Hive 2 - GUI ReDesign Project 2023

[Lbdunequest]

Why post it tilted? Right now it looks cool but too dark, too high contrast (like all your skins btw).

[Ploki]

You can't animate much with current u-he scripting implementation, so don't try to design your skin around that

That's too bad. The one thing I'm missing most is some visual indication whether and how a parameter is modulated, directly on the knob / place where it happens, as some other synths do. But I assume there were limits to that, that's why you put a non-animated summary of the modulation matrix in the Izmo Hive 2 skin?

plugmon made Izmo
I made Swarm.
I agree yes.
Mouse-overs would also be nice. Subtle animation can do wonders for UX.

[Fannon]

Sorry that I got that mixed up. And agree

[Ploki]

re: this skin
one thing i do have to say, using more widely adopted abbreviations does wonders for clarity.
You don't save that much space from doing "SUB1" and "SUB2" and its much clearer than "Su1"

Also "Sub1 W" and "Sub2 W" instead of "Sub W1, Sub W2"

Lfo is generally "LFO" or "lfo" if you don't fancy capitalisation, since it's an acronym for Low Frequency Oscillator.
F-Tune = "fine"

K-Foll == Key, Follow, Track. Nobody uses K-Foll.
Bass-G, Bass-F is also unecessary.
Just type out dB and Hz in the beginning and "bass mid high" under each knob. Everyone will know what it is.

etc.

If you use abbreviations it makes sense to use the same as in the u-he parameter display or something that everybody understands from other synths.

[mi-os]

plugmon made Izmo

I had a look at the Izmo version with the effects tab visible. I like the idea to get away from the symmetry and ditching the hexagon. But at the same time don't think this is it. The main problem seems the grouping/separation isn't working as good as one would wish. Please don't get me wrong it's much easier to criticize than build something. GUI design is hard and i appreciate the efforts.

[Ploki]

plugmon made Izmo

I had a look at the version with the effects tab visible. I like the idea to get away from the symmetry and ditching the hexagon. But at the same time don't think this is it. The main problem seems the grouping/separation isn't working as good as one would wish. Please don't get me wrong it's much easier to criticize than build something. GUI design is hard and i appreciate the efforts.

You’re talking about swarm or izmo?

[mi-os]

plugmon made Izmo

I had a look at the version with the effects tab visible. I like the idea to get away from the symmetry and ditching the hexagon. But at the same time don't think this is it. The main problem seems the grouping/separation isn't working as good as one would wish. Please don't get me wrong it's much easier to criticize than build something. GUI design is hard and i appreciate the efforts.

You’re talking about swarm or izmo?

Izmo skin, this one: https://plugmon.jp/2021/03/hive-2-1-is- ... fficially/

[Ploki]

plugmon made Izmo

I had a look at the version with the effects tab visible. I like the idea to get away from the symmetry and ditching the hexagon. But at the same time don't think this is it. The main problem seems the grouping/separation isn't working as good as one would wish. Please don't get me wrong it's much easier to criticize than build something. GUI design is hard and i appreciate the efforts.

You’re talking about swarm or izmo?

This one: https://plugmon.jp/2021/03/hive-2-1-is- ... fficially/

that's plugmons.
I like his skins but never clicked with izmo either.
I made this one:
https://ploki.gumroad.com/l/swarm
it's also assymetric and no hexagon. but different approach.
Namely, i try to cram as much stuff into view as possible.

[mi-os]

plugmon made Izmo

I had a look at the version with the effects tab visible. I like the idea to get away from the symmetry and ditching the hexagon. But at the same time don't think this is it. The main problem seems the grouping/separation isn't working as good as one would wish. Please don't get me wrong it's much easier to criticize than build something. GUI design is hard and i appreciate the efforts.

You’re talking about swarm or izmo?

This one: https://plugmon.jp/2021/03/hive-2-1-is- ... fficially/

that's plugmons.
I like his skins but never clicked with izmo either.
I made this one:
https://ploki.gumroad.com/l/swarm
it's also assymetric and no hexagon. but different approach.
Namely, i try to cram as much stuff into view as possible.

Had a look at Swarm. Not bad. I think it goes in a general direction i'd probably go as well, although i can't say i'm in love with it. But i sure agree with certain aspects. Overall complexity is still a tad on the high side IMO. Thanks for sharing.

[THE INTRANCER]

re: this skin
one thing i do have to say, using more widely adopted abbreviations does wonders for clarity.
You don't save that much space from doing "SUB1" and "SUB2" and its much clearer than "Su1"

Also "Sub1 W" and "Sub2 W" instead of "Sub W1, Sub W2"

Lfo is generally "LFO" or "lfo" if you don't fancy capitalisation, since it's an acronym for Low Frequency Oscillator.
F-Tune = "fine"

K-Foll == Key, Follow, Track. Nobody uses K-Foll.
Bass-G, Bass-F is also unecessary.
Just type out dB and Hz in the beginning and "bass mid high" under each knob. Everyone will know what it is.

etc.

If you use abbreviations it makes sense to use the same as in the u-he parameter display or something that everybody understands from other synths.

I'm actually quite happy with the abbreviations and with them being unique from other synths. I've chosen to Bass-G ect, simply to make finding these elements easy to locate in the script and to differentiate them from the existing FX section of the synth which still remains. If I feel the need to abbreviate them further, I may do like you suggested, to save possible space, but otherwise, it follows in with the abbreviated language style of wording I've used in other areas around the synth. Anyone can look at the top display to find the full wording of the knob whilst using the synth if it's not clear to them.

[THE INTRANCER]

That's the right mindset. Anyone who takes that effort to learn a skin system, design and goes through the (really not small) effort to do something like this gets my props. Also, there's just no way to do something that everyone will like. And people who don't like something are usually the most vocal about it.

Yeah, prior Hive GUIs I've re-scripted have been entirely done at the scripting side of things, the difference is that for the first time I'm having to learn how the editor works on top of actually building a new GUI and being able to manage hundreds of overlying boxes within boxes for every element Hive contains whilst working out what the editor can and won't allow you to do and then having to switch back over to manual scripting, and that's before creating and editing existing graphics. Some aspects involve using 3D software to animate and render stuff out, so yeah, it's a highly involved and technical process when you want to get into the deep end of things.

[DJErmac]

Very, very surprising skin...
Please don’t take any offense from it, as I truly respect your way of seeing things (you like what you like, I like what I like, let’s be friends and talk about it in peace), but, even if it has a lot of qualities concerning colours choices, harmony in design, for some reason it looks kiddish and unprofessional to me. I think it’s this kind of overcontrast and crazy brightness that remind me of tweaked cars with neons and things that pass by you at night with stupid music playing so loud it’s unscrewing the whole thing. You see ? I’m not buying the "concept"...

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Very, very surprising skin...
Please don’t take any offense from it, as I truly respect your way of seeing things (you like what you like, I like what I like, let’s be friends and talk about it in peace), but, even if it has a lot of qualities concerning colours choices, harmony in design, for some reason it looks kiddish and unprofessional to me. I think it’s this kind of overcontrast and crazy brightness that remind me of tweaked cars with neons and things that pass by you at night with stupid music playing so loud it’s unscrewing the whole thing. You see ? I’m not buying the "concept"...

In general, that's been my take on many Intrancer skins. There's this video-game space ship cockpit aspect to the GUI's where you get these bight neon highlights often against near-black background elements. It's some weird kind of future-retro look (like an early-2000's concept for what the future might look like). But it's an aesthetic choice. He digs it. I don't. He's not interested in feedback around it.

That said, this skin is an improvement compared to others I've seen. One thing that sticks out looking at the screen print is that the small dark knobs could really benefit with more contrast and a better indicator as to what the current value is. That small white dot on an almost-black knob against a fully-black background just doesn't scream out to me, "I'm a knob and my value is important".

[Lbdunequest]

THE INTRANCER why all of your guis so dark? i have a gut feeling that you have not well calibrated display monitor, because the contrast and brightness is horrible on mobile phone, display monitor and my tv and only with your skins.

[synaesthesia]

that's plugmons.
I like his skins but never clicked with izmo either.
I made this one:
https://ploki.gumroad.com/l/swarm
it's also assymetric and no hexagon. but different approach.
Namely, i try to cram as much stuff into view as possible.

I've just come across your skin for ACE, which looks great. As someone whose head gets utterly befuddled by the presence of cables on softsynth GUIs, ths might fix ACE for me!