Version 1.7, updated 22 June 2018
Editor Themes is a plugin created by BanTech to help you quickly switch between script editor themes in Studio. It also updates the UI theme in Studio to suit the selected editor theme.
This guide is aimed at new users to give a quick overview of the plugin’s features and abilities. It will be edited with each new feature release to keep it up to date.
1. Getting started
The plugin should open the main widget by default. It is set to float, but you can easily dock it if you want to by dragging it to either side of the Studio window. The use of widgets allow the plugin to be used while editing scripts.
Floating in studio.
Docked to the left panel.
On the widget, click each button to switch to the different themes. There are currently 17 built-in ranging in contract, darkness and warmth. On some computers you may experience a slight bit of lag as the theme is changed. This should only last a few seconds.
The theme you select is highlighted in bluish green. Your choice is saved and will be enforced every time studio starts.
If the widget doesn’t open by default, or you have closed it, you can reopen it again using the toolbar button on the ribbon under Plugins:
Clicking it will toggle visibility of the widget.
2. Setting a custom theme
Many people have their own preference of colours, and you may not be satisfied by the built-in themes. That’s why I created the Custom theme feature. You can set your own script editor colours, and choose whether or not to use Studio’s dark UI theme.
Click SET next to -Custom- to enter your own colours. It will open another widget called Custom Theme Maker. The layout is similar to the Studio settings menu:
Clicking on the RGB text will let you enter your own colour code (brackets not needed), and it even accepts hexadecimal (# not needed).
Alternatively, click the coloured square to open the colour picker (see next section).
3. Colour picker widget
The colour picker for custom theme creation opens in yet another widget, and provides a simple way to choose a custom colour.
The colour picker is currently an early prototype, so it may be difficult to select very specific colours. It displays the previous colour to compare with the new selected colour in the top right. And shows the RGB values below. Click Okay to apply the selected colour.
4. Loading existing Studio settings into the "Custom" slot
In response to a suggestion by ProbableAI, if you scroll to the bottom of the Custom Theme Maker window, you will see a button labelled Load Current Colours. This loads the current colours (and UI theme) from Studio into the custom slot and saves it.
This will overwrite any previous custom colours you have set using the plugin.
5. Sharing / exporting / importing themes
Unfortunately this feature isn’t ready yet, but it is coming! An ability to export your custom themes, save a backup, and share them with your friends.
6. Submitting a theme to be built in
I’m open to suggestions. If you have a favourite theme from a different IDE, or you think a lot of people would be interested in your custom theme, take a screenshot of the colours and send them to me on Twitter.
7. Is a plugin really necessary?
I personally find myself switching themes very regularly. Different lighting (especially when on a laptop) and different times of day have a massive impact on legibility and strain on the eyes.
I often switch to light themes outside in the daytime, and switching to dark themes into the evening. Pulling a late night? I swap over to a warmer dark theme to reduce the blue light from the screen.
This plugin allows you to switch with ease without having to remember all the colour codes or tediously type them in. And with the custom mode you can load in and save your existing theme before you start switching, so there’s no worry of losing that either!