(revised: titlebar dragging, tabs!!!) Re: [Bf-funboard] Suggestions for 2.29 panels
bf-funboard@blender.org
bf-funboard@blender.org
Fri, 17 Oct 2003 12:03:23 -0500
Oops. With "free" selected I guess you can double up panels - although the results don't
look like the tabbed version. Cool.
- Justin
On 17 Oct 2003 at 11:53, jp@nuance9.com wrote:
> I like the concept of tab-able panels - but I have no idea how much more difficult that
> would be for the coders. I would like to be able to drab one panel onto another,
> resulting in the double panel described below.
>
> Also, I think the panel titles are currently a little too difficult to see. Perhaps a higher
> contrast between background and text colors would help.
>
> - Justin
>
>
> On 18 Oct 2003 at 2:36, Luke Wenke wrote:
>
> > Hi,
> > I've revised some of my answers..... but I didn't repeat the things I
> > haven't changed my mind on.
> >
> > > .....By the way, I prefer that
> > > drag options work on Titlebar only, not background space, as it would
> > > be too easy to miss your button and accidentally drag your panel if
> > > background dragging was used.
> > I agree now that dragging panels should just be done by clicking on the
> > titlebar - but not for the reason you gave (I explained why I'm not
> > convinced by your reason in my last post) My reason is so that the dragging
> > and panel combining things are consistent. To separate combined panels
> > you've got to drag the appropriate title - so therefore to combine
> > individual panels (or move panels at all) you should have to drag the
> > titlebar. That way when users accidently combine panels together, they'll be
> > able to work out how to undo it - by just dragging the titlebars. (If they
> > could combine panels by just dragging the centre of the panel, it would be
> > difficult to work out how to uncombine panels).
> >
> > > * Combined panels' title bars become "title tabs."
> > I agree.... they should look like the tabs here:
> > http://www.joelonsoftware.com/uibook/chapters/fog0000000060.html
> > That link shows that users often get confused when tabs aren't used.
> > "When Microsoft first usability tested the tabbed dialog interface,
> > usability went up from about 30% (the old Mac way) to 100%. Literally every
> > single testee was able to figure out the tabbed dialogs."
> > Though that Mac screenshot also involves a scroll bar in the menu... but
> > still, they should look as much like tabs as possible. The panels in Blender
> > 2.29 could look like they have a single tab (so that part of the titlebar
> > cut away) and then you drop the tab into another panel to create a group of
> > tabs.
> > Here's a single panel
> > ________________
> > / Panel Title \_______________
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > |_______________________________|
> >
> > Here's a double panel:
> > ______________ ___________
> > / Panel Title \_/_Panel_Title__\____
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > | |
> > |_______________________________|
> >
> > In the last diagram the left tab is active. The right tab could be a darker
> > colour. I think you should also be able to drag on the tabs and rearrange
> > their order.within the combined panel.
> >
> > "What about the minimization arrow?" people might say....well it could be
> > included.... but actually I don't think it is necessary....
> > Disadvantages of minimization: (in the buttons window panels)
> > 1) You've got to click a little arrow - then some space is freed up
> > 2) To use the panel again you've got to click the little arrow again
> > 3) There is still some space taken up by the titlebar
> > 4) Sometimes the titlebar goes vertical and only the first letter of the
> > title is shown (could be fixed)
> > 5) If it is a combined panel, only the last clicked on panel title is shown
> > (could be fixed)
> >
> > To do a similar thing to minimization you could just drag a tab (panel) onto
> > another tab (panel).... then start using the other tab in the combined
> > panel... then to go back, just click on the other tab - the area to click is
> > much larger than the minimization arrow - and would be even bigger if the
> > minimization arrows were removed. (And there would be less clutter on the
> > screen) Though it involves a little bit of trouble to drag the tab onto the
> > other tab in the first place (which would be minimized if panel combining
> > problems were removed), after that, it is easy to change the states of the
> > sub-panel (tab)... and less screen space is used this way too (with
> > minimization the titlebar takes up some of the screen).
> > I talk about fixing the combining panel problems here:
> > http://www.blender.org/pipermail/bf-funboard/2003-October/001068.html
> > Also, without those small little minimized panels, it would be easier to
> > auto-arrange the panels. In my first email on the 2.29 panels I talked a lot
> > about how to deal with different sized panels here:
> > http://www.blender.org/pipermail/bf-funboard/2003-October/001060.html
> >
> > - Luke.
> >
> > - Luke.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Bf-funboard mailing list
> > Bf-funboard@blender.org
> > http://www.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-funboard
> >
> >
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Justin Pease
> N u a n c e N i n e
> Web Usability, Development and Design
> www.nuance9.com
>
>
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> Bf-funboard@blender.org
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>
>
Sincerely,
Justin Pease
N u a n c e N i n e
Web Usability, Development and Design
www.nuance9.com