Leopards new design

[zoran]

So the past few days, Apple seeded a new Leopard build. The question is, if Leopard was said to have a new design, then why dont these new released builds show any clues of the new design? Or can it be that Apple will implement the new design of Leopard, only to the final version? Can this be done?

 

[jsw]

So the past few days, Apple seeded a new Leopard build. The question is, if Leopard was said to have a new design, then why dont these new released builds show any clues of the new design? Or can it be that Apple will implement the new design of Leopard, only to the final version? Can this be done?

Yes, it'd be easy to do if it was only a matter of visual settings. I doubt there's going to be a major alteration of the visual design that requires brand new framework code, but a change of appearance via some preferences files? That'd be cake.

 

[robbieduncan]

Yes, it'd be easy to do if it was only a matter of visual settings. I doubt there's going to be a major alteration of the visual design that requires brand new framework code, but a change of appearance via some preferences files? That'd be cake.

Assuming all the sizes of items and their subitems is the same as it is today. For example a button of a specific size holds so much text. If the size of the "border" part of the button changes then everyone has to update their nibs to allow the same amount of text to be shown. Note that in IB you set the size of the control, not the amount of text it holds or relative to it-subviews. This, to me, is the strongest argument for basically the current look and feel continuing. Of course a totally new look and feel could ship in addition to the existing one...

 

[jsw]

Assuming all the sizes of items and their subitems is the same as it is today. For example a button of a specific size holds so much text.

Could one not apply scaling to all the components? I mean, given the resolution independence in Leopard, couldn't "legacy" apps have the resources scaled automatically to adjust to any design scale changes?

Just curious. Been off the development side of things for WAYYY too long.

 

[robbieduncan]

Could one not apply scaling to all the components? I mean, given the resolution independence in Leopard, couldn't "legacy" apps have the resources scaled automatically to adjust to any design scale changes?

If everything has got the exact same amount bigger (or smaller) then maybe. The issue would be if say buttons need to be 10% bigger but nothing else does. So the buttons will get larger any may well overlap other controls. Basically it's not something you can do automatically as it'll look wrong.

The way the UI scaling works is that is scales the controls AND their locations by the same amount so the spacing stays consistent.

I hope that makes sense!

 

[jsw]

I hope that makes sense!

Absolutely. Thanks. I guess we'll see, then.

 

[Eric5h5]

The question is, if Leopard was said to have a new design, then why dont these new released builds show any clues of the new design?

The thing is, nobody ever said Leopard was going to have a new design. Nobody connected with Apple, anyway. Who are the only people who matter in this case. (Aside from resolution independence, but that's more of a technical issue and not so much a design thing.)

--Eric