Jun Tangunan

My 8 classes, A new everything….

Those who have read my latest blogs on my SS Classes are now familiar with what I am toying with these days.  I really found it good myself in terms of making it possible to turn my form’s appearance into a web-like look and so I continued working on those.  In this write up, you will see later some styles or looks that I really think you haven’t seen before because I have tried my best to be “original” this time.  So you will be seeing original appearances of most objects, AFAIK, not shown yet in a web page by other artists.

But first, allow me to briefly run you with what is new with my classes:

Previously Published:

SSTBNextGen    –    56 new different appearances.  I discarded the Ubuntu Series on my end which is part of the free edition as I wanted to create a totally new look for the bar.

SSButton         –    49 new different appearances.  I likewise discarded the series I included in the free edition on my side.

SSCal                –    new versions 2.0 & 2.01, a total of 32 different appearances (combining both versions and inner and front cover).  Added a 3^rd parameter so SSCAL can start on cover or inner calendar (like MonthView).

SSDTPicker       –    new versions 2.0 &  2.01, also total of 32 different looks.  Added 3^rd parameter for autohide, meaning when it is set to .T. popup calendar will autohide when focus is given to another object on the form.  I made .T. the default value.

Switchbox        –    Still only have 5 themes but I have replaced themes 1 to 3 on my end with another.

Unpublished (new classes):

SSConfiner       –    created after SSButton is posted, is designed to make objects appear “confined”.  SSConfiner is designed to use the button themes so it has 49 possible looks as well.

SSPage             –    is actually the latest among my classes as I have done this only on the 4^th day of January this year.  This class is designed to replace the pageframe tabs.  With 7 colors.

SSSupport       –    followed after SSConfiner, can be considered as the library of the 7 classes as this handles all the image requirements of the 7 classes.

Whereas before there is the need to add the images that come along with my classes to the project itself, with SSSupport class you don’t need to do it anymore.   If you are using some or most of my classes and is attaching the images in the project itself, using this class will reduce your exe size by 64% (tested on my end) when all images essential to my classes are removed.

In addition to that, this class will now also enable you to see the images even when forms are run inside the VFP environment as opposed to not having SSSupport class which makes it impossible for you to see the proper images until you compiled your project into exe.

Versions?

There are now two versions of my classes: 

1.       Free Version - the previously released classes which I emailed straight to the requestee and later posted in Foxite Download section and in CoderIsland VFP Forum.   Those remain to be free and are available without whatsoever constraint from me.  Meaning, use it, enhance it, or do whatever you please with it if you think it will help beautify further your apps.

2.       Per Subscription – These enhanced classes with new themes and designs is on a per subscription scheme of USD 25.   

Really, What is New?

Sleeker, cleaner and prettier designs than before.  I have spent a lot of time perfecting a certain image to my taste; which some of you say is good.  Please see for yourselves, here are 2 images of simple skinned forms: meaning all buttons using the same theme, title bars using another, etc; but all on a certain color.

These images are not in their actual appearances yet as I used jpeg format to favor uploading and display speed for those images.

Above images are likewise resized so it can fit this screen properly.  I have shown above how a themed forms and objects may look like using my classes because in my testing of the color combinations plus various themes here, I have employed skinning (using OptionSwitch) for me to be able to see outright the harmony between my classes’ appearance.  In that way I can readily make adjustments on the images if needed (which I have done every now and then).

But that does not necessarily mean you have to do it also on your end when you have my latest classes’ versions.  You will find out that combining different colors and themes will likewise produce a very nice output, showing various themes and color variations in a single form (actual size):

Keep in mind that I have at most 7 colors and 7 themes.  That alone is 49 possible different appearances which you have complete control.  And since I am giving complete control on fonts like colors, bolding, font name, sizes, italic, and underline; a single object like ssbutton can have different appearances on a single color on a single theme.   And having said, showing all those other variations is not possible as this blog will not be sufficient to accommodate those. 

3 New Classes Brief Explanation:

Because I have not introduced properly SSConfiner, I will briefly point out the differences above which might not be that evident as you are taking in a lot of new images right now:

1.       On Calendars - have double lines, inner border has a color, plain border

2.       On Buttons – single 3D lines, no inside color

3.       On Pageframes – single plain lines, inside color

4.       On Switchboxes – single plain lines, inside color, with shadow

Of course, colors and themes used by SSConfiner’s title bar background can vary, font settings likewise can vary.  Here is how to use it:

Whereas:

* RGB(236,233,216) is the default backcolor of a form

For whatever reason you don’t want to use a theme for SSConfiner’s Title Bar, then simply change nTheme into 0 or leave it empty.

Whereas:

Like most of the SS Classes, you can drag the width and height of SSPage and it will be resized properly. 

There is nothing to learn on SSSupport.  All you need to do is drag that into your main form and that is it.

Subscription Fee:

Is a subscription fee of USD 25 that much?  I honestly don’t believe so considering I am giving everything here and not on a per-class subscription.  I am not giving just one, two, ten, twenty designs; I am giving an average of 49 designs. 

In order for me to arrive at even just a single theme and color, it took me a lot of hard work, both as an artist and a developer.  Not to mention that I spent most of my “holiday” period working on those to give interested users the power of enhancing their project’s looks.   Let us take into example SSCal v2.01 front cover.  For me to arrive at this beautiful skin:

Would you believe that that single image alone took me 26 layers of various objects with different effects, styles and combinations?  That does not include the fonts you are seeing on its face.  That also does not include other layers I have made before, modified and discarded later on that single image.  That goes as well with the inner calendar and on a lot of themes for every object I made before and eventually totally discarded later in favor of better ones.  Believe me; I have created a lot of styles for SSButton and SSTBNextGen alone where later I unhesitatingly discarded those in favor of replacing it with better ones.   

After I am satisfied with a combination for a single image; I still have to create 6 more colors for that to complement the color schemes I have made for the classes. 

Mixing colors I thought before is just easy, which is true, if you will be making a new single design.  But creating 7 color variances of a single design while retaining the balances of a theme, I found out, is not so.  From the base color of blue, turning it into let us say yellow will produce a very dark or light yellow which hurts the eyes and does not go well in harmony with other classes’ themes.  In addition to designs I made and discarded, I have to remix colors every now and then as the appearance of what my LCD monitor gives me is slightly but noticeably different when seen on my notebook.  When I tested those on a CRT monitor, it likewise shows shadings and mixes on a different level.  So as I have said, I have done color remixing and applied different tricks over and over again until I got satisfied.

Modifications and designing may be easier if I am an expert with Photoshop, but no I am just a fairly novice in using it.  All I have, as some of you say, is a good eye for beauty plus patience in doing it.

I have been struggling on my decision to give those for free again or to ask for that subscription fee but finally I decided for the latter.  Any proceeds out of that, I plan to use anyway in supporting me on learning new languages like .Net or Web Developing.  And so I would like to think of that USD 25 subscription fee as a support to me, not payment.  If I will have enough, I plan to purchase a server so I can host my own site in the future.  Why, if I can do that on VFP, what is keeping me later from doing that also in .Net or other languages I maybe will be into in the near future as well?  And maybe by that time I can make better ones, not just in terms of GUI but on how my classes work and interact.

Package:

So to anyone interested in subscribing these enhanced classes plus the new ones, just email me at ss.classes.jun@gmail.com.  The package will include the following:

1.       Switchbox enhanced

2.       SSCal ver 2.0 and 2.01

3.       SSDTPicker ver 2.0 and 2.01

4.       SSTBNextGen enhanced

5.       SSButton enhanced

6.       SSPage (new)

7.       SSConfiner (new)

8.       SSSupport (new)

9.       A sample small project showing the use of those and how skinning can be implemented on your end, and some more tricks I do.

ALL using 100% Native VFP commands and functions, meaning it will not require any registration like what ActiveX needs and will not need any other files aside from those 8 classes (actually all will be in a single main class named _SSClasses).

Afterword:

Although it seems I am selling my classes, in reality what I am selling here are the designs I made myself on my end.  The classes are just instrumental in bringing those to life because without those my images are half useless.  Problem though is I cannot give the 3 new classes (SSConfiner, SSPage and SSSupport) as they are tied with the latest designs.  Also, the whole 8 classes now complement each other.

Right now they are tested running on WindowsXP without a problem.  I will have to test later how it will fare with Vista and Windows7 but I am not expecting any problem on those as I tried to confine everything to reduce compatibility issues.  Plus since it is 100% native VFP and I have used common commands and functions, then I really don’t expect any problem with OS and VFP versions.  Here again is the combination form, now running under VFP 7:

As you can see, it does not affect the images of my classes.  What it affects though is the appearance of the native objects like the optiongroup and the pageframe.

If you will be subscribing for these new classes, I am saying in advance….  Say hello to a revolutionized ala Web-Like look for your projects.

Update January 16, 2010:

 I got a better connection today so I will be showing here a real sized image of the forms and SS objects.