Screen settings for 4.5?

[kwshaw1]

I just launched Edius 4.5 for the first time and don't like some aspects of the color scheme and fonts compared to earlier versions. What "look and feel" settings are some of you using if not the defaults?

[SRsupport]

This is the color scheme we use.
In the desktop the layout is adjusted to dual screen but the color scheme stay the same.

[Rusty]

Kevin,
Only now getting to 4.5x? I'm surprised!

Once you get over the color schemes and icons, there's tons to like!
In the past couple of weeks I've begun using colored clips in the bins to identify project segments. I reserve red for problems and often use them (red clips) as dummy timeline markers for areas that require attention. Like an arrow pointing saying "Fix this!"

[kwshaw1]

Okay, basic question: are there other aspects of the new look and feel I can control besides the "Window Color", and if so where else should I look for the settings options?

[GrassValley_BH]

There are UI things scattered throughout the Application Settings, though most are in the Customize section.

[kwshaw1]

There are UI things scattered throughout the Application Settings, though most are in the Customize section.

Is there anywhere I can change the default text color? White text on a grey background isn't working real well for me... :-(

[GrassValley_BH]

Can't change individual colors, just tint right now.

[plasma_video]

I know this should go into the suggestions hopper in another location, but since the thread has been started, I would like to call on software developers - especially my dear friends at Canopus/GV - to think about those of us who have aging eyes with things like glaucoma, macular degeneration, floaters and cataracts all coming at the same time.

Slightly light gray text on slightly dark gray backgrounds are impossible to decipher, as small changes in contrast don't register well. Some color schemes tend to work much better for me, including the traditional black on white, but as time spent at the computer goes on throughout the day, I find it very valuable to be able to change color schemes to avoid eye fatigue as well.

I'm not sure who started the mandate to mimic Avid color schemes for a lot of video related UI, but I absolutely cannot work at an Avid, as the their slightly dark gray on light gray is impossible for me to read.

It's getting hard enough to judge video quality, although I've gotten pretty good about compensating for the eyesight problems. I don't need to compound the problem by not being able to decipher the interface.

I installed 4.52 this morning and had the same reaction to the scheme. I almost uninstalled it and went back to the old version, but I'm going to give it a shot.

Please consider additional tweakablity in future releases.

I'm not just picking on you guys - I have the same problems with not only software but also with whoever decided slightly light gray on dark grey was a wonderful idea for remote controls and front panels of VCRs and DVD players. Also the same applies to street signs with white letters on light green backgrounds.

Thanks for listening.

Tom

[chuckstar]

Edius colors.

I couldn't agree more with Tom. I suffer from all the same sight problems and I wish the developers were more considerate of us old timers. Some day, they too will realize what we have to go through. I had been going to upgrade to Edius 4.5, but after reading this thread, I won't!

[GrassValley_KH]

It's a tricky issue to address, since the purpose of the facelift was that EDIUS was required to be pulled into line with all the other Industrial Design work on our entire Grass Valley line of products and solutions.

So in a sense, changing EDIUS would imply a change needed to be made to virtually everything else. That said, nothing is impossible.

[plasma_video]

Hi Kennealy,

I'm not suggesting a total facelift - just the ability to add some additional tweaks. I don't mind the overall look, but it would be nice to change more in the color scheme. It would probably only take a few lines of code to accomplish that. I usually put color change buttons in Access databases I used to write so that a user could easily tweak the color schemes for more or less contrast.

At the station, our GV NewsEdit software has a more traditional look - perhaps the newer releases are more like EDIUS, I haven't seen them - and they are so easy to read and work with (without the features of Edius, of course).

Anyway, thanks for listening. I'm sure we video editors who have multiple eye problems are in the minority. Mine just snowballed recently.

T

[Fred Dwyer]

Tom:
While they don't give you the level of control which would best suit your needs, you can increase the text/background contrast quite a bit. Go to Settings>Application Settings>Customize>Window Color, and slide the R, G, B, sliders all the way to the left (-32). It dakens the background significantly without changing the near-white text. I hadn't done this until reading your note, but I think it'll be the new look for all of my work.

[SRsupport]

That is what I use and I only wish I could make it a bit darker.

[plasma_video]

Thanks Fred. I had found that, but the range of adjustments needs to be a little wider for me. I'm not quite sure what else would help.

One thing that has tremendously helped overall is getting new glasses with newer Varilux lens technology and that have a superior glare reduction coating on both sides of the lens. This cuts the harshness of the monitor down while improving the perceived acuity.

Well, I'm going to give the new features and interface a serious going over in the next several days.

Cheers, all!

Tom

[kwshaw1]

It's a tricky issue to address, since the purpose of the facelift was that EDIUS was required to be pulled into line with all the other Industrial Design work on our entire Grass Valley line of products and solutions.

Here's an idea: bring the GV industrial design into line with what customers want, and the traditional wisdom that dark text on a light background works best. If whoever's currently in charge of the design doesn't want to do that, assign them to something else - like rearranging the deck chairs. :-)

P.S. I've found that darkening the "window color" to a darker grey helps the light text stand out better.