Re: [Therion] Interface Comments/Suggestions

[Stacho Mudrak]

On Wednesday 27 December 2006 01:26, Wookey wrote:
> ctrl-I to select it would be good for me). This implies a general
> mechanism for configuring key shortcuts or favoured line-types, which
> may not be easy. But anything would be better than typing '-subtype
> invisible' hundreds of times.

Agree. I will think about some general shortcut mechanism.

May be, it would be worth to have possibility to specify subtypes in type 
specification: e.g. border:invisible (and having this in types list).

> scale: The new update scale button is a big help, but I still find I
> have to do things like look up the length of a nearby plan line in the
> .svx file in order to find the LRUD info or otherwise get a scale so I
> can then set the scale by using the stations (and rotating top right
> point so line is at approx 45 degrees). This seems such a waste of
> time when the passage width is right there next to the section, and
> clearly the scale should match. I can't easily tell if the passage is
> 2, 5, or 20m wide, but therion already knows. Perhaps the scale for X
> on an xsect could default to the same as the dist between the walls
> under the section line (and Y is same as X), and N is up the page?
> Then the drawer can change that if it is not right.

Sounds very interesting. I will think about it.

> scrap names:
> I got very bored of creating a scrap then having to select it and
> change the name to <scrapname>_c1 or whatever. Can x-sects be set to
> have such a scrapname by default, incrementing the number?

In principle, this should be possible.

> Part of the problem is that there is no link between the x-sect scrap
> and the section line on the plan/elevation. Only the point has a link.
> It seems to me that xsections are logical entities and making sure all
> of the line, the scrap and the point are associated is a good thing,
> which will help with the grouping of sections into boxes when that is
> implemented. Associated with this is the need to give each section a
> 'display name' or label like 'E3' or whatever. Have I just missed this
> facility?

No, this is not yet possible. And associating section line with secion scrap 
is definitely needed. In the far future, this information should be used in 
3D model generation from plan and cross sections. But this also implies, that 
"line section" should have exactly two points. I think it is a very good 
idea, I will put it in the TODO list.


> 3)
> xtherion should warn you when you accidentally create lines
> outside of a scrap. It is easy to do and slow/fiddly to put right. Is
> there ever a valid reason for creating lines outside a scrap? I can't
> think of one.

No there is no reason. But as far as I know, it is already possible to insert 
line outside of a scrap only in some rare cases (e.g. "end of file" is 
selected). I will try to fix it.

> Automatically removing null lines might be useful (a line entry that
> just has one point and does nothing but confuse - are these ever useful)?

It is already in the TODO list.

> 4)
> The xtherion interface needs more work on shortcuts generally as we
> use it so intensively. More keyboard options for chanigng between
> common line and point types and moving to next
> scrap in the scroll list. e.g only showing lines in the current scrap
> and showing lines from other scraps collapsed or greyed might do the
> trick?

Selecting scrap and areas is already possible using toolbar buttons. Making 
shortcuts for them is may be a good idea.

> 5)
> I don't believe the 'right click to select line hidden below' is
> working. When I have a line at a scrap join on both scraps (because there
> is an area join here), I can only selectone line. I have to move it out of
> the way to get the other one.

Agree, it works only when a line point is right-clicked. I will try to fix it.

> 6)
> really big job to fix, although finding someone to re-write it in gtk
> would be very good

Yes. But when I was working on loch I have realized, that coding UI in some 
other languages then TclTk takes cca. 10x more time and it is very difficult 
to keep it platform independent :( 

It looks, even with 3D viewer, I will return to TclTk (with C++ codes for some 
faster calculations).

> settings. I'm not sure about this - it probably isn't therion's fault,
> but I get the feeling it could be made a lot easier for users to
> separate the various types of layout option. I'll have to think about
> this.

There were few options in the layout first (mostly TeX and metapost codes), a 
lot of them were added later, so it is not very logical structure now. May be 
it would be worth to split it somehow into more elements.

Regards, S.
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