How to make gradients for XaAES
Date de publication : 26 déc. 2014 22:20:41
Building gradients for XaAES is not as complicated as it seems and can be quite fun indeed. But as it has not been documented so far, almost no one has build new ones. I hope that this documentation will help and inspire people to create new gradients.
First read carefully the readme.txt to install xgt package.
Try to build an already made gradient source to check that the make process is ok.
Then open the source of a gradient in a text editor.
You will see first the description of the standard window gradients, then of the Alert box and finally of List / Menu / Popup / Button / Box.
Each gradient used for each GEM interface object is described into structures.
struct xa_gradient object_name =
{
(unsigned long)OBJECT_NAME,
v_mask, h_mask,
Height, Width
method, n_steps, {step_position,0},
{{R,G,B},{R,G,B},{R,G,B}},
};
OBJECT_NAME
Name of the GEM object with the following convention :
If the object name starts with OTOP or UTOP, it's related to Standard windows.
If it starts with :
ALERT Alert box
SLIST Scroll list (file selector for ex )
MENU Menu bar
SEL_TITLE Menu selected state
SEL_POPENT Popup selected state
INDBUTT Generic button
ACTBUTT Default active button
POPBKG Popup background
BOX Box background : standard
BOX_GRADIENT2 Box background 2 : big boxes
TEXT Text input area background
Then each objet can have several qualifiers :
OTOP Topped object
UTOP Untopped object
VSLIDE / HSLIDE Sliding area object in windows or list
VSLIDER / HSLIDER Slider object in windows or list
TITLE Title bar in windows or list
INFO Info bar under the title bar
GREY Background of the window / box, Scroll arrow
ex :
otop_hslider_gradient : topped standard window horizontal slider
slist_otop_hslider_gradient : topped scroll list horizontal slider
utop_title_gradient : untopped standard window title bar
alert_utop_title_gradient : untopped alert box title bar.
V_MASK, H_MASK
Type of mask of the object :
-1, 0, : Vertical object
0, -1, : Horizontal object
-1, -1, : Surface object
HEIGHT, WIDTH
Height and Width of the object in pixel
0, 0 for surface object.
METHOD
0 : vertical gradient
1 : horizontal gradient
2 : diagonal gradient
3 : vertical gradient with one step
4 : horizontal gradient with one step
N_STEPS
-1 : No gradient or plain color
0 : 2 colors gradient : top to bottom / left to right
1 : 3 colors gradient : top to midle to bottom / left to midle to right
>1 does not work
STEP_POSITION
{0} : no step
Positive value : number of pixels from the top or the left where start the 2nd color.
ex : {9,0} start @9 pixels from the top / left
Negative value : % of the size of the object where start the 2nd color
ex : {-50,0} start @ 50% of the shape.
Useful for surface objects that have no predefine size.
RGB VALUES
Red, Green and Blue triplets from 0 to 1000
First triplet discribe the top /left of the gradient, last the bottom / right.
Plain color : {{500,500,500}}
2 colors gradient : {{500,500,500},{800,800,800}}
3 colors gradient : {{500,500,500},{700,700,700},{800,800,800}}
Due to GEM shading, starting with the light color at top /left will give a kind of 3D rounded appearance. Starting with a dark color at top /left will give a flat appearance.
TIPS
Modify the source of an already existing gradient, supplied with xgt package in order to avoid missing objects.
Comments are put between /* */
Enjoy and build plenty new gradients !!!
