← Back to team overview

kicad-developers team mailing list archive

Re: Plan B for layer names

 

On 4/15/2013 12:17 PM, Fabrizio Tappero wrote:
Hello,
In attachment an other possible implementation, in my opinion the best one.

Regards
Fabrizio


This implementation is a little busy (think color overload) for my tastes. I would rather see a composite widget for selecting the color and enabling the layer assuming it could be done in a way that it's function was obvious the to user. Also, on some of the lighter colors the white text does not show up very well. That being said, a more fundamental question, is the amount of work required to save the width of one check box worth the effort? There is already way to hide the layer manager for low resolution devices where space is a premium. Assigning an accelerator key to it would probably make it more useful. You would probably save more space if you provided a set of 16 pixel button images for the toolbars or use a custom theme with smaller control designs. This is very much an issue with some of the GTK+ controls on Linux. Also please keep in mind that the decision not to support low resolution devices was made a long time ago. I don't see that policy changing any time soon.

Wayne


On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 2:28 PM, Fabrizio Tappero
<fabrizio.tappero@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi,

Colours on the standard controls are system-defined (depends on what wx
is running on); the colour swatch button or the little arrow beside the
layer name is handled by us so (with some work) we could conceivably add
some extra UI functionality here.

Maybe change the checkbox colour isn't a good idea because it will
lower usability in the sense that people might not see any more that
it is a checkbox. Proposal 3 and proposal 4 can achieve the same thing
and be even better. The current blue arrow is a little strange, a
black border will be probably better.

A thing I don't like with the current arrangement is having to use the
third button to change layer colour (good luck with laptops...) when it
can be usefully done in this way:
- Click on the button: change color
- Click on the layer name: change layer

hum, don't know, this way will be pretty hard for people to guess the
functionality. the current middle button click functionality is also
quite hidden (but I like it). Maybe a simple "right click - change
layer color" is easier. Alternatively we can put and edit link at the
bottom of the layer panel. Edit button would maybe also difficult to
guess, or maybe not.


I think the layer name is sufficiently big as a target to click to
change layer :D also the whole 3D border for the button is not needed
for the colour swatch, a simple flat border would suffice (thing about
the GIMP color indicator)

completely agree, as long as the is a white border when not selected.


_______________________________________________
Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers
Post to     : kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers
More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp



Follow ups

References