skin, with the risk of potentially making elements indistinguishable from the background. The obvious benefits of this would have been no additional development work on the skin, no additional questions on further customization, and complete freedom for the user to color its version as desired.

Fortunately for the user, they can always modify each variable manually if they want and choose not to use the toggle button. All color variables will be available in that same file for them to do whatever they want with them. I designed this system for me, cause I'm lazy and hate choosing color by color lol and this system made it even easier as I don't need different variables for each mode, only general variables for each type of element, then the script does the rest.

However, since you already have these systems in place, why not taking full advantage of them, via the 2nd option? You will get questions about further customization if the user wants a different dark / light detection or counterpart, but then, any choice bar the one in the paragraph above would (which is why I mentioned it to begin with).

I like how you're thinking

[Yincognito]

I designed this system for me, cause I'm lazy and hate choosing color by color lol

I do the same, except with a click to load my own settings, so no worries.

I like how you're thinking

So you only wanted a confirmation of what you were already thinking?

[RicardoTM]

So you only wanted a confirmation of what you were already thinking?

Noo hahaha I just wanted to have a conversation about this topic and see what others think about it. Then maybe gather new interesting ideas that I could use as well. Sadly nobody else has commented anything lol you just happened to nail what I was thinking

[Yincognito]

Noo hahaha I just wanted to have a conversation...

Come on, admit it, you wanted a conversation with yourself...

Sadly nobody else has commented anything lol you just happened to nail what I was thinking

They're afraid to say what you were not thinking...

Just messing with you a little bit, to brush off your sadness...

[RicardoTM]

Come on, admit it, you wanted a conversation with yourself...

I mean, I love talking to myself, I always come up with such great ideas and I'm always right!

They're afraid to say what you were not thinking...

Come on guys, make me cry, I wanna be the saddest Mexican on earth!

[RicardoTM]

I had a notification about sl23 commenting on this thread but the post doesn't exist

[Yincognito]

I had a notification about sl23 commenting on this thread but the post doesn't exist

[sl23]

I had a notification about sl23 commenting on this thread but the post doesn't exist

I posted an idea about themes, but I hadn't read your post, too tired. Then I read a little of it and found it wasn't helpful so I deleted it.

I was just basically saying I would use INC files that contain meter styles or variables with the relevant theme code. Then have a skin menu or context menu to change the skins theme. That way would be easier to develop and for non tech users to change theme. Also not too hard to then add new themes.