Usability: Paint tool
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:58 pm
In topic Paint plugin for MP: Discussion & Suggestions there are various good suggestions for the Paint tool. I start a new topic because the suggestions below are suggestions affecting usabilty.
Misleading toolbar icon for moving
A short while ago an XnView user asked me how to draw arrows and text on an image. I told him about the XnView Paint tool. He did download the Paint tool but he wrote that he failed in adding an arrow. I've just tried the Paint tool and by now I know what the users problem was: A misleading toolbar icon.
The toolbar icon for moving existing objects is an arrow. This makes people think that they can draw an arrow when clicking on this toolbar button, which is not the case. This toolbar button is for selecting and moving objects. I strongly suggest to change the icon of the toolbar button so that users can clearly see that this toolbar button is for selecting and moving objects.
Original:
Suggestion with different icon:
Toolbar separators
Currently, the toolbar is not structured very well. The toolbar buttons should be grouped:
1 - Zooming (Buttons: Original size, Fit to Window, Zoom in, Zoom out)
2 - Drawing (Buttons: Draw line, Draw rectangle, Draw round rectangle, Draw circle, Add Watermark)
3 - Editing (Buttons: Undo, Redo, Color information, Move)
(see draft above)
Line / one end Arrow / Both end arrow
Currently you have two checkboxes for setting the ends of the lines (nothin, arrow at end, arrow at begin and end). It's not that intuitive that you have to uncheck both checkboxes to draw a normal line. Instead, there should be three checkboxes.
'Delete' key for deleting an object
When selecting an object, I'd expect to delete that object when pressing the 'Delete' key. But currently nothing happens.
Zooming with mouse wheel
Currently, zooming with mouse wheel is not supported. Nowadays, mouse wheel zooming should be standard.
Cursor shapes indicating mode and type of object
Currently, the cursor shape does not indicate whether you are in move/select mode or drawing mode. It would be good if the cursor shape would indicate this. It would be even better if the cursor shape would indicate the type of object that you will draw. For example a cross hair cursor with a small symbol of the shape next to it would indicate the draw mode, would allow exact drawing and last not least with the symbol next to the cross hair the user would know which type of object he/she will draw (without looking at the toolbar at the top).
Unclear tooltip: Color information
The tooltip "Color information" is not too clear. What this function does is "Pick foreground/background color". As a side effect it displays the colour informaton.
Yes, XnView's strength is image browsing and not drawing. But with above simple usability improvements the Paint tool would make a leap forward.
Misleading toolbar icon for moving
A short while ago an XnView user asked me how to draw arrows and text on an image. I told him about the XnView Paint tool. He did download the Paint tool but he wrote that he failed in adding an arrow. I've just tried the Paint tool and by now I know what the users problem was: A misleading toolbar icon.
The toolbar icon for moving existing objects is an arrow. This makes people think that they can draw an arrow when clicking on this toolbar button, which is not the case. This toolbar button is for selecting and moving objects. I strongly suggest to change the icon of the toolbar button so that users can clearly see that this toolbar button is for selecting and moving objects.
Original:
- Misleading icon - current.png (5.62 KiB) Viewed 820 times
- Misleading icon - Suggestion.png (5.73 KiB) Viewed 820 times
Currently, the toolbar is not structured very well. The toolbar buttons should be grouped:
1 - Zooming (Buttons: Original size, Fit to Window, Zoom in, Zoom out)
2 - Drawing (Buttons: Draw line, Draw rectangle, Draw round rectangle, Draw circle, Add Watermark)
3 - Editing (Buttons: Undo, Redo, Color information, Move)
(see draft above)
Line / one end Arrow / Both end arrow
Currently you have two checkboxes for setting the ends of the lines (nothin, arrow at end, arrow at begin and end). It's not that intuitive that you have to uncheck both checkboxes to draw a normal line. Instead, there should be three checkboxes.
- Line types - Suggestion.png (8.23 KiB) Viewed 820 times
When selecting an object, I'd expect to delete that object when pressing the 'Delete' key. But currently nothing happens.
Zooming with mouse wheel
Currently, zooming with mouse wheel is not supported. Nowadays, mouse wheel zooming should be standard.
Cursor shapes indicating mode and type of object
Currently, the cursor shape does not indicate whether you are in move/select mode or drawing mode. It would be good if the cursor shape would indicate this. It would be even better if the cursor shape would indicate the type of object that you will draw. For example a cross hair cursor with a small symbol of the shape next to it would indicate the draw mode, would allow exact drawing and last not least with the symbol next to the cross hair the user would know which type of object he/she will draw (without looking at the toolbar at the top).
Unclear tooltip: Color information
The tooltip "Color information" is not too clear. What this function does is "Pick foreground/background color". As a side effect it displays the colour informaton.
Yes, XnView's strength is image browsing and not drawing. But with above simple usability improvements the Paint tool would make a leap forward.