Cleaning up terms around "UV Texture Layer" to get a less confusing user interface #29336

New Issue

Gaia Clary · 2011-11-20T12:55:16+01:00

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-20 12:55:16 +01:00

%%%I believe that the term "UVTexture Layer" and related terms are confusing on the User interface level. Especially i am pretty sure that the term "UV Texture" is used as synonym for "UV Layer" at some places and as Synonym for "Texture which uses UV Layer" on other places. This is very hard to describe and to explain. Especially new blender users can have a pretty hard time with that.

My proposal is to simplify the term usage to

UVLayer = UVMap + UVTexture(s)

where:

UV Map: Mapping from 2D faces to 3D Faces
UV Texture: A texture (2d image) Which is mapped on the surface of a Mesh by use of a UV Map
UV Layer: A UVMap and a set of UV Textures (one UV Texture per Face at maximum)

I created a patch to reflect this approach on the Blender GUI. In particular i changed:

"UV Texture" -> "UV Layer" (text label)
"UVTex" -> "UVLayer" (default name of new UVLayer)

"UV Texture Layer" -> "UV Layer"
"Name of UV unwrapping layer" -> "Name of UV Layer"
"Active UV Texture" -> "Active UV Layer"
"Active UV Texture Index" -> "Active UV layer Index"
"Add UV texture layer" -> "Add UV layer"
"Assign Image to UV Texture" -> "Assign Image to UV Layer"
"Remove UV texture layer" -> "Remove UV Layer"

I have tested it on trunk revision 41998 with a windows-7 (32 bit) build and i found no issues so far. I also have the impression that with these changes applied, i can explain this part of blender much easier than before (almost self explaining now).

Thanks a lot for any feedback.

Cheers,

gaia-%%%

%%%I believe that the term "UVTexture Layer" and related terms are confusing on the User interface level. Especially i am pretty sure that the term "UV Texture" is used as synonym for "UV Layer" at some places and as Synonym for "Texture which uses UV Layer" on other places. This is very hard to describe and to explain. Especially new blender users can have a pretty hard time with that. My proposal is to simplify the term usage to UVLayer = UVMap + UVTexture(s) where: UV Map: Mapping from 2D faces to 3D Faces UV Texture: A texture (2d image) Which is mapped on the surface of a Mesh by use of a UV Map UV Layer: A UVMap and a set of UV Textures (one UV Texture per Face at maximum) I created a patch to reflect this approach on the Blender GUI. In particular i changed: "UV Texture" -> "UV Layer" (text label) "UVTex" -> "UVLayer" (default name of new UVLayer) "UV Texture Layer" -> "UV Layer" "Name of UV unwrapping layer" -> "Name of UV Layer" "Active UV Texture" -> "Active UV Layer" "Active UV Texture Index" -> "Active UV layer Index" "Add UV texture layer" -> "Add UV layer" "Assign Image to UV Texture" -> "Assign Image to UV Layer" "Remove UV texture layer" -> "Remove UV Layer" I have tested it on trunk revision 41998 with a windows-7 (32 bit) build and i found no issues so far. I also have the impression that with these changes applied, i can explain this part of blender much easier than before (almost self explaining now). Thanks a lot for any feedback. Cheers, - gaia-%%%

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-20 12:55:16 +01:00

Changed status to: 'Open'

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-21 11:53:36 +01:00

%%%I would be very happy if the patch as it is can be aplied. However it may be even better to consider to rename "UV Layer" to "UV Map".
Reason: On user level there is no functionality which reflects on the fact that the now called "UV Texture Layer" contains UV Map AND Textures.
So the easiest would be to only have:

UV Map (formerly know as UV Txture Layer)
UV Texture (a texture valid for a UV Map)

%%%

%%%I would be very happy if the patch as it is can be aplied. However it may be even better to consider to rename "UV Layer" to "UV Map". Reason: On user level there is no functionality which reflects on the fact that the now called "UV Texture Layer" contains UV Map AND Textures. So the easiest would be to only have: UV Map (formerly know as UV Txture Layer) UV Texture (a texture valid for a UV Map) %%%

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-21 18:50:06 +01:00

%%%I reworked the patch for the additional name change "UV Layer" to "UV Map".
The patch file is attached as "UVLayerToUVMapFix.patch"

I tested on Windows-7, 32 bit build
From a user perspective it is looking good now.

Here are the details:

  changed files (only comments changed):

I did this mainly for sanity and cleaning purposes.
I tripple checked that the functionality is not affected:

M intern/cycles/blender/blender_mesh.cpp
M source/blender/blenkernel/intern/dynamicpaint.c
M source/blender/nodes/shader/nodes/node_shader_geom.c
M source/blender/render/intern/source/render_texture.c
M source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_uvproject.c
M source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h
M source/blender/collada/GeometryExporter.cpp
M source/blender/collada/InstanceWriter.cpp
M source/blender/collada/MeshImporter.cpp
M source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_tools.c
M source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.c
M source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_ops.c
M source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/paint_image.c
M source/blender/editors/transform/transform.c
M release/scripts/addons/space_view3d_materials_utils.py
M release/scripts/addons/io_mesh_ply/init.py
M /cygdrive/c/blendersvn/blender/release/scripts/addons/io_scene_fbx/export_fbx.py

  Changed files (only changes in text labels and hints)

I checked this as far as possible on the GUI. I was not able to detect ALL
changes in the GUI and finally gave up on some. Of course i will cleanup
anything that turns out to have become broken or inconvenient:

M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_physics_dynamicpaint.py
M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py
M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_texture.py
M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_mesh.py
M release/scripts/startup/bl_operators/uvcalc_lightmap.py
M source/blender/blenkernel/intern/customdata.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_sculpt_paint.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_particle.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_nodetree.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_dynamicpaint.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_material.c
M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.c
M source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c
M source/blender/editors/mesh/mesh_data.c
M doc/python_api/rst/gpu.rst

  Changed Files (changes in local variable names, no functional changes)

I did that mainly for sanity and cleanup. this change is really not essential
and it can be dropped if its uncomfortable:

M /cygdrive/c/blendersvn/blender/release/scripts/addons/animation_animall.py

%%%

%%%I reworked the patch for the additional name change "UV Layer" to "UV Map". The patch file is attached as "UVLayerToUVMapFix.patch" I tested on Windows-7, 32 bit build From a user perspective it is looking good now. Here are the details: **** ``` changed files (only comments changed): ``` **** I did this mainly for sanity and cleaning purposes. I tripple checked that the functionality is not affected: M intern/cycles/blender/blender_mesh.cpp M source/blender/blenkernel/intern/dynamicpaint.c M source/blender/nodes/shader/nodes/node_shader_geom.c M source/blender/render/intern/source/render_texture.c M source/blender/modifiers/intern/MOD_uvproject.c M source/blender/makesdna/DNA_modifier_types.h M source/blender/collada/GeometryExporter.cpp M source/blender/collada/InstanceWriter.cpp M source/blender/collada/MeshImporter.cpp M source/blender/editors/mesh/editmesh_tools.c M source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_unwrap_ops.c M source/blender/editors/uvedit/uvedit_ops.c M source/blender/editors/sculpt_paint/paint_image.c M source/blender/editors/transform/transform.c M release/scripts/addons/space_view3d_materials_utils.py M release/scripts/addons/io_mesh_ply/__init__.py M /cygdrive/c/blendersvn/blender/release/scripts/addons/io_scene_fbx/export_fbx.py **** ``` Changed files (only changes in text labels and hints) ``` **** I checked this as far as possible on the GUI. I was not able to detect ALL changes in the GUI and finally gave up on some. Of course i will cleanup anything that turns out to have become broken or inconvenient: M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_physics_dynamicpaint.py M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_modifier.py M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_texture.py M release/scripts/startup/bl_ui/properties_data_mesh.py M release/scripts/startup/bl_operators/uvcalc_lightmap.py M source/blender/blenkernel/intern/customdata.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_modifier.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_sculpt_paint.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_particle.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_nodetree.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_dynamicpaint.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_material.c M source/blender/makesrna/intern/rna_mesh.c M source/blender/blenloader/intern/readfile.c M source/blender/editors/mesh/mesh_data.c M doc/python_api/rst/gpu.rst **** ``` Changed Files (changes in local variable names, no functional changes) ``` **** I did that mainly for sanity and cleanup. this change is really not essential and it can be dropped if its uncomfortable: M /cygdrive/c/blendersvn/blender/release/scripts/addons/animation_animall.py %%%

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-21 19:02:03 +01:00

%%%I am not able to append an updated patch file because of a "Missing Parameter" error.
I do not know how to fix that on my side. So i posted the patch to Pasteall.org:

http://www.pasteall.org/26627

So i propose to first commit the patch, then i wil start with updating the docs.%%%

%%%I am not able to append an updated patch file because of a "Missing Parameter" error. I do not know how to fix that on my side. So i posted the patch to Pasteall.org: http://www.pasteall.org/26627 So i propose to first commit the patch, then i wil start with updating the docs.%%%

Gaia Clary commented

2011-11-21 21:07:58 +01:00

%%%The newest version of my patch. This is what id like to get committed. its the same as what i released on Pasteall.org earlier.%%%

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2011-11-23 18:25:44 +01:00

%%%Patch committed with some minor changes, thanks!%%%

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2011-11-23 18:25:44 +01:00

Changed status from 'Open' to: 'Archived'

Brecht Van Lommel closed this issue

2011-11-23 18:25:44 +01:00

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Cleaning up terms around "UV Texture Layer" to get a less confusing user interface #29336