Re: [Inkscape-user] A nicer look for Inkscape/MacOS X: easy to implement
I have followed Ben Powers' advice to change the interface aspect from a somewhat austere X11 look to a nicer Aqua look (see http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.user/3967)
I'd like this. I usually use Inkscape on my Linux computer, but I'm trying to get my wife to use it more, on the Mac. Having the nicer looking theme on the Gimp helped her make the transition more easily.
I've never actually been successfully building GTK on OSX, and don't have developer tools on her machine, so I don't know that I can actually help on this, but I would definitely cheer for it. :-)
Thanks, -- Michael Moore ------------------------------- www.stuporglue.com -- Articles, software and computer tutorials. www.stuporglue.org -- Donate your used computer to a student that needs it.
On Nov 24, 2005, at 3:24 PM, Michael Moore wrote:
I have followed Ben Powers' advice to change the interface aspect from a somewhat austere X11 look to a nicer Aqua look (see http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.graphics.inkscape.user/3967)
I'd like this. I usually use Inkscape on my Linux computer, but I'm trying to get my wife to use it more, on the Mac. Having the nicer looking theme on the Gimp helped her make the transition more easily.
I'm trying to figure out if a "fake" OSX GUI is good, or getting a real Aqua interface going (with no X11 involved) is perhaps better.
In case you didn't catch the news, a native GTK+ for OS X recently gained more activity and the newer work just got into the main GTK+ CVS.
On Nov 24, 2005, at 6:27 PM, mental@...32... wrote:
Quoting "Jon A. Cruz" <jon@...204...>:
I'm trying to figure out if a "fake" OSX GUI is good, or getting a real Aqua interface going (with no X11 involved) is perhaps better.
That's in question?
Well, probably best to say "is perhaps a better use of effort in the near-term"
At 18:21 -0800 24/11/05, Jon A. Cruz wrote:
I'm trying to figure out if a "fake" OSX GUI is good, or getting a real Aqua interface going (with no X11 involved) is perhaps better.
The Aqua interface will definitely be the goal to reach, but it will take some time and in the meantime the (imho) improved interface is _so easy_ to provide with the next Inkscape/MacOS X distributions that I see no reason to deprive ourserlves of it.
In case you didn't catch the news, a native GTK+ for OS X recently gained more activity and the newer work just got into the main GTK+ CVS.
http://gimpfoo.de/2005/10/06/an-early-glance-at-gimp-on-os-x/
Hervé
On Nov 24, 2005, at 11:30 PM, H.Fagard wrote:
The Aqua interface will definitely be the goal to reach, but it will take some time and in the meantime the (imho) improved interface is _so easy_ to provide with the next Inkscape/MacOS X distributions that I see no reason to deprive ourserlves of it.
Ahhh, but there's the rub.
The key question is how "improved" is it?
Often, looking closer to something while not actually being it can be worse than being right-out. Something that looks like a standard Mac app but isn't might annoy users who end up trying to do things in an entirely mac way, which will then fail. So one factor is that by looking like an X11 app, people will subconsciously assume it behaves like an X11 app, whereas with the "fake" aqua GTK+ theme people might subconsciously assume it behaves like a standard Mac App and get frustrated when it doesn't.
Thus the usability would actually go down.
:-(
Often, looking closer to something while not actually being it can be worse than being right-out. Something that looks like a standard Mac app but isn't might annoy users who end up trying to do things in an entirely mac way, which will then fail. So one factor is that by looking like an X11 app, people will subconsciously assume it behaves like an X11 app, whereas with the "fake" aqua GTK+ theme people might subconsciously assume it behaves like a standard Mac App and get frustrated when it doesn't.
I only have the anecdotal evidence of Gimp.app for myself and my wife, so take this for what it's worth: The aqua GTK theme doesn't make it seem enough like a Mac App to fool people. It does make it look enough better that I think it would make users say "this X11 app isn't so bad after all". In my opinion the aqua look would bring only benefits.
If this is a concern, maybe there's someone on the list that could contact the Gimp.app folks and ask about the effects of the aqua theme. Maybe they could provide some before/after numbers or tell of any issues that arose.
Thanks, -- Michael Moore ------------------------------- www.stuporglue.com -- Articles, software and computer tutorials. www.stuporglue.org -- Donate your used computer to a student that needs it.
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H.Fagard -
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Michael Moore