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Hi,
On Wednesday 08 September 2010 22:15:33 Paul Davis wrote:

quoted text
> On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 8:02 PM, Arnold Krille  wrot=

e:

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> > The one the user choose for his desktop. Which is the only real way to

> > compensate for visually impaired people (if thats the political correct

> > name). I don't like this every-app-chooses-its-own-colors at all. Though

> > I do understand that sometimes you need more colors, but that still is

> > different from "I define my apps colors on my own because I think that

> > is cool". The later results in apps with black text on dark-gray

> > background in an otherwise very light desktop-environment =3D> bad. Or =

in

quoted text
> > apps with white window background while the rest of the desktop is

> > optimized for on-stage-in-the-dark with black background and red

> > foreground =3D> bad. Or it results with using two collors to "distingui=

sh"

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> > which half visually impaired people can't discriminate =3D> bad.

>=20

> and which system color(s) do you propose to use to indicate:

>=20

>     * this thing is muted?

>     * this thing is rec-enabled?

>     * the value indicated here is at the low end of the scale?

>     * this object is blinking to alert you to some condition?

Here is my shot:
(Speaking in terms of

http://doc.trolltech.com/4.6/qpalette.html#ColorRole-enum because thats the=

=20

toolkit I know...)
The discussion started with faders showing the value by color. Could also b=

e=20

used by meters.
Muted/off: Window-color (that is the normal background of windows)

Really low: Shadow

Low: Dark

Middle: Light

High: Highlight (which would be the alarm color)
I did a quick test with ffado-mixer, the first screenshot is the current ve=

rsion=20

with black-blue-green-yellow-red, the second is the window-shadow-dark-ligh=

t-

highlight version:

http://positron.physik.uni-halle.de/~arnold/fadercolors-green_yellow_red...

http://positron.physik.uni-halle.de/~arnold/fadercolors-system_colors.pn...
In the second case I think a small 1px border around each "fader" would be=

=20

appropriate. Have to think about that.
Now to the ardour-specific questions:
Muted could be visualized just by graying out the whole=20

track/channel/fader/meter or by de-saturating it.

Rec-enabled would be a border in the Highlight color.

And if its about toggle-buttons that should increase visibility when=20

activated, these could be colored in the Highlight color or the Base color=

=20

(used for input-widgets).
Something needing immediate attention could be marked by blinking in the=20

Highlight color. Or by having a blinking 5px border in the Highlight color.
Generally there are several ways to make something stand out:
 - Color it to stand out. Which is what the Highlight color is for.

 - Make it big.

 - Give it space.

 - Make it stand out with a simple 3D effect like a raised/sunken border or=

 a=20

shadow.
The last three don't require special colors.
I know there are special apps that need so many colors that the system pale=

tte=20

is not enough. I know ardour is the prime example there.

But I don't understand why apps like puredata don't follow the systems=20

defaults? Black objects on white background stand out much to much when my=

=20

laptop is trimmed for live-foh usage where the normal "Text on Base" colors=

=20

would be "Wine Red on Black". If it simply used that colors as provided by =

the=20

system/toolkit, it would blend in perfectly...
Have fun,
Arnold
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