Tiny is too small

[ouistiti]

Pierre

Good evening,

- Since that thread is talking of icons in MP, I have to complain that the Layouts icons in the menu are no more readable,
they are really too small and quite fuzzy :



Please, consider a way to change that, i.e. with larger numbered symbols,
like already proposed for the Win versions HERE.
TIA !

Friendly

Paul

[Clo]

Hello Paul !

• Indeed, these icons are too much small and don't look nice… They have been reduced from the Win version ones,
while they are already too small there

- I get the same ugly thingies @ home :



- The alternative images in the (unanswered) thread that you quote above would be much better,
and let's notice that a tiny current icon plus the string are wider than one of my motives…
- I have added an English translation to that article now.

- Because I've not any Sioux ancestor, and that no magnifying glass should come with the programme, I support your wish !

Friendly,
Claude
Clo

[Clo]

Pierre

Good morning,

• I made a MP version of my alternative “Layout” icons :



• The last image at bottom is for “Free”, I assume it'll open a dialogue later to set a customized layout…
Currently, that idem does nothing.

• Like I said above, only the strings in the menus are wider than these images, especially in French
(and in other languages, probably) :



- It's with my usual font for the menus Arial, 9, bold. My images don't need translations

KR
Claude
Clo

[xnview]

Sorry but i can't use big icons

[Troken]

Sorry but i can't use big icons

Then maybe they should be redesigned to be as clear as possible. I agree that they currently are hard to understand.

[oops66]

Sorry but i can't use big icons

I agree the tiny are too tiny or too clear, in this case maybe it will be better to use the black and white.

[Clo]

Pierre

Hello !

• I don't see what prevents you to use optional external resources…

• Like Paul-“Ouistiti” points out above, the Win menus are flexible, they auto-adjust the dimensions.

• Below, a menu having 29×35 icons (from a single bitmap) :



- Total Commander supports icons in the menus up to 48² -limit set by the Author- from DLL¦ICL (standard or alternative).

• We are talking of alternative images here, of course. Anyway, the current fly dungs are unreadable.

KR
Claude
Clo

[xnview]

• I don't see what prevents you to use optional external resources…

With QT toolkit, menu can use only 16x16 bitmap!

[Clo]

Pierre

Again…

With QT toolkit, menu can use only 16x16 bitmap!

• That's an antiquated crappy design. It's impossible to show layouts properly in such a tiny area.
- But since you plan a "Free" option, I could find (a) workaround¦s, maybe I'll show it¦them here (if you are a good boy)

KR
Claude
Clo

[Clo]

—> Pierre

Good morning,

• In order to fill in the lacunaæ of that damned QT, I propose you the solution #1 below :

¤ Steps

1. Remove the “Layout” sub-menu and its fly-craps (I drew a single matching one for the fun),
and just change the main item like



2. That could open a dialogue-box in that painting



• Doing so, you could kill two birds with the same stone…since anyway a dialogue'll be needed
to set a “Free” layout, sooner or later.

• The upper section contains the large icons of the standard layouts, set as buttons.
The current layout is shown as underlined (green), while the others have a greyed out underline.

- To simply change the layout : Click another layout-button (including the “Custom” one) –> [OK]

• The lower section should allow to build a customized layout :

- Beside the “Custom” button, there's a preview (inactive, with red separators) which is an existing
saved custom layout. When there is none yet, that area might be greyed or so.
- On the image, the Film-strip radio-button is “ON”, hence the “Thumb nails” item button is greyed (and vice-versa)

- Like it's indicated, the user could select an area, then click the button of an item to set it onto that area —> [Accept].
- If s¦he mistook, the [Remove] button cancels that handling.
- The [Reset] button could allow to remove all previous changes, and to clear the current customized layout as well.
- I thought too to D&D the item from the button —> building window, but is it supported ?
When the three items are located, pressing the “Save” button displays the new customized layout
in the Preview, it can be used.

That's all for that night !

KR
Claude
Clo

[ouistiti]

Clo

Such a box looks indeed nice, handy and feasible.
It should be interesting to know about the "Free" layout…
The proposed solution seems logical.



Paul

[thibaud]

yup 16x16 isn't very big but Hopefully this should make it slightly clearer

http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.p ... c&start=28

besides free layout is the way to go!
I don't see the point of a layout sandbox when you can do it in place.

[Clo]

thibaud

Good morning, bonjour,

• I saw your icons in the other thread, they are well drawn, but it's still too small for 66¦67_y.o. eyes, like Paul's and mine…

…I don't see the point of a layout sandbox when you can do it in place.

• So, please explain me how you define and save decently a customized layout ?
• The "Free" as it's currently with “rubberized panels” is a pain in the neck, I dislike that highly.
IMOH, it's just to get hysterics … I experienced similar features in other programmes I tested some years ago :
Quickly removed, so inconvenient it is…
• It's possible to get compromises between several interface styles, but for pity's sake,
a box instead of the “rubberized panels” !
• If you have read the above article carefully, you know that it's a #1 solution, I've another on my back-burner

KR
Claude
Clo

[thibaud]

• So, please explain me how you define and save decently a customized layout ?

For this, I would recommend Pierre to take the solution most widely used by any other program, that is:
Make the free mode preset based and adding 3 commands under the layout selection menu:

."new layout": opens an input box to type the name of the current free layout you want to save.
."delete layout": removes the entry currently selected.
."reset currentlayoutName": reset any modificaction you ave done to the selected layout.

Like this:


Personally, I usually stick to a single layout once set, and don't really need this kind of functionality (besides I find switching layout in free mode to be quicker than going through a menu)

The "Free" as it's currently with “rubberized panels” is a pain in the neck, I dislike that highly.

Why is that ?
I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it, that's simply the most convenient way to do this kind of things.
Besides, the 5 hours you spent to mockup your proposal might seems big to you but I'm pretty confident they're actually nothing compared to what Pierre would have to go through to implement your proposed solution.