Updated startup.blend file to deal with particle system and physics button being obscured in the default screen layout #38005

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Andrew Buttery · 2013-12-31T11:55:49+01:00

Andrew Buttery commented

2013-12-31 11:55:49 +01:00

Upon opening Blender, the properties editor in the default screen layout is not wide enough for all the panel button, resulting in the particle systems and physics panel buttons being obscured and forcing the user to have to drag the editor. This is really annoying.

Sample screenshot:

Updated startup.blend file:
startup.blend

Upon opening Blender, the properties editor in the default screen layout is not wide enough for all the panel button, resulting in the particle systems and physics panel buttons being obscured and forcing the user to have to drag the editor. This is really annoying. Sample screenshot: ![undefined](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F59599/undefined) Updated startup.blend file: [startup.blend](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F59601/startup.blend)

Andrew Buttery commented

2013-12-31 11:55:49 +01:00

Changed status to: 'Open'

Brecht Van Lommel was assigned by Andrew Buttery

2013-12-31 11:55:49 +01:00

Andrew Buttery commented

2013-12-31 11:55:49 +01:00

Added subscriber: @AndrewButtery

William Reynish commented

2013-12-31 14:03:00 +01:00

Added subscriber: @billrey

William Reynish commented

2013-12-31 14:03:00 +01:00

This is a relevant issue, but I don't think it should be solved this way.

I believe the reason you don't see some of the categories, is because the screen layout is defined in a relative way. So if you open startup.blend on a large enough monitor, you'll see all the icons. On a smaller monitor, the relative size will be too small to display everything.

Making the entire Properties editor larger may not be that great of a solution, because it then takes up much more of the display.

Here are some alternative ways of tackling this:

Make the Properties editor a fixed pixel size, rather than a relative one
Make the header content wrap around with double height when there is not enough space

Make the header vertical

I actually think probably #2 could be nicest. It wastes quite little space compared to #3, and keeps the categories nicely at the top.

The advantage of #3 though is that we could use tabs instead of regular radio buttons. Tabs don't work well if the categories are double height.

This is a relevant issue, but I don't think it should be solved this way. I believe the reason you don't see some of the categories, is because the screen layout is defined in a relative way. So if you open startup.blend on a large enough monitor, you'll see all the icons. On a smaller monitor, the relative size will be too small to display everything. Making the entire Properties editor larger may not be that great of a solution, because it then takes up much more of the display. Here are some alternative ways of tackling this: - Make the Properties editor a fixed pixel size, rather than a relative one - Make the header content wrap around with double height when there is not enough space # Make the header vertical I actually think probably #2 could be nicest. It wastes quite little space compared to #3, and keeps the categories nicely at the top. The advantage of #3 though is that we could use tabs instead of regular radio buttons. Tabs don't work well if the categories are double height.

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2013-12-31 14:54:44 +01:00

I think #1 is inevitably necessary here regardless of how you place the icons, it's not only about the header, the entire contents of the properties editors has a different size depending on the screen resolution. Either the buttons are to narrow or squashed, even if we would somehow support a single column layout there's widths that will be too wide or too narrow for the contents. In other applications this type of UI element would have a fixed size.

Campbell recently did a fix to keep the info header the same height in 91d8519c, something similar should be possible here to keep the properties editor fixed width. It might be more complicated for the properties editor due the fact that you can place the properties editor in all kinds of places in the subdivided screen.

I think #1 is inevitably necessary here regardless of how you place the icons, it's not only about the header, the entire contents of the properties editors has a different size depending on the screen resolution. Either the buttons are to narrow or squashed, even if we would somehow support a single column layout there's widths that will be too wide or too narrow for the contents. In other applications this type of UI element would have a fixed size. Campbell recently did a fix to keep the info header the same height in 91d8519c, something similar should be possible here to keep the properties editor fixed width. It might be more complicated for the properties editor due the fact that you can place the properties editor in all kinds of places in the subdivided screen.

Andrew Buttery commented

2014-01-01 00:12:52 +01:00

Thanks for the comments...

I run my screen at 1920 x 1080 and even then the properties icons are obscured on start-up. I would have thought that this resolution would be pretty standard by now - but it seems not: http://www.hobo-web.co.uk/best-screen-size/

I personally don't like the idea of locking the sizes of editors as it reduces flexibility for the user and I would have thought it goes against Blenders design philosophy.

I agree that #2, #3 would be best as, chances are in the future more icons will be added to the properties header and increasing the fixed width to accommodate new categories means there would be more screen real estate being taken up anyway...

But, in the short term I'll adjust my own startup.blend...

BTW: Are there any of the UI PaperCuts that I can have a go at? Since I'm learning the UI, small tasks seem like a good way to get something tangible for users and some personal satisfaction for me :)

 - andrew

Thanks for the comments... I run my screen at 1920 x 1080 and even then the properties icons are obscured on start-up. I would have thought that this resolution would be pretty standard by now - but it seems not: http://www.hobo-web.co.uk/best-screen-size/ I personally don't like the idea of locking the sizes of editors as it reduces flexibility for the user and I would have thought it goes against Blenders design philosophy. I agree that #2, #3 would be best as, chances are in the future more icons will be added to the properties header and increasing the fixed width to accommodate new categories means there would be more screen real estate being taken up anyway... But, in the short term I'll adjust my own startup.blend... BTW: Are there any of the UI PaperCuts that I can have a go at? Since I'm learning the UI, small tasks seem like a good way to get something tangible for users and some personal satisfaction for me :) - andrew

Estelle Wilken commented

2014-01-01 10:43:52 +01:00

Added subscriber: @Khimalo

Estelle Wilken commented

2014-01-01 10:43:52 +01:00

Hi, please don't restrict the size! I think the best will be # 3 with the ability to + and -.
It can be very confusing for new users if some of the items are hidden like it is now, because there was no indication there were more menus.
Later perhaps have a box at the bottom, which you can + and -, where you can drag the menus that you use most often?

Hi, please don't restrict the size! I think the best will be # 3 with the ability to + and -. It can be very confusing for new users if some of the items are hidden like it is now, because there was no indication there were more menus. Later perhaps have a box at the bottom, which you can + and -, where you can drag the menus that you use most often?

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2014-01-01 16:19:24 +01:00

Changed status from 'Open' to: 'Archived'

Brecht Van Lommel closed this issue

2014-01-01 16:19:24 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2014-01-01 16:19:24 +01:00

The idea is not to restrict the size, rather to preserve the size in pixels as you scale the window up or down, or open a .blend file on another computer with a different screen resolution. You would still be able to set it to any size you want.

I'll close this patch, we need to solve this at some point but a different solution is needed than just changing the startup.blend.

@AndrewButtery: We don't have a list of quick jobs really, often if something is simple and has a big impact it will be done quickly by a developer. There are many such things still, and you can probably find things that you think are interesting on these pages. If you take an idea from the wiki page that's you can discuss it here if it seems like the kind of thing that needs a UI team decision.

http://developer.blender.org/maniphest/project/12/type/Design/
https://developer.blender.org/maniphest/project/12/type/To%20Do/
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Proposals/UI

The idea is not to restrict the size, rather to preserve the size in pixels as you scale the window up or down, or open a .blend file on another computer with a different screen resolution. You would still be able to set it to any size you want. I'll close this patch, we need to solve this at some point but a different solution is needed than just changing the startup.blend. @AndrewButtery: We don't have a list of quick jobs really, often if something is simple and has a big impact it will be done quickly by a developer. There are many such things still, and you can probably find things that you think are interesting on these pages. If you take an idea from the wiki page that's you can discuss it here if it seems like the kind of thing that needs a UI team decision. http://developer.blender.org/maniphest/project/12/type/Design/ https://developer.blender.org/maniphest/project/12/type/To%20Do/ http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Ref/Proposals/UI

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Updated startup.blend file to deal with particle system and physics button being obscured in the default screen layout #38005

Make the header vertical