NavigationIndicator

[triplus]

Navigation indicator for FreeCAD.

NavigationIndicator.png (18.65 KiB) Viewed 3554 times

First release:

• Only run single instance
• Detect status bar availability
• Indicator Icon by NormandC
• Predefined navigation style list
• Undefined navigation style detection
• Navigation indicator GUI widget
• Logic for navigation indicator to change navigation styles

Code repository:

https://github.com/triplus/NavigationIndicator

Reference:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=17210

[NormandC]

What? No real screenshot?

And what's with the Comic Sans MS font? It is my understanding that it's loathed by all graphic designers... (I've seen similar mockups in the past with the same font, is there some software that helps create such mockups?)

Indicator Icon by NormandC

You give me credit where none is due. I just retraced the existing one from the Mouse Model wiki page, then you heavily modified/improved it.

OK then, so here are some screenshots.

What it looks like after installing the module and opening FreeCAD.

FC_NavigationIndicator_01.png (5.88 KiB) Viewed 3537 times

Placing the mouse cursor over it, a rounded square appears, and after a second a tooltip.

FC_NavigationIndicator_02.png (9.16 KiB) Viewed 3537 times

Clicking on the square brings a menu to quickly change the navigation style.

FC_NavigationIndicator_03.png (21.32 KiB) Viewed 3537 times

This is exactly as I envisioned it. I just played with it for 5 minutes, but I can't see how it could be improved further. Actually: would it be a good idea to replace the tooltip with the following text for each entry:

Click to change the navigation style.

Or some other phrasing explaining its use?

One of the huge advantages I see with this (apart from the fact it gives a visual indicator on which navigation style is active) is that it's working in sketch editing mode. Currently, the contextual menu in sketch editing mode does not provide the navigation menu, you need to exit the sketch to change the navigation style, then return to sketch editing mode.

Thanks for working on this triplus.

[triplus]

What? No real screenshot?

And what's with the Comic Sans MS font? It is my understanding that it's loathed by all graphic designers...

One of the benefits being a part time FOSS designer is i can do that and get away with it. As for the font i guess i can try out alternative like OsiFont in the future. The program i used is named Pencil (and basically the font was preset).'

You give me credit where none is due.

Well design can be challenging and spending 10 minutes on the icon instead of easily couple of hours when starting from scratch...

This is exactly as I envisioned it. I just played with it for 5 minutes, but I can't see how it could be improved further. Actually: would it be a good idea to replace the tooltip with the following text for each entry:

Click to change the navigation style.

Or some other phrasing explaining its use?

In the original thread similar observation was made therefore indeed this can be improved in the future.

Thanks for working on this triplus.

You're welcome.

[triplus]

Verbose tooltip, timer, icons and fixes.

• Drop run as macro option
• Simplified indicator start logic
• Fix index out of range status bar message
• Tooltip with icons for CAD navigation style
• Restore arrow to suggest indicator is clickable
• Use timer to sync the setting (10s) if navigation style is changed elsewhere
• Set CAD navigation style instead of Undefined if no style is set (first FreeCAD start)
• Dedicated icon for Undefined, CAD (default), Blender, Touchpad and Gesture navigation styles

Indicator.png (9.33 KiB) Viewed 3311 times

Additional visual clue that indicator is clickable.

Menu.png (21.17 KiB) Viewed 3311 times

Some navigation styles now have dedicated icon.

Tooltip.png (25.05 KiB) Viewed 3311 times

CAD navigation style gained new verbose tooltip. To make it more clear on how exactly to navigate FreeCAD.

[NormandC]

Great improvements! Already pulled the changes, will test later.

CAD navigation style gained new verbose tooltip. To make it more clear on how exactly to navigate FreeCAD.

I see you only made it for CAD navigation (very nice use of icons), other styles which require a modifier key will need some thought...

Next step would be to implement translation... I wonder how that could be worked out for a plug-in.

[triplus]

I see you only made it for CAD navigation (very nice use of icons), other styles which require a modifier key will need some thought...

The plan is to provide verbose tooltip information for all navigation styles. Most of the work is almost done. For the ones with modifier key i have "two icon" design ATM but that will likely not do. As most of them will likely become "single icon" design.

Next step would be to implement translation... I wonder how that could be worked out for a plug-in.

It could be done. But adding icons to resources files and translations is i guess more suitable for upstreamed modules.

[Kunda1]

So cool

[triplus]

Tooltips, settings and orbit style.

• Orbit style control (Turntable/Trackball)
• Compact mode (show indicator icon only)
• Tooltip control (show or hide verbose tooltip information)
• OpenInventor, Blender, MayaGesture, Touchpad, Gesture and OpenCascade navigation style verbose tooltips

Tooltips.png (173.68 KiB) Viewed 3102 times

Verbose tooltips are now available for all navigation styles.

Settings.png (51.74 KiB) Viewed 3102 times

Few new settings are available to accustom the indicator behaviour to personal preferences. Changing between Turntable/Trackball orbit style is now possible.

Compact.png (6.99 KiB) Viewed 3102 times

Due to the help with the artwork provided by @pablogil all navigation styles now have dedicated icon. Compact mode started to make sense. Therefore, i added it.

[emills2]

That looks really nice.

Is there any chance The graphic tooltip could be added to other buttons in FreeCAD? I really wish i could put a graphic tooltip on my macro buttons.

Autodesk Inventor does that (or used to, not sure, it's been a while). It did this progression where when you stop on the button it gives a text tooltip, and if you stay above the button an image appears describing the input and outputs of the operation...and if you stay even longer some more, it starts an animation that more or less gives you a mini tutorial. It's pretty cool....and it starts with a visual tooltip

[triplus]

Yes that could likely be done. As for animated ones. The same but not in as straightforward fashion as when adding the image (when it comes to tooltips support). But i do feel you would need to create standard commands in your workbench and Macro buttons wouldn't do. That is if FreeCAD would have such support in the future by default. And not for you to make that somehow to happen by yourself.

P.S. I don't plan to add new projects to the list of the projects i started and i plan to finish when it comes to FreeCAD. But maybe i could add animated GIF support to one of my projects. That is to have the possibility to see animated GIF for FreeCAD command in some way. Compared to now when such possibility isn't available in any form.