Solidstate. A Kaleidoscope Color Scheme for MacOS:

This scheme has been designed to reflect a ﾔModern Aestheticﾕ so as to blend in with Modern Life. All artwork is original and is of my own makingﾑMichael Hernan.
 

What's new for 'Solidstate':
Solidstate is ﾔStage Threeﾕ in my ongoing ﾔUser Interfaceﾕ development program.
Asymmetric scroll buttons are maintained (so button action is visible behind pointer).
Solidstate supports ﾔDarkscaleﾕ active windows which compliment the general grayscale appearance.
 

Other Cool Stuff/Special attention:
･The ﾔControl Panelsﾕ Icon is designed for maximum visibility when highlighted in the Apple Menu!
･The ﾔTranslucent Boxﾕ Trash/Wastebasket appears ﾔSolidﾕ when filled up!
･The Hard Disk Icon is based on the Akia MicroBook PowerPC Computer with a FLCD screen!
･Techno Windowshade!
･ﾔgnnnﾕ System Alert Sound!
･A desktop pattern is included with the scheme which can be used in addition to those already given with the Desktop Pictures (MacOS8) or Desktop Pattern System Control Panels.
 

Virtual Materials used in manufacture of Solidstate:

･Titanium alloy is used for ﾔDarkscaleﾕ Framework.
･Translucent Pollyfilm is used to separate the space between active and non active elements.
･A ﾔspecial mixﾕ of concrete has been used for all surface areas.
･Prefabricated Concrete as specified by architectﾑTado Ando is used as reference for the ﾔView Largeﾕ containers (folders).

Container Styles:
･1/ ﾔStandardﾕ blue container (folder).
･2/ ﾔUtility Orangeﾕ container. (MacOS8 Assistants Folder at ﾔView Smallﾕ remains grey for continuation with its contents).
･3/ ﾔSystemﾕ container. These use the MacOS French Blue Light/Dark combination and a chip-like appearance (at View Large) to show their ﾔsystemﾕ affiliation.  

Solidstate has been designed to enhance the MacOS user experience. I hope you find this color scheme productive and beneficial. Send reports/evaluations to...

Michael Hernan
hernan@zoo.co.uk
 

Installation:
For this color scheme to work, please put the 'Solidstate' scheme into the 'Kaleidoscope Color Schemes' folder, which you should find in the 'Extensions' folder on your computer. You can download and discover more about Kaleidoscope from http://www.kaleidoscope.net
Other schemes designed by Michael Hernan can be downloaded from http://www.kaleidoscope.net/schemes/authors/michaelhernan.html

Notes:

Solidstate is compatible with MacOS8

This colours scheme is best viewed with the ﾔSystemﾕ font Charcoal/Veritas 12 with Espi Sans 10pt/Geneva 10pt/Osaka Regular 10pt used for ﾔFont for viewsﾕ.

I suggest setting 'Colorize Finder Windows' option to: HTML#CCCCCC or
Red: 80; Green: 80; Blue: 80.

Special thanks to gw for the support!
 

Version History:
Solidstate: Initial release October 1997
 

Why?:

Scroll Bar Action:
Actual color is used as a semiotic* metaphor to describe the direction of scroll bar action. Pressing 'Up' and 'Left' buttons reveal Blue, used to represent 'Sky' and 'Sea' respectively. Pressing 'Down' and 'Right' shows Terracotta (Terra meaning Earth), here used to represent 'Earth' and 'Land'.

*Semioticﾑdescribing something by use of an abstract example, like a symbol or sign.

Widgets:
The widgets at the top of the Active Window slightly decrease in size from left to right in a kind of visual 3-2-1 series. This is for both Gestalt and Aesthetic reasons. One aspect of doing this makes each widget individual and so reduces the need to have additional embellishments describing what it does. The 'Close Window' widget lines up with the 'grab bars' in Netscape Navigator 4.03x and Internet Explorer 3.01x. The 'Maximise Window' widget lines up with the left of the scroll bar.

Legal:

Solidstateﾑas a name for a color scheme and its general appearance ｩ1997 Michael Hernan.
Proportional Widgets ｩ1997 Michael Hernan.
Parts ｩ1997 Frederick J. Bass and Gregory D. Landweber.

Solidstate is Freeware.

Michael Hernan
hernan@zoo.co.uk