[Bf-taskforce25] Modifier Layout Proposal

[Eclectiel L]

Here is a mockup for Modifiers workflow that may also be valid for Constraints.

Tried to make a drag-and-drop workflow, eliminate some redundancies, and seize
as much vertical space as possible for crowded modifiers:
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/4234/modifiersconstraintswor.png


Eclectiel.




________________________________
From: Wahooney <wahooney at wahooney.net>
To: The Blender 2.5 TaskForce <bf-taskforce25 at blender.org>
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 4:20:11 PM
Subject: [Bf-taskforce25] Modifier Layout Proposal

Some ideas were kicked about on IRC
about a few changes that could be made to the way the modifier panel
works.

= Keep modifier settings in the modifier panel =

Thomas added the beginnings of the cloth settings tonight, and although
it's looking cool so far it pointed out a fundamental flaw. You are
adding the modifier in one panel in Blender and you're changing it's
settings in another?! That is quite counter intuitive to a new user and
most probably a break in workflow for experienced users (I'm somewhere
in between those extremes and it's grinding my goat already ;) )

= Compact the modifier stack =

The modifier stack can be reduced in total size by quite a bit
actually. If the stack were represented as a list it can take up far
less space and it can allow for a helpful mechanic: The user selects a
modifier from the list and only those settings are shown, saving space
and reducing some clutter, but we can also leverage the current
advantage of having multiple modifiers' settings visible by allowing
the user to select multiple modifiers from the list. The visible
modifier's settings can be drawn in the order that they appear in the
stack and that selection can even be locked by the user and saved into
the *NA (DNA,RNA I'm not sure which :P), so a user can set up their
environment to modify a particular object in the way that they need for
the given object, ie. A setup with consecutive SimpleMods and SubSurfs,
chances are if a user were going to animate that object the SubSurfs
probably won't be touched and their settings should probably be hidden.

Note: I know that a stack item can be collapsed into a smaller size,
but sometimes that's not small enough ;)

The list that holds the items can also perhaps have drag 'n drop
reordering (allowing the reordering buttons in the current modifier
system to take the boot) and display the Show/Hide buttons for
Render/Viewport/Editing/Cage that currently reside in the modifier
settings.

That's all from me for now.

Keith.


      
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