[Bf-funboard] Toolbox Design 3

Thorsten Wilms bf-funboard@blender.org
Wed, 8 Oct 2003 23:54:36 +0200


On Fri, Oct 10, 2003 at 12:22:30AM +1000, Luke Wenke wrote:
> Hi,
> I like broken's ideas a lot better.
> http://www.blender.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=phpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=12068#12068

His work is on the menusystem, not the toolbox. Although those 2 should fit together 
somehow, the Toolbox is to be used slightly different. It's not about providing 
an overview of all the commands. Fast access is more important.

So maybe the final Toolbox will be justs parts of the menusystem moved to a context-
menu. But I like to provide some alternatives first.

> He's got it all organised quite logically. I don't like the idea about "For
> reducing average access time the menu items presumably needed more often are
> located closer to the center." I think they should be in logical groups, and
> within groups they could be in consistent orders - perhaps partly
> alphabetical. I like how broken has clear submenus, and dividing lines
> between different groups... and all the hotkeys listed so you can see many
> at once.

My sentence about ordering is a bit misleading. In want to have the commands logicaly 
grouped, but in that groups and the groups themselfes ordered according to frequency 
of usage. I think it would be stupid with the mousecursor starting from the center to 
not have more important items close to the center! Initialy it might feel a bit strange 
because of reading-order, but higher efficiency will outweight that.

I think alphabetical ordering shows benefits only for long lists. And is of nearly no 
importance for groups of, say, 3 or 4 items (logical groups).

Dividing lines and hotkeys can be added, but for this stage I avoided the additional 
work.


> I think your first design, the "Multibox" would be just as fast as the other
> two...you'd only have to correctly click on the one right position, rather
> than also have to hover the mouse to a correct position first as well...
> that means you'd have to remember two locations in order to access one
> command.

The (somewhat) radial menus let you remember gestures for frequently used 
commands. And you have to move the mouse only short ways.

About having to know 2 locations: compare that to traditional menubars ...

The Multibox is better for quickly getting to some speed with it, but has 
lower limits of efficiency. The largest drawback is it's size.


> ...
> Maybe there could be tooltips, as I suggested earlier... (which provide an
> explanation for what things do for beginners - so they don't have to bother
> looking it up)
> 
> - Luke.

I might look into tooltips after a decision was made for whatever general 
layout and behaviour of the Toolbox.


Thank you for your opinion and thoughts.

---
Thorsten