Do you agree that Lazarus needs modern graphics?

[marcov]

What is modern?

Are curved lines (as seen in many Microsoft logos) modern?
Why? Because MS uses them?

IMHO that already goes a step too far. The first question should be: "Does an open source project really need continuous restyling ?"

Specially, since contrary to companies like Borland/Embacadero and Microsoft, we don't compete against our own old versions, and
don't have artificially make the new version more look more modern

[Graeme]

The only picture that I would change is the "Produced with Lazarus" logo at ...

You could always use something like this... The three Lazarus logos created by myself (original The Gimp file is included). I made some other variations too, but can't find them now.

http://geldenhuys.co.uk/~graemeg/powered_by/


I use 001, but with the words "fpGUI Toolkit" in the middle. It goes in our About->Credits dialogs for our commercial apps.

[Graeme]

Specially, since contrary to companies like Borland/Embacadero and Microsoft, we don't compete against our own old versions, and don't have artificially make the new version more look more modern

A very good point.

[SunyD]

For now, remove TToolbars ebTop property, your Lazarus will look more modern.
in comctrls.pas

Code: [Select]

  TToolBar = class(TToolWindow)
    //....
    property EdgeBorders; //default [ebTop];   

They should make this default.

[jwdietrich]

The only picture that I would change is the "Produced with Lazarus" logo at ...

You could always use something like this... First two created by myself. I can't remember who created the third one. I made some other variations too, but can't find them now.

http://opensoft.homeip.net/~graemeg/powered_by/powered_by_001.png
http://opensoft.homeip.net/~graemeg/powered_by/powered_by_002.png
http://opensoft.homeip.net/~graemeg/powered_by/powered_by_003.png

I use 001, but with the words "fpGUI Toolkit" in the middle. It goes in our About->Credits dialogs for our commercial apps.

These banners are very beautiful. They are simultaneously modern, topical and conservative.

[miquelmatas]

Read at [lazarus-br]:

New splash for Lazarus: http://imagebin.org/253742

 

[JJVillamor]

I guess there is no harm if the brazilians feel that splash screen is more suitable. You can do that with open source right?

But an opinion for what it is worth - the cheetah looks too tame - in contrast to a running, leaping, jumping or otherwise agile cheetah.

[JuhaManninen]

I guess there is no harm if the brazilians feel that splash screen is more suitable. You can do that with open source right?

But an opinion for what it is worth - the cheetah looks too tame - in contrast to a running, leaping, jumping or otherwise agile cheetah.

At least the colors are more or less in harmony this time.
As explained, we don't need a new default splash-screen, but it could be selectable in IDE options.
Then everybody could switch to his favorite picture.
If somebody makes a patch to implement it, I will apply it.

Juha

[Martin_fr]

As explained, we don't need a new default splash-screen, but it could be selectable in IDE options.
Then everybody could switch to his favorite picture.
If somebody makes a patch to implement it, I will apply it.

If so make it a command line option. ANd only a cmd line option.

There already is one for no-splash.

[Martin_fr]

Read at [lazarus-br]:

New splash for Lazarus: http://imagebin.org/253742

That is the one, I had seen, and about which I did ask in my other post:

Are curved lines (as seen in many Microsoft logos) modern?

This looks like someone took a microsoft logo: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2009/11/11/behind-the-scenes-splash-screen.aspx

- Same colors
- similar curved lines. Actually they have a strong similarity with the default vista desktop background picture.

So all in all, a couple of MS items mixed together, and added a baby cheetah.

It associates that the product is by MS and that is not what we should want to announce.

ANd about the baby cheetah, I said it before. Me do already have a cheetah, in various positions. It is perfectly all right, and well associated with Lazarus. Not only does it not need replacement, if you look at this as a corporate identity issue (never mind, that we are no corporation) then it would be wrong to replace it.
An identity change is usally required when something is wrong with the old identity. If people have lost interest or trust in the product, but I am not aware that Lazarus has recently lost a huge amount of trust from it users.
We have critics sure, but they are less than those in support. And that means the image associated with our splash-image is overall good. No need to abandon it. It has taken a lots of years to get it known to the people.

[JJVillamor]

I guess there is no harm if the brazilians feel that splash screen is more suitable. You can do that with open source right?

But an opinion for what it is worth - the cheetah looks too tame - in contrast to a running, leaping, jumping or otherwise agile cheetah.

At least the colors are more or less in harmony this time.
As explained, we don't need a new default splash-screen, but it could be selectable in IDE options.
Then everybody could switch to his favorite picture.
If somebody makes a patch to implement it, I will apply it.

Juha

You can customize your own splash by replacing C:\Program Files\lazarus\images\splash_logo.png

[JuhaManninen]

So all in all, a couple of MS items mixed together, and added a baby cheetah.

Damn right! Only now I realized it, too.
Maybe Microsoft agents try to infiltrate and take over our project. Now I understand everything! They see it as a too big threat for Visual Studio. 
... or maybe not, but the image surely has strong influence from MS.

Juha

[Martin_fr]

And since we are at it.

Lets just say (for arguments sake) that this is more modern (at least in some peoples subjective opinion). Then let us ask: Why?

Actually I already answered that too:

Are curved lines (as seen in many Microsoft logos) modern?
Why? Because MS uses them?

should have been a statement, not a question: "Because MS uses them!"

Yes they look modern, because MS advertised them, and thereby MS created this association.

There is no color, or style, that is within itself modern. Such associations a created.

Another example: 10/15 years ago, white was no special color. Then someone put white earplugs on the market and a massive advertise campaign. Suddenly white earplugs (for mp3 players) were really hip. But it wasn't the color, it was the advertisement.

We can not start a multi-million advertisement campaign. But we should not surf on some one else's campaign either.

That means our logo and splash will never have (and do not need) the coolness of a hugely advertised brand.
And I actually see that as a plus, a huge bonus.

Our logo stands for the value of the product itself.
Way better than representing the merely projected statement of a campaign.

[typo]

My opinion is that Lazarus could have a lot of logos, even a lot of names, or it could change often, but the soul of the project would not change.

Appearance is important, but the truth is that it is not our main matter, so it could change at every week in order to be updated or match the taste of some sponsor, for instance.

Lazarus could have a lot of faces to the user, he/she could choose it. The community could have fun creating faces to Lazarus.

[JuhaManninen]

Appearance is important, but the truth is that it is not our main matter, so it could change at every week in order to be updated or match the taste of some sponsor, for instance.

No. The appearance is part of a brand which is important even if the brand is not very well known due to advertising and other issues. Logos and images are an integral part of a brand.

Advertising companies that sponsor us would be a whole different thing. The advertisement would then use the sponsor's logo and other contents.