# Brushed metal LaF in Java Apps?



## Dradts (Apr 11, 2003)

Hi y'all,

I wonder whether its possible to activate the brushed metal UI in Java apps? I've written a small app for document version management. Currently its using the standard Aqua UI, but I guess the app would look much better with brushed metal on it. Is there anything I can do?
Like a system property or something?

Thx in advance,
Dradts


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## wiz (Apr 12, 2003)

i think u could develop ur UI though interface builder! then use the Java-Cocoa API and get things working!


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## symphonix (Apr 12, 2003)

I could not find the Cocoa-metal look-and-feel anywhere in the Apple Java API, but I'm confident it should be in there somewhere... but it probably isn't actually listed or might require a bit of hacking-around to figure out.

You can, however, use Java's metal Look-&-Feel (or Motif, or Windows L&F apparently)

Here's a code snippet for you:

*// Set Look & Feel
try
{
  UIManager.setLookAndFeel("com.sun.javax.swing.plaf.metal.MetalLookAndFeel");
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {}
catch (InstantiationException e) {}
catch (UnsupportedLookAndFeelException e) {}
catch (IllegalAccessException e) {}
*


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## Dradts (Apr 12, 2003)

Hi Symphonix,

I know how to use the standard Swing Look and Feels. I've already implemented a switch for easy changing between Aqua, Metal and Motif (which is in my opinion the ugliest interface I've ever seen) LaF. I just want to also implement a switch to be able to switch from "normal" System look and feel to brushed metal look and feel on MacOS. I don't want to implement a nib-file for the user interface because the application needs to be able to be run on MacOS X, Windows and Linux without recompiling it.
I know that its not possible to have the bm-LaF on Windows or Linux, but it would be cool to have that on the mac-side. 
But it seems to me that theres not yet a way to implement that. Hopefully apple will change that soon. Like having a system property "com.apple.mrj.LaF.setBrushedMetal","True"


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