[Bf-taskforce25] New tools mockups

[William Reynish]

One solution to this problem is to use sticky keys.

Let's use the extrude tool as an example. You'll be able to invoke  
this tool in two ways: either by holding the e key for a period of  
time, or by simply tapping the e keys quickly. These different ways of  
invoking the tool produces two different results.

Press and hold: extrudes out the selection and lets the user position  
the extrusion using the mouse. Letting go of the e key applies the  
tool, but the tool settings can still be tweaked afterwards.
Tap: performs the extrude, but applies no translation. This can be  
numerically tweaked using the tool tweak settings, along with steps  
and other tool settings.

Selecting an tool from the menus would work like the tap scenario, so  
that mouse positions don't produce problems.

Same system could work for transforms, bevels, or whatever.

-W



On 24 Apr, 2009, at 6:20 PM, Ton Roosendaal wrote:

> Hi Jason,
>
> Our tools ("Operators") all have a provision to become temporarily
> modal, to catch user input while operate. This is already used a lot,
> from dragging screen edges to transform.
>
> An interactive beveling tool can simply do the same, and we can also
> code special modal subdivision/cutting tools when required.
>
> Another idea we'd like to test is a hotkey to move input focus to tool
> properties immediately, without moving mouse. That way you can  
> probably
> tweak things quite efficiently.
>
> My preference is still to first do a good test of this
> "Select->Action->Tweak" flow. I think there's very good ways possible
> to make it work outstanding. Obviously, in cases where this concept
> fails we just do it differently :) Painting tools for example already
> will have to work differently in some ways.
>
> -Ton-
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation   ton at blender.org     
> www.blender.org
> Blender Institute BV  Entrepotdok 57A  1018AD Amsterdam The  
> Netherlands
>
> On 24 Apr, 2009, at 17:12, Jason van Gumster wrote:
>
>> Hi William,
>>
>> William Reynish <william at reynish.com> wrote:
>>
>>> We've talked before about adding a 'Tools' subregion within the 3d
>>> view for common 3d tools, and putting them in there. It'd be nice if
>>> there was some way of customizing the contents of this, however.
>>> Perhaps users can press a special key while using the menus to make
>>> an operator a 'favorite' or a discreet '+' icon within the tools  
>>> pane
>>> can give a menu full of operators.
>>>
>>> http://www.reynish.com/files/blender25/tools_region.png
>>
>> How does this tools region play into the Select->Action->Confirm
>> workflow? Many of the tools you have in your mock-up (Extrude, Bevel,
>> Crease) work relative to mouse position when activated and I actually
>> think that's still a good thing. However, pressing a button to  
>> perform
>> them may put the mouse in a position to yield undesirable results. To
>> see what I'm talking about, compare extruding with E vs. clicking the
>> Extrude button in the Edit buttons in 2.4x.
>>
>> Also, I think that there are more elegant ways of controlling extrude
>> options (if options like that are to exist). For example, Segments
>> could
>> be controlled with the scrollwheel or number (a la the current loop
>> cut). Of course, if the tool options were to more of a live feedback
>> while you're using the tool, then I guess it's not such a big deal.
>>
>> Hopefully this made sense...
>>
>>  -Fweeb
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