[OBD U5] stfplace tool setting dialog

Just wondering if I can have a separate tool setting dialog for the stfplace commands (column, beams etc.) rather than as a ribbon? I have my ribbon in compact mode, I access to my required tools through toolbars. Everytime I place something that involve the Placement ribbon, I have to click on the ribbon to get to the settings. 

Best regards,

Tuan Le

Parents Reply
  • The defect I was referring to was something we found internally, where the contextual ribbon wasn't always showing the placement options. Sometimes it was showing the non-contextual "modify" version of the ribbon tab instead of the version that's supposed to be shown when a placement command is running or an element is selected.

    It required a few back-and-forth clicks on the ribbon tabs to get it to behave. That's already fixed.

    Have you tried working with the ribbon open instead of in compact mode? I'm curious to know why you prefer keeping the ribbon in compact mode when ti seems like expanding it would speed things up for you.

    Below you mentioned other things in the ribbon not working correctly. Can you give me more detail on what's not working correctly?



Children
  • I'm curious to know why you prefer keeping the ribbon in compact mode when ti seems like expanding it would speed things up for you.

    To be honest Tom, I can't think of any scenario that would make the ribbon speed things up over the good old toolbars. Taking the placing primary steel column as an example:

    1 - Mouse from middle of screen goes to ribbon to activate tool.

    2 - Mouse from ribbon goes to datagroup dialog to select correct section profile.

    3 - Mouse from datagroup dialog goes back to ribbon to select rotation, placement point etc.

    4 - Mouse from ribbon back to middle of screen for placement.

    Full circle around screen, even before you're able to place anything in the model.

    Ribbon is in compact mode because we have no use for it, and keeping it open is just a waste of screen space, which is never enough for a designer. Whatever tools I need, it is always accessible through custom toolbars, no need to switch between workflows, tabs, hidden menu etc. I'm curious as to which workflow would you have utilised ribbon over task menu/toolbar that would make it speedier than SS6, as I'm yet to see any speed gain, ever, in working with ribbon. 

    As for ribbon issues, if you have a look at my SR list, there are a few of them in there.

  • I'll take a look at your SR list.

    I'm going to ask some dumb questions probably just to make sure I understand the steps in your workflow. Please don't think I'm arguing :-)

    To me, it seems like 2 and 3 would reduce mouse movement in the reverse order. Is there something in your workflow that requires you to do #2 first?

    How is this workflow different from the toolbars? It seems like the number and type of steps be the same, except with the toolbars along the side instead of the top (with the addition of the extra click to open the ribbon when it's set to compact mode).

    Do you find yourself changing between tabs often?

    Just to give a little background, when we did the command sorting, one of the goals was to reduce both the number of commands on the screen at one time (reducing visual clutter and giving us enough space to use large-sized icons so you have bigger targets to aim for when clicking) and the number of times you need to manually change tabs (which is the number one complaint we saw in researching other products using a ribbon). Both of these goals were to start to bring us into alignment with the research on what makes products more "usable" in general.



  • 'Just to give a little background, when we did the command sorting, one of the goals was to reduce both the number of commands on the screen at one time (reducing visual clutter and giving us enough space to use large-sized icons so you have bigger targets to aim for when clicking)'

    And yet simple things like docking the ribbon weren't checked to make sure they worked.

    I would have also thought that popset would be part of that, yet no. 

    Sorry Tom, but the flow and the issues with this interface leave me thinking of times past when we begged for change when we had major interface changes like this.

    'Is there something in your workflow that requires you to do #2 first?'

    If you have the ribbon docked there are far more clicks. The moment the separate dialog for gatagroup etc. started we stopped having an interface that cleared automatically when we started to model. It's just another potential for issues like we have with v8i.



  • 'Is there something in your workflow that requires you to do #2 first?'

    Add to that you have to try and get rid of the Property Panel.

    Next, one too many right clicks and it's all the way back to the Structural Group again. I don't see any need for the Place group to disappear.