Material editor reskin?

[benn]

Hey guys,

I just commited this to the sketchup repository - does everyone like the UI? Whaat will have to approve, and I'll have to make sure the changes don't break sketchup on mac - but yes/no?

Ben

[Whaat]

Well, it definitely looks nicer. Did you see this?
http://whaats-up.blogspot.com/2009/09/m ... go-ui.html

I would like to add a button bar at the top kind of like my mockup.

While I do like the new skin, I do still want the UI to feel like a native SketchUp application, so I'm not yet sold 100%. I'd like to hear from the users....Is this better? Or do you want it to look more like the native SketchUp UI?

[Pibuz]

Hi Whaat and Ben!
No offense Whaat, but I prefer Ben's: it looks to me more..professional.

I think that one of the reasons because so many pros are still not so convinced about SketchUp is its sort of game-looking. All these cute icons and cursors..

Don't know. At a first glance SU seems like a toy. I really think that making it a little more "serious" would help it grow a little. We could start from SkIndigo

[remus]

I dont mind which style you go with, but a couple of things about benns interface:

I like how the 'mesh subdivision' etc. is highlighted, makes it a lot more obvious that theirs other stuff hiding beneath the menus.
Not very keen on the spacing of the top bar. I prefer whaats more compact look.

[Whaat]

Not very keen on the spacing of the top bar. I prefer whaats more compact look.

IMO, we don't need the 'Selected Material:' prompt at the top. I agree that the top should be made more compact.

One thing that I would like to address is the confusion with the 'Load' and 'Save' buttons. Some new users initially think that 'Save' means 'save settings for this material'. They think they need to press this button every time they change a setting. That's one of the reasons I want to change it from a 'Save' button to an icon. The tooltip for the icon could then say 'Save IGM/PIGM' or 'Export IGM/PIGM'.

Instead of the 'Load' button, there would be an icon with a tooltip 'Import IGM/PIGM"

I also may want to add icons for:
1) Searching the MDB
2) Sampling a material from the scene (Ink dropper)

Maybe ben could do a mockup to include these features?

[OnoSendai]

One thing that I would like to address is the confusion with the 'Load' and 'Save' buttons. Some new users initially think that 'Save' means 'save settings for this material'. They think they need to press this button every time they change a setting.

Maybe call it 'Export' instead?

[neo0.]

There are parts from both Whaat'a and Benn's design that I like. I like Benn's dark color scheme, while I also like the idea of using more visual icons. My problem however, is that the icons look a bit too colorful and simple, which makes them look a little on the cartoony side..


Here are a few examples of what influence that the icons should draw on...



Notice the desaturated hues..

[cpfresh]

Hi All,

I think the SkIndigo UI is fine style-wise. The only idea I like from Benn's rendition is highlighting the Emitter and Subdivision sections. The idea of compacting the top and using some icons is cool, but the icons you've got on your blog look out of place.

[Whaat]

@benn,
The new UI is a major downgrade on the Mac. I really like the native Mac buttons and it would be nice to keep them. How can we create different CSS for PC and Mac? I assume it is possible.

[neo0.]

I really like the "select material bar". The way I see it, the less we have to shift our attention between two material editors, the more efficient our workflow will be.

[Whaat]

It's funny how my icons are being called 'cartoony' and 'out of place' even though they are the same icons that are used for the Indigo GUI I don't think anyone was complaining about those. I was just trying to create some consistency between the Indigo GUI and the SkIndigo one. Oh well...

I'm not a huge fan of those icons either, but I do still like the idea of switching to icons instead of using word buttons.

[benn]

Yeah, they are the same icons as in the GUI - I think the look fine, although they will look better once the UI is more consistent.

How a different css per system:

<body>
<script>
document.body.className = browser.name.match(/webkit/) ? "safari" : "ie";
</script>

...

Something like that anyway - then you can do:

.safari #toolbar{background: apple-grey;}
.ie #toolbar{background: windows-silver;}

[Whaat]

Here's a preview of the next incarnation of SkIndigo Is it perfect? No. Is it finished? Never. But I hope this is a step in the right direction. Comments?

[remus]

that looks ace i'll try and think of something a little more constructive after ive gotten over the 'oooh, ahhh' bit.

[suvakas]

I think it looks very nice !!
Great work Whaat.