Good-looking Java Swing Look&Feel?

Question

I'm working on an open-source Java Web Start application, and I'd like to give it a consistent theme across platforms. Metal is totally ugly, and I'm not particularly happy with Substance (esp. performance). What are the best Swing Look&Feel options out there today?

Mornings

What's your problem with Substance? I have used it in some applications without any noticeable performance problem. And it was V4, now V5 is supposed to be even faster! – Mulry

Answer 1

I like the 'Nimbus Look&Feel'(2nd image) introduced in Java 6 Update 10 very much and it is contained in SUN's vanilla J2SE of J6u10 and later by default!

Another advantage is, that it is painted entirely using Java 2d which makes it fast and rederable at all resolutions.

Lynlyncean

Answer 2

Check out JGoodies, its the de facto standard place to start for a decent L&F.

Genna

He asked for "good looking", not "slavishly copying the Windows XP look and feel". Ugh. – Liberal

Says the guy who's obviously never used it. – Genna

looks better than all the others to me – Intersidereal

Answer 3

I have found that using the "native" L&F consistently results in applications that look "right" for the specific platform. But JGoodies is an excellent across-the-board alternative.

For myself, I don't care if an app looks "native", as long as it looks just as professional and at least as good. FWIW, I don't think the that Java "Metal" or "Ocean" looks achieve either one.

That said, be careful... for many users the only thing which will look "good" is that which is the same as every other application on their platform. The only UI that I think consistently trumps all for looks is the current Apple OSX look - but even that looks out of place when it's the only such app in my Windows desktop.

Sabrina

Totally agree - the "right" L&F is the platform-native one (for the platform you're on). Apps should look/feel the same to make them more intuitive to use for the user. – Istria

Sadly the »native« L&F is far from looking or feeling native. At least on Windows. They constantly keep messing up details and major elements even though they by now delegate to native painting methods. – Shanda

@Johannes: You must be way more picky than me; now that Java has subpixel AA, I can't tell my Java applications apart from the native ones. – Sabrina

Answer 4

javootoo has a nice compilation of swing look and feel packages, with screenshots.

Archegonium

Answer 5

The Alloy Look and Feel is pretty good IMO, but it costs $$$ http://lookandfeel.incors.com/

Masurium

Alloy, whilst being very pretty, hasn't been updated since 2003 (or 1.4 in Java terms) – Bisitun