[Bf-committers] Texture assignment workflow is confusing

[(Ry)akiotakis (An)tonis]

Actually there is a conflict between UI lenience and problem
abstraction. In terms of design, there is the texture 'image' and the
texture 'mapping'. Image is material independent state but mapping is
not. Mapping does not make sense out of the context for which it is
used -brushes, world mapping, material mapping, displace modifier,
particles- that's why old blender 2.4x had a logical separation
between the two.
But in terms of UI lenience one usually wants to be able to tweak all
the texture parameters, both image and mapping together. That's why
the current blender UI does have some sense behind its design. The
problem arises, in my opinion, from the fact that it's the same button
that gives access to this varied functionality and this can be
frustrating to the user.
It's not only a problem of user interaction. The panel itself must
change its context if, for example the user selects a texture brush
from the excellent(in my opinion) new menu in the sculpt tools. So it
follows that there is a 'hidden' context within context, which ends up
to be cumbersome for both user and programmer, who must always
remember to notify the very same context(texture panel) to change its
sub-context, depending on the operation.
BUT! remember that the mapping part is actually tied to the
material/world/etc and that images can be fully controlled in the
image editor. It follows that a possible solution might be to move all
texture settings to their context(material, world, brush) with the
disadvantage of more bloated menus in these contexts(It is already
cumbersome to scroll through all material settings). No texture panel
at all(Sort of like 2.4x or 2.5x in reverse)! Anyway, judging from the
development of 2.5x so far, I think a more robust solution is called
for. There have been quite a few bugs regarding the texture panel,
which is to be expected under the circumstances.
Furthermore, in view of the forthcoming node system for materials it
may be wise to wait and see how textures fit in the new system(I hope
better than in the old 2.4x system which was, in my opinion, a little
obscure).

That's my 2 cents anyway!