Thursday, June 18, 2015

Digital Dash - Some Visual Changes

Among the many things that I'm not, one is a graphic designer.  But even I can tell when something needs a bit of improvement.  When I first started this project I was more concerned about functionality than appearance, and even when I tried to take a stab at that, the results were...adequate (at best).

So, I've made a few changes that, I think, improve the look of the system.  You can see the results, below.  But even if these aren't dramatic improvements, they have the happy coincidence of reducing the number of external graphics used.  Now, there are only four:  the display background used for the readouts on the right side of the screen, the low mileage indicator (which is really just a red-tinted version of the display background), and the two vehicle logos.  Everything else has been replaced with native Tasker elements.  If I get ambitious (or bored) I may try to cut that down even further.

The screenshots, below, show the system connected to the Jag, with the snarling cat logo, which I haven't shown before.



This is the main screen.  The connection indicators, which had formerly been non-descript yellow dots, have been replaced with standard icons that better represent what each connection does.  I also made the track and artist information white.  It had been yellow before, which I had hoped would add a little color to the screen, but just ended up hampering readability and looking a little out of place.



The audio sources sub-panel is now cleaner, with text buttons and simple bars dividing them.



Likewise, the EQ sub-panel has been been given a simplifying makeover.  The "PowerAmp EQ" on the left is just a label.  At this point I don't see a real need to be able access the full EQ settings from here, but if I change my mind it'll be easy to make it a live button and add another dividing bar to the left.

Not huge changes, but I think they're an improvement,  And certainly easier to manage.

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