'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Questions concerning LXDE themes, interface design, posters, logos and images. If you would like to help with design related tasks of LXDE, please join the Design Project and subscribe to the design mailing list.
Locked
tpprynn
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:43 pm

'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Post by tpprynn »

Though currently only trying the odd LXDE distro on a usb stick, I'd be interested to know about this. On the LXDE panel you can right click and choose for the panel buttons to be 'flat' as they're described - the box surrounding the names of the programs running disappears, which looks better than in Gnome. As LXDE still uses gtk I'm thinking that this involves some code that would be transferrable to Gnome. I'd like my Debian 6 pc's 'Window List' buttons flat like this, with ideally maybe the active program having its title in bold. Yesterday I managed by trial and error to make the volume icon on the panel use a pixmap identical to the panel background when clicked, so that it matched other right hand panel icons -instead of being backgrounded by a block colour - but I didn't manage the equivalanet thing for the Window List buttons.

Thanks for any ideas/ facts/ enthusiasm.
amjjawad
Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:51 am
Contact:

Re: 'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Post by amjjawad »

tpprynn wrote:Though currently only trying the odd LXDE distro on a usb stick, I'd be interested to know about this. On the LXDE panel you can right click and choose for the panel buttons to be 'flat' as they're described - the box surrounding the names of the programs running disappears, which looks better than in Gnome. As LXDE still uses gtk I'm thinking that this involves some code that would be transferrable to Gnome. I'd like my Debian 6 pc's 'Window List' buttons flat like this, with ideally maybe the active program having its title in bold. Yesterday I managed by trial and error to make the volume icon on the panel use a pixmap identical to the panel background when clicked, so that it matched other right hand panel icons -instead of being backgrounded by a block colour - but I didn't manage the equivalanet thing for the Window List buttons.

Thanks for any ideas/ facts/ enthusiasm.
Would you please post some screenshots so everyone will understand your post better?

Thanks!
Feel Free to contact me: http://amjjawad.net
tpprynn
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 5:43 pm

Re: 'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Post by tpprynn »

The one LXDE distro I have at the moment doesn't seem to have something for taking screenshots but I will show you my Gnome panel, with and without flat panel buttons , and will try explaining better.

I have learnt how to make 'flat' panel buttons using Gnome 2 in the last couple of days. Screenshot one shows three programs open. A 100% transparent pixmap is obscuring the normal panel button for each program. In screenshot 2 I have used a pixmap for the active program and the transparent pixmap for any others. This pixmap button fits the panel better too.

In LXDE the matter of getting flat panel buttons is far simpler - we just click on the panel, and one of the options enables us to untick a box so that only program titles, with no border, in other words no button then being shown. It looks neater and more modern.

I am asking how LXDE achieves this with its LXPANEL, and whether its method is something that could be adapted for use in Gnome as LXDE still uses gtk. In Gnome the panel applet that gives us these buttons for programs is called the Window List applet.

Thanks.
Attachments
Screenshot.png
(47.15 KiB) Not downloaded yet
Screenshot-1.png
(138.88 KiB) Not downloaded yet
amjjawad
Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2011 1:51 am
Contact:

Re: 'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Post by amjjawad »

tpprynn wrote:The one LXDE distro I have at the moment doesn't seem to have something for taking screenshots

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install gnome-screenshot
Use the above command if your OS is based on Ubuntu.

By default, LXDE (this is what Lubuntu does by default), as far as I know, whenever you press "Print Scree", it places that on your Home so just check there.

I will show you my Gnome panel, with and without flat panel buttons , and will try explaining better.

I have learnt how to make 'flat' panel buttons using Gnome 2 in the last couple of days. Screenshot one shows three programs open. A 100% transparent pixmap is obscuring the normal panel button for each program. In screenshot 2 I have used a pixmap for the active program and the transparent pixmap for any others. This pixmap button fits the panel better too.

In LXDE the matter of getting flat panel buttons is far simpler - we just click on the panel, and one of the options enables us to untick a box so that only program titles, with no border, in other words no button then being shown. It looks neater and more modern.

I am asking how LXDE achieves this with its LXPANEL, and whether its method is something that could be adapted for use in Gnome as LXDE still uses gtk. In Gnome the panel applet that gives us these buttons for programs is called the Window List applet.

Thanks.
What OS are you using? and where is that option? I tried to look for it but didn't find it. I'm using Lubuntu 11.04.

Even if I didn't know the answer, I'll ask the developers for you or anyone who could help so don't worry but thanks for the explanation, it's clear now :)
Feel Free to contact me: http://amjjawad.net
ShoeUnited
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:35 pm

Re: 'flat' panel buttons - how is this done?

Post by ShoeUnited »

Running Arch 64, I right click over the panel -> "Task Bar (Window List)" Settings -> [] Flat Buttons

Image Example provided.
http://ompldr.org/vYm1wdg
Locked