[Bf-funboard] Buttons organisation guidelines

[Matt Ebb]

I won't reply to the other stuff for now, since I want to stay away from
specifics until there is some good theory in place.

> I agree. Plus options that aren't available (due to you not being in
> editmode, or things like degrees when "Auto Smooth" is disabled) could be
> grayed out. I don't think any of the options that are currently disabled
in
> editmode should be disabled. (e.g. deleting materials and adjusting the
> cursor)

Yep, greying out is good - it is out of the scope for 2.3 though.
What I'm talking about here is not when to show buttons or not, but how to
group them with a consistent organisational structure. These are related but
not the same thing. If buttons are grouped in panels according to their
level of context, then you don't have to worry so much about buttons
disappearing all over the place like swiss cheese - the panel itself is
hidden (or greyed). This would be more organised and less distracting
visually.

> Even when you're out of editmode you can't see its effects [the effect of
> only smoothing some of the faces] (it must be a bug).

It works for me, perhaps it's a driver issue.

> > So my initial proposal. in grouping these buttons together:
> > 1* Try to keep panels mode-specific. i.e: don't mix buttons that are
> > dependent on different modes
> But in object mode, you can use the edit buttons to create and delete new
> materials... I think these buttons should still be right next to the other
> edit button material buttons.

I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm saying that (for example)
the material index buttons (which operate on the ObData and are available in
and out of editmode) should be grouped with other settings that operate on
the ObData and are available in and out of editmode. The New and Delete go
along with that since they're affecting the material groups (an ObData
'setting') not acting like tools (subdivide etc.).

Cheers

Matt