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Topic: more Feedback when running Commands  (Read 13748 times)

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  • Spline
March 17, 2012, 11:38:27 am
I think the Program still has areas where it needs guesswork how the chosen Command goes on.
One in the Hinge-Command needs to know that it is required to click two points for an axis, the Bridge Command will not work with an unapropriate Selection, some other commands only work on Basemesh-Level.

The Program needs to tell the user about this stuff - not in the Help-File but directly in context! Many Apps use the Status-Bar to do so but one might also use the HUD "Please select two Vertices". When required conditions aren't met one also needed to get an Error-Message "Bridge currently only works on exactly two faces with identical Vertices-Count". I considered such really absolutely essential to open up the Program also to Beginners. That we Nerds get our head arround all the missing bits doesn't count at all. Everyone posting here has previous experience with quite a few other SubD-Apps to build upon.

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  • Spline
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March 17, 2012, 12:07:52 pm
I'm in complete agreement with this.

I have touched on this subject slightly when I was rolling the Visual Align Tool idea around on the polycount forum.

This idea initially came to me after using Bonzai3D and I urged Istonia to have a look at that application and I'll do the same now.  Polyxo if you haven't already, check this app out.  It doesn't do everything right but it does some things with AMAZING clarity.  In particular the T-form (Transform) tools and also check out the 'Manage - Guide' tool it's genius.
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  • Edge
March 17, 2012, 12:16:51 pm
+1

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  • Spline
March 17, 2012, 12:22:58 pm
Hi ghib,
Bonsai as also MoI is a modern and slim incarnation of a Nurbs Modeller (I mainly use Rhino).
Yes, indeed Subdivision-Apps could learn  from some Interfacing Conventions found in Nurbs (but the Opposite is also true). Currently however I'm thinking mostly of better guiding users through the Functionality which is already in place :)

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March 17, 2012, 12:25:16 pm
oh totally agree with you, I was just thinking Nvil (Voidworld) could do with appropriating the visual clarity seen in apps like MoI or Bonzai3d.
1 further thing I'd like to point out is that Bonzai3d by default will hide things automatically that are not needed for a particular function.  This way it draws our eye to the process in hand.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2012, 12:27:06 pm by ghib »
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  • Spline
March 17, 2012, 12:54:31 pm
.
1 further thing I'd like to point out is that Bonzai3d by default will hide things automatically that are not needed for a particular function.  This way it draws our eye to the process in hand.

Yes, this kind of context-sensitive GUI is also very nice. SolidWorks for instance also greys out all Menu-Entries and open Editor Windows when they can not contribute anything to your current operation.