[Poll] Sketcher: Task panel rework.

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Do you want those changes ?

Yes
29
97%
No
1
3%
 
Total votes: 30
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paddle
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[Poll] Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by paddle »

EDIT: added a poll. Please vote!

Please see below proposal :
solver message.png
solver message.png (94.41 KiB) Viewed 3357 times
1 - Solver message and Update buttons are removed from a 'Solver message' category and put directly on task panel.
2 - Move "Auto remove redundants" and "Auto update" to 'Edit Controls'
3 - 'solver message' category is removed
4 - Put "Edit controls" as optional (as "Advanced solver" is currently). So if some workflow really need quick access to them, they can still enable them.
5 - Add a 'Settings' icon in sketcher toolbar (or to task panel) to grant an easier access to settings than from menu.


Old post in ux/ui : https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=72240
Last edited by paddle on Fri Oct 07, 2022 8:56 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Shalmeneser
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by Shalmeneser »

+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
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adrianinsaval
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by adrianinsaval »

Suggestion: the settings button is a toolbutton that show those checkboxes that are currently in the widget as menu items and an additional "More..." entry that opens the actual Sketcher settings.
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jnxd
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by jnxd »

Slightly skeptical about the update button. It makes a certain amount of sense to say "automatically update, but if its unchecked or not working, update now manually". Its also acceptable to have the button in two places if anyone really wants it next to update buttons.
My latest (or last) project: B-spline Construction Project.
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paddle
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by paddle »

jnxd wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 4:42 am Slightly skeptical about the update button. It makes a certain amount of sense to say "automatically update, but if its unchecked or not working, update now manually". Its also acceptable to have the button in two places if anyone really wants it next to update buttons.
Sorry I'm not sure to get what you mean. Could you please elaborate on your suggestion ?
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jnxd
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by jnxd »

paddle wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 9:25 am
jnxd wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 4:42 am Slightly skeptical about the update button. It makes a certain amount of sense to say "automatically update, but if its unchecked or not working, update now manually". Its also acceptable to have the button in two places if anyone really wants it next to update buttons.
Sorry I'm not sure to get what you mean. Could you please elaborate on your suggestion ?
Sorry for the ambiguity. I'm saying keep the update button next to "Auto Update" checkbox. Then that line basically says what I said in the quote. If you want you can have the update button in both new and old places.
My latest (or last) project: B-spline Construction Project.
Bance
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by Bance »

About the update button, for consistency should the icon not be the same as the recompute icon?
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Re: Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by openBrain »

paddle wrote: Sat Oct 01, 2022 12:56 pm 1 - Solver message and Update buttons are removed from a 'Solver message' category and put directly on task panel.
Looks good
2 - Move "Auto remove redundants" and "Auto update" to 'Edit Controls'
Not against that, but once again be aware of all extra work because the same UI file is used both for Task panel and Preferences.
3 - 'solver message' category is removed
Good. Technically it's a "group box" -- QGroupBox -- I think.
4 - Put "Edit controls" as optional (as "Advanced solver" is currently) and put it out by default. So if some workflow really need quick access to them, they can still enable them.
Why not but the other side. :) Enable it by default, and offer user to hide it. ;)
5 - Add a 'Settings' icon in sketcher toolbar (or to task panel) to grant an easier access to settings than from menu.
Not needed. Preferences editor is fine, and as long as you can optionally have access in the Task panel it's great.
That IMO don't make sense to lighten a part of the UI then clutter another one. ;)

What would really be cool is that user is able to reorganize group boxes order in the Task panel. :)
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paddle
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Re: [POLL] Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by paddle »

I added a poll. Please vote. Thanks
openBrain wrote: Mon Oct 03, 2022 4:35 pm Why not but the other side. Enable it by default, and offer user to hide it.
Let's do as you say for now, and we'll submit it for a vote later as it doesn't interfer with main proposal.
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adrianinsaval
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Re: [POLL] Sketcher: Task panel rework.

Post by adrianinsaval »

I voted yes, but yes and no are not enough options for this topic IMO, we can go further than the changes proposed here. This is my suggestion:
• ditch both the solver messages and edit control group boxes
• solver message is shown directly in the dock widget with the icon only update button as in paddle's muckup
• all the checkboxes are moved into a menu accessed through an "Options" toolbutton, placed besides "Close"
• the menu has a "Set grid size (Current: %f mm)" entry that launchs a widget to set gridsize *
• ditch the "rendering order" widget, offer quick access to Sketcher preference page in this menu instead

with this we save A LOT of vertical space without really loosing functionality, having to click a toolbutton to access those checkboxes is not a downgrade IMO, most of the time I have the edit controls widget collapsed and have to click then set whatever I need then click again to hide. IMO when sketching the most important stuff in the task widget are the solver messages and the element and constraint lists, everything else is nice to have every now and then but a nuisance most of the time.

* ideally in the future we can make the grid autoresize according to zoom level and viewport size and we can just remove the grid size option then
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