(revised: titlebar dragging, tabs!!!) Re: [Bf-funboard] Suggestions for 2.29 panels

[bf-funboard@blender.org]

I like the concept of tab-able panels - but I have no idea how much more difficult that 
would be for the coders.  I would like to be able to drab one panel onto another, 
resulting in the double panel described below.

Also, I think the panel titles are currently a little too difficult to see.  Perhaps a higher 
contrast between background and text colors would help.

- Justin


On 18 Oct 2003 at 2:36, Luke Wenke wrote:

> Hi,
> I've revised some of my answers..... but I didn't repeat the things I
> haven't changed my mind on.
> 
> > .....By the way, I prefer that
> > drag options work on Titlebar only, not background space, as it would
> > be too easy to miss your button and accidentally drag your panel if
> > background dragging was used.
> I agree now that dragging panels should just be done by clicking on the
> titlebar - but not for the reason you gave (I explained why I'm not
> convinced by your reason in my last post) My reason is so that the dragging
> and panel combining things are consistent. To separate combined panels
> you've got to drag the appropriate title - so therefore to combine
> individual panels (or move panels at all) you should have to drag the
> titlebar. That way when users accidently combine panels together, they'll be
> able to work out how to undo it - by just dragging the titlebars. (If they
> could combine panels by just dragging the centre of the panel, it would be
> difficult to work out how to uncombine panels).
> 
> > * Combined panels' title bars become "title tabs."
> I agree.... they should look like the tabs here:
> http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/chapters/fog0000000060.html
> That link shows that users often get confused when tabs aren't used.
> "When Microsoft first usability tested the tabbed dialog interface,
> usability went up from about 30% (the old Mac way) to 100%. Literally every
> single testee was able to figure out the tabbed dialogs."
> Though that Mac screenshot also involves a scroll bar in the menu... but
> still, they should look as much like tabs as possible. The panels in Blender
> 2.29 could look like they have a single tab (so that part of the titlebar
> cut away) and then you drop the tab into another panel to create a group of
> tabs.
> Here's a single panel
>  ________________
> / Panel Title               \_______________
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |_______________________________|
> 
> Here's a double panel:
>  ______________    ___________
> / Panel Title           \_/_Panel_Title__\____
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |                                                               |
> |_______________________________|
> 
> In the last diagram the left tab is active. The right tab could be a darker
> colour. I think you should also be able to drag on the tabs and rearrange
> their order.within the combined panel.
> 
> "What about the minimization arrow?" people might say....well it could be
> included.... but actually I don't think it is necessary....
> Disadvantages of minimization: (in the buttons window panels)
> 1) You've got to click a little arrow - then some space is freed up
> 2) To use the panel again you've got to click the little arrow again
> 3) There is still some space taken up by the titlebar
> 4) Sometimes the titlebar goes vertical and only the first letter of the
> title is shown (could be fixed)
> 5) If it is a combined panel, only the last clicked on panel title is shown
> (could be fixed)
> 
> To do a similar thing to minimization you could just drag a tab (panel) onto
> another tab (panel).... then start using the other tab in the combined
> panel... then to go back, just click on the other tab - the area to click is
> much larger than the minimization arrow - and would be even bigger if the
> minimization arrows were removed. (And there would be less clutter on the
> screen) Though it involves a little bit of trouble to drag the tab onto the
> other tab in the first place (which would be minimized if panel combining
> problems were removed), after that, it is easy to change the states of the
> sub-panel (tab)... and less screen space is used this way too (with
> minimization the titlebar takes up some of the screen).
> I talk about fixing the combining panel problems here:
> http://www.blender.org/pipermail/bf-funboard/2003-October/001068.html
> Also, without those small little minimized panels, it would be easier to
> auto-arrange the panels. In my first email on the 2.29 panels I talked a lot
> about how to deal with different sized panels here:
> http://www.blender.org/pipermail/bf-funboard/2003-October/001060.html
> 
> - Luke.
> 
> - Luke.
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> 


Sincerely,

Justin Pease
N u a n c e   N i n e
Web Usability, Development and Design
www.nuance9.com