[Bf-funboard] Proposal: Cursor Set

Douglas Bischoff bf-funboard@blender.org
Fri, 15 Aug 2003 14:45:51 -0400


Hello, all:

Blender does not currently have a comprehensive set of cursors to 
provide feedback to the user about the state of the program and what it 
is ready to do or capable of doing at any given moment with the mouse. 
In order to fix this, the first thing needed is a proposal on the 
Blender Cursor Set.

This document will start the ball rolling in 3 areas: Needed Cursors, 
Design Limitations, and Design. Naturally, the artistic among us want 
to jump straight to Design, but without the first two items a lot of 
time can be wasted. Note that I've started this off with the 
understanding that the UI will not change as a result of this project, 
just the visual feedback that the mouse pointer can provide the user 
based on various states.

So here goes! Please feel free to reply with your additions/etc. 
inserted!

Blender Cursor Set
--------------------------
Needed Cursors:
These are the cursors which are needed and a brief description of the 
visual cue they are intended to provide to the user.
* "Normal" Pointer - This is the default cursor which is used in all 
button windows, file selectors, and at any time no other cursor is 
specified by the program.
* Timer - This cursor appears when the program is processing an 
instruction and the user should stand by.
* Object Selector - Appears when the mouse is inside a viewport or IPO 
window that is in Object mode
* Vertex Selector - Appears when the mouse is inside a viewport or IPO 
window in Edit mode or in a UV editing window
* Armature Selector - Appears when the mouse is inside a viewport in 
Pose mode
* Face Selector - Appears when the program is inside a viewport in Face 
Select mode
* Rotator - Appears when the program is handling a "Rotate" instruction
* Scaler - Appears when the program is handling a "Scale" instruction
* Grabber - Appears when the program is handling a "Grab" instruction
* Boundary Selector - Appears when the program is in "boundary select" 
mode
* Window Sizer (H) - Appears when mousing over a horizontal window 
border and when click/dragging a horizontal window border
* Window Sizer (V) - Appears when mousing over a vertical window border 
and when click/dragging a vertical window border
* Viewport Selector - Appears when the program is waiting for the user 
to click in a viewport (as in Spin operations)
* Paintbrush - Appears when the mouse is inside a viewport in a paint 
mode: vertex paint, texture paint, weight paint

Design Limitations:
In order to operate in all supported operating systems, the cursor 
definitions must adhere to the following criteria:
* 32 pixels high
* 16 pixels wide
* 2 colors

Designs:
Once the Design Limitations are agreed upon by all platform managers 
and coders, and the Needed Cursors have been decided upon, proposals 
for what the cursors should actually look like will be accepted.

-Bish