Working with Theme Editor Palette Colors

Color schemes you want to use in the design of your themes can be added, edited and applied in the Palette Colors section of the universal Theme Editor.

The Palette Colors section contains a set of pre-defined color swatches. In this section you can both add and delete custom swatches. The color defined in a swatch is applied to your theme's content by adding an association to the swatch.

You can add and remove custom colors and associations in the Palette Colors area. You cannot delete predefined swatches.

Note: Fully transparent colors are displayed as white, and opaque colors are displayed as a solid color when associated with some form control backgrounds in the CSM Desktop Client and CSM Administrator. See Select a Background, Foreground, and Border Color for a Control.

Note: Chart widget palette colors are created and edited in the chart widget Color Palette Editor. For more information, see Chart Widget Color Palette Editor.

Add a New Palette Color

Select Add Color (or select Alt+C).
The New Color dialog box opens.
Note: The New Color dialog box contains the Color Selector feature, see About the Color Selector for information on using this feature.
Enter a name for the new swatch in the Name field.
Note: If you enter a name that is unavailable, the Name field border appears red and the Apply button is disabled. You must enter a name that is not already in use.
Use the Color Selector to define the new color.
Select Apply.

You can now apply associations using the new color swatch or add custom associations. See Apply an Association and Using the Color Selector in the Theme Editor.

Edit a Palette Color

Hover the mouse pointer over the color in the existing swatch that you want to edit and select Edit.
The New Color dialog box opens.
Note: The New Color dialog box contains the Color Selector feature, see About the Color Selector for information on using this feature.
Use the Color Selector to define the new color.
Select Apply.

Delete a Palette Color

Only custom color swatches can be deleted, you cannot delete a default color swatch.

A swatch containing an existing association cannot be deleted, you must first either re-assign the association to another color swatch or delete the association (custom associations only). The warning below is displayed if the swatch contains an existing association.

Cannot delete color due to existing associations: <association name>

Select the ellipsis on the swatch.
Note: The ellipsis is only visible on custom swatches, not on default swatches. You cannot delete a default swatch.
Select Delete Swatch.

Apply an Association

An association is used to apply a color to a theme's content, such as text boxes, labels, buttons and borders.

Hover the mouse pointer over the Association container in the swatch you want to edit and select Edit.
The Associations dialog box opens.
Select the associations that you want the color to apply to.
Note: If an association is already listed in another swatch this action removes it and applies it to the swatch you are editing.
Select Apply.

You can also drag and drop associations between swatches.

The associations you selected appear in the swatch and the color is applied to the associated content in your theme.

Add a Custom Association

You can add a custom association to your theme design if it is not already listed in the Associations dialog box list.

Note: The Add Association function is not available when Portal Preview or Action Catalog Preview are selected in the Preview pane.

Select Add Association in the Palette Colors section (or select Alt+A).
The New Association dialog box opens.
Enter a name for the association in the Association Name field.
Note: If you enter a name that is unavailable, the Name field border appears red and the Apply button is disabled. You must enter a name that is not already in use.
Select the color swatch that you want to add the association from the Palette Color drop-down list.
Select the color type from the Color Type drop-down list.
Select Apply.

You can now apply the custom association to a swatch, see Apply an Association.

Delete a Custom Association

You can delete custom associations only, default associations cannot be deleted.

Note: The Delete Association function is not available when Portal Preview or Action Catalog Preview are selected in the Preview pane.

Select Delete Associations in the Palette Colors section (or select Alt+D).
The Delete Color Associations dialog box opens.
Select the association you want to delete.
Tip: You can select more than one association to delete.
The Warning below is displayed.
Any controls using the selected color associations will revert to their default status.
Select Continue to delete the association.

Filter Associations

You can filter the associations that are visible in color swatches. This is useful when you have a large number of associations and want to find a specific association or view only the associations you want to work with.

Type an association name in the Filter Associations field, there are several options:
- Enter a unique part of the name of an association to display only that association.
  Note: This only works if the association name contains a unique string of characters or words not used in other associations, in this case enter the unique string or word only to display the association. Where a string or word is not unique, all other associations containing that string or word are displayed.
- Enter part of the name common to more than one association - this displays all associations with the word in their name (example: If you enter 'Control', any associations with 'Control' in their name are displayed).