Robotic Blue - WIP

Perhaps some of you would be interested in seeing the 2nd theme that will be available for OCPortal v8, it's a port of one of my older skins that has proven popular, maybe it will be liked here, who knows!



Any thoughts or objections?

Wow!

I attach my WOW  to this project as well!

I like it very much. I am equally 'intrigued' and 'impressed'. I can see from the screencap that you have integrated it as an ocPortal theme. What I am not clued-up on is HOW.

e.g. what major changes do you need to make to the default CSS, and how does/will that impact on other areas of ocPortal?

I know you always state in your downloads that, "…full instructions are enclosed," but a hint here would go down well.

Come on, 'fess up!

 

Another WOW. Looks like you have ocPortal theming down quite well.

Bob

You've really impressed us with the quality of these themes. Keep up the great work!

Fletch said

I like it very much. I am equally 'intrigued' and 'impressed'. I can see from the screencap that you have integrated it as an ocPortal theme. What I am not clued-up on is HOW.

e.g. what major changes do you need to make to the default CSS, and how does/will that impact on other areas of ocPortal?

I know you always state in your downloads that, "…full instructions are enclosed," but a hint here would go down well.

Come on, 'fess up!

 

I have worked with vBulletin4 since the earliest stages so I am quite used to having to keep multiple areas being handled by the same css. There are numerous accounts of background and text colours being the same value in the css when using the theme wizard so you have to keep that in mind as well. The main graphic work is two very simple 'boxes', nothing special there in truth. I try to make css additions to a specific class rather than using the blanket sweepers in place already and simply use the important tag to over-ride existing values, of course you have to be careful with where and how you use important, it's not a great solution and shouldn't ordinarily be used but the css already in place is tricky to be honest.

The majority of the site is unchanged other than it has the main shell graphic box surrounding it. There are some places where changes have to be made of course such as those tricky set ups on the main portal page, they're a headache. There we have the same graphic used in differing places where one graphic has to be two seperate heights, it really doesn't work well when you try using slightly more complicated graphics, so I am sticking to simple gradients there until I figure that whole mess out. I'd love to be able to work out how to use a 3rd but more delicate 'box' there, but that's a ways off yet.

The only area that has heavy new graphics is the forum area where the 2nd box mentioned before is in place around the categories. There is some additional css work there to make each theme look a little different of course.

I do not pretend that either of my themes are perfect, it's just me testing them and I don't have much time left once I have done with the css and the graphics on top of my DA stuff and of course real life trash. I am hoping to have some people test out my themes before I make them available to the public. Of course that would require some volunteers from here but I would need it to be held on my own site where i can organise the information as i need it.

I have to put my WOW! in also!  

If it helps to settle any curiosities, this is how the main portal page is looking:



I'm quite happy with it but it lack the flair I like to apply, in time this will change!

Just come to add my awe-beguiled approval. Your talents are amazing!

I will say........... wowwwwwwwwwwwwww

Petrikuhr said

… (quite a lot) …

Thanks. I get the gist.

I guess it boils down to 'taint easy'. But then, if it was easy, any old hack could do it.

I shall follow with interest.

I'd like to 'help out', but using the installs on my own test sites - closed - so that I can take my time to fiddle around and work out the various implications of the various changes. I would, of course, forward feedback about areas that tend to get zapped when the unwary go bludgeoning their way through like bulls in the proverbial china-shoppe!

 

Very awesome. It almost makes me want to start up some robo-tech site just so I could use it. Alas though, time loves me not.

You might want to be careful though! You could end up getting recruited. You are obviously very talented, and for the first time I am seeing awesome themes that I once thought were for forums only, appearing here.

mythus said

You might want to be careful though! You could end up getting recruited. You are obviously very talented, and for the first time I am seeing awesome themes that I once thought were for forums only, appearing here.

I agree. It's great to see re-energized theming efforts for ocPortal coming from not only Petrikuhr but some of the regular stand-bys like Fletch and Jean.

I do think ocPortal is on the verge of a breakthrough and these theming efforts will only create added appeal for what is already a great product.

Bob

Agree with BobS and other. Oke I"am not a great designer like Fletch, Jean or Petrikuhr  
But witch simple things you can make fast and good looking themes in ocp.

I had to redesign our foundation site, the overall style is the same basic as the old one. But keep this time White as basic color.  our Foundation site

Harry-

Your designs (at least those I've seen) have always been nice and clean. In fact, your design ethos probably comes closest to mirroring the ideas we have in mind for theming the JulienRitterCentral site.

I just happened to single out Petrikuhr, Fletch and Jean because I remember seeing their contributions to ocPortal themes and graphics.

Bob

I feel quite 'tickled' to be included in the same sentence as Jean, Petrikuhr and Harry-S. I TRY, but I don't have their flair!

All I attempt is to modify the basic (default) theme to give it a slightly different look, which anybody is (… oh, OK, ought to be!)  capable of doing. The only reason I do it is to 'encourage' the clientèle to "… have a go!"

But I must say, things are looking up in the design department, and that can only be good for ocP!

 

Fletch-

You make many contributions that are certainly appreciated by the community including your themes. For someone like me who simply lacks the patience to pursue the intracacies of all the CSS involved, your contributions are a godsend. And there are many like me.

I forgot to mention Duck who is also working on a very nice theme to be made publicly available.

I would say that things are indeed looking up in the design department and I have considered this one of a very few weaknesses in ocPortal. NO more!!!

GO THEMERS!!!

Bob

Fletch said

Petrikuhr said

… (quite a lot) …

Thanks. I get the gist.

I guess it boils down to 'taint easy'. But then, if it was easy, any old hack could do it.

I shall follow with interest.

I'd like to 'help out', but using the installs on my own test sites - closed - so that I can take my time to fiddle around and work out the various implications of the various changes. I would, of course, forward feedback about areas that tend to get zapped when the unwary go bludgeoning their way through like bulls in the proverbial china-shoppe!

 

It seems more difficult than it really is Fletch, the one thing which most cannot commit to design is 'time', design takes a hell of a lot of time. Of course then we must make our designs work on a site, with all the tricks and surprises awaiting us. The design itself for Robotic took me around 6 hours initially to make, but it took me an additional 40+ hours after that tweaking the design until I was happy with it (I'm still not totally happy with it!), you should have seen the first design for Robotic, it was laughable.

I found that making Robotic Work with OCPortal has taken me so far around 19 hours and counting, but I am going slowly and carefully. Robotic is a base template for future designs, just as Daeda is a base template for future designs of that type. The base templates must be pretty much perfect, this makes me very cautious and also a little nervous!

Future themes based on these base plates will demand very little time in terms of coding, probably as little as 2-3 hours, possibly much less, the designs themselves will be the time consumer then.

I would value highly any help any one can give me with testing themes before they are released. This is something which should be handled on my own site as opposed to here.