Dev:2.5/Source/Development/Proposals/UI/2.50 UI design

2.50 UI design proposal

The goal of this page is to host discussions about UI changes and user feedback in 2.50. We dont care here for the underlying code, but of the using experience.

I created a document which aim as to be a reference document of how the GUI should work :

http://jlp.nerim.net/dev/event%20system/blender-UI-proposal-V0_3.pdf

updated document v0.3. Changes are hilighted in yellow

I will update it with accepted stuff along the way. I prefer to keep a sole editor on this document, but will put in the consensus decision. I reccommend reading of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines [1], it is a very good illustration of what such a document should be.

Use this page to summarize proposals about UI that can fit.
Use mock-ups when possible.

Use the discussion page to comment about proposals.

Agreed changes needed in the pdf

• I. Introduction
• II. UI design principles
• III. Breaking down the interface
  • Blender paradigms
  • top level interface
  • actions needed at top level
  • actions that could be at top level
• IV. Input methods
  • hotkey
  • mouse handling
  • Others input methods
• V. Standard widgets
  • Palettes grouping and widget types
  • action and commands
  • Value setting buttons
  • Colorbands
  • Icons buttons
  • Pop menus and icons menus
  • Panels
• VI. Editors

UI proposals

• Top Level
  • Single main menu
  • Context enabled/disabled menu item
  • platform dependant or common file selector
• Input methods
• Standard widgets
• Editors
  • Outliner

Non finalized ideas

• There was an interesting discussion between me/Elubie/Kaito about how file browser should work. No definite plan was agreed upon, but consensus was that there is need for changes here :
  • persistent references
  • open file ops are diferent need than having a file browser space
• a request for inspectors of datalibs values in non-active, non-selected objects was made

• Kattkieru had some interesting ideas (the outliner part was copied)

• old work on GUI from 2.37 time : ButtonsInformationArchitecture

UI work is an hot subject in blender since a loooooong time ;-)