On Monday 23 August 2010, Thomas Zander wrote:
> On Monday 23. August 2010 20.32.30 Thorsten Zachmann wrote:
> > I would like to avoid to need an extra click for activating a tool just
> > for  changing the color of a shape. It is something I do quite often and I
> > think also artists do quite often so having first to activate a tool
> > should be avoided in my opinion.
> 
> This misses the basic premise the tool system was designed for.  Its workflow 
> based and by grouping the features in the tool we avoid clicking, not add extra 
> ones.

Actually, having next to tools, inspector widgets that can modify the properties of the currently selected shape(s) has been part of the flake design since the beginning. The original group of flake designers (me, Thorsten, Casper, Rob, Peter) never intended to have everything go through tools. These inspector widgets have quite an ancient pedigree, having appeared in NextStep and are still being heavily used in Apple's office suite.

Tools were never intended to be merely the way to conveniently open an inspector widget, they are for on-canvas manipulation.

Now, the confusion between tool option widgets and inspector widgets is the source of the usability problem. What we need first, before moving even more functionality to tools is to define a good taxonomy of all the dockers we have. Then determine what each type of docker is used for, and then figure out ways to present that in the clearest way possible to the user. 

And then we need to figure out a way to curb the excesses of the tool system, like having to select the text tool before being able to click on a url.
-- 
Boudewijn Rempt | http://www.valdyas.org
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