Feature Request+ question mark to 7.3 new features

[25ghosts]

Since PT 7.3 IMO lays weight on new right-click commands (Which 7.2 TDM had as well) and millions of groups and important features like being able to snap a region to the next.

So my feature request is a little more down to earth:

I dont like this totally BRIGHT looking interface... It is almost like lying on the beach trying to work on a tan. My eyes get beat after 7 hours of starring at the monitors. How about just making 2 LOOKS of protools: One bright theme and one Dark theme. This way you would accommodate everyone. I know quite a bit of producers who could work for even more hours with less eye problems if only the Protools interface would not render the amount of Light that could supply Boston with energy for a day... You would not really have to change any graphics only make 'em darker and more eye friendly...

I've been in the business for a while now and I dont really have any problems seeing but I had to go get a pair of glasses this year in order to keep working for 10 hours a day in front of the monitors. I do realize that this is also a problems from apple's side. The OS X Aqua theme is real bright and lot's of people are using darker themes to spare their eyes. However, just cuz apple wanna have their theme bright and conform all their applications to look unified like the finder dont necessarily mean that it is good for everyone nor does it mean that all other software manufactures need to make their interface look like the finder...

I for one would love to spare my eyes and be able to look at protools a little longer every day...

I can even do better: I hereby offer to do the design for FREE.....

here's a link to a theme that I have designed for the OS X Aqua interface.

http://interfacelift.com/themes-mac/details.php?id=169


this is not to make money in any way - only cuz I have eye problems after 10 hours in front of a monitor

[Studio Studio]

Try ctrl-alt-apple-8, there's your dark theme...

[25ghosts]

if you mean inverting the colors on the OS X - I gotta say : that you gotta b kidding!

[soundlife2]

I agree ... I second the request for a darker theme.

I'm in front of PT 12- 17 hours day right now ... lol

If you don't want to directly do a theme/color change, perhaps add preferences for color adjustment of of the windows.

That would be fantastic.

25ghosts ... FWIW, I use your theme on the Mac ... perhaps a WIndowblinds port to the PC?

Cheers,

[Sonny Keyes]

Most monitors have a few little buttons on the front panel that we all forget about, but they can be used to decrease the brightness of the image. Perhaps until that day that the software includes alternate colour schemes, you could fiddle with that until you get a screen that works better for you..?

Sincerely trying to help,

Sonny Keyes
Ricochet Audio
Toronto

[25ghosts]

Changing the look of an app is about the easiest thing to do - if you know what you are doing)) It would take less than a day to make a great looking protools that also feels good...

Why is it - that all Technicians never think about LOOKS! They could be selling twice by upping the Look of protools alone... If you dont believe me: Who do you choose when you go to a bar - The Normal looking woman or the hot looking chick... Lots of men even choose to merry the hot looking chick even though the brains on her are reduced to ground Zero - but hey - Rather good sex and a great show off - than a boring discussion about why george Bush goes to war instead of fighting for non abortion...

Someone once said: True Beauty comes from the inside / Another guy said : That is something ugly people always say))))

BTW - Will port the theme to Windows if it aint too much of a hazzle

[Frank Kruse]

I second the request for a different colour-sceme. Especially when sitting on a dark stage mixing a film PT´s white time-line with light coloured pastell-clips is pretty blinding. Turning down the brightness of the monitor doesn´t do the trick because EVERYTHING gets darker but that makes things not easier to read. With a dark background the contrast of the regions is much higher to the BG of the screen. The way it is now the brightest element in PT is the least important: The B/G of the timeline.

I´d prefer a dark timeline. Check out Fairlight´s screen. Is far easier to read from the distance wich is a criteria on a mixing-stage where the PT screens are couple of feet away from the mixer.

What would also be great is the trackname in the backgroud of each track. When looking at a huge session in tiny-view it´s very hard to find out what track is a door-slam on without zooming in.

Frank.

[25ghosts]

Hi Sunny.

thanks for the suggestion. I am aware of those buttons and those were the first I tried before making a low light theme... Only there are too many disadvantages... Like not being able to read text etc...

What is the natural state of a monitor when it's off : White ??? - No - it's black So why force the monitor to go white when one could just make the text appearing on their grey or light orange etc... Why ??? I dont get it. Almost seem like apple would have a deal with all monitor manuf.'s that they create a bright theme so the life span of the monitors decrease. Or with a manuf. of glasses - cuz eventually - all this brightness aint good for the eyes. I mean - you dont sit and stare into a light bulb when u are driving a car do you.... Many studios have a real cozy atmosphere and that is not created by million watts of light but mostly with indirect dimmed light... THere you go - having spent a lot of dollars on the perfect light atmosphere only to find out that you can turn em all off when Protools is running as it lights up the whole studio anyway)) Meant as a joke - but you should seriously watch our studio if I turn off all lights then on my dual monitors run protools - thats all I need to off light in the evening. But it is very bad for my eyes to have a relatively dark room with bright monitors.

[relaxo]

Yes, I'm for gray...I could never move to LA.

[Tony Shepperd]

There is a new function in 7.3 that allows you to change the color of the mixer in Pro Tools.
The same way you do groups and track color, the mixer now has the same ability.