[Bf-funboard] Toolbox and Menusystem

[Thorsten Wilms]

On Sun, Oct 05, 2003 at 12:28:55AM +1000, Luke Wenke wrote:

> > "Make Single User" -> "Break Links", "Unlink", "Make Autark"
> > Because I'm the user and single!
> 
> I'd strongly recommend against "make autark" since that work is meaningless
> to me and I've finished an information technology degree so if I don't know
> what it is, then many or most others wouldn't either.
> Since the hotkey is "U", my vote goes for "unlink".

Ok. I added Autark more to have another one...
 
> > "Copy Properties" -> "Transfer Properties"
> > So that nobody mixes up with the notorious Copy/Paste.
> > Besides, "Properties" is itself in the Copy-Menu.
> > Copy Properties > Properties seems strange.
> 
> It could be "Get Property From [activeObjName]" (it could be singular
> [property] since you only get one property type at a time) Or I guess "Copy
> Property From [activeObjName]" would be better since the "C" in copy goes
> with the ctrl-C hotkey. When people are using it incorrectly (like a copy
> and paste) they would generally select one object since it doesn't make much
> sense to copy the locations/rotations of multiple objects... and when they
> only select one object then a helpful error message could appear. e.g. "one
> or more destination objects must be selected". That implies that the
> currently selected object is the "source" for the property
> (location/rotation/etc).

You're defintely right that it should be singular (didn't think about it).

> 
> > I collected items that depend on more than 1 object beeing
> > selected:
> >
> > - Join Objects
> I think this should be called "Join To [activeObjName]" because after the
> operation, the new name of the object becomes whatever the active object was
> called. And ctrl-J only works if the active object is selected. (It won't
> work if all of the selected items are non-active)
> 
> > - Boolean Operation
> > - Copy Properties
> > - Track (Make, Clear)
> > - Parent (Make, Clear)
> Clear Track only needs one (or more selected). Same with "clear parent".
> 
> > - Make Links
> >
> > Hope that are all!?
> Maybe not.... there is g, r, s, del, x, etc... see these hotkey lists:
> http://www.eskimo.com/~johnnyb/computers/blender/Blender_Hotkeys.html
> http://members.chello.nl/j.kassenaar/blender/hotkeys/kall.html

You missed the context, I think. Since when do g, r, s and so on rely 
on several selected objects?

I sure won't forget to include those my toolboy proposal.


> >.... Luke brought up that those items should be accessible, even when
> > no appropiate selection has been made. And that helpful error
> > messages should be used. I agree, but instead of
> > reporting error, messages advising the user to select other
> > objects should be implemented.
> 
> By "helpful error message" I mean a message that is informative and helpful
> should appear. At the moment when you press ctrl-t, etc, with not enough
> things selected, nothing at all happens. It appears to the user that the
> operation completed successfully - unless they try and test the tracking,
> etc.

I was talking about a message and the possibility to complete the operation, 
instead of blocking it with even with a friendly and explainatory message.

So you could select just one object, make use of some copy-command. A floating 
window apperas that allows you to cancel or finish the operation after 
selecting other objects. The old way would stay the same.

Another possibility would be to have those commands shown gray or so, and 
on mouse-over a message tells you about the preconditions.


---
Thorsten