SONAR Reconsideration 1.1 TRACK VIEW - Colors

INTRO
Hello everyone in community!
I’m the Cakewalk enthusiast, which spent with Cakewalk products more than 12 years (starting with CWPA 8), and, well, I decided that I want to help make Sonar better. I spent much time analyzing, considering and testing many Sonar features, evolved with some ideas and discovered some bugs. Lately I had at last given this investigation a readable form, which resulted in many pages of review. I’d like to think that this is not just another “i want it my way” wish-list, but well-weighted and reasoned suggestions of how we can improve what we have without too much programming work from Cakewalk (because I concentrated on improving already existing features rather than demanding something totally new). Of cause it’s all based on my workflow, but I will try to discuss things that concern everyone.
Be ready for comparisons with Sonar 8.5.3, because I think there were some very useful features in it there that were cut off for no reason. There will be also some comparisons with other DAWs. I’ll try to give my considerations in logical blocks, similar to themes organization in Sonar user manual.
I engage everyone to participate in discussion and hope that guys from Cakewalk will take heed of these suggestions, maybe in Sonar X4.
P.S. Excuse me my English, I’m not a native speaker.
Let’s make Sonar better!

1.1.2. Another strange thing: selected clips by default are now shown brighter than regular, while selected track lane is shown darker than regular. Where’s logic in it? If we want selected clip to be brighter than others, let us make brighter the whole track! But thanks God, that’s still customizable.This is how selected track looks in Sonar X3:
 
And this is how it looked in Sonar 8.5.3. (“Light side” scheme):

I think this is much more easy on the eyes because selected track lane, track number and clips are all identified by dark color. track header is bright in this case, but anyway it can be custom-colored in X3
 

Yes, that would make it easier to follow the thread. For example, I don't use step sequencer but use linked clips a lot. Having to read each post wondering if it's the topic I'm interested in or not is tiring IMO. ;)

You can't change default background colors for clips, but you can change the background colors for cilps, groups of clips, or an entire track of clips using the Inspector.

Well, if I were to pile on this thread (which I am), I would generally agree with the OP. I actually didn't even realize it until it was pointed out but I DO have difficulty differentiating clips when tracks are collapsed.

Guitarpima
IMO the point is, BRING BACK COLOR OPTIONS!!! This fifty shades of grey is AWFUL!!! 8.5 was the best GUI. As for the program itself, X3 is better, by far, than 8.5.

Yes would agree here also.

To summarize: I think we need fully working colors customization.
 
Default color scheme is UNINSPIRING, lacks contrast, and we can do little to change most of it.  
Speaking in terms of color customization… Just to see the scale of what we've already lost with X-series. This is Sonar 853 with ALL colors available in configure colors dialog set to white
 
 
And this is Sonar X3, all colors is preferences set to white as well

 
The difference is quite striking.
 
What annoys me the most, there is still option to customize some elements in color preferences, but they have no effect. we have an option, that does not work, because color description is buried in exe file.  Compared to 853, we can’t change many things anymore… For example, track view controls background is unchangeable, and this seriously limits skinning possibility… any “bright” schemes just doesn’t fit with grey drop-boxes background and text. And so on. Not only options to tweak new Skylight interface elements (such as bluish text, draggers and screen in transport module and grey panels) are absent, but some options has become extinct, that were available in Sonar 8.5.For example: where is the option for time ruler background color (it should be second in clips pane color menu)? The funny thing is that you can tweak time ruler background in Sonar 8.5, then export scheme and import it to X3 and get the color that you want in this way, but why it's not there in X3? Maybe it's top secret?