Watercolor Emico

[Scirwode]

I've never given a release date for the shellstyles :p The only one that's currently release-worthy is the blue one.

Blue SE isn't an updated version from the current Blue version, it's still getting a new name. The stuff in Blue SE is for Blue SE only and will not be made for the previous themes. The previous themes are considered finished once the shellstyles are ready to be released.

I'm sure that not everyone will like Blue SE because lot's of stuff is totally different then the previous versions.

Considering it has SE in its name, I don't think they have a right to complain now, do they :p ?

Scirwode

[Jamushroom Veteran]

True :p But somethings, like the start button as an example, are going to look totally different. Same counts for the tabs etc.

[BlueFox]

Sorry for the double post but I wanted to have some opinions on this start button:

And yes, it's a Windows logo. It doesn't mean that I don't want to use an original logo. I first want opinions about the current one because I kinda like it :) This would be the hover state for the new start button (if it's going to be used).

PERFECTION

I will now hibernate so when I wake up I can get this theme. Thanks.

[ViperAFK]

Sorry for the double post but I wanted to have some opinions on this start button:

And yes, it's a Windows logo. It doesn't mean that I don't want to use an original logo. I first want opinions about the current one because I kinda like it :) This would be the hover state for the new start button (if it's going to be used).

amazing

[SakuraKira]

Sorry for the double post but I wanted to have some opinions on this start button:

And yes, it's a Windows logo. It doesn't mean that I don't want to use an original logo. I first want opinions about the current one because I kinda like it :) This would be the hover state for the new start button (if it's going to be used).

I really like this. It's very modern and sleek, and blends well. I don't understand why you're moving away from the awesomely beautiful bubble Win flag you made for WE. Did you not like it? :(

Regarding the start button text as has been mentioned... If you really wanted to accommodate the different languages, couldn't you just design it like the current start buttons for Luna? That is, with the button states as a background, and the text as text over it in the coding. Then you can just have the text appear how you want it (position, size, color, font family, shadow), and it will show up in whatever language the user has set.

EXAMPLE 1 - MS Luna start button

[start::Button]

BgType = ImageFile

SizingType = Stretch

SizingMargins = 6, 52, 13, 14

ContentMargins = 10, 24, 2, 4

ImageFile = Blue\StartButton.bmp

ImageCount = 3

ImageLayout = Vertical

Transparent = True

Font= Franklin Gothic Medium, 14, italic

TextColor = 255 255 255

TEXTSHADOWOFFSET= 2, 2

textshadowcolor = 69 76 16

TextShadowType = continuous

FillColorHint = 74 153 73; Average color (green)

EXAMPLE 2 - modded start button for graphic only

[start::Button]

BgType = ImageFile

SizingType = Stretch

SizingMargins = 6, 52, 13, 14

ContentMargins = -50, 117, 2, 4

ImageFile = default\StartButton.bmp

ImageCount = 3

ImageLayout = Vertical

Transparent = True

Font= Tahoma, 1

TextColor = 255 255 255

FillColorHint = 74 153 73; Average color (green)

Most themers these days adjust the left and right content margins so that the text is offscreen, basically disabling the system of the START word that Microsoft put in place. This way a themer has total control of how the start button looks. The problem with using text for the word is that you have to rely on the end user for 3 things: 1. the word/phrase for START doesn't stretch beyond the boundaries of your button background, 2. the user has the font you want to use installed, and 3. the user has font smoothing enabled. Having a graphical start button eliminates any of those worries, and also allows the themer to have any sort of effects they want on the text that go beyond the paramaters of the theme coding.

IMO, I don't think this should be a concern. The WE themes have 2 start button options, and I prefer to use the classic. I like seeing the word START, and I also prefer the look of classic. You didn't have to worry about providing an alternate language version for WE, so you shouldn't have to worry about it with this one.

You could always just supply an alternate version without the text, that is maybe 20px shorter on the right side, however I see you have the concern of it being too similar to the LE3 alternate button, and I can understand that.

One question though, and I can't tell from the image you provided... does the button have a bit of a top and bottom border? I ask because in order for it to look halfway decent on a multi-line taskbar, there should be a small border at least. I use a single line, but do know of a couple of people that actively work with two or even three rows of taskbar. Those people are out there.

[Jamushroom Veteran]

^I'm not gonna design my theme around everyones preferences. The previous themes don't look nice with a multi-line taskbar and this one won't either. As you can see, I can't use the normal text from the OS in my startbutton. The text in my startbutton has a gloss which can't be reproduced with the normal text. Also, If I use the normal text then there would also be the ugly start button icon from Luna.

Blue SE will only have 1 taskbar btw. So this time there's not going to be a classic substyle.

The reason why I don't use the previous start button icon is because it doesn't fit in anymore. It looks out of place in Blue SE. I also wanted to have a totally new start button for this theme.

[VenQWish]

Awesome, love the ergo blue and the black. Thx!

[Jamushroom Veteran]

^Thanks :)

TheBestIsaac at deviantART has made a wallpaper pack to go with Watercolor Emico.

Watercolor Emico: Wallpapers

The blue wallpaper will probably also fit nicely with Blue SE :)

[Krokus]

Nice wallpapers. :)

[tsupersonic]

Nicely done.

[HU6H]

Nifty, though I wish he had made the wallpapers available for individual download, or grouped by either substyle or wallpaper size. 34MB is a lot to download if all you want is the Ergo one at 1280*800. :/

I should mention I'm on a 256kb/s ADSL connection, which is further throttled to 56kb/s until midnight tonight. :blush:

[tsupersonic]

And you couldn't asked one of us to extract that wallpaper for you? I would've done it...

[HU6H]

If I had to wait longer, I may have asked; as my throttling is finished now, I'll do it myself. Thanks for offering. :)

[Lyric]

nice theme....good work.

[Spartan Erik]

So.. any updates yet? Maybe a hint at release date? :)

[Jamushroom Veteran]

I'm never going to pick a release date for stuff that I'm planning to release. I've learned from the people that did give release dates. When they didn't have their work ready on the release date, people started to become impatient.

I'm not going to tease you guys to much with the new stuff. So far, the Start panel looks awesome in the mockup. I still need to figure out a few things before compiling it. It's looking pretty original so far.

[Krokus]

Nice. :)

[hey07]

waiting for the last release. hope it's much better than the releaseds. Looking forward to.

[martin10018]

waiting for the last release. hope it's much better than the releaseds. Looking forward to.

Why? Didn't you like them?

[Jamushroom Veteran]

I can confirm that Watercolor Emico: BlueSE will have a user picture in the Start panel :)

[Scirwode]

I can confirm that Watercolor Emico: BlueSE will have a user picture in the Start panel :)

Interesting, can't wait to see what it would look like, as well as the shellstyles.

Scirwode

[Happy-Dude]

I can confirm that Watercolor Emico: BlueSE will have a user picture in the Start panel :)

Yay !!

But I have a request ... Can your previous visual styles have a user picture too? To make it easier for those who don't like user pictures, perhaps you can add an option similar to how **compact+standard** works --> have a user picture option in the drop down menu?

Thanks very much, Capric0rn !! This is really nice news :) .

[Lee G. Veteran]

I can confirm that Watercolor Emico: BlueSE will have a user picture in the Start panel :)

Excellent! I can't wait to see this.

[caerma]

Excellent! I can't wait to see this.

[Jamushroom Veteran]

@Happy-Dude: I remember that you or someone else already asked this before. The previous themes can't have a user picture simply because it's not designed to have one. The previous themes wont get major updates anymore and they won't get more substyles. The only updates that the previous themes will get are bugfixes and shellstyles.

@lcg and caerma: Thanks :)