MacThemes: Recently, LutetiumGUI was ported to the iPod color. As interfaces mature, people naturally seem drawn towards changing them. Do you see many other iPod color themes in the future?

It would be wonderful to think so, but the whole idea of “hacking” your iPod seems a bit crude compared to the superb way the Mac customizing community is theming at the moment. Changing a theme is safe and hassle free, and I don’t think changing you iPod’s graphics is going to be that easy for at least a little while - wouldn’t it be cool if you could include the images in your ShapeShifter theme and apply them whenever you have an iPod connected? I hope Jason is listening. To answer the question; yes and no. If it becomes easier, safer and less work for both the themer to create and distribute and for the public to apply - then yes, I think it would be another logical step in the idea of a complete suite.

MacThemes: But before ShapeShifter, there was still a healthy themeing community for the Macintosh, even though Jason Harris, creator of ThemePark and ShapeShifter, has called previous utilities dangerous as they “hacked’ your Mac in a similar way.

I wouldn’t personally know the thoughts or feelings of the pre-ShapeShifter era, since I didn’t have a Mac then, but I can wager less people outside of the die-hards used themes because of the risks they involved. I know I wouldn’t tempt fate and mess around with system files. It just doesn’t have the same feel. It’s very un-Mac like I believe. Ease of use and stability are usually what draw people to OS X in the first place, so having the possibility of breaking the system in order to change the look just doesn’t fit. It doesn’t surprise me people did it though - although is Aqua really that bad? When there’s a will, there’s a way I suppose.

MacThemes: Although Mac theming has come a long way, there are still limits on what an artist can change. What innovations in theming do you feel are necessary before your true visions can be realized? Has these limitations stifled themeing to a degree?

Oh, undoubtedly there are limitations, I don’t really need to go over them but they do limit what you can do or imagine. Themes like Sweet Slumber are marvels because of how they flex those limits to achieve the look. The only real way that ShapeShifter can remove the limitations is to give more and more power to the theme artist - whether that being able to move things or change the properties of certain things. As you know Phill, I halted work on what was planned to be my next theme because of the limitations that are currently in place. I’ve never really encountered that many limitations that hurt my other mock ups however, the only real one during LutetiumGUI was how transparent parts of animations in progress bars, without a background, turn pure white. In fact, most of the problems I’ve faced included the progress bars - I hate ‘em.

Any limitations will strangle creativity somewhat. Although Jason puts a lot of work in to both ShapeShifter and ThemePark, so one can hardly expect it all to be ‘just as we like it’ yet. I think most of the popular themers deserve a nice break, it isn’t just the work of doing the theme - often it’s exhausting dealing with people as well. Whilst I’m not, and don’t pretend to be, as important or well known as most themers, I did have to cope with a lot of emails and instant messages, mostly along the words “Can I test your theme?! Please please please!” Then you’ve got the “requests” of people who think this should be like that, redo so-and-so completely, “why’s this like this?”

All in all it seems very stressful. Hell, I know I got stressed, so I just plain feel sorry for people like Max Rudberg or Kevin Husted!

I don’t really think people need that much encouragement to get into theming, however I feel people need support whilst they are making one. ThemePark isn’t the easiest thing to get your head around in the first place, the application skins especially are infuriating. So instead of just nagging with the usually “How’s it going?”, “Is it done yet?” and such, people who’ve used ThemePark should be asking if he or she needs help. If they’ve encountered any problems or need help, even just explaining how a certain element works, I’d be glad to help. I’d wager most theme projects die because the themer becomes frustrated and bored trying to get everything done.

Being privy to the ShapeShifter and ThemePark betas though, I’m obviously not allowed to say too much or things that may hint on next versions.. But I really want to say: Everyone is going to love all the new things - and themers are going to end up kissing Jason’s feet. The things I’ve seen coming up as well as new ideas and features are all fantastic. I really can’t wait until themers can make use of them to create new and exciting themes.

MacThemes: Besides your own of course, what themes do you regularly use?

I’m an oddball concerning what I personally use. Most of the time I use Apple’s Aqua, but when I’m not using that I usually either use Milk or iStyle. I never really use my own work past the stage I don’t have to. I usually do test and use betas thoroughly so I can’t really forgot problems and such, but once they’re near completion I generally don’t use them. At the moment I’m just enjoying Aqua; kind of how it was when I first got my Mac.

MacThemes: Thanks for your time!

Pages: 1 2 3