QtCreator scrollbars inverted color scheme annoys me

dynamo72

Hi,
the scrollbar thumb is light on a dark scrollbar background in QtCreator. All other applications that are not especially dark skinned, but use a color palette similar to the system (both MAC OS X and Windows) have it the other way round: dark scrollbar thumbs on a lighter background.

So in QtCreator I always grab the wrong scrollbar area with the mouse. Please please stick to the operating system or even more general desktop standard color scheme. Or is there an option or tweak that can help me? (QtCreator 4.2.0)

mrjj

The themes are external files and u can maybe tweak that way.
Or just use the Classic theme :)

dynamo72

I am already using the classic theme, and I can't find the external theme files. Where are they?

mrjj

@dynamo72
Well it seems in 4.2.1 there is no external file ?!
Cant find any info regarding this.
Im 100% sure there used to be one as i changed all colors to red to detect what elements would be affected
but upgrading Creator seems to have deleted the files.
Im going to try older Creator and see.
Just brain fart :)
its in
"C:\Qt\Tools\QtCreator\share\qtcreator\themes\dark.creatortheme"

dynamo72

Thanks for pointing at the theme file location. I still couldn't figure out how to get dark scrollbar thumbs on a lighter scrollbar background. Tried a mix of dark theme and default theme, I could set the base color for the scrollbar, but in every case, the thumb is a little bit lighter than the background. Even though the base color changed, the color values I set were only showing up in a modified (darker or lighter) way in QtCreator. Guess I have to live with it...

mrjj

@dynamo72
Well sadly I dont know which keys would do it.
Alternatively you could also use a stylesheet when starting Creator.
But it will be fiddle fiddle.

dynamo72

Yes, found some hints here which match my own results so far:
bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTCREATORBUG-15448

quote:
In fact, the scrollbar and its handle seems to use the shadowBackground color. But if I change it, I change the color of all the item using it (I am just interested to increase the clarity of the scrollbar handle).
From an advice on Internet, I have also tested the use of a css file with:
QMainWindow,
QScrollBar
{ background: #32CC99; }
I start then qtcreator with the option -stylesheet XXX.css, but without success (and maybe this solution, if it works, will be for the whole scrollbar).

mrjj

@dynamo72

Ok. super.
I forgot to ask, this is only on MacOs?
Im windows and linux and didnt notice such effect.

dynamo72

No, I am on windows. But it seems that my problem is caused by my new 4K monitor. On Hi-DPI windows, newer Qt applications or at least QtCreator 4.2.x always use the Fusion style and not the native (windows) style. And Fusion has low contrast on the scrollbar, and only a base ("PaletteButton") color for the scrollbar.

With QtCreator 3.4, I have correct colors on the scrollbars, but it cannot deal with Hi-DPI correctly, it is too small.

mrjj

Hi
Hmm. on windows too but no 4k screen.
I wonder why resolution should affect color.
This is win 10, Creator 4.2.1
alt text

So this is not easy to see at 4k ?

Creator also have the -style option but it seems that the windows style plugin is taken out
now. So it had no effect.
http://blog.qt.io/blog/2012/10/30/cleaning-up-styles-in-qt5-and-adding-fusion/

Hmm. Its like it ignores the -stylesheet
Tried
https://github.com/mervick/Qt-Creator-Darcula
but nothing happened.

dynamo72

Resolution affects color because Qt applications by default automatically switch to fusion instead of the windows style on high dpi systems, because the widget/GUI scaling works only well with fusion, but not with the native style (emulation). So say the docs.
I have set the windows screen scaling to 150%. QtCreator is indeed hi-dpi aware (means doesn't rely on windows bitmap upscaling, but handles the 150% scaling on its own, and does this quite well, in contrast to older QtCreator versions).

The only drawback for me is that scroll bar color scheme introduced by fusion.

You are right, the dark theme works better regarding the scrollbar thumb visibility, but I would like to work with the default (lighter, "normal") theme in QtCreator. Screenshot attached.

The same QtCreator version has "correct" scrollbar colors if I use a full HD monitor instead of a 4k Monitor.

mrjj

@dynamo72
Hi
Can you use postimage.org for image. ( or any other site)
Sadly the image upload is broken here.
I really want to see it as im thinking about getting a 4k screen.

Unless you van get Creator to use other style plugin from cmdline or change the colors via theme file i
think the source is the only option then.
I also prefer white/light.

dynamo72

https://postimg.org/image/gj7hyibhr/
https://s11.postimg.org/p1gy2ui0j/Qt_Creator4k_Slider_Color.jpg