[Bugs] #1048 UNSP: Optimize the activity for younger kids.

[SugarLabs Bugs]

#1048: Optimize the activity for younger kids.
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    Reporter:  brian                      |          Owner:  brian                      
        Type:  enhancement                |         Status:  new                        
    Priority:  Unspecified by Maintainer  |      Milestone:  Unspecified by Release Team
   Component:  Physics                    |        Version:  Unspecified                
    Severity:  Unspecified                |     Resolution:                             
    Keywords:                             |   Distribution:  Unspecified                
Status_field:  Unconfirmed                |  
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Comment(by garycmartin):

 Replying to [comment:2 asaf]:
 > I think we should solve this by having "Basic" and "Advanced" modes
 which modify the behavior and maybe the number of tools. The advantage of
 doing it this way is that users will not have features available that
 they're not interested in.

 I'd rather 'layer' the interface, rather than have an explicit "I'm
 STUPID" and an "I'm a GENUS" button ;-) The idea being you expose all the
 common, easy to understand tools as 1st class UI components, then reveal
 more complex ideas in deeper layers of the UI (sub-menus). Perhaps we can
 fold some existing tools together to allow space for new categories of
 tool (i.e. a single top-level Shapes palette could include
 box/triangle/circle, and others, with perhaps circle being the default –
 just an idea, not a recommendation).

 > If dragging the mouse is an issue, maybe the draw tool doesn't make much
 sense.

 Yea, dragging the mouse is a basic skill needed in a number of other Sugar
 tasks and Activities, so should be taught, though Brian's proposal above
 does not prevent that. With the correct tweaks both click or click'n'drag
 can work fine and give Physics a little bit of an easier learning curve,
 even for some adults ;-)

 Simon: What is the age range of the kids you observed this issue in?

 > I would also like to discuss the issue of adding more tools but we can
 talk about that in the meeting.

 Absolutely! One of the more obvious ones is a Tab for "Examples", we could
 create ~10 example simulations to best cover the kinds of contraptions
 that can be built, to prompt ideas and experimentation as to what is
 possible with Physics, but need to make a call on pickle state before we
 do that :-)

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Ticket URL: <http://dev.sugarlabs.org/ticket/1048#comment:3>
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