Custom KryptonPalettes

[Waescher]

Hi there,

there are plenty of posts in this forum asking Phil for more skins for the Krypton components. I'm very happy with the PaletteDesigner which comes with the installation of the KryptonToolkit and I think we could do some skins ourselves. So I decided to create this thread to share out new palettes with the ComponentFactory-Community.

First of all, I built a litte application to test new palettes. The PaletteDesigner may be the best method to test them, but I wasn't able to test collapsed RibbonGroups, for example. Also, it's hard to see, how a NavigatorStack will look, if you see just one button of it.
The testapplication should simulate the use in a "real" application. Not in the Designer itself.

If there is any feedback to the test app, please write it in this thread:
KryptonPalette-Testtool



Ok now, here are my three new palettes:


McLane *contains completely new Check- and RadioButtons*
A mix of Black and Silver with blue-ish tracking- and pressed-effects. Close to the office-glassy palettes.
(Inspired by the McSkin from DevExpress)

Download

Hazel *contains completely new Check- and RadioButtons*
A soft brown-based palette. May look a little bit strange for the first look, but I like it a lot. I looks very different from the glassy palettes. For those who like to have "something other"
(Inspired by the Caramel-Skin from DevExpress)

Download

Plastic
A very bright palette, inspired by the look of the DataGridColumn- and Listbox-Headers in Windows Vista. Very experimental and not good for your eyes

Download

Please note:
# Designed for Krypton-Version 2.8.5
# The native .net-Menus (MenuStrip-Popups & ContextMenuStrips) differ from the look of the KryptonContextMenu. Use the KryptonContextMenu for dropdown-menus to get a better look (if possible). I didn't manage to get the native .net menus to look as nice as the Krypton-ones. --> Phil? Any idea? How did you make the menus in you sparke-palettes?

I would say, the palettes are NOT final - so please write some feedback if there is anything with the palettes you don't like

Have fun with that palettes,
Waescher

[Krai]

I like the "Hazel" palette and I will probably use it in my newsreader, but I have to modify it a little bit.

I will post a screenshot soon.

[Waescher]

Of course - just do that. I'm looking forward to see a screenshot

[Krai]

I changed the "Hazel" palette a little bit. Here is a screenshot of my newsreader with your palette:


And here is another screenshot after I made some modifications:


I used the colors that you used, but I used the glass colors from the Office2007 palettes.
I changed the panel color.
I changed the backgroundcolor of the selected items in the datagridview to blue.
I used the colors from the Office2007 palettes for the tabcontrol.
I slightly changed the toolstrip colors.
I changed the button colors, but I am not really happy with the colors.

The main window of my application looks quite nice with the modified palette, but the dialog
windows don't look as good. I have not finished editing the palette, I just edited the properties that are important
for my application. You can download the palette here:
http://wp1108026.wp143.webpack.hosteurope.de/KrimsKrams/Palettes/hazelEditedByKrai.xml

[Angel]

This is my "little cent", not a very good one, but a green palette.
http://www.angelonline.net/CodeSamples/ ... te_v11.xml

Angel

[Krai]

I created a lightgray palette:



You can download it here: http://wp1108026.wp143.webpack.hosteurope.de/KrimsKrams/Palettes/lightGray.xml

[Phil Wright]

Waescher:-

For sparkle, as for the Office 2007 themes, I derive a class from the ToolStripRenderer class and make it draw the various elements the way I want it drawn. The default tool strip renderer draws tool strips as a linear gradient from top to bottom via a middle color. I wanted a glassy look for sparkle and so have coded it to take two colors and then use those as a the basis for drawing a glassy appearance. So if you use the sparkle palette as your basis for customizing then you will always be stuck with a glass look on the tool strip that can only be modified as far as providing two colors goes. So when creating a custom palette you need to decide which palette to use as the base and you should select the one that has the toolstrip rendering as close as possible to that you desire, because you will only be able to change the colors it uses.

Now if you really want to custom draw the tool strips in some way then you need to derive from an existing Renderer such as RenderSparkle and override the 'RenderToolStrip' method that returns the class used to render the .net toolstrips. Return a class that derives from 'ToolStripRenderer'. You can then implement whatever drawing method you like for all the various tool strip/menu strip/status strip etc elements.

[Waescher]

Thanks for that info, Phil. That means, that I can't edit the way the basepalette renders the toolstrips without doing some extra-coding.
I can live with that - no problem at all.

[vesuvius]

I have managed to try these pallete's out now, and Waesher's are clearly the best, and something actually usable in a real world application. Angel and Krai's have potential but are incomplete. For example, try Waesher's pallete with a combo-box and you will see the level of detail he has paid, try the datagrid view and set the grid style to sheet. Again Waesher is complete and shows that this was a labour of love, not diminishing for one moment Angel are Krai's efforts.

[Waescher]

Oh, thanks a lot vesuvius.
That's right, I love doing own palettes. Of course I try to make complete ones - so I built the KryptonPalette-Testtool to test them. In this tool you see pretty good if there's something left to do.

Ah, btw: I'm currently on a new palette. Just give me one or two days ...

[Waescher]

Here's a (very) litte sneakpeak of my current palette



If the radiobuttons are done you can have it. Unfortunately I haven't got much time this week.
Stay tuned

[Miketrix]

Wow! I like it !!!!

Waiting to see a bit more of it...

Mike.

[Keigan]

Sweet work waescher.
I have a palette I am working on that looks like the STEAM client for those of you who are gamers.
Just don't feel like implementing it until I have some skinable scrollbars *hint* *hint* .
Maybe I will post it anyway...

[Waescher]

Haha, sweet idea, indeed. I begun a "HalfLife²"-palette but I kicked it because the ribbon looked horrible.
Now I'm really looking forward to see your one.

[Keigan]

HL would be hawt. Love the color scheme.
Right now I am a little disconserted by the big fat blue scrollbar in the middle of, well, everything.
But if you guys can look past that I will put some finishing touches on it (I found some things that didn't look right using waes tool ) and post it up later this weekend (girlfriend permitting. )

[Waescher]

I'm very happy to share my newest palette:

Asphalt *contains completely new Check- and RadioButtons*
(Yes - Name and look are inspired by the DevExpress-Skin "The Asphalt World")


As all the other palettes, I would say it's not final, yet. So please feel free to post your comments.
Some of you may have problems with that strong, blue borders, for example

Download

[vesuvius]

Absolutely fantastic. Please keep up the great work!

[Waescher]

Hi Kryptonjunkies,

aren't there any suggestions to improve my latest palettes (McLane, Hazel, Plastic & Asphalt)?
What about some nice programs to "re-palette"? Does anybody have some ideas about a new CustomKryptonPalette?

Regards,
Waescher

[jkr]

Hi all,

I know it's sill a work in progress and i haven't worked on it for some time but here it goes

Image:

Zipped XML:
ax

It's based on the new UI from Mycrosoft Dynamics GP and AX.
Hope I get to finish it some time this year

[Keigan]

Looks good jkr!