|
|
|
|
|
INTRODUCTION
|
|
|
|
|
|
============
|
|
|
|
|
|
First, a word about Fahrenheit. The theme, like its namesake, is
|
|
|
|
|
|
not meant to be the final word in practicality or usability. Think about
|
|
|
|
|
|
it: why hasn't the US switched to Celcius, a much more practical and
|
|
|
|
|
|
usable temperature scale? It makes much more sense to base a temperature
|
|
|
|
|
|
scale around water (since so much of life literally revolves around
|
|
|
|
|
|
water). Just what is 0<>F and 100<30>F anyways? It makes no sense at all,
|
|
|
|
|
|
other than the inertia of tradition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fahrenheit the theme is much the same way, except that it lacks
|
|
|
|
|
|
the temperture scale's inertia, but it also looks (in the author's
|
|
|
|
|
|
opinion) more visually interesting than the standard square box. Be it
|
|
|
|
|
|
the lickable OSX or the crayola WinXP, the fact remains that even by
|
|
|
|
|
|
rounding out the corners, most window decorations are hopelessly mired in
|
|
|
|
|
|
squareville. Now, there are good reasons for square. Square is usable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Square is practical. Square is comforting and familiar, like a teddy
|
|
|
|
|
|
bear that's gotten the stuffing squeezed out of it. But square is also
|
|
|
|
|
|
boring, overdone, and, like week-old leftovers, there's only so much you
|
|
|
|
|
|
can do with it before you get sick of turkey sandwiches and turkey
|
|
|
|
|
|
quiche and turkey omlettes and cream of turkey soup.
|
|
|
|
|
|
To relieve my boredom, there's Fahrenheit. That's right, this is
|
|
|
|
|
|
about _me_. If you like it, you're more than welcome to use it. If you
|
|
|
|
|
|
don't, then forget about it. It's not for you. Go back to squaredom. I
|
|
|
|
|
|
don't care. Yes, this violates Fitt's law in obscene and unthinkable
|
|
|
|
|
|
ways. The buttons may be too small, but then, I have fine motor control
|
|
|
|
|
|
and don't find it a problem in the least. I find it usable; therefore,
|
|
|
|
|
|
it is usable for me. It wastes space with all the funky curves and bars.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, my monitor is 1400x1050, so I've got space to waste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
COLORS
|
|
|
|
|
|
======
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are six color settings that you will want to play with
|
|
|
|
|
|
in the Control Panel:Appearances & Themes:Colors dialog. These are:
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Active Title Bar
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Inactive Title Bar
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Active Window Frame
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Inactive Window Frame
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Active Window Handle
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Inactive Window Handle
|
|
|
|
|
|
The title bar and window frame colors should be self-evident.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Less obviously, however, are the window handle settings. This changes
|
|
|
|
|
|
the color of the grip lines in the upper-right hand corner of the frame.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THANKS
|
|
|
|
|
|
======
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inspiration: Fahrenheit was inspired by the mock-up screenshots
|
|
|
|
|
|
of a hypothetical future BeOS window border, GonX. See the screenshots
|
|
|
|
|
|
at http://cotito.free.fr/projects/.
|
|
|
|
|
|
David Johnson on the twin mailing list was of great help to me
|
|
|
|
|
|
while writing this decoration. His Example decoration
|
|
|
|
|
|
(http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=6332) is also a great
|
|
|
|
|
|
framework for creating new decorations as well.
|
