unity-design team mailing list archive

[Thorsten Wilms <t_w_@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 11/04/2011 01:10 PM, Sony-qs wrote:
> Isn't it possible to adjust the launcher like this?
[Had mockup attached with Launcher starting below Firefox's  bars]

So far, I only have one case where I regularly get the Launcher while 
aiming at something else: using Inkscape's toolbar. I often use the 
shortcuts for tool switching, but now I'm painfully reminded of each 
time I don't. I would expect users who make less use of shortcuts to be 
hit harder.

For any application with an important toolbar or similar on the left, 
offsetting the Launcher is not possible, as there is not not enough 
space left. Triggering only when you slam the pointer to the edge does 
not help, as the user does that anyway, to get to the target area as 
fast as possible.

Triggering only if the pointer reaches "negative" coordinates is not an 
option, as that either is too hard to trigger, or will happen as soon as 
you slam the pointer towards the edge.


As long as the Launcher stays on the left and does not stay fixed on the 
screen *, application should avoid putting important stuff in proximity. 
But complex application may have so many tools and options that it may 
be painful, layout-wise, to avoid an entire edge.

* To be clear, I do not recommend to get rid of the Launcher hiding 
behavior, as screen space is too precious for that on anything but very 
large displays (perhaps).


--
Thorsten Wilms

thorwil's design for free software:
http://thorwil.wordpress.com/