[GUI plugin] Palette Switcher

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by skil-phil

Regarding the above comment I have found that this only seems to apply to light themes.
If I select a dark theme (and preferences/look and feel/ is set to dark) then all is fine and 'CSS Live' is visible.

So this is not a problem for me now as I prefer dark themes.
Would be interesting to know if there a fix for this though.
Phil

I didn't realise the colour scheme specified in Look and Feel (which is what this plugin does) is also applied to the Book editor, but I see it is

Anyone else think the PI needs an Exit button, exiting other calibre dialogue's via the title bar exit button, often means Cancel?

@dunhill - currently, I have 15 calibre installs, two 'regular' Windows installs, one 'regular' Linux install, and 12 Windows portables. None of them have the Configuration folder in the locations you cite in first post.

Sometimes its better to provide no information, rather than provide what could be misleading information.

BR

[skil-phil]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Anyone else think the PI needs an Exit button, exiting other calibre dialogue's via the title bar exit button, often means Cancel?

@dunhill - currently, I have 15 calibre installs, two 'regular' Windows installs, one 'regular' Linux install, and 12 Windows portables. None of them have the Configuration folder in the locations you cite in first post.

BR

Agree on an exit button.

My config folder is as the original post. (Linux Mint 21)
Maybe a statement that that is the standard/normal folder but it could be located elsewhere depending on the environment setup.
Phil

[BetterRed]

My concern is that non English speakers may interpret what's written as proscriptive… maybe something like :

Palettes are stored in the palettes/ subdirectory inside Calibre’s configuration folder: which can be opened via Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre configuration folder

Even better, put an Open Config folder button in Palette Switcher.

BR

[Comfy.n]

@dunhill here's a 1.0.5.100 version that includes the 'Open Palettes Folder' button

[JSWolf]

I have a some more suggestions.

• Remember the window size
• Allow selecting the palette to see what it looks like but allow an exit of the plugin back to the palette that was in use before the plugin was run
• Allow exporting the exiting in use palette

[dunhill]

Version 1.0.6 Shows the palette applied in the plugin title in the first thread. I'm very busy but I promise to implement the suggestions received.

Version 1.0.7 Remembers the plugin window size.
Added exit button.

[skil-phil]

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by dunhill

Version 1.0.6 Shows the palette applied in the plugin title in the first thread. I'm very busy but I promise to implement the suggestions received.

Version 1.0.7 Remembers the plugin window size.
Added exit button.

[dunhill]

Now I'm traveling, but this weekend I'm adding the button to open the palettes folder. Following Comfy.n's simple and effective prompts

[BetterRed]

@dunhill - suggestion: separate the operational features — Apply, Import, Export, Delete, and Restore — from the administrative features — Configure, Open (palette folder), About, and Exit.

Perhaps a line or a gap between the two button groups - or two button groups side by side :



BR

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@dunhill - suggestion: separate the operational features — Apply, Import, Export, Delete, and Restore — from the administrative features — Configure, Open (palette folder), About, and Exit.

Perhaps a line or a gap between the two button groups - or two button groups side by side :

Attachment 220982

BR

I read them I'm looking at summarizing the buttons or giving a view of flaps already in preparation, like some integrations. Even if I'm on vacation I plan to expand and improve the plugin. Possible changes for a version 2

[shelbie]

Great plugin idea — having a modular way to manage and switch custom color palettes makes Calibre much more flexible and user-friendly. The import/export support and automatic detection of .calibre-palette files are especially useful for people who like consistent UI setups across devices.

We often cover customization and optimization tools on our platform, and projects like this fit perfectly into that space — simple, practical solutions that improve everyday user experience. Looking forward to seeing how it evolves, especially with more feedback from Windows and macOS users.

[dunhill]

Version 1.0.9
New Features and Changes
Dynamic Preview Mode:

When you select any palette from the list, the change is instantly reflected in the Calibre interface.

This allows you to compare themes in seconds without having to open and close the plugin.

Chang Confirmation System (Safety Toggle):

Apply Button: Permanently saves the selected palette and updates the plugin's status.

Cancel Button: Reverts Calibre to the exact colors you had before opening the plugin.

Safe Closure: If you close the plugin with the "X" without having clicked "Apply," the system automatically restores your previous settings.

Live UI Export Tool:

New "Export Current UI Palette" feature. Allows you to capture any manual adjustments you have made to Calibre's colors and save them as a separate .calibre-palette file.

Improved User Interface (UX):

Informative Tooltips: Each button now has a tooltip explaining its function.

Blue Status: A clear visual indicator at the top shows whether Calibre is operating in Light or Dark mode.

Menu Cleanup: The redundant settings button has been removed for faster navigation.

Updated User Guide
To get the most out of version 1.0.9, follow this workflow:

To Try: Simply scroll through the palette list with your mouse or the arrow keys. Observe how Calibre changes in the background.

To Compare: Use the "Toggle Light/Dark" button while a palette is selected to see how that theme behaves in both brightness modes.

To Save: Only when you are 100% satisfied, press "Apply." You will see the checkmark icon (✔) move to your new selection.

To Back Up: If you created a unique color scheme using Calibre's native preferences and don't want to lose it, use "Export Current UI" before testing new palettes.

To Undo: If you regret your tests, the "Cancel" button is your best friend; it restores everything to its original state.

[BetterRed]

IMO you have made something that exemplified elegant simplicity into something unnecessarily complex.

With this:



I only need be aware of two UI elements: the palette list and the button stack: I can switch between them with the Tab key, I can traverse both with the ↓ and ↑ keys, and I can 'press' a button with the Enter key.

With this:



I have to be aware of five UI elements, the palette list and the button stack on the Palettes tab panel, the button stack on the Settings tab panel, the Toggle Dark/Light button, and the row of buttons at the bottom. I have to use the Tab key to move between them

However, it is very hard to see which of the five UI elements has focus. If you look at the screenshot on the left you might be able to discern it's the Toggle Light/Dark button, and in the screenshot on the right its the Restore Calibre Defaults button.

You can't solve the visibility issue, that's baked into the Qt/calibre pie

And when I 'pressed' the Export Selected File button, I got an error:

calibre, version 9.3.0
ERROR: Unhandled exception: <b>UnboundLocalError</b>:cannot access local variable '_' where it is not associated with a value

calibre 9.3 Portable embedded-python: True
Windows-10-10.0.19045-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '10', '10.0.19045')
Python 3.14.2
Windows: ('10', '10.0.19045', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: None
EXE path: D:\Calibre\Portables\Version 9 current\Calibre\calibre.exe
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Current Paths (3, 0, 0) && Palette Switcher (1, 0, 900)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "calibre_plugins.palette_switcher.main", line 284, in export_palette
UnboundLocalError: cannot access local variable '_' where it is not associated with a value

BR

[BetterRed]

Suggestions:

1. Put an archive of calibre-palettes into the post #2 - maybe @Comfy.n's archive.

2. Put a link to this thread in the About box.

BR