[Sugar-devel] [DESIGN] Toolbars review

[Manuel Quiñones]

Hi Gary,

2011/11/7 Gary Martin <garycmartin at googlemail.com>

>
> Toolbar Catalog: http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Design_Team/Toolbar_Catalog
>
> Browse:
> * Can we move the Next/Previous buttons to the left of the url entry, like
> in other browsers,
> and may be move the home button to the rigth.
>
>
> I prefer the URL entry field centred in the toolbar, given the full screen
> design, but otherwise don't see a strong argument for which side
> the Next/Previous buttons go. Would such an argument change for
> right-to-left languages? I'd vote for making no change on this one just for
> now.
>
>
>
>
OK, I remembered what you said about the url entry centered, but then the
tab button was removed, and the entry is not completly centered anymore.
But it's almost centered, so +1 to keep it as is.


> Finance:
> * Replace the "Period" label and the combo, with a RadioMenuButton with
> calendar icon.
>
>
> Would you be able to see the currently selected time period in the toolbar
> without needing to re-open the menu to see which radio item was active?
>

No.  Good point, we didn't think that.  So we better left this as is too.
In general, we need to come with a good HIG about text in toolbars.


>
> * Move the help bar to the bottom of the screen?
>
>
> Not sure we have a consensus on help placement yet. In TA, the help
> feature uses the secondary toolbar UI, though it tries to stick to short
> concise two line help hint text, rather than large paragraphs of text as
> found in Finance.
>
>
Yes, another topic for Design Team, Help text conventions.


> Fototoon:
> * Check activity icon, looks smaller than the others.
>
>
> Yea, it is a little on the small side, the stroke is also too thin and the
> buddy icon circle head is not quite to the right proportions (needs to move
> up and grow a little larger).
>
>
Added as a task for myself.


> GetBooks:
> * Move the Journal source option in the combo to separated button in the
> toolbar?
>
>
> Agreed that this feature is a little hidden/unexpected at the moment,
> though I'm not convinced moving it out into the toolbar would be a good
> move. The current three choices in that combo menu (Feedbooks, Internet
> Archive, and My Books) are all exclusive view modes for the UI. One simple
> tweak that may help would be to add the Browse icon to both the Feedbook
> and Internet Archive menu items to indicate that they refer to remote
> internet sources (and thus that My Books refers to the Journal as shown by
> its current icon).
>


+1, added in the talk page.


>
> * Move the language combo to a configuration (spanner) subtoolbar?
>
>
> I'm fine with it as a text combo, what was the reason for wanting to move
> this into a configuration sub-toolbar? Not enough toolbar space for new
> features? Problems with long translation texts?
>
>
The reaon was text in main toolbar that may grow with translations texts.
I don't know if it is already broken in some languages.


> ImageViewer:
> * We should standarize rotate buttons in ImageViewer, Paint and FototToon.
>
>
> +1, Paint looks like it has the nicest rotate buttons, and we should
> consider adding the final selection into sugar-artwok.
>
>
OK, added to talk page.


> * Move fullscreen button at the rigth of Zoom buttons, add a separator and
> next the rotate buttons.
>
>
> Not sure the reasoning behind this. I do notice that we seems to have two
> invisible padding separators either side of the current rotate icons which
> seems a little weird and non standard (either you have a standard vertical
> separator line or you don't, the only exception is when trying to use an
> expanding separator to right align some icons in the toolbar e.g. Help, and
> Stop).
>

Yes we need to remove those spaces.  The reason for moving the fullscreen
button was that in other activities, in the View subtoolbar, fullscreen
button is next to the zoom buttons.


>
> Implode:
> * The buttons in the main toollbar should be left aligned (Manu has a
> patch).
>
>
> +1! The New and Replay icons could do with some work as well, but that's
> another todo ;)
>

+1, added "New and Replay icons need work" Jukebox:

* We can replace the sound icon, by a icon with a plus sign because is a
> add sound button.
>
>
> Could certainly use a help hint. Perhaps an add sign could be overlaid
> onto this default icon so we keep fairly close to the default audio icon
> design? Or perhaps take that musical note shape and make it larger & white
> with an add sign to one side?
>

+1 I will check both.


>
> * We can add another button with to add video, opening the object chooser
> filtering video files.
>
>
> I guess the ObjectChooser only allows one filter type at a time (otherwise
> a single 'Add media' button that filtered for audio and video would be
> simpler).
>

I remember we where thinking in the document with an eye inside icon, with
an add sign overlaid.  We need to check the filtering options, I think you
are right, currently we have in the code:
what_filter=mime.GENERIC_TYPE_AUDIO

* Can we improve the volume control? May be use the same icons than the
frame and a more conventional palette?


I think one confusion is also that the playhead position slider looks like
> it might be the controller for the volume level. Perhaps have two sliders,
> each with a icon (one for volume, one for position), and a separator
> between them to make sure the icon associates with the correct slider? If
> primary toolbar space is limited, perhaps go with the standard volume
> device toolbar button and have it open a regular palette with a horizontal
> slider inside?
>

+1 for standard volume device button


>
> Try standarize the icon with other sound activities, like TamTamSuite.
>
>
> Yes needs work, TamTam goes with a volume icon design that consists of a
> dot and two arcs o))
>
>
Use standard volume device in TamTam too?


>
> * There changesin the toolbar in git, without packaging.
>
>
> Last time I tested the version in git the fonts were badly broken due to
> extra feature the current maintainer was trying to add.
>

Oh, that's really bad.


>
> * Need a help button (for example is difficult discover the move of
> objects with the right button)
>
>
> I don't think adding help is so much the issue, just that the original
> GNOME Labyrinth UI was so randomly designed. There are far too many modes
> and hidden behaviours that need to be fixed to simplify the interface –
> unfortunately the current maintainer seem more interested in pilling extra
> features on top, rather than fixing what is already there to be user
> friendly :(
>
> * There are mode buttons in a subtoolbar? May be should be in the main
> toolbar.
>
>
> Is this in the unreleased version in git? Ouch! Well I hope at the very
> least this secondary toolbar is open by default at launch time so a new
> users at least has some small chance of understanding what's going on :-(
>
>
> * The wrap button is using a left align icon and is not the proper
> metaphore.
>
>
> I agree, but it works quite well. Any better suggestions?
>

We can discuss design of a new icon for Wrap, I can come with a proposal.


>
> * The gear button is not correct for the used subtoolbar. In fact, we can
> move the two buttons in
> the subtooolbar to the main toolbar.
>
>
> Delete log (not really a feature I think we need anyway) can go where the
> cog icon currently is, and the 'log collector' icon should move into the
> Activity icons secondary toolbar... that someone removed along with the
> ability to name a log activity entry and see them recorded in the Journal
> :( I used to copy and paste trace back information into the Log journal
> entry description field, so I could quickly search for them later after
> testing.
>

+1, added to talk page


>
> * The log colllector icon should not be the loupe. May be use a export
> icon.
>
>
> +1 It should be like a normal export/save as type icon as per other
> activities.
>
> * Move the wrap button after the separator next to the search controls.
>
>
> I don't think this needs to move. Any particular reason to move it?
>
>
I don't remember :) let's keep it as they are now.


* The index button can use a RadioMenuButton to show the options in the
> combo,
> and avoid use a subtoolbar only to this combo.
>
>
> I don't think I've ever seen the index button, but this sounds like a
> reasonable change.
>
>
It's not a button, it's a combo box.  So changing to an icon will arise the
same problem discussed above for Finance, so I change to a -1 for this.


> * Move the favorite button to the last position.
>
>
> +1 if you mean to remove the invisible separator before the star icon (it
> could do with a help hint as well)
>
>
Yes, changed the talk page to your clearer definition.


> Record:
> * May be replace the combos with the icons by RadioMenuButtons?
>
>
> Possibly, but I quite like seeing the icons and text in the primary
> toolbar so I know easily what the current settings are. Obviously this only
> works if long text translations are not bumping our buttons off the
> toolbar, but I've not seen this reported for Record.
>

We are aimig for a general solution for the "long text in toolbars"
problem.  RadioMenuButtons seems like a good solution when each item in the
combo box has different icons.



>
> * Improve the mode icons?
>
>
> I guess the lightbulb icon should be a robot, also there's an invisible
> separator after the Activity icon, perhaps just make it a regular visible
> separator?
>

+1, added to the talk page


>
> Regards,
> --Gary
>
>
Thank you very much for your time!

-- 
.. manuq ..
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