DYN-6228 Light theme supported by edwin-vasquez-ucaldas · Pull Request #17342 · DynamoDS/Dynamo

edwin-vasquez-ucaldas · 2026-09-21T23:07:53Z

Purpose

Aaron Tang: the legacy 2.12 look is not the deliverable. "User confirmed that she need light theme, not necessarily the legacy theme." So this is scoped as a light theme, not a 2.12 revival.
JT Pierson's comment carries the agreed plan. Its core findings: there is no theming system to lean on — just 13 loose XAML dictionaries under UI\Themes\Modern, loaded once at startup, with ~1000 inline hex literals across src/ and ~200 hardcoded brushes in C#. It offers three options and recommends Option A: "Light theme (restart required)", colors only.

Declarations

Check these if you believe they are true

Is documented according to the standards
The level of testing this PR includes is appropriate
Changes to the API follow Semantic Versioning and are documented in the API Changes document.

Release Notes

There was no theming system. What existed:

13 loose XAML dictionaries under UI\Themes\Modern\, shipped as files (CopyToOutputDirectory=Always), loaded once at startup.
SharedDictionaryManager.ThemesDirectory — a file-system path hardcoded to UI\Themes\Modern\. Every dictionary URI derived from it. This one property was the hook.
No App.xaml and no Application.Current.Resources. 66 XAML files merge the dictionaries individually via SharedResourceDictionary, which caches by URI in a public static dictionary.
PreferenceSettings had no theme/appearance property.
Colours were not centralised. DynamoColorsAndBrushes.xaml was one of at least four sources:
DynamoModern.xaml (~6700 lines, hundreds of inline hex literals), converter properties with baked-in literals, ~200 hardcoded brushes across ~54 C# files, and an embedded .xshd.

Theme selection

Piece	Location
`enum DynamoTheme { Dark, Light }`	`src/DynamoCore/Configuration/DynamoTheme.cs` (no WPF dependency, so `DynamoCore` stays cross-platform)
`PreferenceSettings.Theme`	Defaults to `Dark`; serialises to `DynamoSettings.xml` like `DefaultRunType`
`SharedDictionaryManager.CurrentTheme`	`src/DynamoCoreWpf/UI/SharedResourceDictionary.cs`
Startup assignment	`DynamoViewModel(StartConfiguration)`, immediately after the model is assigned
Preferences UI	Visual Settings → Display Settings → Theme dropdown (row 0)

Two deliberate design points:

Dark maps to the folder name Modern. Renaming the folder would break the ~66 XAML merge sites and any package referencing them.
CurrentTheme must be set before the first view is constructed. SharedResourceDictionary caches every dictionary by URI, and the codebase resolves colours almost entirely through StaticResource. Assigning it later leaves the UI with a mix of both themes. This constraint is documented on the property; treat it as startup-only configuration.

Surfaces converted

Each row lists the role-named key(s) introduced and the consumer moved onto them. All base values
were kept identical, so the dark theme is unchanged unless noted.

Surface	Keys	Consumer
Canvas backdrop	existing `WorkspaceBackgroundBrush`	`DynamoView.xaml` — was a hardcoded `#232323`
Node body / header	`NodeBodyBackgroundBrush`, `NodeHeaderBackgroundBrush`	`NodeView.xaml.cs` — was `DarkerGrey` / `DarkMidGrey`
Wires	`Connector{None,Selection,Hover,ExecutionPreview,Transient}` (Color and Brush)	`DynamoConverters.xaml` — literals baked into converter properties
Port text	`PortLabelForegroundBrush`	`InPorts.xaml.cs`, `OutPorts.xaml.cs` — was `PrimaryCharcoal200Brush`
Port pill	`PortBackgroundBrush`, `PortBackgroundPreviewOffBrush`, `PortBorderBrush`	`PortViewModel.cs` — was `Color.FromRgb(...)`
Port value markers	`PortValueMarker{Default,Blue,Red,Grey}Brush`, `PortKeepListStructureBorderBrush`	`InPortViewModel.cs`, `OutPortViewModel.cs`
Node inputs	`NodeInput{Background,Border,Foreground,SecondaryForeground,LabelForeground,Caret,Highlight}Brush`	`DynamoTextBox.cs`, `DynamoSlider.xaml`, `DateTimeInputControl.xaml`
Slider	`NodeSliderThumbBrush`, `NodeSliderTrackBrush`	`DynamoSlider.xaml`
Code block editor	`CodeEditor{Background,Foreground,LineNumbers,Border,Number,Class,Method,Link}Brush`	`CodeCompletionEditor.xaml`, `CodeBlockEditorUtils.cs`
Canvas context menus	`NodeContextMenu{Foreground,ForegroundHighlight,Background,BackgroundHighlight,SeparatorColor,AccentBrush}`	`NodeView.xaml.cs`, `WorkspaceView.xaml`, `AnnotationView.xaml.cs`, `ContextMenuItemStyle`
In-canvas search box	`InCanvasSearch{Background,Border,Foreground,Placeholder,Caret,Accent}Brush`	`IncanvasSearchControl.xaml` — was borrowing library keys plus two literals

Evidence

Reviewers

@jasonstratton @RobertGlobant20

@jnealb

FYIs

@johnpierson

…the Option A plan agreed on the ticket.

…rrors

…ides

github-actions

See the ticket for this pull request: https://jira.autodesk.com/browse/DYN-6228

Copilot

Copilot was unable to review this pull request because the user who requested the review has reached their quota limit.

        static InPorts()
        {
-            _primaryCharcoal200Brush.Freeze();
+            _portLabelForegroundBrush.Freeze();


        static OutPorts()
        {
-            _primaryCharcoal200Brush.Freeze();
+            _portLabelForegroundBrush.Freeze();


+        private static Color GetThemedColor(string resourceKey)
+        {
+            var brush = SharedDictionaryManager.DynamoColorsAndBrushesDictionary[resourceKey] as SolidColorBrush;
+            return brush.Color;


            _primaryCharcoal300.Freeze();
-            _midGreyBrush.Freeze();
-            _blue300Brush.Freeze();
+            _nodeContextMenuAccent.Freeze();


            _nodeContextMenuBackgroundHighlight.Freeze();
            _nodeContextMenuBackground.Freeze();
            _nodeContextMenuForeground.Freeze();
+            _nodeContextMenuForegroundHighlight.Freeze();


            midGrey.Freeze();
-            darkerGreyBrush.Freeze();
-            darkMidGreyBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeBodyBackgroundBrush.Freeze();


-            darkerGreyBrush.Freeze();
-            darkMidGreyBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeBodyBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeHeaderBackgroundBrush.Freeze();


-            darkMidGreyBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeBodyBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeHeaderBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuForeground.Freeze();


+            nodeBodyBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeHeaderBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuForeground.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuForegroundHighlight.Freeze();


+            nodeHeaderBackgroundBrush.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuForeground.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuForegroundHighlight.Freeze();
+            nodeContextMenuBackground.Freeze();


jasonstratton

Looks good. Approved!

@edwin-vasquez-ucaldas , Just one thing:

PreferencesViewModel.cs uses Res.ResourceManager.GetString("PreferencesViewThemeDark", CultureInfo.CurrentUICulture) in a few spots instead of the generated Res.PreferencesViewThemeDark property everywhere else in the same file

While there is nothing really wrong with this, I wonder about the inconsistency. No need to change anything though. Just bringing it to your attention.

Looks like Dynamo SelfServe failed and you may need an update to retrigger the PR checks. I think it may be a merge conflict.

johnpierson · 2026-09-23T03:11:08Z

Curious what the graph mapper (or is it called curve mapper) node looks like,

johnpierson · 2026-09-23T03:22:49Z

There seems to be some weird cases

johnpierson · 2026-09-23T03:23:04Z

johnpierson

currently working through a full audit, with changes requested to come.

johnpierson · 2026-09-23T15:44:19Z

Dynamo-Light-Mode-Audit-PR17342.pdf

… to CRLF with each file's original BOM

github-actions

See the ticket for this pull request: https://autodesk.atlassian.net/browse/DYN-6228

edwin-vasquez-ucaldas · 2026-09-25T20:42:17Z

@johnpierson some updates regarding the Audit document.

1. Fixed

2. Fixed

3. Fixed

4. I was not able to reproduce the same as audit reported, however include an improvement

5. Partial Fixed, the icons look choppy.

6. Fixed

7. Fixed

8. Fixed

sonarqubecloud · 2026-09-25T21:22:56Z

Quality Gate passed

Issues
5 New issues
0 Accepted issues

Measures
0 Security Hotspots
0.0% Coverage on New Code
0.0% Duplication on New Code

See analysis details on SonarQube Cloud

edwin-vasquez-ucaldas added 9 commits September 14, 2026 15:15

Adds restart-required theme selection and a Light palette, following …

a7abffa

…the Option A plan agreed on the ticket.

Fix theme resource key resolution for light theme preferences build e…

2521c3b

…rrors

Fix light theme readability issues

1db3539

Fixing resources texts, to show correctly

c2c2cef

Fix InPort and OutPort light theme readability issues

dbaab17

Fix some keys theming the background without the foreground

25b4ce1

Fix group-menu surfaces were using _midGreyBrush

d6a43d0

Adding new tests follow

cece41d

Adding new InCanvasSearch keys at the current values with light overr…

a3f7615

…ides

Copilot AI lite review requested due to automatic review settings September 21, 2026 23:07

github-actions Bot reviewed Sep 21, 2026

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Copilot started reviewing on behalf of edwin-vasquez-ucaldas September 21, 2026 23:08 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Sep 21, 2026

github-code-quality Bot found potential problems Sep 21, 2026

View reviewed changes

Fixing autocompact

e32d5d2

jasonstratton approved these changes Sep 23, 2026

View reviewed changes

Fixing unit tests and integration tests

dade7a3

johnpierson requested changes Sep 23, 2026

View reviewed changes

edwin-vasquez-ucaldas added 2 commits September 24, 2026 17:10

Apply fixes related with the Dynamo light canvas: audit

e7db208

Reverting a formatter changes (it looks like XAML Styler). Files back…

a4185d4

… to CRLF with each file's original BOM

github-actions Bot reviewed Sep 25, 2026

View reviewed changes

edwin-vasquez-ucaldas added 2 commits September 25, 2026 09:58

Apply more fixes related with the Dynamo light canvas: audit

c1bbe53

Apply more fixes related with the Dynamo light canvas: audit

bf4f54c

Last fixes related with the Dynamo light canvas: audit

dfa8dfd

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DYN-6228 Light theme supported - #17342

DYN-6228 Light theme supported#17342
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edwin-vasquez-ucaldas commented Sep 21, 2026 •

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Purpose

Declarations

Release Notes

Theme selection

Surfaces converted

Evidence

Reviewers

FYIs

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edwin-vasquez-ucaldas commented Sep 21, 2026 •

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