Black Gold Burled Walnut Dashboard v0.2
My first novice theme designed in Directory Opus 12.6 build 6369 on an x64 Windows 10 Home desktop PC.
Features
- Lister Scrollbar Colors via Preferences > Display > Colors and Fonts > Other Colors > Pane borders > "Use for lister scrollbars"
- Single shared 1920x1080 background image for the entire DO UI (User Interface): (Preferences > Display > Images & Customize Toolbars > Toolbars tab > Background > Image)
- Search Fields on each lister's Location Toolbar that are independent and unsynchronized (which is a good thing)!
- A "Show button" (copied from one of Andy's dearopus.com toolbars) on each lister's Location Toolbar to cycle through the various "View Modes" (e.g., details, thumbnails, etc.) with a pull-down to select a mode directly, to show or hide grid lines in the file layout, the folder tree, status bar, system and hidden files.
- A "Help Button" (also copied from one of Andy's dearopus.com toolbars) always on the right side of the "Menu" toolbar (i.e., top right of the DO window). I added this button to easily access the DO manual, the "About" box, and other details to write this theme description.
Note: To obtain the black titlebar, I used the method described at this LINK to access Windows 10's hidden color control panel.. If Microsoft eliminates that option, we may be forced to use third-party programs such as WindowBlinds™ for more extensive control. Please let me know if anyone has an easier method of controlling Windows 10 titlebar attributes.
My Toolbar Philosophy
In general, I think of DO metaphorically as the "dashboard" for my computer usage. It is what I see when I "drive" my projects. It is how I navigate and manage the details. When I find DO functions that are often needed, I will mount their knobs, buttons, sliders and various other controls on one of the toolbars. Otherwise, no reason to clutter the dashboard. For this reason, I removed the status bar as well since I don't commonly need its information. If something is not required during a typical drive or flight, there is no need to be distracted by its controls. If the car needs a jump, the trunk is a good place to store booster cables rather than on the dash. (As a counter-example, more than enough applications have been added on a single toolbar. I got carried away with the colors and have enjoyed dropping files on them.)
I'm sure that, ultimately, most important functions and applications will be seamlessly integrated into DO (just as FTP has been) as it moves into its well-earned role as the Swiss Army Knife of electronic UI.
As a DO newbie since last Thursday, Oct. 5th, I've only been able to scratch the surface of its capability. For web development, I imagine the seamless FTP integration will noticeably increase productivity.
At any rate, I am hoping there is a vast untapped artistic design community throughout the world that will be inspired to design tons of slick, professional themes for DO.
I feel very fortunate to have found Andy's outstanding "dearopus.com" DO kick-start website where, in a casual and understandable manner, he provides knowledgeable insight, invaluable usage tips, practical examples of toolbars, an icon set and themes. His icon set and toolbars are used in my configuration (although I keep most toolbars turned off until I need their functionality). For anyone just learning DO as I am, I can highly recommend reading Andy's tutorials and installing his toolbars from the following link:
I look forward to learning and more fully utilizing the productivity enhancement potential of DO.
P.S. My grandson pointed out his beloved pugle is Black & Gold, too!
Download Black Gold Burled Walnut Dashboard v0.1 Theme: Black Gold Burled Walnut Dashboard v0.2.dlt (2.0 MB)