a colour scheme created for Kaleidoscope 1.5 and up, use 1.7.3 for best results
by scot lewis
<URL:mailto:the_fly@islandnet.com>
<URL:http://www.islandnet.com/~the_fly/kal/>
introduction
Ephemerol is a colour scheme created as a plug-in for the popular Kaleidoscope Mac OS human interface alteration device by Greg Landweber (greg@math.harvard.edu) and company.
If you donﾕt have the Kaleidoscope control panel installed, download the package from the Kaleidoscope Website <URL:http://www.kaleidoscope.net> or from your local info-mac mirror. When you have Kaleidoscope installed, drop the Ephemerol colour scheme file into the ﾔKaleidoscope Color Schemesﾕ folder in the ﾔExtensionsﾕ folder of your ﾔSystem Folder,ﾕ open the Kaleidoscope control panel, and select the Ephemerol scheme.
fees and retributions
Ephemerol is Freeware, share and enjoy! Though, an email would be nice.
design rationale
Ephemerol is my rendition of the current Apple human interface, based on the well-known Platinum, n仔 Apple Grayscale, n仔 Aaron window style. Ephemerol draws more from my own graphic design preferences and common sense than Aaron/Apple Grayscale does.
Where Apple Grayscale is an excruciatingly exacting rendition of Appleﾕs Platinum Theme, Ephemerol throws what Apple wants out the window round back with the ferns and forgets it, making something I like and can plug.
Ephemerol was inspired by the my initial observation that Windows 95ﾕs slab-style windows were ﾔReally cool!ﾕ, despite the fact that the OS is rotten from the reversed-engineered-CP/M up. I took all the bits I liked and could implement from NeXTstep/OPENSTEP, the BeOS, OS/2, and a couple others, and threw it all into Aaron, stealing shamelessly from other good schemes when the desire arose, which didnﾕt happen all that often.
However, over time, the look of Ephemerol has changed from Aaron (which has since been superseded by Apple Grayscale or Macｪ OS 8) considerably. Much of the first version has been left behind, and it is getting more and more difficult to pinpoint where the various parts of Ephemerol were inspired by. The grow boxes excluded of course.
suggested use
The gospel for using Ephemerol is to use greys, not colours, when in 16 levels and below, unless you prefer blue windows and scrolls of course. I prefer to use Ephemerol with the classic Chicago 12 as the System Font, and Geneva 9 (the one found in older systems, namely System 0.97, rather than the newer version found in System 5 and on) as the Finder Font. It is included in this package as ﾔGeneva Classic.ﾕ An 87.5% grey is all I would ever colour my windows with. I once used a plain, 2D, Mac II vintage grey as my desktop pattern but since I rarely use CRTﾕs anymore, I now tend to use tne more LCD-friendly 3D beige or the lovely greyscale ﾔfibers,ﾕ depending on which System Iﾕm running.
notes on naming
The name is taken from David Cronenbergﾕs film Scanners. I have no connection with Mr. Cronenberg (other than a signed poster of Crash hanging on my wall. But then I won that on Showcase ﾑ My weﾕre getting off track, I mean weﾕre into Canadian TV channels for smegﾕs sake).
credit where credit is due:
･ One or two of Ephemerolﾕs resources got their origins, along with huge swaths of this readMe file, with Lloyd Wood.
･ Ephemerol would not be possible without Quentin Hillﾕs KfI.
･ Windows 95, Bauhaus Stark, BeBox, and Mondrian are all Scheme I use when not using Ephemerol, though those are usually exceptionally sporadic, extremely short periods of time.
notes on culpability
Blame me, not Greg. Though itﾕs probably not my fault.
feedback
Unlike Platinum, the design of Ephemerol is not set in stone by Apple. Your comments and suggested improvements are always considered.
distribution and legal information
Distribution of Ephemerol without this accompanying ﾔAbout Ephemerolﾕ readme is prohibited. Modification of this colour scheme and distribution of modified schemes under the name of Ephemerol is prohibited.
Ephemerol is freeware, but is copyright and is not in the public domain. Permission is granted to include Ephemerol on CD-ROMs and other media sold as goods, provided that Scott Lewis, the author, is notified. This includes cover disks and cover CD-ROMs supplied with computer magazines.
revision history
2.3 ﾑ Reworked 1- and 4-bit graphics, fixed 2-bit menu problem, miscellaneous other changes.
2.2.1 ﾑ fixed a colour mis-match in the menus and a non-alignment in disabled buttons and rings
2.2 ﾑ complete pixel-level redrawing of all elements, gradients brought in, 3D background windows, tweaked buttons and pop-up menus, tweaked checkboxes, new classic checkboxes, new windowshade widget, return to the classic Apple Menu icon, new nameplate.
2.1 ﾑ complete pixel-level rework!
2.0.1 ﾑ fixed the popUp menus
2.0 ﾑ upgraded to K1.5 format, new checkboxes and radio buttons, tweaked popUp menus, new grow box, and (finally!) a nice looking nameplate.
1.4 ﾑ perfected the menus & tweaked the buttons. Unfortunately different coloured menus were custom ordered
1.3 ﾑ non-release version that brought about flat buttons and the beginnings of the new menus
1.2.1 ﾑ fixed menu dividers, tweaked the alert icons, and dropped the Apple Menu Icon
1.2 ﾑ further tweaking of the icons, yet another nameplate, softened the titlebar and scroll buttons, and added accent colour support in thumbs
1.1 ﾑ tweaked the representative icons, replaced the logo, and brought the windoids into the fold
1.0 ﾑ wide open, all-points-bulletin release, with cred to Lloyd and repaired close, zoom, and windowshade boxes.
