[Bf-committers] Second part of UI issues, both ideas and review of t3

[GSR]

Hi:

The continuation to the other post (points 1 to 18), which is at:
http://projects.blender.org/pipermail/bf-committers/2005-September/011875.html

19. T3 object buttons:

This one looks a bit messy, there seem to be duplicated buttons, for
example. I guess Draw panel is stale, and Object takes over.

Transform buttons could use a Grid approach, saving space and allowing
more readable values.

   Loc      Rot      Scale
X [ 0.042 ][   0.0 ][  1.0  ]
Y [ 2.718 ][  90.0 ][  1.0  ]
Z [ -3.14 ][   0.0 ][  2.0  ]
  [ Reset ][ Reset ][ Reset ]

And yes, I renamed Size to Scale (global change in Blender, IMO, as it
is clear that many people get confused and thinks that will be the
total size, and later wonder why with 1.0 something takes 3.4 units in
the 3d view). Grid layout could be used in other places where it fits
(materials, textures...).

With the grid, tracking options could be placed here too (they affect
rotation after all) and save panels. Print speed seems to be from the
tracking column, but I do not remember that is the real function, it
just reports the speed something is moving at a given frame.

Time offset could probably be arranged in three columns of two rows,
removing the Timeoffset from the number button or the label and using
grouping. If six buttons and no external labels, it could be Time
offset number buttons, Auto and Slow parent for first row, and next one
Object, Particles and Parent.

Duplication buttons could be packed in 2 rows of 3 columns too:
Dupliframes, Start and End, then No speed, Spacing and Chunks.
Dupliverts and Rotation would be another line, not packed to the 6
previous.

In general, with some packing things could save panels and thus avoid
tabbing or allowing future extension.


20. T3 edit buttons:

Another messy one. :/

Show buttons jump with the active object type, and in mesh they go for
two columns when three would fit fine.

Tool settings is docked behind... and also have tool "triggers", so
name is misleading.

It does not look pretty much finished so I stop with this point.


21. T3 render buttons:

This seems a bit more worked, on par with areas reviewed in previous
mail. Still, the grouping in some themes is missing and the order does
not seem 100% clear.

RGBA button reports that A is saved if supported, but Premul does not
(for example PNG only makes sense with Sky or Key, it does not support
Premul).

Unified could become one engine instead of a button (Internal,
Unified, Yafray, OpenGL, RMan... you get the idea).

Custom presets... no other presets in sight, old ones are
missing. Unfinished I guess. :[

Size, Aspect and Parts are nice candidates for another grouping that
reuses X and Y labels.

I had to keep on jumping themes to see grouping. With one that does,
grouping is still a bit wrong as Gaussian relates directly to OSA. And
Motion blur does too, due internal link (samples are for OSA dn
Mblur).

Radiosity, shadows and envmaps are grouped like if they where tigthly
related, but they are not more than to Raytracing. Panorama at bottom
alone.

Posprocess tab, dunno why there is blank space in top right and
another at bottom. Gamma slider is here, but gamma toggle in the other
panel. And again, grouping in general.

Reading in some panels seems to be per columns and in others per rows,
so it looks a bit strange. Well, I know comments I did also mix, but
maybe things should move to one, like per rows or some kind of clue if
per columns.


22. T3 anim/playback:

A panel with a handful of settings. Probably fits in render. That or
seriously unfinnished or I miss something.


23. T3 sound buttons:

A bit more buttons than anim/playback. Never used sound, so no big
idea. They look untouched anyway.


24. CVS object buttons:

The contraints force vertical scrolling, if your button layout is
horizontal, when you add two and have them open. When all are
collapsed you can see three, the fourth grows the panel too.

Things are out of the subpanels, and the subpanels have wasted
rows. The interface seems similar to modifiers (see later)... but not
using the same button styles.

I was wondering about the IKEY menu as a faster way than clicking
buttons, and found it seems to show a completly unrelated list of
things now (they apply to physics only). I am not convinced that you
have to click to view the IPOs, IMO they should all appear at once
with the proper names if IPO window is showing constraints... like you
can see many things in object or material modes. Ooops, well, enough
moving from buttons to other areas, but worth if that allows better
buttons.


25. CVS physics buttons:

Three panels use the "show controls if enabled" while other shows
always and has some text tags on top (Fields and Defection... yep, it
seems to say Defection). Not very consistent (probably requires a full
review and take a decision about what mode to use in all Blender).

Particles still has the issue about clear control of generations. I
think there was some proposal somewhere, but unable to find now,
probably somewhere in the wiki mess. :/

Fluids seems to be using a vertically centered approach when there are
few buttons. Task could use a drop down, saving space (enable, task
and bake would be first row), and allowing to put in main view things
that are in advanced now, like the substance chooser (water,
honey...).

Prefix is not Blenderish, other places I remember save 0001.png if, as
path, you set //render/ or char0001.png if you set //render/char. It
would also allow more space saving.

Getting two rows (inflow, outflow, advanced and bake disappear or
move) and the bottom free line... yeah, seems that it could be all
visible. Also, some of the settings could be moved to other places or
just removed. Why have many places about saving tmp files (should be
user prefs only)? Simulation time could do some maths with end & start
frames and fps (or behave like particles, so you can make fluids start
already in motion). Someone said that if gravity is 9.81, realworld
size is one unit = one meter, so dunno how that one fits.


26. CVS edit buttons:

As already mentioned, panels with subpanels force vertical scrolling
if horizontal layout is used (in this area Modifiers). In this case
there is one kind that forces it directly as it is big (waves). Closed
you have to put 7 mods to start scrolling, but with three of the more
compact kinds, there is scrolling too.

Entering edit mode of mesh objects makes a nasty rearrangement of
panels.


OK, I think this is all for the moment. The T3 part is lot less than
in the first part, but also cos I have skimmed a lot when something
made me feel it was not done or just started, so not worth looking in
depth. I decided to review what seems to be new buttons in CVS as they
will stay in one or other shape, and T3 had nothing about those parts.

GSR