Scribus UI/UX improvements

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tim_occ

#45
Hey guys,

there are some news about the IndigoDock codeing. As I guessed the standard Docking Widgets are not really useable for IndigoDock concept. I couldn't solve the issue for redocking in another parent. In the current GitHub Version its possible to dock a panel in another tab, but not back :(

What I did?
I have rewritten the whole thing based on normal QWidgets. And it works! It's not done but there is a good foundation.

Check it out on GitHub:
https://github.com/nitramr/indigoDock

The old Version is still included, but I will remove these if the version 2 works much better.

About the Version 2 Features:
- left or right docking position of the whole panel stack in main window
- moveable Tabs in TabWidget
- undock single panels to Toplevel windows
- possibility to dock single panels in tabs
- grouping of more than one panel within a tab (only vertical splitter)

Widget Changes:
- QMainWindow within single tabs was replaced by an own DropZone Widget
- QDockWidget as Panels was replaced by extend QFrame

Known issues:
- flickering by moving a panel after first undocking
- toplevel windows wont close together with parent
- toplevel window is visible in taskbar as separate window

greets
Martin

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a.l.e

should i add the menues?

i'd like to try something with some changes to the navigation structure...

i would then make a pull request...

ciao
a.l.e

tim_occ

Hi a.l.e.

which menues do you mean - the top menues? Feel free to try something ;)

greets
Martin

a.l.e

yep, the top menues!

i will try to do something, then!

DigiDio

Great UI improvement for Scribus. This is what scribus needs. It's showtime. Can't help it sometime I get last in the UI of Scribus. To much clicking for the seem action.

Maybe my best Idea is that when you are entering a txt frame to type some txt the UI is automatically on txt window to perform and speedup your work. If you deal with images for instance the UI is opening the right image settings window for you. At this moment that is a pain in my ..... to click every tine on those windows to open it if I create or deal with those frames. Must be some simple programmer who can deal with this  ;)

Other strong missing feature is a function or a button to copy your text settings straight to a new paragraph style. Now I need to face all the settings and put it by hand in my new ceated style. Just an idea not more  :P

a.l.e

hey digidio,

1/ that's the main reason why i'm suggesting to split the properties palette into
    - one palette specific to the content of the frame ("the content palette") which would automatically adapt to the type of the current frame (showing image settings when you select an image frame and so on...)
    - and a palette for the formatting of the frame itself, which would stay as the user sets it.

  most of the time you need only one of them on screen at the same time. sometimes both.

2/ yep, we need that! for styles, colors and all other resources. there should always be a "+" button at the place where you can choose a resource!

Kunda


pablo_tool

#52
Hello!

I tried to talk about this problem on SCRIBUS BUG-TRACKER PLATFORM, but obviously it wasn't the right place for it. I've made simple MOCK-UP how to improve PROPERTIES PANEL. I've worked in PageMaker, Quark, and InDesign from version 1.0 to current one... In my personal opinion at this stage of development SCRIBUS is as good as say InDesign or Quark, however... with this PROPERTIES PANEL and the way it works it's very time-consuming to do anything.... Changing a font and it's size takes forever, not to mention more advanced options. I have a feeling like everything is "hidden" :) Every user uses different toolboxes on daily basis. Why don't we allow users to turn on and off toolboxes they need? Would it be much of a hassle to change it as attached? Some of you will share my opinion and some of you probably won't. How about an option to let users decide that kind of user interface they use? I can't work with SCRIBUS at all for right now - just because of this PROPERTIES PANEL.... In my opinion it's a great DTP software, but telling the truth - it just takes two long to work with (especially with commercial projects where time is always crucial). Beside PP... as far as COLOR SWATCHES are concerned - why are they added in different place and than used from another? That's how Quark worked back in the 90-ties... :) Same for CHARACTER/PARAGRAPH STYLES - you create them in one place and than you use them from another toolbox... No reason for that! :) Finally, SHORTCUTS for CHARACTER/PARAGRAPH STYLES - there's no way to create them.... I like Martin's project - INDIGO DOCK. In my opinion creating small icons on right side that activate just one TOOLBOX is not really efficient. Each time someone wants to change a font you have to click on it, than do it, changing object's color - select it, than do it and so on... Again... waste of time:) From what I understand about INDIGO DOCK - it would be possible to activate more that one toolbox one below another, right? If that's so - I strongly support this idea.

Kind regards!

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tim_occ

Hi Pablo,

yes I agree the current UI of Scribus is more like a maze - long ways of navigation, much scrolling and so on. My first idea was to stack single panels (separate or as group) in an icon bar. That means every panel has the full screen height (no more scrolling). But the Property Panel is another stack and you have to search again for features.

While I'm was working on a more detailed UI proposal I received many user feedback on different channels and the common points are:

- split PP in smaller pieces
- let the user decide the arrangement of single panels and most often features
- design the panels more space optimized (the other parts of ui too :D).

The current state of my concept is not exactly brilliant. But can be upgraded after new insights ;)

I see two extreme layout cases for the UI:
1. show most of the features on one screen (beginner and user they need quick access)
2. hide most of the features (professionels with full focus on document and shortcut user)

So we need:
- flexible panels and docking mechanic
- more shortcuts of important features

Furthermore I think clean up of panels, space optimization, new control elements are working perfect in both cases above and is necessary for a great user interface.

Your feedback support these new direction and I have to think about changes in the Indigo UI. Currently my focus is on the panel clean up and building new control elements... That's the first part of the Indigo Project.


Quoteit would be possible to activate more that one toolboxes one below another, right?

About your question, you can group more than one single panel in a panel group. Based on the single panel size you can see all panels in these group in one screen without switching to another icon tab. Every Panel group is stacked in the icon bar.

greets
Martin

tim_occ

BTW:

Thats the current WIP state of the UI. As I said more focus on panel content elements.

greets
Martin

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pablo_tool

#55
Hello,

I've made another mock-up. In my opinion all those toolboxes should be "more compact" as far as their height is concerned since they go one at the top, next one beneath, next one beneath... Current GEOMETRY toolbox is about 10 cm in height (exactly half of my 24 inch monitor  :-X).

The way I see it - there should also be some scrolling down possibility in Martin's project (this section on a right) - both with mouse-wheel and scrolling bar... Forgot to add it on my mock-up.

I suggest to provide some arrows next to "X" in those TEXT, COLOR, PAGES etc toolboxes so that this toolboxes could be expanded or rolled up - weather someone needs extra features or not. Example: TEXT, and TEXT ADVANCED PARAMETERS.

I strongly advice to enable creating COLOR SWATCHES, PAGES, MASTER PAGES, TEXT STYLES directly from those toolboxes....Why do we add them in one place and then as we want to apply them - we go to another toolbox... Makes no sense to me :)

Martin, I would place all those toolboxes only on the right side - like in Your first project :) You like them on both sides - fine. I mean... everybody likes something else.... Why don't we provide both options so that a user could decide weather he/she likes to have it on one or both sides? In InDesign there'are several possibilities how toolboxes are located. My toolboxes in InDesign look different than those at my colleague's...

Quote from: tim_occ on November 27, 2015, 11:29:39 PM
I see two extreme layout cases for the UI:
1. show most of the features on one screen (beginner and user they need quick access)
2. hide most of the features (professionels with full focus on document and shortcut user)

Exactly... My idea in this matter is to create small arrows for certain toolboxes in order to expand/collapse them. I've made this example in my mock-up. Say we activate TEXT toolbox, in someone needs more advanced options for a text he/she presses on this arrow and then have more sophisticated parameters... With this step there will be 10 maybe 15 buttons on a right side instead of 50...

Kind regards!

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pablo_tool

PS. why ARRANGE PAGES instead of PAGES? If a new user opens SCRIBUS for the first times there's a probability of 99% that if he/she would more likely look for PAGES instead of ARRANGE PAGES... :) At least I looked under P, not A + had to check it in Internet in order to find it ;)

tim_occ

Hi Pablo,

I like your concept it's much simplier than my proposal. It reminds me a bit of the UI of Inkscape - a user can create a scrollable area with all single panels inside. So, I would like to extend your proposal with a collapse/expand function. Because in Inkscape a big area of the screen is blocked by the toolboxes. See image below for my proposal.

My idea: a user can collapse the scroll panel area to a single icon bar. Also the user can expand the icon bar by drag out the scroll panel area and all toolboxes are available on one screen. If scroll panel area expanded and a user click on an icon it scroll to right toolbox location. If the scroll panel area collapsed the icon bar switch in single toolbox mode and only one toolbox will pop up by click on an icon.


QuoteMartin, I would place all those toolboxes only on the right side - like in Your first project

Don't understand me wrong. It's possible to place the dock only on right side... ;) In my Demo Application it is possible to move the whole stack outside of the Main Window. You can redock it on left or right side or on both sides at the same time.

I think for a right to left application layout (for arabic languages) it's better to offer boths sides. It would be also possible for your proposal.

Let me know what do you think about the update of your concept.

greets
Martin

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pablo_tool

Hi Martin,

Sth new came across my mind... Check out my new mock-up  ;D. Yellow color - what do you think about it? You activate all these toolboxes with icons on the very right. Than if you want to expand/collapse them you click on top section (GEOMETRY / COLOR / PAGES etc.). If you want to close certain toolbox - you do so with an "X" - brilliant, ha? :) At the end... if you want to have say GEOMETRY at the top, you drag and drop this toolbox so that it "jumps" higher or lower. Are you able to make this UI project a reality? How could I hack current user interface in order to start using SCRIBUS? :D

Kind regards!

Ps. Spreche auch Deutsch... Schreibe allerdings auf English, damit alle verstehen worum es geht ;)

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tim_occ

Hi Pablo,

at first a question to understand you right. You have on right side an icon bar with all available windows/toolboxes. By click on a certain icon the related toolbox will show in the scroll container on left side and the "X" button hide it from scroll container, right? I like the idea.

So, that means we have some main features:
1. Icon bar to activate the wanted toolbox (show in scroll container or scroll the container to right panel if already shown)
2. foldable toolboxes with close button to remove toolbox from scroll container
3. basic/advanced mode for toolbox content

The scroll container looks at the first view like the current property panel of Scribus :D  On a second view there are some main changes. The icon bar for quick access and a scrollable container with all (or not) expanded toolboxes.

How could be the layout for working with multiple screens? Is the whole Dock Widget moveable out of the main window? Maybe some users want to fill one screen with all panels as a wall to see all features... For the current scroll container in your concept it's not possible... If the single toolboxes can move out of the scroll container it could work for such users.

I think the project goes in the right way. Good work so far :)

greets
Martin