Dark mode

[Anonymous]

Hi! Are you expecting to put a dark mode option for fusion 360? The ligh color from the UI hurts my eyes and make to much notority from screen!

[yirang.choe]

I'm not an engineer, so I don't know any details about the back-end situation. But I thought providing you with more context of what I'm aware of would help you better understand the current situation.

The Fusion was built using a variety of technologies and each control (buttons, dropdowns, etc.) was hardcoded, so updating the code for each control is a time-consuming task for the developers.

The team is currently working to reconstruct Fusion using the new centralized technologies (to address the issue raised above), and once we start replacing the old controls with the new ones that use new technologies, we'll be able to enable a dark mode (the feature comes for free). However, rebuilding the back-end system is not a simple process, so I wasn't able to provide a specific timeline, but I can now say that we have a development team who started working on the feature.

[ImDaveM]

I agree Dark mode is for Gamers and Hackers!

I been using Computers since the late 70's, back then all companies were doing the best to get away from BLACK/DARK backgrounds, as staring at a black square all day in daylight/office environment is BAD for your EYES!!!!

As you said there are more important features we need in fusion before some Cool gamer dark mode is needed.

I would like to see these features in F360 before any Dark Mode feature is implemented..

1) Live BOM view/editor

2) Panelising for PCB's ( have been waiting 3 to 4 years for this !!! )

3) Reordering of browser tree to anything we want

4) Include folders in the bowser tree

5) User definable Navigation Bar

6) VERSION Control

7) full drag and drop in the data panel with alternate views such as Hierarchy view, column view ( like mac os)

😎 Rewrite of the PCB Library and Editor.

As for Dark Mode, WE DON'T NEED a "DARK MODE" we need a USER THEME/SKIN MODE, where the user can create their own set of colours, shades, styles, ratios etc etc. This idea would please EVERYONE!

I would hate to say this but the BEST COLOUR for WORKSPACES is GREY MODE!!!

regards

dave M

[Anonymous]

I pretty much sure you're joking, right? 🙂

I am not gamer, or a hacker either. Do you sincerely believe only these two types use Adobe products, Blender, 3Ds max, etc., just to mention a few mainstream applications that comes with a dark mode implemented?

Staring at bright screens all days long while you are adjusting pixels/vertices/polys/whatnot is not only extremely exhausting but also really bad for your sight...

Not mentioning that implemeting a fully customizable theming feature is much more complex than simply adjusting a few main color values on a click of a button, that values apply to all elements (speaking as a Senior Frontend Developer here).

[Anonymous]

Your offensive ingorance is pointless.

[ImDaveM]

Not joking, just emphasizing my current dislike for the fanboys of "DARK MODE" I see this everywhere.

here is a video of why DARK MODE it not that good to work with..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCaFRN3aaP8

I did video editing for 20 years and would you believe i gave this career up all because all the major software for video editing ALL WHEN DARK MODE (or black mode!)  Final cut pro, premiere, davinci etc. I cannot see the text or buttons when viewing bright  video on the screen, its stupid! 

there is one thing about fusion 360 that i like and that's the very easy to see icons for all the tools! I hope they don't switch to single color icons, dumbest idea ever for complex apps!

Don't get me wrong, dark mode would be fine for those who prefer it, but I also hate complete white mode ( which fusion 360 has in many dialogs) ,

Solidworks and it has a fully customisable theme system..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-HCGu6rolM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKiPMWobHfc

Although i don't think we have to customise everything, mainly the backgrounds, fills , panels and buttons, size of objects etc and that's what i think Fusion needs.

The thing is once this theme system is in place, Autodesk don't really have to worry about what colors and styles they need to implement for future changes and just worry about the content and functionality, let the user's frig around with the colour sets.

Who knows what the next UI/UX "Trend" is going to be! maybe skeuomorphism will come back around again!

BY the way I have done a bit os web CSS stuff, website design and application development / code myself.

I have also seen all the trends come and go since the late 70's , I am still using MAC OS MOJAVE , because i can't stand the "LOOK" of Big Sur!

cheers!

[Anonymous]

SO I'm actually uninstalling my fusion360 trial right now because of this. 

I use a custom "high contrast" dark theme for medical reasons, and the software not actually supporting it (despite *some* menus honoring the one enabled in windows) is a deal breaker for me. 

Solid white interfaces are literally painful, even with my screen brightness all the way down, a software 'dimming' overlay, and tinted glasses. 

[blind.maker]

This. Ignorant folks like Dave above simply miss that this is an ACCESSIBILITY issue. 

I'm legally blind and can really only functionally use an application if the background is dark and there is high contrast between the background and foreground. I'm 50 years old and most certainly not some kind of "cool gamer." I'm an engineer and university professor.

For me, dark text on a white background is like trying to read with bright headlights in your face. The text is simply drowned out. I CAN function for short periods if the contrast is high enough and the text/lines bold enough (Fusion 360 is borderline), but it causes extreme eye strain and I have to take frequent and long breaks. Note that even the dark sky mode isn't good for me because the contrast is too low (e.g., grid lines are effectively invisible to me).

It's definitely not a fad, it's an enduring new expectation. It's a recognition that not all eyes are created equal. Nor is it worse for your eyes despite what some YouToober might say. Dark backgrounds unquestionably reduce blue light, which is better for retinal health. If you have uncorrected astigmatism, yes, the bright white does force your pupils to constrict, which can improve clarity. And some eye conditions are opposite mine. Which is why it's a "MODE" and not a "MANDATE" (unlike the current light UI).

It'd be one thing if it honored the Windows High-Contrast settings, but it doesn't. The only UI element that changes are the min/max/close buttons in the top right. In its current form, it's a rigid UI that ignores most accessibility guidelines.

Whether it's a Light/Dark switch or a fully themeable UI (agree the latter is preferrable), I do hope this feature drops ASAP.

[coast.furniture]

Books and this forum? Unreadable

[blind.maker]

Are you being snarky or actually curious? I'm assuming snarky, but I'll answer as though curious. Yes, without Dark Reader, this forum would be largely unreadable. As for books, last I checked they don't shoot 500nits worth of photons directly onto your retina. However, in my case, depending on the font, I do have a very hard time reading now, especially for extended periods.

Edit: sorry, that was intended as a reply to @coast.furniture ... not sure how the quick reply went to the OP.

[TrippyLighting]

The quick reply always goes to the OP. Not the best default behavior 😉 

[mmoridi]

I think not only is it more comfortable to work with dark mode on, it saves a lot of energy.
That's important when you're working on a laptop.
I know everyone will eventually get it. That users want that option.
Also, a CTL-C or ESC to cancel long running calculations would be nice as well.

[pierre_blazebicycles]

Please YES, dark mode.  Should be a no-brainer.

[fmillionM5UN6]

I have a vision condition in which bright white screens cause me physical eye pain. I use Dark Reader for browsing and modified UXThemes on windows to force everything dark. Fusion 360 is the only app I can't make dark. I can use invert colors for now, but that's not ideal (it makes everything *else* on my system bright!)

Dark mode is not just a preference, it is an *accessibility* function as well. I wish companies would stop treating it like a preference.

[brandonmay]

I know exactly what you mean.  All my apps, except F360, offer a dark mode.  So I'm quite certain it's coming.  What's quite confusing, and a bit sad really, are the responses from the developers.  Seems to be either a lack of understanding of the need for a dark mode or a general complacency or caring.  Either way, not really a light for us to see them in.

[jakeFWVKR]

I'm using an OLED screen. I'd like dark mode to preserve the lifetime of the monitor. Also OLED is going to be becoming much more common in the next few years as a mainstream monitor, it's already available on a number of top tier laptops. Being a self emissive display basically less light = less power. For operation on laptops and the like dark mode will make a measurable difference in battery life. 

[krauken]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I ran across this discussion and can't stop laughing at Dave. Did you just say you gave up your video editing career because software UI became darker? 

Is this guy for real? 

[ImDaveM]

Hi, YEP, after nearly 20 years video editing, I was sick of it, I was using FCP7 most  that time for as long as i could! apple changed to the DARK and FLAT FCP10, they got rid of the layers and brought in the stupid magnetic timeline, which for someone like me was use to how all other non-linear editors worked, I could not change ( i tried ) . FCP 7 became unusable on later MAC os's. Even apple changed to the FLAT and DUMB looking interface styles for their OS.

I could not get use to the BLACK workspace in the editors, the text and tool buttons were too hard to see, If you were working on video on the screen it was usually brighter than all the elements of the user interface and made tools appear blurred and harder and SLOWER to use. it caused eye strain for me. I always worked during the day in a normally lit office, ( its bad to work in the dark during the day)

So I stuck with the older mac OS as i really hated the later versions. I then tried premiere pro and davinci, but both of those were black or very dark gray backgrounds as well. but at least they have a industry standard track layout/workspace. I had enough of these new interface styles ( FLAT LOOK NON SKEUOMORPHIC and BLAND, with under-contrast elements. I decide to get back into electronics engineering ( which i also did alongside my editingwork) , and I was using EAGLE CAD, which by this time was bought out by autodesk, which introduced me to FUSION 360, So i gave up my video editing career and learn 3d modeling, now i have. successful money making business and i NEVER WANT TO EDIT VIDEO EVER AGAIN IN MY LIFE!

true story bro!

PS I am still using MAC OS MOJAVE! I really hate the new mac os ! 

[krauken]

Wow, Dave, I’m not sure what to say! Thank you for sharing your absolutely epic career journey with all of us. I truly wonder how all these talented 3D artists and video editors nowadays manage to even do their job with all these horrible eye straining dark UI’s. Maybe they’re all quitting their jobs too because it?? It sounds like the Mac OS and the UI of these video editor programs are nearly impossible to work with 😮 Maybe we’re about to see all the indie film makers, editors, and youtube video content creation culture die off soon? Makes you truly wonder, eh? Maybe this dark UI is the end of our industry as we know it! 

Do you have any links to any of your epic video work you did before the dark UI made you change careers? Sounds like you really dug deep into the world of 3d modeling. Any fun past work or portfolio to share? You seem like you know your stuff! 😄

[TrippyLighting]

@krauken I would strongly suggest you read the Forum rules. Read them two or three times to it sticks!

If you cannot disagree respectfully please stay away from this forum!!! 

[krauken]

roger that, thanks Peter!