James_Littler | # 1 | 2010-10-05, 12:52 | Report

When you select an item from the menu, the icon is given a little outer glow to indicate that it's in its pressed state.

Is it possible to use these highlights on the desktop?

Currently I have my icon background and icon pressed state background disabled (for aesthetic reasons) but would love to have this outer glow as the pressed state.

Anyone know if this is possible?

Mat2k10 | # 2 | 2010-10-05, 12:57 | Report

Great idea!...

I also have app button backgrounds disabled and would love to have this feature.

Not much good at this type of thing myself but will ask around.

James_Littler | # 3 | 2010-10-05, 14:26 | Report

Just looked through...well...everywhere really, via winscp and I can find no reference of any pngs which would make up the outer glows.

So my conclusion is that the outer glow is generated on the fly from the alpha channel of the icon png.it's self.

Therefore, it should be possible to implement this functionality anywhere on the phone, providing that the source of the original code (hildon-desktop?) isn't closed.

This is a bit too indepth for me...a lowly web dev, so I'm gonna have to leave this up to the real linux bods.

Mat2k10 | # 4 | 2010-10-05, 15:04 | Report

Yeah... out of my depth too unfortunately.

Your theory sounds about right to me. Hildon is (I think) for the most part, open sourced with the exception of some stock widgets etc.

I will use filebox and have thorough dig through the registry to see if can find anything myself.

Our best bet is probably to ask some of the theming wizards on here.

d-iivil | # 5 | 2010-10-05, 15:26 | Report

It would require hacking the hildon-home. Not impossible, but out of my league aswell.

Mat2k10 | # 6 | 2010-10-06, 12:38 | Report

Okay so i think i have found a way to do this that doesnt require hacking hildon-home. It comes with a slight compromise but should give the desired effect.

To my knowledge the ApplicationShortcutAppletPressed.png is still displayed when pressed even when when application shortcuts are dissabled using D-IiviI's plastic setup or theme customiser. So it should just be a case of replaceing the png located in /usr/share/themes/*your theme*/images/ApplicationShortcutAppletPressed.png with an alternative one to give it the highlighted effect.

I cant find the png used to highlight menu icons anywhere so cant simply edit that one to size. Im not too shabby with photoshop so will knock one together when i get a moment and test it out.

The compromise.... well after testing theme customizers widget opacity option i discovered that the current version also reduces opacity of application shortcuts when opacity is lowered so we wouldnt be able to have clear stock widgets im affraid.

Also the ApplicationShortcutAppletPressed.png would have to be repeatedly overwritten by our modded one every time our current theme is updated.

CepiPerez | # 7 | 2010-10-08, 05:09 | Report

If ApplicationShortcutAppletPressed.png still showing you can ask D-Iivil to disable it.
Anyways, hildon-desktop manages the app menu and it uses the glow effect in menu icons and there's no image for this. Desktop shortcuts are managed by hildon-home.
I think it can be done.
I was working with both sources, let me see what I can do tomorow.

Mat2k10 | # 8 | 2010-10-11, 18:39 | Report

Thank you CepiPerez any help with this would be very much appreciated.

I assumed there was no image used for the glow effect just as you stated.

I just thought if it meant hacking hildon-home was the only way to achieve this then the only hope for a noob like me would be to to replace ApplicationShortcutAppletPressed.png with an image that resembled a glow to provide a similar effect.

Though i have tested and it obviously doesnt have the animation of the menu glow effect and doesnt look very impressive either so still hoping a linux/maemo guru such as yourself might be able to help.

Looking forward to hearing of any development on this.