Improve the appearance of the dock shelf

[lofight]

I can't believe nobody has made an App that uses core image to adjust the Dock files and then automatically add them to the Dock and restart it. It just makes so much sense. Then you wouldn't need Photoshop, Terminal or Activity Monitor. You'd just make your color adjustments (there could even be a fake Dock preview that shows you what your changed Dock will look like) and then hit Apply and your Dock would quit and come back with your changes made. It could even backup the original Dock so you can revert at any time. Someone make this App!

Lot's of people are lazy... i don't have any coding skills, but if i would, i would be making this app.

PS: nicest indicator icons i have seen are the arrow ones!

 

[CavemanUK]

that's not apple took so long, it's all the software, try to make that in a year!!

Oh, guys, guys, guys... chill out! was just an observation.. but if we really want to get serious about it... Apple pay GRAPHICS ARTISTS and INTERFACE DESIGNERS lots of money to come up with this stuff...no software developers..
Apple usually pay a lot of attention to detail, someone will have spent a lot of hours working on this dock design.

 

[brbubba]

And the fun continues. These were definitely the most involved to create, still don't know if I like it or hate it. I was really hoping to keep the reflection intact, but the neon didn't "pop" when I had the opacity on.

NOTE: You need to delete your frontline.png file for these to display properly. This has no frontline.png file!!!

neon_lights_blue.zip

neon_lights_red.zip

 

[cChris]

Slate and carbon fiber with power button indicators

 

[xenotaku]

I can't believe nobody has made an App that uses core image to adjust the Dock files and then automatically add them to the Dock and restart it. It just makes so much sense. Then you wouldn't need Photoshop, Terminal or Activity Monitor. You'd just make your color adjustments (there could even be a fake Dock preview that shows you what your changed Dock will look like) and then hit Apply and your Dock would quit and come back with your changes made. It could even backup the original Dock so you can revert at any time. Someone make this App!

someone made an app in the other thread. It only has limited options though, I dont think he has been on all day.

 

[PatrickC]

This has been an invaluable thread. I replaced my dock with the smoked version, eliminated the front line, and added in the new indicators without reflections. I couldn't be happier with the results. Thanks to all of you who contributed here! Here is my desktop and dock for those considering making these modifications:

 

[mcdj]

This has been an invaluable thread. I replaced my dock with the smoked version, eliminated the front line, and added in the new indicators without reflections. I couldn't be happier with the results. Thanks to all of you who contributed here! Here is my desktop and dock for those considering making these modifications:

My GF wants the wallpaper! Please post!

 

[AliensExist4]

Hi,
What do I have to do in Photoshop to get a Dark glossy black dock with a good amount of reflection? I've replaced my dock before but I want to know how to personally customize it through Photoshop. Any help would be great. If I could get some steps that would be awesome. Thanks

-Patrick

 

[roblogic]

Hi,
What do I have to do in Photoshop to get a Dark glossy black dock with a good amount of reflection? I've replaced my dock before but I want to know how to personally customize it through Photoshop. Any help would be great. If I could get some steps that would be awesome. Thanks

-Patrick

The amount of glossiness is determined by the opacity of the image. The more translucent the image, the more reflective it is. So to get a glossy black dock, fill the image with #000000, drop the opacity down to around 70%, and save.

 

[dranakin]

A white dock to match the menubar and my MacBook.

Can you post the files of your arrow indicators? Thanks.

 

[lofight]

Oh, guys, guys, guys... chill out! was just an observation.. but if we really want to get serious about it... Apple pay GRAPHICS ARTISTS and INTERFACE DESIGNERS lots of money to come up with this stuff...no software developers..
Apple usually pay a lot of attention to detail, someone will have spent a lot of hours working on this dock design.

okay, but they made a nice job of it.

 

[motulist]

And the fun continues.

That's hot dude, very blade runner.

 

[PatrickC]

My GF wants the wallpaper! Please post!

I'm happy to do that. I found it on Amazon of all places!

http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/music/Frank_Sinatra_5.jpg

 

[Math Campbell]

Hey all!
I'm the maker of the extremely simple and pathetically feature-less DockSwitcher (not to be confused with DockSwitcher Two different apps.) Anyways, what I'm wanting to say is I'm really wanting to extend my DockSwitcher into full theming. Although I'm hardly a virtuoso programmer, I'm a 3D Artist by trade, so making themes isn't too hard for me (not actually made any yet; been busy coding). I want to create a standardised format for people so they can distribute a zip file that has the files in it, then DockSwitcher can take that zip and use it change dock themes on the fly. All the zip would need in it is the necessary png's to effect the theme, and a jpeg or png of the dock themed for a preview window. I'm confident I can code this (fairly confident anyways) but would anyone be interested in this method of theming, rather than having to move the files around by hand?

I know Panic have said they're gonna release Candy3 which'll do all this, but this will be free! Anyone interested in it?

 

[stellarceltic]

And the fun continues. These were definitely the most involved to create, still don't know if I like it or hate it. I was really hoping to keep the reflection intact, but the neon didn't "pop" when I had the opacity on.

NOTE: You need to delete your frontline.png file for these to display properly. This has no frontline.png file!!!

neon_lights_blue.zip

neon_lights_red.zip

A blue outline with blue indicators would be nice.....

As would a green/green set..... if you have a chance.

I'd also love to see a blue/orange and orange/blue set.

 

[paul.b.davis]

has anyone figured out how to change the 2-d dock look (i have started using my dock on the side...just to see how i like it)

 

[kkat69]

Ok it was late, I got a bug in my butt and wanted to change my indicators. (yah that kinda sounds bad)

Here's some classic "Arrow" indicators with a Leopard twist using the dock installer (to show the different dock styles) and how the indicators look:

And here's the zip file. It contains 3 indicator png files, small, med, and large.

Indictorszip.zip

For those unsure where to put these, do a show contents of the dock.app and place these there. Make sure to make back ups of the originals.

 

[VideoFreek]

Ok it was late, I got a bug in my butt and wanted to change my indicators. (yah that kinda sounds bad)

Here's some classic "Arrow" indicators with a Leopard twist using the dock installer (to show the different dock styles) and how the indicators look:

Nice job! I love the fact that they reference the earlier-style indicators. but in a 3-D "spacey" way! Frankly, I've not been too happy with the glowing spots, so this is exactly what I wanted for my black dock!

 

[AliensExist4]

roblogic: Thanks for the reply. I'm still not sure on how to apply it. I pick a size of a scurve I like then I blacken it with pain then opacity it and save it as a png but it wont apply to my dock. What do I do?

kkat69: Those indicators look great. ow could I get it to where they don't reflect though? Thanks

-Patrick

 

[roblogic]

roblogic: Thanks for the reply. I'm still not sure on how to apply it. I pick a size of a scurve I like then I blacken it with pain then opacity it and save it as a png but it wont apply to my dock. What do I do?

-Patrick

I've been applying the styles to all four scurve images and installing them together. You may not be changing the file that the Dock is using. Are you restarting the Dock? It needs to restart to load in the new pngs.

 

[brbubba]

A blue outline with blue indicators would be nice.....

As would a green/green set..... if you have a chance.

I'd also love to see a blue/orange and orange/blue set.

The indicators are independent of the backdrop. Just change the indicators out for whatever color you want, although I have only done three color indicators so far. https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/4427775/

I'll try to whip up a green outline and orange outline.

 

[kkat69]

roblogic: Thanks for the reply. I'm still not sure on how to apply it. I pick a size of a scurve I like then I blacken it with pain then opacity it and save it as a png but it wont apply to my dock. What do I do?

kkat69: Those indicators look great. ow could I get it to where they don't reflect though? Thanks

-Patrick

The "reflect through" was actually created by me. I added the "reflection" you see under the indicator arrow.

Here's the "non-reflective" version.

And the zip file...

NonReflective.zip

 

[lofight]

Ok it was late, I got a bug in my butt and wanted to change my indicators. (yah that kinda sounds bad)

Here's some classic "Arrow" indicators with a Leopard twist using the dock installer (to show the different dock styles) and how the indicators look:

And here's the zip file. It contains 3 indicator png files, small, med, and large.

Indictorszip.zip

For those unsure where to put these, do a show contents of the dock.app and place these there. Make sure to make back ups of the originals.

very very very nice arrows!! love it.

The "reflect through" was actually created by me. I added the "reflection" you see under the indicator arrow.

Here's the "non-reflective" version.

And the zip file...

NonReflective.zip

Yes that's very nice!! do you have some coding skills?? if yes, you should make a app like cleardock, but for leopard and bigger, if you don't, let someone who can work with you, that you do the UI elements and he/she codes.

 

[brbubba]

The "reflect through" was actually created by me. I added the "reflection" you see under the indicator arrow.

Here's the "non-reflective" version.

And the zip file...

NonReflective.zip

Those are hot dude, nice job. If you have time you should spit out a few more colors.

 

[kkat69]

Those are hot dude, nice job. If you have time you should spit out a few more colors.

Are you looking for (btw for me this is very easy takes a few seconds):

Center Color Only Arrow (without glow)
Center Color change + Glow Color Change
Glow Color change only (leave center white)

I have to run to the store for more caffine but I'll do a color selection of various different styles when I get back.