ROOL ROM branding

Thread necromancy time!

Can we have a new splash screen and switcher yet? To be quite frank, the jellybean is becoming more and more inappropriate now the OMAP port is gathering speed.

This is probably a good direction for the discussion to follow from here:

https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/2/topics/338

I definitely think it’s time RISC OS dropped the stone and paper background textures because texturing everything like that looks very dated. For file type icons, I think RISC OS 5 already has a nice set.

On a slightly related note, here are a couple of new Pinboard background textures, if that’s of some interest.

T13	T13L	T14	T14L

Has there been any response from Castle yet? Even if they don’t seem to be interested in this subject, I’m guessing that we should at least be safe to remove the Iyonix name/logo from the non-Iyonix ROMs and replace it with something more appropriate.

Does the ARMini use a custom splash screen at all?

I’ve just given them yet another prod… progress on this front seems to be glacial I’m afraid.

We do use a custom splash screen, yes. We acknowledge current copyrights, but replace the Iyo references with an ARMini “logo”. I put that in quotes because it is a placeholder logo pending something better. I’d welcome something better, and would probably give a little prize to anyone who can create something nicer. An ARMini logo contest, if you will, although I’m still hoping Richard Hallas will get back to me with something.

custom splash screen

How about Rogier Hartgring’s splash screen?

I think we’re close to the point where we will have some sort of answer from Castle on this. Basically, we need to have a different branding for each of the supported platforms, I’d’ve thought – all with some sort of underlying Castle/ROOL-ish theme.

Well, it’d only take a few minutes to clone the Iyonix sprites a few times. As keyboard time is at a premium I suggest just replacing the blue pebble graphic in the Desktop module and the task switcher (no code changes).

I suggest “Medusa” which has a logo of the green/blue RPC for Risc PC, the 2 remaining A7000 users will just have to close their eyes and imagine they own such a machine. Just a scaled one of this.

And “Pooch” for the various Beagleboard derivatives which just use the big white dog picture.

When I made this mockup splash screen:

I also did a smaller render of the cog for a switcher icon:

Basically, we need to have a different branding for each of the supported platforms, I’d’ve thought

Hmm, I think making the OS have the same branding, whatever the underlying hardware is, would be better. That way its instantly obvious from the brading that it’s a ROOL ROM, as opposed to say ROL or Acorn.

If you have different branding for each platform, it will be more work, and its not obvious where to make the distinctions. E.g would a port to the Samsung Exynos4210 running on the Origen board have the same branding as a port to the OMAP4 running on the PandaBoard given they’re both Cortex-A9 based. Or would the OMAP3 and OMAP4 ports have the same branding given they are both in the OMAP line. Or the OMAP3 port running on a BeagleBoard and a Pandora or Touchbook.

I’d hope that any particular RISC OS 5.XX release would behave the same whatever the underlying hardware is, so having them all share the same branding seems better to me.

Edit:

I guess since Castle do some soak testing or quality control of the Iyonix ROM before they release it, the Iyonix ROMs they release should carry the Iyonix branding to show that they’re tested and officially certified.

this mockup splash screen

That looks very elegant. And now the ROM build can be easily identified too!

I’m definitely of the opinion that all ROMs should have the same branding, partly because of the issues Michael cites (with working out what branding is most appropriate for multi-machine ROMs), and partly because the “RISC OS 5 experience” should be pretty much the same no matter which ROM/machine you’re using it on. There’s nothing stopping people from installing other themes if they want, but it makes our lives a lot easier if there’s just one main theme to deal with (Or two themes, as I suspect Castle will want Iyonix ROMs to retain their current branding).

I suppose what I was thinking was that the Switcher icon is the same for all ROMs (e.g. some Castle/ROOL thing) but there’s something in the splash screen which lets you know if it’s an OMAP3, OMAP4, Tungsten, IOMD, etc. build.

I feel that odd numbered releases should have a generic ROOL switcher, based on the current logo (i.e. the one at the top of the page).

Even number releases should have a branded switcher. (Or, where no logical branding exists, an alternative ROOL logo, perhaps the rendered cog, coloured with the ROOL cog colours.)

Can I say that I’m not terribly fond of the “pride cog”? Switched to the classic acorn nut myself on the BB. While historically incorrect it’s easy on the eye. A simple two dimensional green cog should look best imho.

I think that Jess’s suggestion for a different “development” switcher is a good one. This would at a glance (and if not replaced by the user) reflect the development status of the system. It would also reinforce ROOL’s identity, should screenshots find their way into the non-RO press.

Branded switchers are presumably down to whoever sells the (licensed) OS, but a “non- development” default switcher¹ seems worth including, to differentiate the system for users installing the tested/approved even-numbered releases themselves.

If adopted, this scenario could be extended to the splash screen too.

¹ The generic green cogwheel? A new simplified/stylised Acorn logo (designed to avoid potential copyright issues with the current copyright holder)?

Branded switchers are presumably down to whoever sells the (licensed) OS

Anyone (probably the seller, but the buyer may also) can rebrand the splash screen without messing about with ROMs by intercepting the Service_DesktopWelcome call which supresses the built in banner and can replace it with whatever logo they desire.

A simple two dimensional green cog should look best imho.

I’ve never liked the cog logo. It’s very generic and has nothing to do with RISC OS. KDE has a cog in their logo too. Cogs are used all over the place for anything technical. Also, I don’t really like the look of the 2D cog. It would be good if we could move away from that.

How about an Oak leaf logo for the switcher?

That’s just an example, but I’d like to have some link to the history of the thing, rather than an arbitrary cog. Also the leaf suits a lightweight and simple OS better than a cog.

Uhm that’s probably opening a can of worms there! I take it the RISC OS cog derives its meaning from the manual but that’s not that obvious to an outsider. And there’s the thing with the old apple logo and of course the KDE cog as you point out. OTOH ROOL seems to have chosen its logo so that might not be up for discussion. A 2D cog in Acorn-Green would be a compromise for me (for the record though: I do like your design).

Isn’t the green cog RISC OS Select/Adjust? If so that would be a bad choice.

One reason I’d like to move on from the cog is that it wouldn’t mean anything to people who remember using Acorn computers from years ago.

If RISC OS runs on the Raspberry Pi when it is launched, RISC OS may get more attention from developer types, some of whom may remember using Acorns in the past.

Ubuntu struggles to run with 1GB RAM on my desktop PC; it can take several seconds to open a filer window, text editor, or simple image viewer. I know from the Toshiba AC100 that Android is pretty poor with keyboard and mouse. So RISC OS would be a desktop OS that should be able to run very (and comparatively) slickly on such a system.

So I think using something which doesn’t look completely dissimilar to the Acorn logo people have seen before would be a boon.

I must agree with those wanting to move on from the cog. How about a silhouette of an oak tree or perhaps an ‘R’ logo in the style of the original Archimedes logo?

I suppose some of you followed the logo competition for the RaspberryPi. The community came up with quite a few truely outstanding results. It remains to be seen of course if they picked the right one but it was a very clever trick to raise attention and get people involved. Why not do the same? Not on here but over there (well, if RISC OS runs on the Raspberry). In the end it’s up to ROOL however!

If (hopefully when) I get a Raspberry Pi running RISC OS, I would expect to see the Pi logo as the switcher (just as I have the Iyonix logo now).

Since the Pi is aimed at schools, the look of the system is very important.

My son wasn’t interested in RISC OS mainly because of the look, he didn’t get as far as discovering the positives (vector graphics) or negatives (web plug-ins) of the system, that would have been relevant to him.

I think RISC OS needs a modern look by default. This would avoid the initial impression of an 80/90s system, which brings what the system can’t do to the front of a potential new user’s mind. A modern look, will bring make someone notice what the system can do (i.e. the window control system)

I also think that the themes plug-in ought to be included in the HD Image, if permission can be obtained. (With as many themes as possible, including Archimedes retro themes).

If (hopefully when) I get a Raspberry Pi running RISC OS, I would expect to see the Pi logo as the switcher (just as I have the Iyonix logo now).

I wouldn’t. If you run Ubuntu on it, I doubt they’d change the main Ubuntu logo on the dash to a Raspberry Pi logo. I’d rather see some unity across RISC OS installations. When you run Windows on some branded PC, you’d never see the Windows logo on the start menu opener thing replaced with, say, a Dell icon.

Also, it makes documentation difficult. E.g. “To shutdown go to the icon (which could look like anything) in the bottom right”.

I think RISC OS needs a modern look by default. This would avoid the initial impression of an 80/90s system, which brings what the system can’t do to the front of a potential new user’s mind. A modern look, will bring make someone notice what the system can do (i.e. the window control system)

I agree with that. The textured windows, titlebars, and menus make it look very dated. So does the 3D window/menus option. The toolsprites from Chris Wraight’s Steel theme are a good start, I think.