[solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

DarkTrick · 2019-02-16 00:56:35

Hello,

I would like to propose new window themes, that are delivered in the standard package of xubuntu. How would I proceed for that?

Why do I want this? What's the problem with current themes:

The border width of current themes (like "Default") is very small (3 pixels). Therefore to resize a window, the user must aim exactly at these 3 pixels. For the average user I think this is a small burden.
"Default-hdpi" indeed gives better borders, but also increases the button size too much. It feel a little "inconsistent" and blurry.
The button size itself is smaller than it needs to be. Again, aiming at the small button becomes a burden. Removing the non-reactive part of the button enlarges the button without enlarging the overall area. (This is similar to what is implemented in Visual Studio Code (MS new style).

What I did:
I created two themes*: One is a "Default" theme with wider borders and one is de "Default" theme with wider borders and bigger buttons.

A picture of each theme
https://www.dropbox.com/s/96eur39f6vn7r … .jpeg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0vp7leawy1o1n … .jpeg?dl=0

Theme download*:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qhrtgsdej5i3b … s.zip?dl=0

* The current state is not yet perfect (95% finished only, because I personally don't need more yet). If I get the "ok", I would finish the one which is selected.

More Background:
I was very frustrated when I started using xfce because of the border problem. I think a perfect solution would be to add a parameter to the themerc file, that defines the radius in which you can still enter the resizing mode. But since something like that is more complex, I think this is the easier solution for now.

regards

Last edited by DarkTrick (2019-03-02 09:13:53)

ToZ · 2019-02-16 01:46:34

Hello and welcome.

DarkTrick wrote:

I would like to propose new window themes, that are delivered in the standard package of xubuntu.

The best way to include it in Xubuntu is to ask the Xubuntu team. You can do this by creating a bug/enhancement request in Ubuntu's launchpad bug tracking system.

If you would like them included in Xfce as part of the xfwm package, then you should create a bug/enhancement request at our bug tracker. If it's included here, then Xubuntu will inherit it by default.

A third option is to upload them to a place like xfce-look and host them there for anyone that is interested.

DarkTrick · 2019-02-16 01:49:36

Thank you for the quick reply!

If I understand you right, I'd probably go for Xfwm, because it's the source, that is used by the Xubuntu team.

regards

Skaperen · 2019-02-16 02:58:36

i personally do find it a bit hard to pick at the window edge to resize it. OTOH, i don't like the idea of occupying more pixel space to be able to do something that i find very rarely is needed. IMHO, such a thing should not depend on the L&F of the desktop. my suggestion is some kind of new code that detects the pointer hot spot being "near" a window border (an invisible virtual wider one, settable separately for horizontal and vertical and one value used for both if only one is set) and colors that virtual area while the pointer is near until the pointer moves to out of range, again. this way all layouts continue to look the same while we gain a functionality improvement. the color might also be settable with a default of the border plus 50% transparency.

DarkTrick · 2019-02-16 03:58:55

my suggestion is some kind of new code that detects the pointer hot spot being "near" a window border

Also my thought. But code is harder to do, than adding a theme.

But since something like that is more complex, I think this (new theme) is the easier solution for now.

Jerry3904 · 2019-02-16 11:49:31

We have discussed this at some length on our Forum, and have taken a two-pronged approach. The one (not my own preference) is to actually have wider borders, and we have added a number of those recently to our repos. The other, which I find about perfect, is to have a wider border area, but make only the outer two pixels visible to create the graphic border. One of our users developed a good one that obeys gtk, and we are reviewing that now for standard inclusion.

Skaperen · 2019-02-16 19:10:44

code is generally easy for me, at least in certain languages. one of those languages is C, which Xfce is written in. this affects my choices and preferences. but ... i have no experience in programming in a graphical environment using library calls as the way to work in graphical space. i did do some "raw graphics" ages ago under DOS3.3 where all i had was direct memory mapping of bits being displayed (and long before that on an Apple II in 6502 assembly language). i am going to work on learning programming around GTK3 and Xfce in C and Python3. i know how to code these and a few others. i need to learn the graphical library calls. i already have a few app ideas i'd like to do.

DarkTrick · 2019-02-17 08:20:02

The other, which I find about perfect, is to have a wider border area, but make only the outer two pixels visible to create the graphic border.

If this could be implemented in xfce, of course it would be awesome.

DarkTrick · 2019-02-18 01:13:22

FYI on how things went.

I checked in their IRC-Channel.
A programmatic solution does not seem to happen anytime soon. I was told it's somewhat impossible due to restrictions of how the system currently works.

Also, I was told, that the best solution for now is to upload my theme here:
https://www.opendesktop.org/p/1290489/

It will not be part of the default package.

Thank you all for your help.

regards

Last edited by DarkTrick (2019-02-18 01:13:44)

Skaperen · 2019-02-18 06:14:19

when i get into the source code, i will look for a way. adding more "decorations" that happen to be invisible may work, or may not work, or may be too much work. if invisible parts (100% transparent) can be made to track the window position and not affect layout, that could be it. but, maybe that can't be done. i've got so much to learn.

DarkTrick · 2019-02-18 09:06:49

I'm counting on you smile

MountainDewManiac · 2019-02-18 22:30:45

DarkTrick wrote:

The other, which I find about perfect, is to have a wider border area, but make only the outer two pixels visible to create the graphic border.
If this could be implemented in xfce, of course it would be awesome.

It'd be fine if it was a configurable option that was turned off by default. Otherwise, it would run the risk of interfering with things inside that window that happen to use all of the space provided to them (in other words, ones that went right up to a window's border).

That's why I generally favor the "if you cannot consistently place your mouse cursor onto a thin window border, either select a theme that uses a thicker one or use one of the other two easy methods for resizing windows available in linux" approach. But that's just my opinion. I realize that developers most often either follow their own opinions for a thing or use the method that they believe will be most popular with the greatest percentage of their products' users.

Regards,
MDM

DarkTrick · 2019-02-20 00:58:22

I discovered today, that nautilus has this feature actually already kind of built in. Even if you move the mouse beyond the borders, as long, as you stay in the window shade, you can resize the window.

ToZ · 2019-02-20 01:38:38

Have a read through https://bugzilla.xfce.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11808 for the "current state of affairs".

Skaperen · 2019-02-20 04:43:14

if i add something to a program i generally add an option to enable it with the default being disabled. the default should be to let things remain the same, unless there is some particular reason to have it enabled.

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#1 2019-02-16 00:56:35

[solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#2 2019-02-16 01:46:34

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#3 2019-02-16 01:49:36

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#4 2019-02-16 02:58:36

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#5 2019-02-16 03:58:55

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#6 2019-02-16 11:49:31

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#7 2019-02-16 19:10:44

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#8 2019-02-17 08:20:02

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#9 2019-02-18 01:13:22

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#10 2019-02-18 06:14:19

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#11 2019-02-18 09:06:49

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#12 2019-02-18 22:30:45

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#13 2019-02-20 00:58:22

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#14 2019-02-20 01:38:38

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

#15 2019-02-20 04:43:14

Re: [solved] Where to propose new window Themes?

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