[Bf-funboard] Object manager update (Luke)

[Luke Wenke]

> I think it would be better to remove the layer locking. The only use for
it
> I can think of is using one window with locked/scene buttons for setting
up
> things for rendering, while using an unlocked window for editing. No need
for
> that with seperate rendering option.

Sounds good. And it would free up that lock icon.

> Ok, it's not that problematic, but I would still like to have icons on the
> same level of meaning.

Well the picture frame thing was the original icon for the rendering
buttons... its use for scenes is very recent, since those (unfortunate)
changes to the windows buttons.

> I lean towards making locked objects non-editable, but selectable. But I
> would like to hear other peoples opinion on this.

Then locked/unlocked is the same as non-editable/editable... and personally
I think it is easier to understand what "editable" means. (though the icon
may be a bit hard to do...) BTW, if it is still selectable (but "locked"),
this suggests it can be moved, scaled, rotated, etc... (since you usually
can do those things with selected objects)
I think what is important is making locked objects active... (so if click on
a locked object, perhaps all that happens is that it just becomes active,
but it isn't selected [since I think the only reason to select things is to
move, rotate, make it a child, etc - editing type stuff]). So I think
"locked" is probably the best term (rather than editable/non-editable).

> No way, introducing even more complexity to the selection business would
> be very bad. Selection in the hierrarchy should work like in 3d views.

Selection (and making something active) in the 3D views works the way I
described it - except that the RMB (and shift-RMB) is used rather than the
LMB (and shift-LMB) -

- click (on any object whether selected or unselected) makes it selected and
active, all others become unselected.

- shift-click (on unselected object) makes it active and selected

- shift-click (on selected active object) makes it unselected (and still
active)

- shift-click (on selected inactive object) makes it active (and still
selected)

or at least that's how it seems to work in the 3D views. I suggested the LMB
be used since I thought you preferred the RMB be used for the context-menu.
(And I suggested the "make active" option be in the context menu for ease of
use) For consistency, LMB could also be used in the 3D views (and IPO
windows, etc) for selection, rather than RMB... (though I suspect the coding
to redo all that would be relatively easy, I guess there would be a lot of
opposition against changing Blender like that)

> For the sake of consistency and to help establish a mental link between
the 2.
> But using other means to indicate active item in the hierarchy is
something
> I'm already thinking about. 3ds may uses checkmarks for that, we could use
> some icon in an extra column for that, or a border like you mentioned.
> Allthough the icon would need extra space, and the border could interfer
> with readability (or require larger spacing ...).

What if you inserted an icon in the title you wouldn't need room for an
extra column - it's just that the text in the title would be shifted to the
right a bit. The active icon could be an *asterisk or a red circle. (maybe
with a little space after the icon/symbol?)
I skipped commenting on some of the layer stuff for the moment that I wasn't
really familiar with.
- Luke.