I posted on the list, but thought I'd post here too..
Here's a Pd mod that I've been using. You can use color themes like in Pd-extended. There are also different inlets/outlets and cords for audio or messages.

I also put initbang and closebang back in
Unfortunately only tested/bundled on OS X
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases

I also updated tclpd which works with this bundle now
https://github.com/sebshader/tclpd/releases/tag/v0.4

here's an example theme
colors-plugin.tcl

Updated to 0.48-1
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases

updated to 0.49-0
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases/tag/0.49-0n

updated to 0.51-0
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases/tag/0.51-0
added many more colors (documented in doc/7.stuff/colors-plugin.txt)
colors have changed names

added option to use tk Bezier cords (don't look great, selection is a bit off), however the functions to draw the cords have been moved to tcl code, allowing gui plugins to overwrite them (this allows patch cables to look however the tcl plugin author might want, with whatever tk can do)

also added preference menu item for bezier cords
they can also be turned on/off by setting the tcl variable "::curve_cords" e.g. "set ::curve_cords 1"

A couple fixes for help menu getting greyed-out on osx, and to display the array name when it's created

edit: fixed message/audio cable bug 8:10 PST 6/6/2020

updated to 0.51-1, hopefully everything is in order..
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases/tag/0.51-1

This is super cool mod, and I am using it during workshops because it's more easy to make distinction between object and message for new users.

Any chance to have a windows compatible compiled version?
I know the color and bezier curve have been proposed as PR in the pd github, but unfortunately, I tdon't think that Miller consider it as high priority in his todo list.

@60hz unfortunately I have no windows or linux machines.. maybe I'll try to convince my roommate to let me use her's at some point..
on that note, if anyone compiles/packages for windows or linux I could upload them..

Ok, I might try too, but I am not familiar at all with windows compilation at all :/

I have one question about the mod: I made a dark box theme but one thing that still can't be changed is the box cursor color. It's possible to change "text_window_cursor" but not a "box_cursor" which make all dark box theme hard to use. Would it be possible to have this last option in a future version?

Thanks for the great work @seb-harmonik.ar -;)

@60hz hmm.. on my system it blinks between black and white. Is this not the case for you? I thought that would be good enough since you'd be able to see the white blink if you couldn't see the black and visa-versa.
But thinking about it now I can see wanting to be able to see the cursor most of the time rather than when it just blinks :->
I can probably do this today and upload the app to the release page later.

edit: ok, the app on the release page is updated. I used canvas_text_cursor instead of box_cursor since one cursor color is used for all canvas items. (so you still have to find one that works for objects, messages, and comments)
the source isn't changed in the release page, but is in the "next" branch
I also learned that the cursor only blinks white if the color is set to black, otherwise it blinks out of existence.

@seb-harmonik.ar

Thanks, yes the cursor was blinking only black so on dark grey it was very difficult to see.

I tried the new updated version but it looks like it's broken, at least OSX told me so...

@60hz huh curious. What is the error message?
Can you please try again? I re-ran the script to make the app, perhaps it's some signing issue that just changing some file in the bundle messed up..

@seb-harmonik-ar
It works now! The message was that the app is broken and OSX proposed to put it to trash...
Thanks, my cursor is now visible

@60hz and anyone else: I think I got the windows binaries & installer working through virtualbox. They are on the release page.
There is also the built binaries & tree in "windows files" if the installer fails.
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases/tag/0.51-1

I tested compilation and installation on arch linux & that worked fine also,

@seb-harmonik-ar

I tried the windows executable and it's working great so far, thanks a lot.
Also, I see that the aliasing effect is less ugly when the line is wider... since that's a current discussion

Also do you think that it is possible to refresh the screen draw after changing the curved lines so we see the result? Right now we need to select an box and move it to see the change.

@60hz right now the menu item just sets a tcl variable that is referenced whenever cords are drawn or moved.

it's a bit bigger than the planned scope of the bezier cables feature (it was a small feature just to take advantage of native tk bezier lines) and it didn't seem like that big of a deal for it to be the user's responsibility to redraw by minimizing or re-opening the canvas..

But, if there's an easy way to loop through open windows in tcl and send a redraw message to pd (or maybe just redraw the cords directly in tcl) I might put it in later

@60hz putting these lines in some .tcl file in the pd path (maybe even in the colors-plugin.tcl file..) will do the trick

proc redraw_cords {name, blank, op} {
    foreach wind [wm stackorder .] {
        if {[winfo class $wind] eq "PatchWindow"} {
            set canv ${wind}.c
            foreach record [$canv find withtag cord] {
                set tag [lindex [$canv gettags $record] 0]
                set coords [lreplace [$canv coords $tag] 2 end-2]
                ::pdtk_canvas::pdtk_coords {*}$coords $tag $canv
            }
        }
    }   
}

trace variable ::curve_cords w redraw_cords

@seb-harmonik-ar
Thats working perfectly in color-plugin.tcl! Thanks.

Another question regarding inlet/outlet: now the msg_cord color is corelated to iolet outline color.
In order to make even better themes do you think that it would be possible to have a separated outlet outline color? or be able to have no outline in iolet?

@60hz I've been thinking about that too.. thought it would be cool to have the cables always be the same color as the outline, and also to cut down on "option bloat"

but I might put it in just to have the option.. I probably won't compile/release again until the next major pd version tho.

@60hz ok I lied.. I decided to get it done now..
new release
https://github.com/sebshader/pdnext/releases/tag/0.51-2
it's msg_iolet_border and signal_iolet_border

@seb-harmonik-ar great!
My theme is ready, less confusion between objects and messages boxes for students, and everything is readable

Here is the plugin : colors-plugin.tcl

I would love to use it on linux!!