Proposed steps to building a Tiki theme generator:

Please first read an idea for generating a custom css style from a photo / logo.

Step #1
Modify one of the current CSS (style) to have a small number (3-6) of basic colors. Maybe Simple as the first one.



Step #2
Turn these colors into variables, for example $background, $basecolor, $highlight, etc

Step #3
Use a Generated Color Scheme (like Step 3 of WordPress Index Builder (cache))

Step #4
See the theme in action, and

Step #5
Save CSS

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Alternate step #3 (nice to have)
Generate colors from a photo / logo. There is a "Random From Image" button. So the user could try several times until he finds something pleasing. (like StrangeBanana) http://www.colr.org/

Alternate step #3 (nice to have)
Generate colors which contrast well (for text over backgound) http://www.barelyfitz.com/projects/csscolor/

Step #6 (nice to have)
For cases where we need a gradient (example, calendar event importance), we could have a formula which generates them. Please see "Generating Palettes With PHP" from site above for an example. #Another possible tool: http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/tools/color-blend/

Step #7 (nice to have)
For all the images, logos, etc in Tiki, we should try to make sure they are all transparent so they look good with different backgrounds.

Step #8 (nice to have)
Use ImageMagick or GD to manipulate graphics HSV values so that multiple graphics themes such as *metal can be combined into a single metal theme that can be colourised to any hue and saturation the administrator desires. Step 8 would allow the colours of any graphical theme (eg new tiki themes such as the default tikithemes theme and kubrick) to be modified.

Step #9 (nice to have)
Create some nice on the fly logo like: http://cooltext.com/

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Previous forum post about Tiki theme generator idea:
tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=3&comments_parentId=2

Related links:
I Like Your Colors!

WordPress Index Builder (cache)
Step 3 offers a color picker and Generated Color Scheme.

Drupal CMS Theme Generator (cache)
In Excel
http://www.positioniseverything.net/articles/pie-maker/pagemaker_form.php
http://www.maketemplate.com/form/

Theme developer module for Drupal 6 - Screencast (cache) "We have built Firebug for Drupal Theming. You may now click on any part of the page and a sexy popup display shows which theme function/template outputted the HTML, and what other files could have done so. Armed with this info, a themer may quickly and accurately override the presentation. Further, all the variables passed into the template/function are presented for review."

WordPress, MT and Drupal: Template Generators (cache)

CSS Constants
http://www.icant.co.uk/articles/cssconstants/
Dynamic CSS
http://www.stylehack.com/wordpress/index.php?p=71&page=3

CSS Tools:
http://www.soxiam.com/Notes/CSSTools
http://www.alvit.de/handbook/

Wordpress theme browser

Related:
http://ui.jquery.com/themeroller/
http://www.webappers.com/2008/04/14/colortoy-20-flash-based-color-scheme-generator/