[Bf-committers] Pupmenu conventions. (Was: CVScommit:blender/source/blender/src edit.c)

[Stephen Swaney]

Robert Wenzlaff wrote:
> 
> On Sunday 05 October 2003 11:44 am, Stephen Swaney wrote:
> > > -Ton-
> >
> > On behalf of all the blender users whose fingers
> > have been trained over the years, I thank you!
> 
> Unfourtuantly, all the new users who have to look at a jumbled list of
> features in chronological order will curse us.  They want to see the
> functions grouped logically.  (I'll admit that in Goofster's case the Logic
> is subjective).
> 
> But when you have:
> 
> "Subdivide,  Fractal Subdivide, Smooth Subdivide, Mirror, Merge,
> RemoveDoubles, Hide, Reveal, Select Swap, Flip Normals, Smooth"

It looks to me that we are talking at cross purposes here.

I don't disagree with the substance of your arguments, which
I have snipped.  Consistency and order are undeniably good things
in an interface.  These go a long way towards making a nice workflow.
This is part of what makes using blender fast.

However, there is a major difference between the snap menu and the
w pupmenu.  The w popmenu is highly context dependent, it changes
depending on what is selected and whether or not you are in edit
mode.  The snap menu is always the same.

The result of this is that the snap menu choices become hotkeys.
Shift-S 4 was always there and was quicker than moving the mouse.
It wasn't necessary to read the menu each time.  With the w pupmenu,
because it is different each time you invoke it, it becomes necessary
to stop and actually read the choices available.  Once you are doing
that, since the menu pops up under the mouse, it is easier to
click your selection than to count a changing number of items.
( I am assuming here the 'standard' blender driving posture of
one hand on the keyboard and one for the mouse )

So basically, I agree with you about oranizing the menus like pulldowns,
 and the space and w pupmenus.  But leave the darn snap menu alone.
Design principles are good, but don't follow them blindly.

-- 
Stephen Swaney			
sswaney@swbell.net