[Sugar-devel] [PATCH] Record: icons for the toolbar that replace strings "timer" and "duration"

[Gary Martin]

On 29 Jul 2011, at 14:47, manuel quiñones wrote:

> Hi Frederick, sorry for the big delay of my answer.
> 
> 2011/7/25 Frederick Grose <fgrose at gmail.com>:
>> On Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 2:29 AM, Frederick Grose <fgrose at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 2011/7/25 manuel quiñones <manuel.por.aca at gmail.com>
>>>> 
>>>> El día 25 de julio de 2011 01:37, Gary Martin
>>>> <garycmartin at googlemail.com> escribió:
>>>>> Hi Manuel,
>>>>> 
>>>>> On 25 Jul 2011, at 05:12, manuel quiñones wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hello,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Thanks Gary for your support.  I'm with you, option 1 is the ideal.
>>>>>> Unfortunatly it doesn't seem to be possible in current GTK.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Yea, that's what I suspected, but thanks for considering it.
>>>>> 
>>>>>> So I took
>>>>>> option 2, at least for the moment.  Here are new screenshots:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> http://dev.laptop.org/~manuq/record_design/timer_sshot.png
>>>>> 
>>>>> Thanks for the screen shots. Yes, that does work better for my eye at
>>>>> least – could you perhaps use the star placement of the 3 star version, and
>>>>> centre align the 1 and 2 star versions around the middle star of the 3 star
>>>>> version? (e.g. use the 3 star version centre star, as the placement for the
>>>>> 1 star version, and then place stars in the gaps either side for the 2 star
>>>>> version). That should give the 1 and 2 star versions some more comfortable
>>>>> clearance from the clock stroke edge.
>>>> 
>>>> That is good feedback Gary, new screenshot:
>>>> 
>>>> http://dev.laptop.org/~manuq/record_design/timer_sshot_2.png
>>>> 
>>>> I will send a patch to Daniel then.
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> .. manuq ..
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I find the mixing of symbols here a bit troubling.
>>> 
>>> The star was proposed as a symbol for 'new instance' or 'new creation' as
>>> that use has precedence in other 'create new' situations.
>>> 
>>> Now, with this proposal, stars seem to represent time ticks while there is
>>> also the stopwatch to represent time.  With the center alignment, the
>>> progression also moves in diverging directions, inconsistent with the clock
>>> motion.
>>> 
>>> Seems there was an original suggestion to represent the start delay by a
>>> star at progressively later stopwatch clock positions.  Was that
>>> unsatisfactory?  If so, perhaps accumulating time ticks should be dots
>>> rather than stars (like some simple progress meters).  Or the star should be
>>> retained to represent the creation point along the watch edge, and dots
>>> placed along the edge to precede the start, represent the ticks of time
>>> delay.
> 
> I think you are right,  We may change the stars in a row for dots
> around the clock, in order to imply passing time.

If we go with trying an arc of dots (the row stars version was already +1 good for me), can we make the immediate icon start with one dot above; the 5 sec delay with two dots; and the 10 sec delay with three dots (all need the dot in them for consistency/progression).

>>> 
>>> Another set of symbols to consider is the media record, round button and
>>> media stop, square button.  These could be placed on the stopwatch at the
>>> start and stop angle positions for the recording duration selector, and the
>>> media record, round button at the starting angle, following smaller, delay
>>> tick dots, on the start delay icons (the watch pointer could also move to
>>> the record start angle).
> 
> The problem with using those symbols, after testing your icons, is
> that they steal space for the clock.  And in the size that the icon
> has inside the combo, all looks very small.

Yes this is the major problem putting extra shapes around the edge of the clock face. We might just get away without it looking cramped if we use plain dots (that's why I suggested the stars went in a row below the clock face).

Regarding the use of stars and a possible conflict with using a star as the 'create new' metaphor: 1) the current 3 stars are very small, much smaller than the existing star badge in use and mockups, and they don't overlap the main icon (see the Memorize new game icon for one currently in use); 2) these timer icons do map to a behaviour that is related to 'create new', at least in that they relate to when the 'new' image/video/audio recording will be created.

Regards,
--Gary

>>> 
>>> If there is a hurry to have some icon, the proposed ones might be
>>> considered as stand-ins until a clearer set are available.
>>> 
>>> Thanks for the design work!           --Fred
> 
> I would change the media record symbol in your icons for the star, or
> just a white dot.  I'll send updated versions soon.
> 
> Thanks for your feedback!
> 
> -- 
> .. manuq ..
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