[Bf-funboard] Modes & modes

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

Recent development in the coders arena has shown quite some interest in  
expanding the selection options in Blender. Time to formalize &  
integrate this well.
It's also part of the UI redesign discussion, which will incorporate  
this.

In general, 'modes' are considered bad UI practice. Mostly because  
users can get stuck in it, or don't know which mode actually is active.  
Blender's 'editmode' is a renowned example of it. Here's some nice  
further reading:
http://faculty.juniata.edu/rhodes/smui/modes.htm
http://www.uidesign.net/2000/books/humane.html
Anyhoo, rethinking Blender completely is out of the context for the  
2.xx series.

So, for Blender we're heading towards 2 important modes:

1. Editing modes
These are 'limiting' and temporal changes in the workflow to enable  
moving vertices around, changing texture maps, painting color, etc. The  
common hotkey for it is TAB, that's OK. For vertex-paint and  
face-select the hotkeys are nasty though... even I get stuck in it  
(EditMode is something that becomes more natural).
I'd like to see a more natural way to enter the latter 2 modes... like  
Armatures, that allows CTRL+TAB or TAB.
My proposal for hotkeys:
- TAB always goes into the standard modeling editmode
- CTRL+TAB or ALT+TAB invokes the alternative editmodes
- SHIFT+TAB cycles through editmodes (including 'not' editmode)
- CTRL+RightMouse: at another object, turns that object in the mode you  
were working in. (only works for paint/face modes now)
- Exception: ALT+RightMouse selecs an Object in modeling editmode (is  
CTRL+RightMouse now). This is for assigning vertex-parents.

2. Selection modes
Whilst currently selecing in Blender is nonmodal (uniform) it is clear  
that users prefer more selection methods to use while modeling. So,  
given the 'edit mode' another mode should become apparant; like  
'vertex', 'edge', 'face' or 'loop' selection.
Hotkey proposal:
- CTRL+SHIFT: cycle through the selection modes
- RightMouse click: then *always* uses the current selection mode
- Only in Vertex Selection mode, selection shortcuts for selecting an  
edge or face can be still useful. Here the old (but clumsy) hotkeys can  
remain:
   - CTRL+ALT+Rightmouse: edge select
   - ??: face select
- it is unclear yet if 'loop selection' will be a mode, or a tool  
(invoked once by hotkey or menu). To be researched

To further enhance the visual mode feedback:
- while mouse-over the vertex/edge/face/(object?) can slightly get  
brighter or highlighted, this based at selection mode.
- the UI (header) will CLEARLY show which mode you're in
- the 'editing modes' will get a different cursor
- we can draw in the upper-right corner small blended icons to give  
extra attention to these modes; like this mockup:
http://www.blender.org/bf/rt.jpg
Here a bit shading in the corner gives extra attention. Different  
greyscales can be used to visualize different modes (color would  
distract too much). When no selection mode is possible, the 'divider'  
won't be drawn, otherwise it splits in 2 parts. We can even code that  
clicking here will switch modes.
Of course I'd welcome other proposals. :)

Thanks for reading,

-Ton-

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
--
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton@blender.org  
http://www.blender.org