Please wash popcorn butter grease off your hands before touching the new controller bar.
It’s one thing that’s been bothering me for a long, long time but I never thought about replacing it until today. What I didn’t like about current controller graphic for QuickTime plugin typically found in internet browser apps is blurry and bloated old Aqua design from Mac OS X 10.0. New one is more lightweight with similar feeling of latest OS X apps such as Mail.app and Aperture.
Installation: Open
System / Library / QuickTime / QuickTimeComponents.component. Right-click and select Show Package Contents. Contents / Resources and replace QuickTimeComponents.rsrcIMPORTANT: If it damaged your computer or operating system somehow, please direct all your wall-punching angerness to my face through the internet tubes. No really, please backup ‘QuickTimeComponents.rsrc’ before replacing the file.
By the way, can anyone guess which foreign TV commercial is shown in comparison screenshot above? Not much to look at but grass color and road should be good enough for anyone who’ve seen the commercial ;) One of my most favorite TV commercial.
thxs alot! I also didn’t like it
It looks like the one where the car is driving on a peaceful, well-lit road, which the camera pans to follow, which then enters a forested area out of our sight while the camera continues to pan, and when the camera pans to where the car should be coming out, it doesn’t…and then a zombie pops up in front of the frame and scares the bejeebus out of you.
But for the life of me I can’t remember what it’s advertising.
One suggestion: Darken the icons on the controller buttons.
In my plus/minus images, I use black with 60% alpha. Looks just right on Aqua small-square buttons.
Peter, done. You can redownload the file.
nougatmachine you got that right :) It’s from Kaffee Coffee and I’ve uploaded the commercial to my server if anyone want to see:
http://homepage.mac.com/adambetts/...
Snazzy.
Wow, these are nice. A whole new interface for the Mac. Going to use it soon.
…shocking commercial…:P
QuickTime called….they are very happy with the new outfit.
Very nice! How did you create/edit the rsrc file?
Very nice! Thanks.
I’ve got an heart-ache. Damned commercial
Damn, I really wanted this but I can’t find the QuickTimeComponents.component file. It’s nowhere to be found – anyone got a suggestion?
I’m no fan of the huge, glassy bubbles of the original Aqua look, but this design is a bit too subtle, and doesn’t really work for me. I tried it out, and immediately restored the original controls. The new controls have poor contrast and are quite a bit harder to see, and the playback indicator is smaller and harder to grab. These replacements would work a lot better with black rather than softened grays (and incidentally I’m having the same problem with the text in this form as well; the whole thing looks grayed out as if it was disabled, and is hard to read). Can’t say I like the new drop-down menu button either. The “action” icon is just too tiny, and the little arrow is even smaller. The original, large arrow worked better.
As a side note, I recently noticed that iTunes still has some of the old glass buttons in the smart playlist editing window. Oops!
Jason, I appreciated the feedback but honestly they’re the way I intended them to be: lightweight and subtle. When I watch a movie, I want controller to be the least bothersome. You can see similar contrast setting in Mail.app, bottom of sidebar or any other latest Apple softwares.
I would love to know your monitor/LCD brightness/contrast setting and display profile (in Display System Preferences) so I can see how you look at them differently (about them looking disabled.)
I avoided large arrow for drop-down menu mainly because there are already too many arrows and it should be reduced so you can focus on three primary buttons: play, rewind and forward.
But I’ve made alternate version for people who prefer black controls:
http://artofadambetts.com/files/th...
I think these look very nice, modern and “pro”. I don’t actively think much about the bits of OS X that have remaind mostly unchanged since 10.0 untill I see something like this. Actually, although it’s very subtle, I think a whole theme based on this would look amazing and probably be the most useable one out there (next to default Aqua).
Thanks Adam. I definitely like the black ones better (though I’m still sticking with the defaults). I’m still not crazy about the tiny action menu icon; I think it would look better if it was just the “cog” by itself without the drop-down arrow. I realize that would be inconsistent with the way that same symbol is used elsewhere. It’s just that it’s such a tiny space.
I’m using a PowerBook G4 (Oct 2005 model) at its native resolution (1440×960), with brightness at max. The controls probably look better on a larger display with better brightness, but that’s one of the big challenges of UI design, isn’t it — making it work well on all displays instead of designing for a specific one. While I can certainly agree that your new controls look nicer and more modern, I feel they are a step backwards in usability. The balance between form and function has tipped a little too far in the direction of aesthetic appeal.
Obviously you have your reasons for the design and I don’t doubt that they look great to you, on whatever display you’re using.
For what it’s worth, I have a much harder time seeing the text in this comment form than your QT controls.
Owesome work.
I like it.
I didn’t know that I needed something like this theme, but once i saw it i knew it should look that way. Thanks for your work.
thank you adam,
i really love the ‘new’ interface made by your component!
thanks a lot!
paolo
Now if you could just put a “Fullscreen” button on there we’d be in business!
I know its not as simple as that, but the QT plugin is seriously garbage. I don’t know how those of you with the 30″ displays manage to stare at postage stamp video… Fullscreen video is such a no-brainer it’s not even funny. Sure Apple wants you to pony up to QT Pro, but if you do at least they should let you fullscreen the plugin!
Agreed, it’s definitely a no-brainer so I’m not sure what’s going on with QT team. Quicktime app got a nice makeover treatment a while ago, why not QT Plugin too.
Fullscreen option with CoreAnimation for smooth zoom to full screen would be so neat.
can anyone guess which foreign TV commercial is shown…
“Foreign” in relation to what nationality, dare I ask.
I’m guessing it’s from Germany.
Hello,
I just installed this and I have noticed that it doesn’t look as good as in the screenshot. Could it just be my Mac? Below is a link to and image the illustrates the difference. Essentially the borders don’t quite look right.
http://filebahn.com//files/354/QTC...
Thanks
I’m the same with Niclas, I can’t find the component file, found the folder but doesn’t contain it… Would love to try, looks great.
I can’t find QuickTimeComponents.component in Library – Quicktime. Here’s what I have there – http://rasz.edu.pl/~neo/qt.png
This modification is perfect! A much needed overhaul for the QT controller. I especially like the rectangle inside the playback area.
im am a recent reader to you blog and just had to try this out, its great i love it, apple really should be updating the UI for the next big reease of quicktime as they have had this one for quiet some time now and i thnik everybody is just getting a little sick of aqua right now (hence wht i use UNO)
Anyways great blog
Couldn’t find the component. Do you know why?
I found it. Weird. I even did a search before and I couldn’t find it.
My suggestion would be to give the volume slider a cosmetic upgrade as well. Especially since currently I’m sporting the graphite theme for system appearance, yet the volume slider is now blue instead of graphite or the glossy white of old.
I am with Jay… I cannot find that .component file anywhere on the system. Any tips?
Thank you so much for this, I think it looks amazing.
hey!
Just out of curiosity, how did you get to edit tie ‘rsrc’ file? it’s not an OSX bundle or anything like that?
the difference is not worth the effort after all
Hi, great piece of software.
I have a requirement: as the previous comments said, could it be possible to add an option: play full screen? Or at the very least: open in a Quicktime window ? That would make it perfect.
It’s an advert for some german drink
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5fyb...
Adam -
Could you make some adjustments to what you made, I’ve included an image in where I believe you are missing some things.
If you’re interested I’d be more than happy to send away the PSD
It didn’t work for me! I don’t know what went wrong!! Can you PLEASE help me??? It has ben driving me crazy all day!!!
This broke my quicktime 6.