Feature/Interface Consistency

[KenF]

Just a couple of suggestions regarding access to features that exist but are not always obvious.

How about offering a choice of toolbar icons for the pencil tool? A little tape measure would make the distance feature a bit more obvious. And/or change the pencil tooltip to  "Draw track/Measure distance."

And adding a toolbar icon (Track tools?) that would enable a left click to bring up the menu which corresponds to a "right-click" on a track would be a great step toward making the user interface a little more consistent (not that it's bad now).

[ScottMorris]

These are some great thoughts, thanks.  We definitely need some outside input on how to improve the interface.                                                                                                                          

I think one way is to make it easier to work with multiple tracks within a file (and make it more obvious when there are multiple tracks).

The problem with everything in the right click menu is that it operates on the "per track" level rather than the "per file" label.  Since you can't choose a single track in the "active file list" you can't access those functions (and they aren't in the main menu).

So, I hope to have a way to show multiple tracks, or choose them in dialogs, to make this stuff more obvious and easier to use.

Good idea on the distance measure / pencil tool.

[KenF]

Quote (ScottMorris @ Nov. 16 2008,7:35)

These are some great thoughts, thanks.  We definitely need some outside input on how to improve the interface.                                                                                                                           I think one way is to make it easier to work with multiple tracks within a file (and make it more obvious when there are multiple tracks). . So, I hope to have a way to show multiple tracks, or choose them in dialogs, to make this stuff more obvious and easier to use. Good idea on the distance measure / pencil tool.

Quote

The problem with everything in the right click menu is that it operates on the "per track" level rather than the "per file" label.  Since you can't choose a single track in the "active file list" you can't access those functions (and they aren't in the main menu)

I merely envisioned allowing a tool bar selection under which a "left click" would do what a right click does now. That would be consistent with the way the "profile/playback" tool presently works.

[ScottMorris]

Quote (KenF @ Nov. 16 2008,7:47)

I merely envisioned allowing a tool bar selection under which a "left click" would do what a right click does now. That would be consistent with the way the "profile/playback" tool presently works.

Gotcha.  That makes sense.  Perhaps some additional tool modes that are shortcuts to various functions (simplify tool, compute area tool)?

I guess I'm not sure what to call a tool that brings up the right-click context menu would be called or look like.  Thoughts?

[KenF]

Quote (KenF @ Nov. 16 2008,7:47)

Quote

I merely envisioned allowing a tool bar selection under which a "left click" would do what a right click does now. That would be consistent with the way the "profile/playback" tool presently works

As presently configured, the track simplify and related functions are hard-wired to the right mouse button
But the availability of this functionality is dependent on which
toobar selection is active.

For consistency and flexibility, move the present "right click" functions to be available via left click after choosing a "track tools" option from the toolbar just as other toolbar options are chosen.

Then  allow the "right click" operation to be a user preset ("favorite") chosen from the existing toolbar selections (chosen and set in "preferences"  as a semi-permanent option).  
This "right click function" could also be highlighted or shown in a box on the toolbar, maybe with a dropdown setting box.

Or perhaps  right and left mouse buttons fucntions could be defined by simply clicking on the toolbar with the button whose function is to be set (Which is exactly how the left button works now)  

In any case , a right click (presently limited) could be "3d" or  "Pan map" at the user's discretion. The default could still be the present track tools.

This would allow quick access to two different functions simply by using different mouse buttons without having to resort to the toolbar.    

I expect this would be pretty easy to implement without upsetting the basic functionality of the present interface.

It also seems that the "select point" tools might be combined into a single tool in which a click selects a point and a click and drag selects points within a window.