Ribbon - Microsoft is changing ribbon

I see that Microsoft has had so many complaints about the ribbon as a non productive tool as they are making it - as seen in examples - more like the old tool.

Bentley cannot do this as it would again limit too many items from the menu.

I am still trying to keep from consistantly going back and forth between menus to just do a simple work flow  (2d production)

I am pretty close with 2d but not 3d as it required both the 2d and 3d tools and my 28" monitors cannot hold all the commands I use in one work flow.

We need better menues that ones provided and ALL tools present as some are not available  as independent commands. 

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  • Hi Eric,

    I see that Microsoft has had so many complaints about the ribbon

    can you be more specific? Did you se any statistics of such complains? Or is it you read an article Office GUI will be modified and you did this conclusion?

    as they are making it - as seen in examples - more like the old tool.

    One fact is correct: Microsoft plans to change Office GUI and one from general concept will be a simplification.

    I am quite sure it's not (only) because of complains. A mantra in UX (and also any development) is "to measure". Microsoft continuously do UX researches, it analyses telemetry from applications how they are used (including "click maps"), advanced techniques like eye-tracking are used too. In the past I found several presentations on Internet, done by GUI / UX people from Microsoft, how Windows and Office GUI is designed and implemented.

    Of course it does not say there are also other "influences" like strange management decisions, plans to conquer and rule users' ecosystems, to protect market share etc. ;-)

    We need better menues that ones provided and ALL tools present

    My personal opinion is that idea of menus offering all tools is not good. It reminds me a user I saw a couple years ago: From any side from his monitor edge, 10 centimeters were occupied by docked toolbars ;-)

    There will be always more tools than anybody will use on a particular project and every user has different preferences and requirements. So what is required is to have flexible GUI with "short ways" (not sure whether it's the best term) ... in V8i, it was possible to start a tool with 2 clicks (1st to go one level deep, 2nd to start a tool) ... in CE, often more clicks (or key presses) are required, which is bad. Another nice feature would be more friendly customization (today state is still not good enough) and also "context sensitive GUI".

    But first ... again solely my opinion ... MicroStation UX design is bad from today perspective, because it wastes "resources". Why we need so many "nearly duplicated" tools with quite similar functionality? For example Place Line / Place SmartLine, Hatch / Cross Hatch / Pattern, Create Complex Chain / Create Complex Shape etc. It wastes UX space and it's the result of "developers' thinking" (what element types are used, how the functionality is implemented, how data are stored). There is common rule "a developer never ever should design GUI", because it rarely leads to usable results. SmartLine is a solitary example how it can be done, but Bentley tried it, abandoned this idea and has stayed with a concept "own icon for every functionality".

    With regards,

      Jan

  • Simply - the Ribbon in Microsoft it TOO complicated for a simple program for work.  The Article that MS sent out to users was the new ribbon will be more simple - less that what you see now and more akin to what we used to have.  They will still have all icons but you can add them as you see fit and as they push - type in the search .

    This for a stupidly simple Word Processor.

    The ribbon should never been used for Mstation - It is like putting tricycle handlebars on the space shuttle.

    The ribbon it the antithesis to speed and production.  It forces you to consistently select different menus over and over.

    I will say that I can get all I need in a 2d workflow in Mstation.  It takes all icons and ribbon groups to be small, but I can make that work.

    I can work days and do everything from sketching to printing without ever leaving the ribbon.  So for that it was OK just took a month to get things in order learned to where I could stop hunting for things.

    IT is when you stray into ADB.

    Here I need all the same tools I have in 2d plus those in 3d.  Other wise I have to constantly go from ribbon to ribbon to do easy tasks.

    I have tried but cannot get all my commands across the ribbon.  I have had to supplement with toolbars to fill the voids.

    The problem here is I cannot find all singular commands  (THIS AGAIN IS SOMETHING THAT MICROSOFT IS PROMISING FOR THIS NEW RIBBON ROLLING OUT AS THAT IS THEIR ISSUE TOO)

    The WORKFLOWS we have ribbons divided into ARE NOR WORKFLOWS.  They are a group of like commands.  That is not a workflow.

    Here are workflows

    MODELS (from first line to sections views)Materials too

    ANNOTATIONS (annotations and 2d tools for details to elevation, sections to plans, etc)  Including Sheets and Printing

    Rendering (This is really more beyond the model as most rendering would be done while you are modeling as this is more MATERIAL assignment and rendering is just a plus.

    *********************************************************************************************************************************************************

    If I can't spend a productive day without spending 1/3-1/2 my time searching for icons and changing between ribbons, I could accually accomplish work.

    I have noticed now stupid things like the Ribbons themselves getting smart and changing to another ribbon when I select a command.  I find with walls now every other command can be on another ribbon because of this switching back and forth.

    Ustn since 1988
    SS4 - i7-3.45Ghz-16 Gb-250/1Tb/1Tb-Win8.1-64b

    Eric D. Milberger
    Architect + Master Planner + BIM

    Senior  Master Planner NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center

    The Milberger Architectural Group, llc

  • I want ed to  make a comment concerning to large a menu.  On the version prior to ABD - where I had buttons for ALL commands

    I have EVERY task that I would use on two rows of buttons.  Did everything I do to day with 2 rows.

    So that is two rows below 2 rows of typical tool boxes already created but mounted to the top of the screen

    Now my hand and arm are zig zagging all over the place as tasks are not organized to how you have to use your hands when drafting across the monitor

    Ustn since 1988
    SS4 - i7-3.45Ghz-16 Gb-250/1Tb/1Tb-Win8.1-64b

    Eric D. Milberger
    Architect + Master Planner + BIM

    Senior  Master Planner NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center

    The Milberger Architectural Group, llc

  • Without additional details describing your exact workflow, the tools you use, and how the UI affects it, I'm afraid there's little we can offer.   That said, I do not see the Ribbon Bar making an exit any time soon.  



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