ROOL ROM branding

Not machine specific

I don’t know whether the R-Pi Linux distribution is machine specific or not (Theo?) but if so, then something like this may be appropriate.

Trevor,
I like your idea to use the Raspberry Pi logo on the splash screen. It needs to be the switcher icon also. People trying out RISC OS need to feel that we’re with them 100%. That logo in those places will get RISC OS noticed and talked about. The green cog, Iyonix jelly bean or (sadly) the Acorn will make RISC OS seem obscure and insignificant. Sorry to be blunt, but it needs saying.
Regards,
Martin.

http://www.RISCOScode.com

your idea to use the Raspberry Pi logo on the splash screen

Hmm, don’t think it was my idea (unless possibly further up this thread/elsewhere)… maybe that of Adrian Lees in this case?

That [Raspberry Pi] logo in those places will get RISC OS noticed and talked about

I agree with you. It could also convey a message that RO developers are serious about the R-Pi.

We’d need official R-Pi approval to use their logo though, and presumably the agreement of CTL too. Perhaps whoever’s mediating between CTL/R-Pi (ROOL?) would be able to fit in an approval request in case we do want to to do this… disregarding it now and then changing our minds nearer the time because distro X does so probably won’t be an option where obtaining approvals is concerned. (Sorry for stating the obvious.)

Not machine specific

I like your idea to use the Raspberry Pi logo on the splash screen. Sorry to be blunt, but it needs saying.

I fear the sheer length of this thread has meant that the two main aims have been lost in the noise, so I’ll briefly restate what I think they were

1. To not spawn dozens of ROMs where the only difference was the branding
2. To be able to have machine specific branding, eg. blue jelly bean for Iyonix

Both of these are met with no new code needed in the Desktop module.

1. The Desktop module has non specific branding, eg. ‘RISC OS Open’ banner like at the top of this website
2. Individual machines override this by listening for Service_DesktopStarting service call in the boot sequence. In the event of no boot device you revert to the non specific banner.

That’s the technical stuff covered, which reduces the task to a daunting graphics design challenge (I’m rubbish at drawing).

lost in the noise

What? Did someone say something? ;-)

Individual machines override this

With the improved prospect of having the boot sequence accessible from the SD card, it could be unlikely that general users will run the ROM without an RO boot sequence. So I think that makes more sense now (aside from the technical aspects such as avoiding dozens of ROMs, which probably swung it anyway).

rubbish at drawing

Is there time to launch a competition? (Maybe artists such as Alan Burns and/or a developer like Ian Griffiths could be approached for judging.) Or is that a bad idea because of the risk of creating disgruntled non-winners?

Changing the toolsprites was discussed in the 5.18 stable release wishlist thread. The following was set was proposed:

• No tawdry textures.
• Looks like a more contemporary take on the style originally created by Acorn’s NewLook, that everyone’s used to.
• The icons have the same proportions that everyone is used to (e.g. no narrow scrollbar).

They’re a slightly modified version of Chris Wraight’s Steel theme.

Also, a new switcher icon was proposed earlier in this thread:

I’ve had some requests to make the sprites available, so here they are .

Any comments?

Any chance we’ll ever be able to update RISC OS’s default look? :)

Also, has anyone got any comments on the startup banner mockups here:
https://www.riscosopen.org/forum/forums/2/topics/209?page=4#posts-8833 ?

It looks better than the marble stuff, and it’s not overdone on the 3d side, except for the three dimples on the sliders. They sort of un-necessarily suggest you might drag them with your finger, or that we might not know what they are.

Cheers Ron

Hi Michael,

I’ve been using the Steel theme for a couple of years now and have been, and remain, very comfortable with it.
It’s a big step forward for RISC OS. The stone (RISC OS 5) and marble (RISC OS 4) textures are seriously out of date now.
So I give it, and your modification to it, a thumbs up.
It looks to me that the main alteration you have made to Steel is replacing the input focus colour with yellow rather than blue – but, yes, that’s a kinder nod to the past. In some ways’s you’ve gone back to the ‘newlook’ RISC OS 3, and modernised from there afresh.

There is a small issue with some windows. When small the side bar makes it look like the window is fully displayed when it is not. I mainly notice this on the template editor WinEd – it is probably to do with the three dimples needing a certain amount of ‘bar’ to display. I like the dimples, but perhaps Ron is right; they are a source of minor problems and potential confusion. (In the situation I describe, the min/max icon does correctly indicate the window is not fully displayed)
They do give the theme some character and in quite a subtle way; perhaps it’s no big deal one way or the other.

You are never going to please everyone with these sort of changes, but I think you have taken a lot of care to pick the best aspects of what is already around, modified it sensitively and asked for feedback. It’s probably time to get it in as the default, either with or without dimples.
For anyone who does not like it there is now the theme manager and the RISC OS 3, 4 and 5 themes are available for those wanting the older look.

I’ve come to like your switcher icon.
I thought it was way too ‘loud’ at first.
Raspberry Pi and their loud logo have shown how good that is at quickly establishing an instantly recognisable brand.
Acorn got a lot of their marketing wrong, but the Acorn Nut logo was inspired. It was also in keeping with the tradition
of ‘fruit’ branding for computers. The cog has always seemed a bit random to me. Personally, although this is controversial,
I think we should stop apologising for what we are, and wave the Acorn Nut in folks faces.
I’ve used a variation on the piLEARN website for these reasons.
However, as I said, I like your switcher icon.

With regards to the start up banner, I think all the variations are all of a good standard. My only thought was that they seem a little disconnected from the modified Steel theme. I’d experiment with recolouring them to be more obviously part of the same brand. I can see you are taking a lead from the ROOL website, but perhaps they would follow you if the recolouring gives a more uniform look to the OS. Have you tried making the switcher cog in ROOL colours ?

Trying to design a look for an OS by committee- you are a brave man ;-)

Regards,
Martin Hansen
http://www.RISCOScode.com

Hi Michael

I like your take on the Steele theme and the dimples on the sliders do as Martin stated add something so I would go with them and I give a thumbs up for the new look.

The banner as Martin stated could do with blending in with the scheme and becoming “steelised” in the way of colouring.

Doug

Maybe the compromise on the dimples is to have them across the width so that they don’t need so much length for a minimal scroll bar.

Grahame.

It looks fresh and modern to those looking at RISC OS for the first time. And for those already familiar with the OS, it looks familiar yet updated. (Personally I swap the switcher icon for the Acorn nut logo as I think it’s much nicer but that’s just me)

I’m not so fond of the banner mockups although I’m not sure why right now.

One thing I think looks odd is that the menus are 2D while everything else is 3D. Makes them look like they are not attached to their own title bars! The dotted line between menu items also looks very old fashioned.

I much prefer the 3D menus and separators, plus it fits in better with the rest of the design.

Bryan Hogan wrote:

One thing I think looks odd is that the menus are 2D while everything else is 3D. Makes them look like they are not attached to their own title bars! The dotted line between menu items also looks very old fashioned.

In that screenshot, both windows and menus use the untextured 2D options. The options for texturing window backgrounds & menus and for the pseudo 3D effect on windows and menus is unrelated to the toolsprites. Actually I’m not sure if RISC OS 5 has the menu decoration options; I don’t see them in Configure.

Anyway, my opinion is that both the pseudo 3D effect and the textures look dated, while without them it looks more clean and contemporary.

In the screenshot, it’s only the toolsprites (window furniture) that looks 3D, which lets them stand out from the content (be it window or menu).

Also, I think that the simple white menu helps make it clearer that that GUI feature is transient.

Gavin Smith wrote:

It looks fresh and modern to those looking at RISC OS for the first time. And for those already familiar with the OS, it looks familiar yet updated.

Yeah, that’s the aim with this. Not alienating existing users (who generally detest any change), and making it look more modern and attractive to new users.

(Personally I swap the switcher icon for the Acorn nut logo as I think it’s much nicer but that’s just me)

Yeah, I think the Acorn logo has always been best, but I think its out of the question.

I went with 3D cog for switcher because Andrew Hodgkinson wrote “Since Michael has a small render of the green 3D cog, I’d be tempted to put that in instead of the ROOL rainbow cog (which is simply out of place in that splash screen) & I’d probably use it for the Switcher icon too” on the previous page in this thread.

I’ve been running with that switcher since then, and I’m well used to it now.

I have always personalized my own desktop, at the moment a variation on the Infinity theme. I too prefer 3D menus, but I do wish the filer could let the
user choose her own colours for menu options. I like to see the Delete option
stand out in a different colour (red usually) because it helps the user avoid accidental deletions. I am getting tired of having to patch the Filer ROM each time an update comes out. Surely the time has come to have all options of this sort configurable by the user. Having things set in ROM hinders internationalization apart from anything else.

Martin Hansen wrote:

Trying to design a look for an OS by committee- you are a brave man ;-)

Yes, I think this is something we need some leadership from ROOL on.

For this kind of aesthetics related thing, we can go round in circles and get nothing done.

I started this thread in May 2009, and so far nothing has happened. :)

Regarding the switcher icon and the startup banner: Anyone who’s tried the 5.19 IOMD or OMAP softloads will have spotted that the Iyonix branding has been removed and replaced with what’s referred to in the sources as the ‘Sovereign’ UI. The Iyonix text & logo on the startup banner has been replaced with the Castle text & logo, while the switcher icon has been replaced with the multicolour ROOL cog.

So (pending any comment from ROOL) it’s safe to assume that those are the graphics we’re going to be using for the forseeable future. Plus the Iyonix is still using the Iyonix theme.

Ah, thanks for the update. I had not seen that.

Any news on when 5.18 will be released?

Any news on when 5.18 will be released?

Sprow or someone at ROOL would be in the best position to answer that. As far as I know it’s ready (or almost ready), but I’ve got no idea how long it takes for everyone involved to dot the i’s and cross the t’s and get it put up for download.

In that screenshot, both windows and menus use the untextured 2D options. The options for texturing window backgrounds & menus and for the pseudo 3D effect on windows and menus is unrelated to the toolsprites.

I don’t like the 2D menus – looks far too reminiscent of RISC OS 3.1 for my liking. There are still people around who insist that the system font is best for desktop use. Do we want to go down that route?

If the tools are 3D, so windows and menus should be as well. I agree that the textures are a bit stale, but creating something which is ‘not NewLook’ is not the same as ‘before NewLook’.

Actually I’m not sure if RISC OS 5 has the menu decoration options; I don’t see them in Configure.

They’re not in Configure – notoriously. The only way for a user to configure them, as well as several other fully implemented features with no user interface, is Paul Vigay’s MiscSetup Configure plugin. This appears to be written in uncrunched BASIC, so perhaps Andrew Conroy (who I believe is managing Paul’s software) could be persuaded to let us incorporate it into the ROOL source tree?

Now that it has been pointed out about the 2d menu I agree with Gavin and Martin it would be a backward step not to have them available as 3D and the first thing I put on my Beagleboard was !Misc by Paul Vigay so I could configure them to be on. If we could get the !Misc configure plugin available as part of the disc image then this would satisfy both camps.

Given that the nut is presumably copyright, I think the cog is good. It adopts the glossy green of the Artworks version of the acorn whilst being ‘new’. I’m inclined to adopt the rest of the theme now – I really like it… if I can recall where to put it. The Castle start up banner is really… um, I better stop there in case I insult someone :-).

I briefly tried out Michael Drake’s download last night. The switcher icon was changed as a result of *IconSprites , but the window furniture wasn’t. What do I have to do to put the new desktop theme in?

*ToolSprites [filename]

Ta, very.