[Bf-funboard] Object color proposal

The Fallen Weeble bf-funboard@blender.org
Tue, 30 Sep 2003 14:25:59 -0400


First... I've got to say this:

> Selected active: yellow dot and yellow circle
> Selected non-active: purple dot and purple circle
> Non-selected active: purple dot and black circle
> Non-selected non-active: dark grey dot and black circle
> Manipulated: white circle (maybe yellow dot for active, purple dot for
> inactive? or white dots?)

To be tactless and blunt, knock this crap off.  We've already agreed (I
thought) that states like "non-selected active" shouldn't exist.
There's non-selected, selected, active (a subset of selected) and
(because I don't know the real name) currently manipulated.

Now... on to business...

> Sounds good! What do you mean by SOC? Do you mean the object is brightened
> using the appropriate light? (e.g. that it is brightened with yellow,
> magenta or white light?)

SOC = Shaded Object Color.  I mean (as was suggeted by someone else) to
draw the wireframe over the shaded version of the selected object.

> I don't really like the tri-colour idea... I mean I'm not sure how useful it
> would be.
> I think your centerpoint colours should be changed... I think they should
> match - so the non-selected objects could have a dark grey centre (similar
> to black), the selected objects could have a magenta (purple) centre, the
> active objects could have a yellow centre (even if they are unselected...
> note that it is possible for active objects to be unselected) Manipulated
> objects could have a white centre. If people want to see what position it is
> going to they can look in the header bar. The problem with tri-colour things
> is this - what if you get to the end of the scale - e.g. to the end of
> green - or to black - does it just go back to the start again? And our eyes
> can't distinguish between many shades of colours, especially blues and dark
> colours... but on the other hand, the numbers in the header bar would be
> very useful.
> Well actually you can't manipulate the centre point over a long length of
> time - unless you are moving the entire object... the way you manipulate the
> centre is just through instant things like "Centre Cursor" and "New Centre".

The reason for NOT making the centerpoint color similar to the wireframe
color is to distinguish it from the wireframe.  Otherwise, it will be
too hard to pick out.  The tri-color idea was something I'd just thought
up.  Thorsten noted that it might cause a bit of undo overhead to
implement.  While it might, I think the axis style of indicating the
centerpoint would be helpful in determining orientation.  I like the
idea of implementing the tri-color for each axis throughout the rest of
the interface (good suggestion, Thorsten).

> The problem with tri-colour things
> is this - what if you get to the end of the scale - e.g. to the end of
> green - or to black - does it just go back to the start again? And our eyes
> can't distinguish between many shades of colours, especially blues and dark
> colours... but on the other hand, the numbers in the header bar would be
> very useful.

I think you're misundertanding my suggestion, I think the centerpoint
should look something like this image (apologies for the
quick-n-dirtiness):

http://www.mrhostbot.com/f.php/517,117/blender_centerpoint.png

> Well actually you can't manipulate the centre point over a long length of
> time - unless you are moving the entire object... the way you manipulate the
> centre is just through instant things like "Centre Cursor" and "New Centre".

The tri-color suggestion here is for when the object is being
manipulated in non-editmode.  See below for comments on moving the
centerpoint in editmode.

> There shouldn't be a "currently manipulated" colour since the centre can
> just be moved using "centre cursor" rather than being gradually moved like a
> vertex. (Or you can move the vertices manually, leaving the cursor where it
> is) In edit mode you shouldn't be able to select the centerpoint at all (in
> fact you can't select it ever... but with shift-s you can move the cursor to
> the centerpoint, etc.) So there should only be one colour for the cursor in
> editmode. It could be purple or something... and it could be an X so that it
> isn't confused with the vertex dots. Or maybe it should be gray which
> implies that it can't be selected and moved. (it is "grayed out")

Just because it cannont currently be selected and moved is not a reason
that it shouldn't be.  I think it should.  There's a big benefit to
being able to actively translate and rotate the centerpoint of an
individual object.  Granted, it *can* currently be done using the
3D-cursor, but I think being able to select and move it interactively
would be more powerful and more naturally fit the current editing
workflow.

I could be wrong, though.  What does everyone else think?

Later.

  Groo