Gradiance

[kaigou]

Theme name/layout: Gradiance
Author: Kaigou
Layout info: originally Tranquility III
Image info: 10 substitute icons (5 per style)
Layout url: http://www.dreamwidth.org/customize/advanced/layersource?id=87751&fmt=html

Users can change the 8-scale gradient, the page background, the default text color, the content/comment background color, and colors for active & visited links. As long as the contrast between the 4th color and the 8th color is enough to make text legible, the gradient can go from darkest-dark to lightest-light, or from medium-dark to medium-light, depending on the amount of contrast required. The CSS looks a little funky as a result, but it makes for some easy cut-and-paste to create new color schemes.

The links all go to a test post on my journal, which has multiple replies of varying types (anon, registered, openid) so you can those in action.

Gradiance Amethyst — Gradiance Amethyst Verso
Gradiance Carmine — Gradiance Carmine Verso
Gradiance Celadon — Gradiance Celadon Verso
Gradiance Cerise — Gradiance Cerise Verso
Gradiance Cerulean — Gradiance Cerulean Verso
Gradiance Cobalt — Gradiance Cobalt Verso
Gradiance Emerald — Gradiance Emerald Verso
Gradiance Forest — Gradiance Forest Verso
Gradiance Fuschia — Gradiance Fuschia Verso
Gradiance Grayscale — Gradiance Grayscale Verso
Gradiance Halaya Ube — Gradiance Halaya Ube Verso
Gradiance Harlequin — Gradiance Harlequin Verso
Gradiance Heliotrope — Gradiance Heliotrope Verso
Gradiance Indigo — Gradiance Indigo Verso
Gradiance Jade — Gradiance Jade Verso
Gradiance Lemon — Gradiance Lemon Verso
Gradiance Maize — Gradiance Maize Verso
Gradiance Majorelle — Gradiance Majorelle Verso
Gradiance Midnight — Gradiance Midnight Verso
Gradiance Moss — Gradiance Moss Verso
Gradiance Nadeshiko — Gradiance Nadeshiko Verso
Gradiance Ocean — Gradiance Ocean Verso
Gradiance Ochre — Gradiance Ochre Verso
Gradiance Olivine — Gradiance Olivine Verso
Gradiance Peach — Gradiance Peach Verso
Gradiance Pistachio — Gradiance Pistachio Verso
Gradiance Racing — Gradiance Racing Verso
Gradiance Sangria — Gradiance Sangria Verso
Gradiance Sapphire — Gradiance Sapphire Verso
Gradiance Sienna — Gradiance Sienna Verso
Gradiance Sky — Gradiance Sky Verso
Gradiance Slate — Gradiance Slate Verso
Gradiance Spring — Gradiance Spring Verso
Gradiance Storm — Gradiance Storm Verso
Gradiance Thistle — Gradiance Thistle Verso
Gradiance Vermilion — Gradiance Vermilion Verso
Gradiance Viridian — Gradiance Viridian Verso

The substitute icons fill in when there's a blank for an anonymous poster, an RSS feed, a DW user, or an OpenID user. The last image the blockquote background. [ETA: after further testing, the regular icons look fine even on a reversed setup, so not seeing reason to do that extra bit.]



There are still some outstanding issues that I can't figure out. None of them are really deal-breakers, but if I can find answers to these questions, I'll edit the existing code to reflect the fixes.

I'm presuming separate layouts for reversed (light-on-dark) color schemes, but it seems like it'd be a LOT easier to give users the option of reversing the colors, with a simple yes/no question (which would then flip color_001 for color_008 and so on). Or is it better to treat each as separate themes, on the grounds that users wouldn't be aware ahead-of-time that the colors can be easily reversed in the wizard?

...I think that covers it!

Comments

[kaigou]

if we're talking about users who can code on their own, then... no, there's really very little restriction at all. I've been able to do some pretty wacky layouts even when on a basic free account. It's the users who don't know how to do that who'll end up using either whatever's listed as available.

Are there no pay/free variations? Because I'm pretty sure there's that option on the customize pages that says something like "only show me the layouts I can use" or something like that, which I thought was supposed to narrow down to layouts available to certain paying/free levels.

if forced to choose, I think I'd prefer simpler to defining everything at once

From a coding perspective, it's MUCH easier to just say: here are the 8 colors! Having to go through and set up the colors dependent on where they are and/or what they do, whew. I'd never have done this many gradient ranges, that's for sure!

[afuna]

Oh, that is old (left over from LJ). I've been meaning to ask about whether we can just remove it since I don't see it having much use, practically speaking.

Heee. As long as the descriptions are clear about what they're being applied to, and the color combinations are flexible and won't lead to surprise unreadable text (and I think with the variety of gradients you've tried here, you've pretty much covered all the bases!), then, you know! *g*

[kaigou]

Oh, that is old (left over from LJ). I've been meaning to ask about whether we can just remove it since I don't see it having much use, practically speaking.

OH I GET IT. You just left that in to confuse people like ME. Yeah, yeah, I see how you are!

[afuna]

You see right through me! Alas!