[Bf-taskforce25] Panels, colours and such...

[Michael Fox]

On Wed, 2009-04-08 at 23:03 +0200, Andrzej Ambroż wrote:
> -I-
> AUTOMAGICAL PANELS
> 
> Right now, when the Buttons Window is small (as well as in case of N-key 
> toolboxes, Outlier, and so on) panels doesn't fit the space so user have to 
> scroll/pan to reach hidden content. Besides it's impossible to figure out 
> how much of the content is outside the window (OK, it's easier when You 
> knows the specific incarnation of the interface by heart).
> Picture:
> http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7907/panelautofit.png
> fig. 1. - current situation
> fig. 2. - how it could look like when the window's space is smaller than 
> its content - the lowest panels could fold until everything go in the 
> window (just one panel in my mockup).
> fig. 3. - after unfolding minimized panel, panels just above could fold 
> until everything fits the window again.
> 
> Moreover:
> a) the proposed system could be used all around the interface - in Outliner,
>  N-key toolboxes etc.
> b) pins on headers allow keeping panels maximized all the time. One can pin 
> all of panels to get current way of displaying the content.
> Those icons help an user to orientate himself in the layout as well. We get 
> stronger visual emphasize of each of content's group.
> c) Headers could get highlighted when mouse hovers over specific panel. 
> Again - help for sense of orientation. There're of course more alternatives 
> for my proposal - highlighting whole panel or just its outline.
> 

we will be using scroll bars, they are simple and at a glance shows
there is more buttons and where roughly in buttons you currently are


> 
> -II-
> WIDGET COLOURING
> 
> Regarding to William's proposal - have to say that symbols used in the very 
> mockup could be confusing since chain is commonly used to communicate 
> linked edition of specific content. That's why I would suggest using 
> "chain" for linking values editing in Transformations, render x and y size 
> and such (will have to make mockup as well).
> Besides currently we have two Transformation panels (Object [F7] and 3D 
> Window's N-key toolbox). I believe that:
> a) this functionality will be moved to (F7) panel
> b) we'll have two exactly the same panels in different spaces.
> In both cases we'll have one more icon (pad lock) next to the 
> transformations value boxes.
> It's getting crushy here...
> So maybe outline alternative ain't so bad? We could use colours and outline 
> types - continuous, dotted, etc. so it's somehow colour independent.
> At last Brian's idea of placing icons slightly over the specific element of 
> GUI is interesting as well, because relation between symbol and content is 
> obvious.


the final UI in terms of panel placement and such has not been decided
or designed, that's for William and Broken to do, 

also i propose to put those icons inside the buttons so it doesn't look
like a link properties option in side by side cases

> 
> 
> 
> _____________________
> Andrzej Ambroż
> mob.:   505 495907
> e-mail: ambroz at list.pl
> g-g: 6042088
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-- 
Michael Fox 
Developer and user of Blender3d
www.blender.org

mfoxdogg at gmail.com