[Bf-committers] Shapes / Shape Keys - confusing terminology

[Matt Ebb]

Hi,

I've noticed some weird terminology creeping into Blender 2.5, which  
we'd better clear up. Thought I'd clarify things here so people can  
talk about this with understanding.

In pre-blender-2.40, we had the weirdo name 'relative vertex keys',  
which in the 'new' animation system in 2.40 during Orange, we changed  
to shapes/shape keys. Part of this was improved in 2.4 but there's  
still some weirdness, in the code naming and in the UI.

Right now in 2.5 we are calling 'instances of mesh vertex locations'  
as 'Shape Keys'. This is misleading and confusing terminology, since  
the word key usually refers to a keyframe, i.e. something that you set  
while animating, and makes it makes the process more difficult to  
understand. A mesh 'shape key', known in other apps as a Blend Shape  
or Morph Target really has little to do with the actual keyframing in  
time. So I propose this clarified naming convention:

* Key (or keyframe)
--> A stored state of some data at a single point in time, represented  
by the little gold diamond that shows up in the dope sheet.
For example: "Add a location key at frame 10" or "Key the influence of  
the constraint".

* Shape (mesh shape, curve shape, etc)
--> A set of vertex locations, as part of a mesh. Known in other apps  
as a Blend Shape or Morph Target.
For example "Make a new mesh shape for the character's smile" or  
"Delete that shape from the mesh shapes panel"

* Shape Key
--> A stored state of the influence of a shape, at a single point in  
time. The Shape key is the actual keyframe, when you've keyframed a  
mesh shape.
For example: "Delete the shape key in the dopesheet at frame 15" or  
"Bring up the smile strength a bit more and key it"

I'm happy to go and fix this in the UI but unfortunately the code  
still refers to keys I believe, which might be a bit of a pain to  
change... :/

cheers,

Matt