Dark Mode and Windows 11 UI

[rasyidf]

As a user of Anno Designer, I'd like to suggest modernizing the application's UI. The current interface (as seen in the attached screenshots) could benefit from a refresh to align with modern design trends and improve usability. Here are my suggestions:

1. Add Dark Mode Support

   • Implement a dark color scheme option
   • Add a toggle to switch between light and dark modes
   • This would reduce eye strain and provide a more comfortable experience in low-light environments

2. Update UI to match Windows 11 style

   • Adopt rounded corners for windows and UI elements
   • Update icons to match the Fluent Design System
   • Consider implementing Mica material for window backgrounds
   • This would give the app a more modern look and feel consistent with the latest Windows design

3. Migrate to the latest .NET framework

   • This could potentially improve performance and enable access to newer features

4. Update Extended WPF Toolkit styling

   • The current UI appears to use the Extended WPF Toolkit. It might be worth investigating if there are updated styles available for Windows 11 or if custom styling would be needed

5. Improve accessibility

   • Ensure good color contrast in both light and dark modes
   • This would make the app more usable for a wider range of users

I believe these changes would significantly enhance the user experience and keep Anno Designer feeling fresh and modern. I'd be happy to provide more detailed feedback or participate in any user testing if these suggestions are considered.

I've already tried to make those changes in my fork

1. Update to .NET 9
2. Dark Mode using WPF Fluent Style (Preview Version)

[taubenangriff]

This would be greatly beneficial for #448 solely because of the .NET 9 update.

[rasyidf]

net 9 already released, going to implement the update soon