[Bf-funboard] Object manager update (Luke)

[Luke Wenke]

> Sorry, my "layers that contain layers" is misleading. The items with
> disclosure triangles in front are groups. The others refer to single
> 3d objects. And it's a move away from the layer metaphor, because
> objects can be in multiple groups. I think it originaly comes
> from 2d software, were layers are important for z-ordering. In this
> regard it does't make sense in 3d apps anyway.

I agree that "groups" is a better metaphor for what blender calls "layers".
But what about the existing layer buttons? Maybe they could be called group
buttons? And do those non-locked layer/group buttons override the
visibility, etc, settings in the subgroups and individual items? (When the
layer buttons aren't locked they have their own local settings rather than
global settings) I guess the non-locked layer buttons should only over-ride
the global layer/group settings, but not the subgroups or objects in the
groups.

> An eye was my first idea. There's the general advice to not use pictures
> of bodyparts, because it might be offensive to people of some cultures.
> Allthough eyes might be safe in this regard!?
> But it's the most easily recognized thing, and could be distracting
> (it's a strong attention magnet). And I wanted something on the same level
as
> the icon for rendering.

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/dewar_john/light_spill/pic22.gif
In After Effects at least, I think it isn't such an attention magnet, partly
because the eye isn't as clear as it could be - the left side is open, and
the eyebrow is close to the eye. For rendering, maybe that grayscale icon
for scene (F10) could be used. I think that should only be used as the
rendering icon... and the existing scene icon should be changed to something
else (since a scene in blender isn't a rendered scene - it is a collection
of objects that may or may not be visible in the render).


>...But I'm thinking about having editable instead
> of unlocked, so the icon would depict editable state, the dot meaning the
> group or object is editable.

If something is locked, can it be selected? If so, then you could replace
the locked icon with editable (and uneditable). Maybe locked items could be
made active, but not selected... that way you could make the locked items
parents or track-to targets of the selected items.

About selected and active things... it could be handy to let people select
and make things active independently. Some things, such as movement or
scaling, apply to the selected items (not the active item if it isn't
selected) - and the active item is used for track-to, parent, etc, and the
selection. If the active item is also selected then you can do things with
it as well (scale, etc) - as well as editing, parenting, etc. I think the
active item should be show in the object manager with contrasting border
around it. Then the colour inside the border shows if the active item is
selected or not. The active item could be chosen somehow in the object
manager without selecting it... e.g. you could do it using the RMB menu...
or maybe shift-LMB-clicking it after first selecting it and making it active
(using LMB [to deselect the others] or shift-LMB [to keep others selected])
- Luke.