[Bf-funboard] Lots of cool ideas on how to improve consitancy, ease of use ect. (with mockups)

[Thorsten Wilms]

On Mon, Oct 20, 2003 at 09:26:34PM +0200, William Reynish wrote:

> Using an arrow like in the menu header (and in the new
> button windows) is a very common UI convention. Even
> if you dont know it, it is very easy to see what it is
> doing. Here is an example of an arrow used in a
> similar way in photoshop:
> http://www.shadeless.dk/request2_psd.jpg

It is a common convention for showing or hiding 
things _below_ the arrow!

Using them for things to the side is wrong, and 
redoing the mistakes because it's already included 
once won't do any good!
 
> It is a fact though, that currently in blenders main
> menu, they have inverted the arrow. Curently it is
> pointing right (like this: > ) when they are hidden
> and and down when the menu is revealed. I think it
> should be the opposite!

Reversing the meanings will make it only worse.
That's the opposite of consistency.
 
> To those who think the actual arrow takes up too much
> space I only have two words: Four pixels :) Remember
> that the function is to hide a given menu to save
> space - the width of the arrow is much smaller than
> the width of the menus.

I'm not concerned of the space the arrow takes with 
hidden menu, but the extra space needed to show 
the expanded menu plus arrow!

Pointing down the arow is 11 x 6 pixels. But you have 
to take some margin into account.

Not to forget that any extra control has negative 
impact on overview!


---
Thorsten