GUI refreshment

[zacharias2k]

I'm not happy with the GUI by now. The changes of https://github.com/iut-ibk/DynaMind-Gui/commit/34e9d2cda82612913e11bcad4e5de38fe7a6119b restored, partly, the old appearance, which was consciously dropped.

1. selected items with double border:
   • the width of a object border should never indicate a state.
   • all borders and lines should be about as wide. The font appearance doesn't fit to the bold border either.
2. double border for groups
   • the shadow effect wasn't very good, but at least it provided some kind of depth to distinguish between in-group and out-of-group. Which is not given by a double-border.
   • ambiguous: selected vs group
3. light grey scene background
   • usually indicating a deactivated region
   • conflict with dark-grey modules (modules should clearly distinguishable from background)
4. module color
   • white modules on grey background
     • conflict with modules tree (inverted colors)
     • low contrast
     • causing optical illusion (white glow)
   • blue modules
     • blue is a cold color, it does not indicate 'success', rather an undefined state
5. ports names appearing on hover
   • simplifies view, which is great, but searching for the right input (generatesewernetwork) is worse. a user wants to see everything that is necessary for plug'n'play - no user should be forced to hover over 5 ports and remember their function

To solve this i would prefer following workflow: discussion, agreement, implementation, refinement.

[christianurich]

Next time if you write such a list please use number so they can be proper addressed.

1. selected items with double border see e.g. excel, they change the width and make it blue
2. in this form the shadows are not going in again. now the different color - grey in the group or white outside the group - make that clear.
3. right the dark grey is not good. here comes a new color
4. different people different tastes
5. most names are data, city or system they don't mean anything and usually modules have one port. The real information what's missing is anyway in the data stream and checked by the red and green dot. And in case of the joins it doesn't matter in which order they are connected and in my models the usually have name like 1,2,3,4,5.

The GUI is anyway not further developed since the next step will be a move towards the web. So I don't want to spent any more time on this and focus on actual issues and the further development. If the GUI is going to be further developed a graphics designer will have a look at it since we are both not able to do this proper.

I'll move this issue in the far future.

[zacharias2k]

1. excel provides the border to show how many cells are affected, it is not a proper example as it is a table not an item dominated scene
2. please specify "in this form" - would an artefact-free shadow be fine? a 'depth' feeling would be necessary to provide the info that there should be nothing 'outside'
3. :+1:
4. these are rather design guidelines for proper useability, that's why there is no "people" and no "taste" phrase inside, i also provided the arguments (e.g. low contrast is not a question of taste)
5. well trial and error, as it is done by now, isn't a proper solution - at least the names give some kind of hint. i think this can be moved to the 'view'-discussion.

If the gui is not that important, why did you change it anyway?

[christianurich]

I changed it because I sit probably 10 hours a day in front of the GUI and hated the new layout. But as said this is exercise is a waist of time, since non of us is either a graphics or usability designer. Since already to much time has been wasted on this issue I close this here.

[zacharias2k]

Hate - well that's a feeling, not an argument. I'm not a graphics designer, neither you are, but i'm bringing in clear arguments for useablity and design. I will leave this closed and will skip this topic in future.