# New website skins



## Chris_M (May 18, 2011)

ethelbert said:


> For me, the first improvement that LR could use, is to make a change of background colour available, so that those who hate black because of eyesight problems could change the colour.  I also find it difficult to view the menus.
> 
> Why do program makers think black is the 'in' colour?  It doesn't help accessibility one bit does it?  http://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/images/smilies/sad.png


There are also many people, myself included, that think that exact opposite, i.e. black backgrounds are better.
I can't stand blaring white backgrounds, I get a headache after a while if I have lots of Google-type research to do.

Having said that, I also think in all fairness, people should have a choice as to what background they use.

*[email protected]@flightroomforumscough* 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Dang, where'd I put my coughdrops...


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## Victoria Bampton (May 18, 2011)

Trying to suggest something Chris?    Additional skins are on a to do list, but there are a few other things on the list right now.  If you find a vBulletin 4 skin available for download that you like, let me know and I'll see what I can do sooner.


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## Chris_M (May 18, 2011)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Trying to suggest something Chris?
> ...


Erm, who me??? Not at all, I just... uhm.... got a sudden flu?  Yeah, I caught a sudden flu bug! :angel: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







Victoria Bampton said:


> ...
> If you find a vBulletin 4 skin available for download that you like, let me know and I'll see what I can do sooner.


I assume you were speaking of free skins, so I wandered over to the vBulletin Forums,
kinda SUCKS that you have to actually have a licence to simply look at screenshots,
I don't own the Forum I am Admin on, therefore have no licence.
But I signed up to a couple of sites, had a quick browse and came up with these three,
(in order of personal preference, but _*you COULD make this a new Thread and post a Poll*_):

*DarkVision*
_Preview:_ http://www.talktemplate.com/forum.php?styleid=9
_vBulletin Page:_ http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=231695
*Blackfolio* - either the black or red Template
_Preview:_ http://www.vbinspired.com/attachmen...3729-blackfolio-package-4-0-5-blackfolio2.jpg
_vBinspired page:_ http://www.vbinspired.com/free-vbulletin-4-styles/82-blackfolio-package-4-1-0-a.html
*Black-Stealth*
_Preview:_ http://www.vbinspired.com/vb4test/forum.php?styleid=21
_vBulletin page:_ http://www.vbulletin.org/forum/showthread.php?t=246396
What do you think?


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## Victoria Bampton (May 18, 2011)

I've split your thread off.  I'll take a proper look around.


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## Chris_M (May 18, 2011)

Okie-dokie, I've edited the first post also, so people know how this idea 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 originated.


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## Victoria Bampton (May 19, 2011)

Thank you!


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## Victoria Bampton (May 19, 2011)

Ok, you have a dark skin.  It needs a bit of work still, but it's gone live in the meantime.


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## Chris_M (May 19, 2011)

Ooooo, I like it, now I can read without having to squint.
Here, have a Coffee on me...







Just a sidenote so you know, I use the Stardock Software to darken my entire OS,
this forum skin almost exactly matches the skin I am using on my OS.


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## Victoria Bampton (May 19, 2011)

We do like happy members!!


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## Jim Wilde (May 20, 2011)

OK, like the new skin (very Fred Miranda!), BUT I'm having trouble reading the names on the Gurus who are online as the dark blue on a black background is virtually impossible for me. 

But I do like the new skin.....


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## Victoria Bampton (May 20, 2011)

I've got some tweaks yet to do when I get a moment. It's just a free skin that I've downloaded and tweaked, so I can't take too much credit!


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## Jim Wilde (May 20, 2011)

OK, well just in case this isn't on your list of 'tweaks', the drop-down list for 'Post Searches' under Forums (to get to "Today's Posts", for example) seems to be unavailable. No drop-down list, just the 'New Posts' button.


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## Mark Sirota (May 21, 2011)

Jim, that's been true in some views since we switched forum software.  To get back to someplace with Post Searches, click the Forum tab (next to What's New).


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

Ah yes, I see what you mean.  Hmmmm, I guess a number of the forum tweaks I put in might have trouble with the new skin.  Hadn't thought of that!  Ok, I might go back to the drawing board on that and see if I can merge templates.  Hmmmm, that's going to be a bigger job!


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

Ok, I think I've solved the problem of the missing template tweaks (so Black Stealth has now become Black Skin) but I do need to tweak it further as the forum's designed around a lighter theme.  

Question for those who like a darker theme, do you specifically like the black, or would dark greys such as in LR work for you?


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## Kiwigeoff (May 21, 2011)

I had a look at the black Victoria and it was way too dark for me.


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

Yeah, it's too dark for me too Geoff, but some like it darker.  I'll put a 'Dark Skin' live as an alternative in a mo, it's just the black but with some shades of grey.

The standard Lightroom Forums white one will remain default.


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## Chris_M (May 21, 2011)

However you want to do the darker skin is fine, as long as I can choose NOT to have glaring white in my eyes.


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

See how you get on with the one called Dark Skin then.  That's the one I'll end up editing and 'fixing' I think.


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## Chris_M (May 21, 2011)

It appears to be fine, even the new post dropdown menu Jim mentioned earlier is there.
_However_, another of Jim's points, readability of names, I too am having trouble with that,
*and* the names on the left here, the blue, light blue, even the green Moderator color is kinda difficult to see.

I would suggest, if you were going to tweak the skin, changing those colors perhaps to some grey/white combo?

Alternatively, the Forum I Admin on, also uses a dark skin, but I'll be damned if I can find the name of it,
the site owner never gave me FTP access, and no longer responds to PM's or eMails from anyone,
not even me, his Admin, so I can't ask him, and I don't know how else to find out which skin it is.
I have Admin access to our Forums, I can get to the Admin Control Panel,
do you know if there is a way to find out from there what the skin is called?

Our Forum is also vBulletin, however, it's still v3.8.3, meaning it's not a v4 skin,
but my guess is that it would be compatable.

Take a look at the color scheme there, perhaps it'll give you some ideas:
http://www.logitechusers.com/


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

The custom colours for the user rankings are set separately from the skin, so I'll have some juggling to do to fix that.  It's on a to do list but I've got some other urgent things I have to do first.

In your Admin CP, go to Styles & Templates > Style Manager and it should say there, however it's looking like there's no user choice so it might just be default.


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## Chris_M (May 21, 2011)

Well, apparently, I am an Admin with limited rights.
I do not have a Style & Templates menupoint, it may be because that's the default skin.
But, it may also be this, there are a couple of menu options that ARE in my CP,
that when I try to click on them, tell me I do not have sufficient rights.
I've known that for quite some time.

Here's a screenshot of my CP:




No sign of a Style anything there...


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## Victoria Bampton (May 21, 2011)

Yep, there's about a screen full of options down that left hand side on the full admin panel.  Enough to boggle anyone's brain!!!


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## Chris_M (Jun 14, 2011)

Morgan22 said:


> dont u think its too dark............


Not at all, just the color issue with Mod & Guru etc. names needs sorting out, other than that,
either you like dark and use it, or you don't like the dark skin, and use therefore the default skin.

Personally, except for the said name colors, I like it.  I think it gives the Forum a Lightroom look.


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## Victoria Bampton (Jun 14, 2011)

They're on a to do list.  I'm actually working on a more LR-like interface as an option, but that's a hobby project and I'm a tad short on time at the moment.


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