[Bf-funboard] Features for testing and critics

Martin Poirier bf-funboard@blender.org
Tue, 26 Aug 2003 13:40:36 -0700 (PDT)


--- Stephane SOPPERA <stephane.soppera@wanadoo.fr>
wrote:
> How do you enter a "." in a number?
> On my keyboard the "." key of the num-pad has no
> effect and I can only 
> type integer numbers and not numbers like "3.2".
> There's also a problem with the "-" key of the
> num-pad. To type "-" you 
> can't use the minux key of the num-pad. I know that
> "-" is used for 
> zoom, but when typing numbers, it's quite usefull
> ;-) Same thing with 
> "Enter", to validate the entry I can't use the
> "enter" key of the num 
> pad, I thinks this represents a very tiny
> modification but will be very 
> usefull.

I thought that was clearly explained, but it seems
like it wasn't.

The only thing you can type on the numpad are numbers.
For the rest (. and -) you have to use the "normal"
part of the keyboard. That is because the numpad - is
already used for the proportional editing tool,
although the mouse wheel is much better now, so we
might as well use the - and . on numpad for numerical
entry and only use the mousewheel for the
proportionnal tool.


> Now to the testing:
> 
> - select an object, hit R-Key
> - move mouse just a little bit
> - start entering Numbers
> Now you will not get the numbers as entered. When I
> move the mouse
> to a value of 10.95 and than enter 1 the value
> becomes 11.95. That 
> doesn't make alot of sense on first sight.

This is why I said not to move the mouse when using
numerical entry. The numbers you type gets combined
with the input from the mouse (in an intelligent way:
additionned for grab, rotate and warp, multiplied for
scale, shear and shrink/fatten).

What happened in your case was this:

- move the mouse to a value of 10.95
- type 1
- results: 10.95 + 1 = 11.95


> And you can't set the value to 0 with Backspace. 

That's because backspace only clears the value you
typed, not the mouse value. That could be done easily
though, but since you can already reset the mouse
value by pressing the R, G or S key again, I thought
that it was better that way.

> With scaling, there are two states showing a scaling
> value of 1.
> 1 as entry and 1 as default. Entering 1 will then
> get you to a value 
> of 1 or 11. After deleting the whole entry with
> backspace I would 
> prefer to see just a blinking cursor or something.


I don't think that would be a good idea, since it
wouldn't reflect the current resizing of the object
(which is 1, for none).

> I would like to suggest showing of an blinking
> cursor in the value-
> field as soon as the first number is entered. The
> user could more 
> easily understand the effect of keyboard-entry after
> an initial mouse
> move and there would be need for an value of "1" for
> an empty entry
> in scaling.

Actually, I don't think a blinking cursor is even
possible (I bet you can't locate a single blinking
thing in the whole Blender interface).

However, what could be done is putting the value you
are editing in parenthesis next to the total motion.

For example, the output when typing value for a grab
motion on the X axis could look like this:

Dx: 1.200 (1.2) Dy: 0.000 Dx: 0.000

And then if you move the mouse, if could en up like
this:

Dx: 3.245 (1.2) Dy: 1.342 Dx: 0.000


> The cursor should be moveable with
> arrowkeys. Increasing
> or decreasing the value in small steps with
> arrowkeys (the function 
> they have now) is'nt needed with numerical entry.

It isn't needed for numerical entry, but that doesn't
make it unusable either. Numerical entry is build on
top of transformation modes, that means that both
coexists as one and one shouldn't render the other
useless IMHO.


> Axis constraining: I would love to see some kind of
> a hint right in 
> the 3d-view of which constraint is active. I find
> myself to often 
> clicking middle-mouse button and wiggling the mouse
> until I get it 
> right. Maybe some simple arrows would do.

It's much clearer if you use the feature I
implemented. Pressing X, Y or Z once to constraint to
a global axis, twice for a local axis (just like
rotate works).

Additionnal note: The results acts just like middle
clicking, except that it is much easier to choose and
axis (and you can constraint to local axis too,
something you couldn't do before). The constraining
works by projecting the motion to the axis you choose,
so constraining to an axis perpendicular to the screen
(to the y axis when in front view for example) will
result in no motion at all for a very logical reason.
This "problem" didn't show up before because you could
only choose axis that were not perpendicular.


Martin

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