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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: lowering the tab widget...
From:       "Friedrich W. H. Kossebau" <Friedrich.W.H () Kossebau ! de>
Date:       2001-03-06 23:14:46
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Uups, wrong direction...

Rob Kaper wrote:
> First of all, I believe the 3D effect is intentional: all tab labels (and,
> virtually, the frame connected to it) are on the same level as the rest of
> the page, except for the active one.

Sorry, no. The inactive tab labels are not on the same level. They are
only marked as inactive by having a darker color. But they have light
effects, too. And even if they would be on the same level as the
surrounding I don't like the active frame to look like being above the
surrounding. That is what I complain about.

Everything that represents a handler (button, slider) is okay for me to
look like being higher than the rest. But the active frame is simply a
selected view nothing to handle directly so it should stay the level of
the whole window. 
 
> In your image it is not really flat though: it is still elevated, within an
> area which is lowered. To get it on the same level basically all you have to
> do is to remove the 3D effect by 1px line.
> 
> http://capsi.com/~cap/flat-tabwidget.png
> Or if you want the labels flat as well:
> http://capsi.com/~cap/flat-tabwidget2.png

Another problem which can be seen in your examples: Somehow it is
possible to get the difference between inactive tab labels and the
buttons. But is it logical to have the same color for both? Perhaps
there is the need for further defining of colours/brightnings for such
elements like inactive or unusable... 
 
> Unless I misunderstood, this looks more like the way you would want it to
> be, no?

Sorry, you did misunderstood me. I only wanted to make the 3D look
perfect, not invent a flat look :) That would be a totally different
concept. 

I don't think a total flat look is helpful at all: Some light effects
help the eye to distinguish the different elements. As we can't event
totally new interaction elements we do fake some of the reality. As our
neuronal system is trained on these we have to adapt to this training
and make the elements look alike. Simple lines might look trendy
opposite to the traditional style where everything was given a
light-shadow look. But a little bit of surface modelling look is needed.
E.g. by using blendings.

Friedrich

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