[Bf-funboard] Toolbar mockups

[Vincent Akkermans]

Oh, btw, please note that the icons are placeholders and can definitely be improved!



On Tuesday, 23 July 2013 at 00:12, Vincent Akkermans wrote:

> Hi all, 
> 
> Thanks for the feedback, very helpful. 
> 
> I've done some new designs (object mode and edit mode) and would like to know if they address the concerns about the other designs. 
> 
> The main considerations here are:
> 
> * Show view3d mode switcher at the top of the toolbar to provide context
> * Show shortcuts if there's enough space (they appear when making the toolbar wider and disappear when making the toolbar smaller)
> * Narrower panels with less items and hopefully a better semantic segmentation 
> * Easier to customise organisation of the toolbar with regards to the order and folding
> * Icons are used for often used operators at the top of groups and double as visual markers
> * Operator redo panel is removed and is delegated to F6 popup panel (button for it is provided in the history panel)
> * Popup menus are not mandatory and stay out of the way if not desired
> 
> http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/User:Ack-err/GSoC_2013/Toolbar_Designs_2
> 
> I'd like to work on a more advanced history panel that also shows a history list later on. This could perhaps be its own editor so that it's application wide. This'll have to wait a bit though as I'd like to spend the next few days laying down some of the coding groundwork for these (or similar) changes. I'll also do a new design of the paint modes later on.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Also, if there are any operators that you use often and aren't in the toolbar (you use them through the search menu for example) please let me know if you'd like to see them appear in the toolbar.
> 
> Vincent 
> (ack-err on irc)
> 
> 
> 
> On Friday, 19 July 2013 at 16:47, Ruth Ivimey-Cook wrote:
> 
> > Hi Vincent
> > > * reduce scrolling as much as possible
> > > * add support for setting the default parameters for operators
> > > * add text to show equivalent shortcuts
> > > 
> > 
> > 
> > I like some of the changes. I echo some of the concerns re horizontal 
> > space and I would like a "2 column mode" for the panel, selectable in 
> > the Preferences, if when you reduced the toolbar width the two columns 
> > both get narrower together, so you might end up with panel text going from:
> > 
> > - Translate - Rotate
> > to:
> > - Tr - Ro
> > 
> > and not:
> > - Translat
> > 
> > I definitely want the shortcut keys added to all buttons... 
> > (programmatically is best so it's never wrong) : it makes it so much 
> > easier to learn the shortcuts.
> > 
> > I typically use a 16:10 display, but with 16:9 displays common I often 
> > think it makes more sense to use horizontal space than vertical; in fact 
> > I now have my Windows "Start Bar" on the Right hand side rather than the 
> > bottom for that reason.
> > 
> > I would love a way to, say, right-click (or perhaps right-alt-click) on 
> > a button to bring up a shortcut editor, which would be a simple keyboard 
> > map (i.e. QWERTY etc) showing which shortcuts are used and free, so 
> > having right-clicked you can then just click on a free button and hey 
> > presto! Much easier than the current preferences method.
> > 
> > I don't like "only one panel open at a time", at least I don't think so.
> > 
> > I think I like the "initial dot" thing but would have to play with it to 
> > know.
> > 
> > History panel == good, but can you make the "History" a visible list - 
> > even if short - of the most recent, so you can just click to go back. 
> > How Photoshop works in that department is good IMO.
> > 
> > IMO the buttons for Recalculate and Flip UV should be slightly 
> > distinguished from Smooth and Shade. I know they're both UV things but...
> > 
> > I was wondering if "slightly distinguished" might mean something like 
> > this. If the existing panel grouping is:
> > 
> > \______
> > 
> > /------
> > 
> > and within that the groups are:
> > 
> > |_____
> > |--------
> > 
> > is there room for:
> > \______
> > /------
> > 
> > In general I would like to reduce the amount of popup and otherwise 
> > hidden stuff, not increase it, so I am not at all in favour of 
> > (mandatory) toolbar panel popup as in mockup 2. Popups make it harder to 
> > use the program, not easier. Fold-up panels are my preference, as you 
> > can open/close at will and the tools you want can therefore be available 
> > when you want them.
> > 
> > Well done for having a go at the paint options, but I'm not sure you've 
> > got there yet. I think it's better than what we have now, but not 
> > necessarily better enough.
> > 
> > Regards
> > Ruth
> > 
> > 
> > P.S. " three full stops" == "ellipsis" and in this context "full stop" 
> > == "period" (semantic difference; a full stop is what appears at the end 
> > of a sentence).
> > 
> > -- 
> > Software Manager& Engineer
> > Tel: 01223 414180
> > Blog: http://www.ivimey.org/blog
> > LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/ruthivimeycook/
> > 
> 
> 
> 
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