Reorganizing 'Options'
Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:52 pm
I believe the 'Options' Panel can be optimized quite a lot in order to reduce the complexity of setting-up and using XnView, thus making it more straightforward and attractive to newcomers.
Some principles:
- Keep It Simple Stupid (cf: simple options-tree, etc...)
- put options where they are used, and avoid centralization when possible (some options may find their way in menus, context menus, existing dialogs...)
- remove not-so-useful options from panel (and put them as extra ini entries when needed)
- use logical and user-oriented layouts, accurate naming +avoid interference/confusion between options
I will try to provide suggestions, starting from general ideas to detailled settings. Meanwhile, please discuss those elements, give opinions or ideas about this subject (those useful descriptions of options will help a lot).
Olivier
PS1: I started this thread now because I am currently more available and because 1.82b2 is already a good basis for discussion (and will stabilize even further toward 1.82... )
PS2: I believe the current options panel is complex, and I almost dismissed XnView in my first evaluation some years ago because of this issue => it is important, and 'Options' should undergo a major change
Some principles:
- Keep It Simple Stupid (cf: simple options-tree, etc...)
- put options where they are used, and avoid centralization when possible (some options may find their way in menus, context menus, existing dialogs...)
- remove not-so-useful options from panel (and put them as extra ini entries when needed)
- use logical and user-oriented layouts, accurate naming +avoid interference/confusion between options
I will try to provide suggestions, starting from general ideas to detailled settings. Meanwhile, please discuss those elements, give opinions or ideas about this subject (those useful descriptions of options will help a lot).
Olivier
PS1: I started this thread now because I am currently more available and because 1.82b2 is already a good basis for discussion (and will stabilize even further toward 1.82... )
PS2: I believe the current options panel is complex, and I almost dismissed XnView in my first evaluation some years ago because of this issue => it is important, and 'Options' should undergo a major change