New interface for NBB

**NeonDev** · 10-24-2008, 03:16 PM

I finally have my graphics guy back and he and I are planning some themes to alter the look of NBB and show off its skinning engine (which is getting yet more additions soon)

this is your chance to voice your opinions and ideas for the new theme/s.

right now the engine DOES NOT have the ability to alter control sizes/positions or add/remove controls, but EVERYTHING else is fair game. button positions can be changed, but they can only exchange "slots" with another button, and it has to be approx the same size.

we are also moving to a technically correct neutral coloring for the base graphics (both buttons and backgrounds, etc). this will enable me to do some of the drawing programatically, for example the table view highlight bar. buttons will also be composites of the button symbol drawn over an optional colorized background. the background brightness will now be adjustable from the app prefs.

once I make the necessary adjustments/additions to the code everything I mentioned that is changeable will accomplished through NBBs .theme bundles so you guys can make your own themes easily (if you so desire)

there will be other things that themes can define such as window transitions/directions/durations for specific windows as well as the ability apply other fonts if they are available on the system. (fonts will be pickable under the font color editor as well)

that is only the beginning of what my skinning engine will be able to do. I hope you guys find it useful. I know alot of people don't use NBB because of the look, but now that the look is almost entirely customizable I hope that will change.

feedback???

**Bugbyte** · 10-24-2008, 04:10 PM

Hey, just because some new FE has shown up, don't think the love is gone! You've made good progress with NBB and the new version is coming along great. With FE's, the more there are, the better they'll all be.

As for customization, I'd permit custom backgrounds to be inserted, along with car logos.
An easy way to create themes and maybe even a way to bundle themes together with the window transitions so that, for example, "blood orange" encompasses both the color schemes and window transitions.

Add the option for spoken messages to be given by the Mac. Bundle those together into themes. Someone should be able to build a BMW theme, or a VW theme, or whatever. Those themes would include background graphics, fonts, colors, logos, window transitions, and spoken commands.

Question -have you followed a model where the interface elements are disconnected from the actual code itself? I forget the name of this model, but its the Apple recommended on that means you can build a nib file and as long as you name all the controls correctly, you could substitute it for the existing file and have a whole new look and feel.

**NeonDev** · 10-24-2008, 05:00 PM

Hey, just because some new FE has shown up, don't think the love is gone! You've made good progress with NBB and the new version is coming along great. With FE's, the more there are, the better they'll all be.

ha ha is it that obvious?

As for customization, I'd permit custom backgrounds to be inserted, along with car logos.

nice. you just set a lightbulb off! I ought to specify a "logo" image variable that I can composite in various places such as the clock or background. Ill use the NBB logo as the default and allow the .theme file to specify alternatives such as car logos.

NBBs .theme bundle model uses key-value coding so that you can specify any image to substitute another and each theme is 100% dynamically loaded when applied.

An easy way to create themes and maybe even a way to bundle themes together with the window transitions so that, for example, "blood orange" encompasses both the color schemes and window transitions.

the .theme file will have the ability for themes to specify specific transitions down to the exact window. for example if you wanted the "track details" window to animate in using a slide but every other window to use the cube for its in effect you could do that.

Add the option for spoken messages to be given by the Mac. Bundle those together into themes. Someone should be able to build a BMW theme, or a VW theme, or whatever. Those themes would include background graphics, fonts, colors, logos, window transitions, and spoken commands.

the .theme files can control everything you listed except spoken messages, which are a wonderful idea.

here is a short list of everything a .theme file can do:
1. substitute ANY bundle image with another
2. add launch/exit apple scripts to any module. (you could use this for voices tho they would only talk on module open/close)
3. specify the main "large" font
4. specify a secondary "small" font
5. specify a font color
6. specify window transitions on both a global and per window basis
7. specify hue/saturation/color/etc for "colorizeable" controls
8. specify specific control images to be exempt from the color changes

9. as per bugbytes suggestion will be able to specify a logo to be composited in several locations. (this should be large and have a 24 bit alpha as it will be scaled both up and down in various circumstances)

10. since it will be easy to do I will add the ability to do complete nib substitution for advanced users that want to rearrange things or use diffrent controls.

Question -have you followed a model where the interface elements are disconnected from the actual code itself? I forget the name of this model, but its the Apple recommended on that means you can build a nib file and as long as you name all the controls correctly, you could substitute it for the existing file and have a whole new look and feel.

I believe you are referring to bindings. I have used a mixed model as bindings are not always capable of doing what you need done. most tables are bound (or should be)

you could at this moment go open up the music module nib in IB and slap down a table view at anylocation/window in the nib and bind its content to the visualizers and bam you have yet another table where you can choose the visualizer.

maybe that is not what you are talking about since that has nothing to do with the name of the control... I have never heard of that, but i would love to see the documentation for it. (if you know where i can find it)

NBB already uses uncompelled nibs so that any savy user could venture in there and alter stuff to their hearts content. I mentioned above that the .theme files will be able to specify nibs for substitution, but at the moment that will mean that the nib creator will be responsible for wiring the nib components to the controllers and such

**golfguy** · 12-13-2008, 01:00 PM

I still use NBB every day - still like it the best among Mac front end choices. Haven't seen much going on with NBB. NeonDev, are you still busy at work? I'm looking forward to new features like OBD II and custom car logos (Mazda/Mazdaspeed for instance

) Anyway, I was just checking in.