[Bf-funboard] Modes & modes

[Thorsten Wilms]

Ton Roosendaal wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I've only read excerpts of Raskin's book (but I've ordered it!), and I  
> don't think many people here have read it. You clearly know more of  
> this topic, but you introduce a little bit too many definitions with  
> the word 'mode' in it, which doesn't make it all more clear for us  
> ignorant Blender folks.
> The aim here is not studying general UI theory, but try to agree on  
> definitions to guide us through the UI make-over.

Well, I thought to bring on what I know or think and you take from it 
what you like. But I will try to be more focused and to the point next 
time:-)

 > ...
> Here I meant tools as 'operations on data', not as the UI element that  
> works with it.

Sorry. But it's confusing (at least to me )when you jump from 
represantation to implementation.

> Many tools can be made available in different ways. "Selection" is a  
> tool for me, not "click the RightMouse button"...
> 
> What you mean with "Tools are UI modes" I completely miss...

Something like border-select is a tool. With B-key you enter a mode of 
the ui, that allows you make a selection of vertices in a rectangular 
area. It should be a mode with respect to lmb and rmb click-hold and 
drag (what you do to make the actual selection). But currently blocks 
numpad plus and minus and scrollwheel. Because of things like this I 
mentioned the idea of modes and submodes and gesture passing.

Example:
- Interface is in edit-mode and border-select mode (B-key pressed but 
nothing done yet). So border-select is a submode of the edit-mode.
- The user uses the scrollwheel: Nothing happens. What should happen: 
border-select mode has no handler (hope this is an apropiate name) for 
scrollwheel event (/gesture). So one level up edit-mode is checked ...
- User click-holds lmb and drags to make a selection. Border-select mode 
catches this gesture and does what it does (because that gesture is in 
it's scope).

I'm sorry to not have explained this in detail last time.
And I hope you now understand what I meant with mode-hierarchy (parent 
and submodes) and scope and see some usefullness.


---
Thorsten