Another suggestion for the interface. I feel that the top and left semi-transparent tool bars around the desktop aren't justified. They contain only a few elements and, especially when all other areas are visible (chat panel, time-line, right panels), they make the desktop feel very cramped and reduced. Why not move all, or most of the icons to the top bar? There's still place there and each group of buttons could be separated from the next with the same divider lines that now separate avatars on the left from transport in the center from panels on the right. If this is too much, at least the icons on the top desktop bar could be moved there. The dashboard, name of session and so on are "top level" functions that aren't conceptually so connected to the desktop view like the zoom or the desktop tools are. And those could also be grouped to take less space than a full vertical bar. I liked the little horizontal box in Flash, and the fact that it could be hidden or shown.
Comments (4)
& @jordynth Just for secondary clarification, I understand in software like Paint.NET, there are semi-transparent adjustable and movable menus that don't take up 100% of the viewport height/width. Is this what you're referring to?
I liked the horizontal bar in Flash as well, perhaps something that would dynamically hide itself after a delay (whilst not being used). E.g. it'd hide behind the viewport at semi-transparency until you either hover over it or activate a shortcut in reference to it, on which it'd be at 0 transparency
I just feel that it's a waste of space to reserve a whole vertical or horizontal bar just to hold a few small buttons. And having sub-bars (pointer modes, dashboard, zoom and so on) inside main bars (top and panel, time-line) creates a kind of optical "matriuska" effect that shrinks whatever is at the centre (the desktop view). Besides that, I consider going to the dashboard (that is, exiting the app) and the name of the current arrangement too high-level functions to be on a deeply nested bar inside the interface. They belong to the very top.
A few suggestions to make it all fit in the top bar :)
"DASHBOARD" could be put inside the App Menu. After all, it is equivalent to the "Quit" item on a "File" menu in most apps.
The close "x" icon does the same as "DASHBOARD", so you can get rid of it.
The "Undo" and "Redo" buttons could be moved to the right until they are next to the left edge of the transport section, and the name of the current draft placed in the space in between them and the app menu. You just got rid of the top sub-bar.
The pointer mode icons, being small, could be grouped in a square (two on top, two on bottom) and placed next to the right edge of the transport section. It makes sense that they would be next to it.
The zoom buttons would fit between the pointer mode square and the layout buttons. If you still want to keep the zoom buttons on the desktop because you want to strongly connect them visually with it, you could leave them as "floating" buttons , without any bar or background around them. You got rid of the side sub-bar.
@apollo I personally hate interface elements that try to be too "smart", hiding or becoming semi-transparent or blurring when they "think" they are not needed. It's just my personal feeling. I like to decide when, and how, and if, something gets hidden or shown.