User interface

Davidk · Post by **Davidk** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:26 am

Reviewing X3, two things spring immediately to mind about the UI:

1. moving all the function buttons and drop down list items around is plain confusing. Old farts like me who remember the confusion of product UI's before windows standardised it in 1990 would prefer not to go back to the bad old days.

2. the black background colour of the UI is just plain depressing. My video class instructor seems to think one could get used to it, but why?? Black is the colour of death - probably something vendors would not want associated with their best efforts. The technology industry spent years developing HD 64K colour screens so that products could use real world colour to bring enthusiasm to their stuff. So now we we have the newest version of VS in HD black. What a waste. How depressing.

davidk

Post by **Ken Berry** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 8:20 am

Re 1. I agree, particularly when there was no real need to do so... A new learning curve was hardly necessary. As it is, the silly burning module DVD Factory 2010 has a mysterious enough interface with things hidden all over t place. We could do without having to hunt and peck in X3 as well.

Re 2. Unfortunately, in a fashion sense, black is this year's black! In other words, I think Corel was just being hip...! Many people would not necessarily associate black with death -- though I acknowledge that is a Western concept, but it is not, say, for Asians. In any case, I have too many other things to worry about when using an editing program than to worry about the colour of its interface!

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:23 pm

Actually, the past few versions using the gray background was perfectly suited for video editing. I read that the neutral gray is optimum when dealing with the color and white balancing that video editors do.

mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:32 pm

Black Lab wrote:Actually, the past few versions using the gray background was perfectly suited for video editing. I read that the neutral gray is optimum when dealing with the color and white balancing that video editors do.

Hi Jeff
I use a "Color balancing greyboard" with an 18% reflecting surface to get the white balance spot in for some still shots. Never tried it for video. Am still trying to get the best out of my camcorder as is. Will give this a go sometime.

Van Rouge · Post by **Van Rouge** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:33 pm

I complained to Corel about the colour scheme. They call it the 'Graphite Look' and said it was to standardise with their other programs. I think that to have lables as Light grey on dark grey make the screen extremely difficult to read unless your room is very dark. Anyone who knows anything about graphic design would not choose these colour combinations for practical use. Coral should have an option to choose your own skin colours but then they do not care much about the customers views anyway.

Post by **Ron P.** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:42 pm

Post your request in the Wishlist for Future Versions thread. With PSPP, they have the option to use or not use the Graphite theme. So I would think that could easily be implemented in VS. I however like the graphite themes. I have used a gray, silver or graphite theme for my PCs desktop for years. For me it's much better on my eyes then some glaring bright colors..

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:18 pm

Here's what I was referring to:

Paint Editing-Room Walls a Color-Neutral Light Gray
Experts recommend a color-neutral light gray of about 60-percent reflectance. Latex paint for labs is available from Graphic Technology Inc. of Newburgh, NY. Alternatively, you can have your local paint supplier mix a custom formula to match N8/ gray from the Munsell Books of Color. Paint manufacturers occasionally change formulas, but here are two (compiled in late 2000) to consider.

California photographer Jack Kelly Clark recommends mixing one gallon of Pittsburgh Paint's pastel-tint white base #80-110 with Lamp black (B-12/48 PPG*); Raw Umber (L-36/48 PPG); and Permanent Red (O-3/48 PPG). Write those numbers down and take them with you to the paint store if you want to try the mix yourself.

A similar Kelly-Moore Paint Co. formula from photographer John Palmer uses a pastel-tint white as a base with three colors to create an interior, flat latex similar to Munsell 8 gray: Lamp black (4/48 PPG), Raw Umber (27/48 PPG), Violet (2/48 PPG).

Entire article can be found here:
http://www.creativepro.com/article/the- ... page=0%2C0