# FileMaker 19, dark mode, and semantic colors

**URL:** <https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977>\
**Category:** Tips and Techniques\
**Created:** [May 26, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977 "2020-05-26T01:26:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bhamm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bhamm/32/1859_2.png) [@bhamm](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bhamm)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/1 "2020-05-26T01:26:46Z")

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Now that FileMaker supports dark mode, some of y'all need to get to know the semantic colors we use in Xcode dev.

Instead of picking a static blue from the color wheel, select Other Color \> Developer \> systemBlueColor. Semantic colors render differently in light and dark mode.

Forcing single, static color values in your solutions will likely render flat in at least one of the modes, possibly both. Use semantic colors where possible.

 ![Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 8.00.38 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/1X/0edf93d640c34a99a7b6257e338dfdd047bd2754.png)

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**Author:** ![jwilling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/jwilling/32/256_2.png) [@jwilling](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jwilling)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/2 "2020-05-26T04:24:32Z")

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The layout content is not dark mode compatible yet though, so we might still be stuck with picking one color or the other.

It'll be cool if they allow dynamic theming later.

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**Author:** ![bhamm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/bhamm/32/1859_2.png) [@bhamm](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/bhamm)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 4:36am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/3 "2020-05-26T04:36:07Z")

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Yeah, the fill color chip in the Inspector updates at the system level, but the layout engine just ignores it. That's too bad. 👎

 ![Screen Shot 2020-05-25 at 11.33.37 PM](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/fmsoup/original/1X/e5fe6694c6775b5be91ffb5930c1be8461e7dd7d.png)

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**Author:** ![jwilling](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/jwilling/32/256_2.png) [@jwilling](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/jwilling)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:11am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/4 "2020-05-26T05:11:41Z")

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Oh, well that isn't misleading at all!

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**Author:** ![Markus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@Markus](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/Markus)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 5:39am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/5 "2020-05-26T05:39:14Z")

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as long as we were working exclusively (more or less) on our own Mac's, the method of defining own colors was great. But today, we are working using horizon, citrix, teamviewer (et all) - so, we can no longer use that

We copy the hex value of a color and store it in some texteditor... not so cool (Yes, the color-defining under windows isn't cool either)

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**Author:** ![MonkeybreadSoftware](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/monkeybreadsoftware/32/361_2.png) [@MonkeybreadSoftware](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/MonkeybreadSoftware)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 6:04am UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/6 "2020-05-26T06:04:31Z")

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If needed, I can provide [MBS FileMaker Plugin](https://www.monkeybreadsoftware.com/filemaker/) function to query live value of a semantic color.

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**Author:** ![mrwatson-de](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/the.fmsoup.org/mrwatson-de/32/351_2.png) [@mrwatson-de](https://the.fmsoup.org/u/mrwatson-de)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2020, 4:05pm UTC](https://the.fmsoup.org/t/filemaker-19-dark-mode-and-semantic-colors/977/7 "2020-05-26T16:05:20Z")

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Sadly it is not possible to define dynamic colo(u)rs in conditional formatting :-/

...but we could still use such an MBS function to create colored panels or backgrounds by defining dynamic colored GIFs using the CFs in [GitHub - mrwatson-de/fmDynamicColors: FileMaker Colors in a giffy](https://github.com/mrwatson-de/fmDynamicColors)