Tablet/Pen Usability Problems #55677

New Issue

Julien Kaspar · 2018-06-29T19:16:40+02:00

Julien Kaspar commented

2018-06-29 19:16:40 +02:00

For the most part any user who is using a Pen/Tablet can easily use Blender but there are still a few inconsistencies in the navigation and functions where in the worst case, you need to constantly switch to a mouse.

For one there is the inability to scroll through certain areas without using the mouse wheel.
When opening a popup list for example when selecting a material, texture, brush, etc, you can only scroll through the window by using the mouse wheel or by typing in the result that you are looking for. But in all other menus that are not popup related, there is the option to scroll by holding the middle mouse button and moving the cursor up/down.
Adding this option to these popups or at least adding a scrollbar to the side would make it possible for pen users to scroll through these windows without switching to the mouse temporarily.

Some tools have a radius that can be adjusted by either using the mouse wheel or using the Numpad +/- keys.
This is the case for example in the Circle Selection and Proportional Editing.
For pen users the Numpad +/- keys work but are slow and awkward to use because because you have to cross your arms (depending on your layout & right/left handed) and you have to hit the keys in very quick succession for a while or hold it which created a delay of when the scale changes.
Adding an extra key like using the F key to change the radius in the Paint/Sculpt Modes could be a solution but can be equally awkward and even more confusing to use. Maybe mapping the increase/decrease radius to the +/- keys as well for the non-numpad users and make holding the key more responsive and fast in resizing is a good improvement at least.

For the most part any user who is using a Pen/Tablet can easily use Blender but there are still a few inconsistencies in the navigation and functions where in the worst case, you need to constantly switch to a mouse. For one there is the inability to scroll through certain areas without using the mouse wheel. When opening a popup list for example when selecting a material, texture, brush, etc, you can only scroll through the window by using the mouse wheel or by typing in the result that you are looking for. But in all other menus that are not popup related, there is the option to scroll by holding the middle mouse button and moving the cursor up/down. Adding this option to these popups or at least adding a scrollbar to the side would make it possible for pen users to scroll through these windows without switching to the mouse temporarily. ![Selection_037.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F3829048/Selection_037.png) Some tools have a radius that can be adjusted by either using the mouse wheel or using the Numpad +/- keys. This is the case for example in the Circle Selection and Proportional Editing. For pen users the Numpad +/- keys work but are slow and awkward to use because because you have to cross your arms (depending on your layout & right/left handed) and you have to hit the keys in very quick succession for a while or hold it which created a delay of when the scale changes. Adding an extra key like using the F key to change the radius in the Paint/Sculpt Modes could be a solution but can be equally awkward and even more confusing to use. Maybe mapping the increase/decrease radius to the +/- keys as well for the non-numpad users and make holding the key more responsive and fast in resizing is a good improvement at least. ![Selection_036.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F3829051/Selection_036.png)

Campbell Barton was assigned by Julien Kaspar

2018-06-29 19:16:40 +02:00

Julien Kaspar commented

2018-06-29 19:16:40 +02:00

Added subscribers: @JulienKaspar, @ideasman42

Emil Assarsson commented

2018-07-17 11:37:23 +02:00

Added subscriber: @jackdaw

Emil Assarsson commented

2018-07-17 11:38:54 +02:00

Removed subscriber: @jackdaw

Shane Ashby commented

2018-10-20 16:19:24 +02:00

Added subscriber: @ShaneAshby

Shane Ashby commented

2018-10-20 16:19:24 +02:00

Could the user touch one item in the list, then drag up or down to scroll it? This is how windows often handles it, particularly if element is too small for useable scrollbars.

Basically just like moving the scrollbar with the pen - but if the scrollbar is too small, just treat the entire list like it's the scrollbar.

If applicable, the user could make the list editable by long tapping (tap and hold) an item in the list, then drag up or down to change the order of the list. The difference being that the long press on an item puts you into edit mode.

Tapping completely outside the list would cancel edit mode, and you'd be back to dragging the list to scroll it.

Could the user touch one item in the list, then drag up or down to scroll it? This is how windows often handles it, particularly if element is too small for useable scrollbars. Basically just like moving the scrollbar with the pen - but if the scrollbar is too small, just treat the entire list like it's the scrollbar. If applicable, the user could make the list editable by long tapping (tap and hold) an item in the list, then drag up or down to change the order of the list. The difference being that the long press on an item puts you into edit mode. Tapping completely outside the list would cancel edit mode, and you'd be back to dragging the list to scroll it.

Andrew Palmer commented

2018-11-20 12:34:02 +01:00

Added subscriber: @AndrewPalmer

Hadrien Brissaud commented

2018-11-20 14:41:36 +01:00

Added subscriber: @hadrien

Hadrien Brissaud commented

2018-11-20 14:41:36 +01:00

Very good point. I also use a tablet exclusively (forearm injury prevents me from using a mouse for longer periods of time) and this has been one of my pet peeves. The popovers could also benefit from being scrollable - I am mainly thinking of overlays, as it can quickly get very lengthy, but this is also valid for the new collection visibility popover : I expect with complex scenes it might quickly overflow as well.

Proportional editing is another place where mouse independence would be great to have, but then it's likely going to conflict with the transform modal keymap. This is why I think the best way to design this would be adding that good ol' proportional edit gradient overlay, so the user can set the proportional size before the transform operation. I am not saying it's impossible to make it work within the transform modal keymap, but I can't think of a way it wouldn't interfere.
Possible solutions ?

A couple of hotkeys to increase/decrease the size by a fixed step, replacing plus and minus ? It can be discoverable since we have the status bar now to indicate hotkeys.
F just like brush size in paint modes ? Then confirming the size change would make the transform jump in the direction the cursor has moved during the size change operation, which seems not ideal.

Very good point. I also use a tablet exclusively (forearm injury prevents me from using a mouse for longer periods of time) and this has been one of my pet peeves. The popovers could also benefit from being scrollable - I am mainly thinking of overlays, as it can quickly get very lengthy, but this is also valid for the new collection visibility popover : I expect with complex scenes it might quickly overflow as well. Proportional editing is another place where mouse independence would be great to have, but then it's likely going to conflict with the transform modal keymap. This is why I think the best way to design this would be adding that good ol' proportional edit gradient overlay, so the user can set the proportional size *before* the transform operation. I am not saying it's impossible to make it work within the transform modal keymap, but I can't think of a way it wouldn't interfere. Possible solutions ? - A couple of hotkeys to increase/decrease the size by a fixed step, replacing plus and minus ? It can be discoverable since we have the status bar now to indicate hotkeys. - F just like brush size in paint modes ? Then confirming the size change would make the transform jump in the direction the cursor has moved during the size change operation, which seems not ideal.

Philipp Oeser removed the

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Tablet/Pen Usability Problems #55677