How do I get rid of that terrible orange FX buttons in the FX bin? I can't find the target in the theme editor

I know some think this thread is a little negative. If this was a new feature that was just lacking in it's first incarnation, then yes that would be the case. But what I am asking for here is very simple, very basic, I've been asking for nearly a decade and ProTools had this figured out many many versions ago. I've been a Cakewalk user for 18 years, since Pro Audio 8. I'm loyal. But this has frustrated me for so long that I'm downloading ProTools First just to see if I like it. Hopefully I won't.

RedSkyRoad
How do I get rid of that terrible orange FX buttons in the FX bin? I can't find the target in the theme editor

im also trying to figure that out.

Look around - Looks like youtube has a couple of short videos on this - Hopefully more to come!!
 

that

chuckebaby

RedSkyRoad
How do I get rid of that terrible orange FX buttons in the FX bin? I can't find the target in the theme editor

im also trying to figure that out.

The color of the FX buttons are located in the Theme Editor under: FX Rack.  There are several different graphics used for the FX button color. 
 
The particular graphics image depends on whether the FX button is: active, clicked, mouse hovering over button, etc.  The "Name Background" controls the color when effect is on/off,  and "Name Background (ACT Focus)" when the button is highlighted.  I believe "Open Plug-in UI" controls the background when the FX button is selected or mouse is hovering.  I might have the image names reversed.  Also note that the "Open Plug-in" has three different shades. I'm not sure which shade is used in which context. There are some other less obvious graphics used for the FX buttons too (e.g. the on/off).
 
Using an image editor, I changed the FX button graphics for the Mercury theme to make an enabled plug more obvious.  It worked well.  As a test, I tried changing the FX Rack "Name Background" image for Tungsten to a gray shade, and that worked too.  
 
Hope that helps.
 
edit: clarified active/selected/hover images. 

Same here. I have tried more than a few times to start a new theme, make some simple color changes, save it and then open the new theme in Sonar. The new saved theme always strips the colors from tracks, whether the template was Mercury of Tungsten.

I think you'll find an interesting quote from a baker at the end of this video that pretty much sums it up.
"I think it looks worse, but that's OK"..
 
 
 link won't post. try this
youtube.com/watch?v=431rpG4C7y4

Thought I would keep it real simple, edit just one colour in this new Theme Editor. I was able to change the Track Text Name colour in Track View for all "Instrument Tracks". YAY ! However, when I change the Track Text Name colour in Console View to that same colour . . . it just doesn't work ? I've gone over it a number of times, but just can't get it to work.

I was hoping to be able to fix this issue by using the Theme Editor, and also change the colors of the buttons in the FX Racks. But, as the OP says, changing even a single color using the editor and saving the theme removes the full strip coloring capability from the Mercury theme (which is my favorite theme among all DAWs). 
 
 

zoffmeister
I've been asking for nearly a decade and ProTools had this figured out many many versions ago. I've been a Cakewalk user for 18 years, since Pro Audio 8. I'm loyal. But this has frustrated me for so long that I'm downloading ProTools First just to see if I like it. Hopefully I won't.

 
Any reason why you don't use Panu's Duckbar? Maybe it doesn't work in post-X3 SONAR versions? I've never used it, so I don't know. If it still works, I think it's better than switching to Pro Tools and learning everything from scratch. Btw, your claims are fully understandable. I don't find the thread negative at all.
  
 

noynekker
Thought I would keep it real simple, edit just one colour in this new Theme Editor. I was able to change the Track Text Name colour in Track View for all "Instrument Tracks". YAY ! However, when I change the Track Text Name colour in Console View to that same colour . . . it just doesn't work ? I've gone over it a number of times, but just can't get it to work.

 
I'm not sure because I don't use Simple Instrument Tracks, but can't the track text name color for SITs be changed via the Preferences' Colors page? Or maybe the issue I pointed to above also broke it??

icontakt
I was hoping to be able to fix this issue by using the Theme Editor, and also change the colors of the buttons in the FX Racks. But, as the OP says, changing even a single color using the editor and saving the theme removes the full strip coloring capability from the Mercury theme (which is my favorite theme among all DAWs). 
 
  
 

noynekker
Thought I would keep it real simple, edit just one colour in this new Theme Editor. I was able to change the Track Text Name colour in Track View for all "Instrument Tracks". YAY ! However, when I change the Track Text Name colour in Console View to that same colour . . . it just doesn't work ? I've gone over it a number of times, but just can't get it to work.

 
I'm not sure because I don't use Simple Instrument Tracks, but can't the track text name color for SITs be changed via the Preferences' Colors page? Or maybe the issue I pointed to above also broke it??

I'm wanting to use (and liking) the new Tungsten Theme, just trying to change / edit that theme to include Track Name colour to help differentiate the types of tracks . . . when you go to Preferences' Colours page you can only edit older themes (bright, dark, mono, normal), not the newer Tungsten Theme.