Is there any excellent color scheme for dark mode?

[petermad]

2Lefteous
That is the same setting: "Color" -> "Others:" -> "Dark Mode:" -> "Highlight"

[colemanlee]

2colemanlee
You can set the color of the active tab with ActiveTabColor in the [ColorsDark] section.

For white you can use: ActiveTabColor=16777215

You might also want to set: TabFullColor=90 in the [Configuration] section.

If you don't use ActiveTabColor in wincmd.ini the active tab will use the color you set in "Color" -> "Others:" -> "Dark Mode:" -> "Highlight" which is the same as DarkHighlight= in wincmd.ini [ColorsDark] section.

Hi,
When I use {ActiveTabColor=16777215 in the [ColorsDark]} and {TabFullColor=0 in the [Configuration]} section, I want to obtain a solid color tab without gradient, but no effect. TabFullColor=-1/0/1/20/80/100 all of these parameters have a gradient effect.
Did I make a mistake in my operation？

[petermad]

2colemanlee
Remember to restart TC every time you make a manual change to wincmd.ini.

Here is a screenshot with TabFullColor=90 https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/TabFullColor90.png
Here is a screenshot with TabFullColor=100 https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/TabFullColor100.png
Here is how I use it: https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/myactivetabcolor.png (TabFullColor=0 and ActiveTabColor=6316128)

I also use DarkHighlight=6316128 to higlight active buttons etc.

Here are my current Dark Mode settings:

Spoiler

[Configuration]
InactiveFocusDark=16744576
SelectionFocusDark=$30000FF

[Layout]
DarkListBorders=1

[ListerDark]
FgColor=12632256
FgSelColor=15000804
BgSelColor=234
LinkColor=16744448
BgColor=2105376

[ColorsDark]
InverseCursor=1
ThemedCursor=0
InverseSelection=0

TreeLineColor=-1
TreeTriangles=0
ThumbnailFrame=7368816
ActiveTabColor=6316128
HorizontalLines=2105376

ForeColor=-1
BackColor=-1
BackColor2=4210752
MarkColor=255
CursorColor=8388608
CursorText=15000804

CompareText=236
CompareTextSel=62708
CompareBinary=236
CompareBinarySel=62708
CompareDifferenceBack=4210752
CompareNormalText=11842740
CompareNormalBack=2105376
CompareSelText=15000804
CompareSelBack=8388608
CompareSearchLine=32768

ActiveTitleText=12632256
ActiveTitle=5263440
InactiveTitleText=8421504
InactiveTitle=3158064

SyncSelBack=8388608

HintForeground=0
HintBackground=14811135
HintBorder=12632256

DarkForeground=12632256
DarkBackground=2105376
DarkHighlight=6316128
DarkBorder=7368816

[Paul Mountit]

Although not a huge fan of dark mode in general, I really I think the dark mode in TC looks nice.
Is there a way to display a mouse-over (like in light mode) when hovering over a button? By default, only a button border is drawn on hovering. This looks somewhat odd, as there is not really a big gap around the buttons, so the button border almost hits the top and bottom separators - which makes it less prominent.

could it be related to the difference between buttons and drive buttons stated here?
viewtopic.php?t=76716
(see reply by mr. ghisler)

[Lefteous]

2petermad
Unfortunately not.

2Paul Mountit

could it be related to the difference between buttons and drive buttons stated here?
viewtopic.php?t=76716
(see reply by mr. ghisler)

Yes, these buttons seem to behave differently. While the selection looks the same, the mouse-over looks completely different. I'm not if this can be explained by radio/check buttons differences. It's just hard to recognize. A mouse-over color is usually a slightly darker/lighter version of the background color of a button.

[Lefteous]

Also a bit odd. This observation is only true for dark mode. In light mode both button types have a certain selection color and a slightly lighter hover color. So is has nothing to do with the check/radio button differences.

[JOUBE]

Here are my current Dark Mode settings:

Spoiler

[Configuration]
InactiveFocusDark=16744576
SelectionFocusDark=$30000FF

[Layout]
DarkListBorders=1

[ListerDark]
FgColor=12632256
FgSelColor=15000804
BgSelColor=234
LinkColor=16744448
BgColor=2105376

[ColorsDark]
InverseCursor=1
ThemedCursor=0
InverseSelection=0

TreeLineColor=-1
TreeTriangles=0
ThumbnailFrame=7368816
ActiveTabColor=6316128
HorizontalLines=2105376

ForeColor=-1
BackColor=-1
BackColor2=4210752
MarkColor=255
CursorColor=8388608
CursorText=15000804

CompareText=236
CompareTextSel=62708
CompareBinary=236
CompareBinarySel=62708
CompareDifferenceBack=4210752
CompareNormalText=11842740
CompareNormalBack=2105376
CompareSelText=15000804
CompareSelBack=8388608
CompareSearchLine=32768

ActiveTitleText=12632256
ActiveTitle=5263440
InactiveTitleText=8421504
InactiveTitle=3158064

SyncSelBack=8388608

HintForeground=0
HintBackground=14811135
HintBorder=12632256

DarkForeground=12632256
DarkBackground=2105376
DarkHighlight=6316128
DarkBorder=7368816

It makes much more sense to specify all color values with hexadecimal numbers in the ini, because then the numbers can be read by humans and nuances can easily be changed. There are three things to note with hex numbers for color values in the ini.

- Hex numbers are written with $... in the ini
- and the arrangement is not RGB but BGR (ie the blue component comes to the front, green in the middle, the red component at the end).
- Tc has long been able to read and process colors with hex numbers ($BBGGRR).

An example:
ActiveTabColor=6316128
becomes to
ActiveTabColor=$606060

then you can see immediately: B = $60, G = $60, R = $60 (aha, a darker grey)

in the case to make the color a little lighter overall, B and G and R are increased a little evenly:

ActiveTabColor=$646464 (directly within the ini)

The TC can read these numbers, but unfortunately it doesn't write these numbers. Although changes to the color would be much easier that way. I suggested that years ago (2019, with the introduction of dark mode), but it was not implemented, although it would be so easy and would make changes of colors a lot easier.

I once applied GPT-3.5 from OpenAI to it and got the following result:

Spoiler

[Configuration]
InactiveFocusDark=$FF8080
SelectionFocusDark=$30000FF

[Layout]
DarkListBorders=1

[ListerDark]
FgColor=$C0C0C0
FgSelColor=$E4E4E4
BgSelColor=$0000EA
LinkColor=$FF8080
BgColor=$202020

[ColorsDark]
InverseCursor=1
ThemedCursor=0
InverseSelection=0

TreeLineColor=-1
TreeTriangles=0
ThumbnailFrame=$707070
ActiveTabColor=$606060
HorizontalLines=$202020

ForeColor=-1
BackColor=-1
BackColor2=$404040
MarkColor=$0000FF
CursorColor=$800000
CursorText=$E4E4E4

CompareText=$0000EC
CompareTextSel=$00F4F4
CompareBinary=$0000EC
CompareBinarySel=$00F4F4
CompareDifferenceBack=$404040
CompareNormalText=$B4B4B4
CompareNormalBack=$202020
CompareSelText=$E4E4E4
CompareSelBack=$800000
CompareSearchLine=$008000

ActiveTitleText=$C0C0C0
-ActiveTitle=$505050
-InactiveTitleText=$808080
-InactiveTitle=$303030

SyncSelBack=$800000

HintForeground=0
HintBackground=$E1FFFF
HintBorder=$C0C0C0

DarkForeground=$C0C0C0
DarkBackground=$202020
DarkHighlight=$606060
DarkBorder=$707070

Isn't it much clearer and easier to read?

I haven't checked if everything is correct.

I will now renew the suggestion from 2019 in the suggestion forum.

Joube

[petermad]

It makes much more sense to specify all color values with hexadecimal numbers

I would prefer that too - but when setting the colors via TC's configuration dialog, the values are not stored as hexadecimal.

I have upvoted your suggestion at: viewtopic.php?t=79430

[Paul Mountit]

Also a bit odd. This observation is only true for dark mode. In light mode both button types have a certain selection color and a slightly lighter hover color. So is has nothing to do with the check/radio button differences.

I do agree with you, but it was mr. Ghisler reply.
The following pictire shows where dark and normal theme are different:
1 - selected buttons are sunken in dark theme, flat in normal theme
2 - on mouse over, only border in dark theme, border and highlight color in normal theme
3 - the drive bar looks the same in dark and normal theme

Image: https://www.directupload.net/file/d/6957/xlwif6ok_jpg.htm

[Lefteous]

2JOUBE

Isn't it much clearer and easier to read?

Basically your question can be answered with a clear yes. But RGB color definitions whether they are defined as decimal or hexidecimal or as RGB, BGR or whatever order, are optimized to be read by a computer, not a human.
Human-readable colors are either standard color definitions like red or cyan, which are okay in some cases but quite self-coloured. In CSS, you can apply functions to them like derive(red, +20%) or so. When read by a computer they can be translated into static (RGB) definitions.
Another human-readable color definiton is to use HSB, but only if the user has a mental model of hue values.

[JOUBE]

Basically your question can be answered with a clear yes.

Good. Yes, then you support the suggestion, that petermad linked, by writing a post in that thread.

Joube

[Paul Mountit]

2Lefteous
That is the same setting: "Color" -> "Others:" -> "Dark Mode:" -> "Highlight"

see the image in my previous post: the highlight color is not applied on buttons, but only on drive buttons

[Paul Mountit]

Isn't it much clearer and easier to read?

imho, no. unless you memorize which numbers are which color, I find it absolutely not targeted to human reading.
be it rgb or bgr or hexadecimal, it does not make any difference to me

[petermad]

2Paul Mountit

the highlight color is not applied on buttons, but only on drive buttons

It is also applies to Folder tabs and the F-buttons below the file panels.

The buttonbar buttons get a little brighter frame when hovered in Dark mode.

imho, no. unless you memorize which numbers are which color, I find it absolutely not targeted to human reading.
be it rgb or bgr or hexadecimal, it does not make any difference to me

I memorize a lot of RGB color codes because I have made a lot of handwritten HTML/javascript

[Paul Mountit]

The buttonbar buttons get a little brighter frame when hovered in Dark mode.

yes, like in my previous picture