Maya: OP Menu Redesign Proposal - Better usability/ User experience

[LiborBatek]

As been working with OpenPype for some time it bothers me inconsistencies in GUI and terminology...should be addressed imho.

Here is an example of different terminology accross OP entities:

I also propose make a redesign in the menu itself for better usability.

1) Most important/frequent actions at the top of the menu 2) Logical grouping of those actions according to user interaction 3) Hiearchical listing of menu items into sub groups (sub menus) lessening overall clutter to minimum - better readibility.

First draft here:

[cuID:OP-4708]

[tokejepsen]

Nice yeah!

If we are redesigning, maybe get rid of the ... at the end of labels?

What is Assets...?

Think Looks... should be Look Manager.

Not sure about Create Asset/Publish Asset/Manage Assets. Is it consistent with other DCCs?

Also not sure Library should be demoted to a submenu (?).

[LiborBatek]

I guess it meant originally there could be more types in those families.

Assets... be it model , animation or layout etc

Regarding the Looks yeah could be Look Manager too but I was more thinking of it like sort of Look items user can later do operations via look manager (not explicitly said)

more like whatever with Looks related will user find here.

Regarding Create Publish Manage ...it was not written asset in original OP menu but we call every element in OP like that (being it model look or pointcache ) ...even when user load stuff in the scene its called Asset Loader. So I guess its valid to use for i.e. Create Asset or Publish Asset no matter what kind of subset you want to publish all just being assets.

Speaking of Library yeah now its burried in Utils submenu ...I thought it would be better to move it after the Create,Publish,Manage Assets

....just been lazy to redo the mockup again :) ...so I left it to discussion (knowing it will probably move somewhere else).

But its good it ignited some discussion / ideas! so thanks for your input!

[BigRoy]

Nice work!

If we are redesigning, maybe get rid of the ... at the end of labels?

Menus often show that when clicking the menu entry would show a pop-up or dialog instead of having an instant effect. But I don't have a preference over whether to keep or remove them.

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Utilities tends to be a name or category that basically doesn't say much about what's in the menu. I'd say that if Library Loader is moved out of there it might be worth avoiding the Experimental Tools menu entry and just pushing the Generate first workfile + template builder into clearer named submenu of its own since I believe they are both related to building those workfile templates?

It actually seems that has already happened since:

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I'd pick Submenus only when you now the entries in the menu will start to increase a bit more. Currently the size isn't that huge that I feel it reall warrants having extra menus. Instead I'd argue to maybe but dividers with labels in the menus, kind of like in this screenshot:

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tl;dr in short I think going from this screenshot:

To move Work Files like you've done and maybe just add a descriptive header to the dividers like "Set defaults" but still keep the entries for now directly in that menu - I think.

[LiborBatek]

@BigRoy dividers with labels sound great! also less of a sub menus/rollouts why not, we just assure all is logically placed

to the rest, yeah why not, I dont prefer those Name... indicating something will roll out, lets loose them!

Also those Utilities I wasnt so sure how to name em and also Library obviously relates more to Asset so should be close to them.

I have biggest issue with non logical placement of those menu items...they just sit here and there and arent logically placed...

Most of the time as a user you first go to open workfile, then loading some asset and apply some look. Second most common tasks are create and publish.

The rest is not so commonly used and can be lower in the OP menu.

Thanks for your thoughts guys!

[mkolar]

I agree with @BigRoy Until menu is actually quite a bit longer I don't think hiding items make things much faster, but I agree 100% with organising it a bit better an dadding labels to categories.

This change should be reflected consistently in all the hosts though.

    Work Files
Tools ------------------
    Loader
    Publisher
    Inventory
    Library
    Look Assigner
Set defaults ------------------
    reset frame range
    reset  resolution
    reset colorspace
    reset render settings
Utilities ------------------
    Template Builder
    Build first workfile
    Experimental Tools

[LiborBatek]

I think as major release of OP 3.16 is comming close with conjuction of AYON and new Publisher for Maya host. Its good time to make those changes happen!

Here is another pass of redesign of OP menu elements which are distilled from above discussion.

First I think its good idea to loose Experimental tools item or at least to move it away from main OP menu to OpenPype Tools menu.

Second some more changes I made mostly originating on @mkolar ideas... I have just slightly adjusted some elements here n there for good.

Some terms like Reset to Set or

Template Builder to Template Creator etc.

Your ideas / opinions are more than welcome!

[LiborBatek]

@antirotor @m-u-r-p-h-y @BigRoy what u think about proposal for new menu layout? Would be glad to hear your opinions too...

[m-u-r-p-h-y]

• are we keeping both template systems?
• Library is not used that much (if at all) and it should be part of the Loader itself (switching between active project and Library projects)
• Items should be sorted alphabetically as there is no specific order workflow wise
• to keep Tool logic Publish -> Publisher, Load -> Loader I would go for Manager instead of Inventory
• three dots after the item name depicts a tool window will open (without the dots the action is executed straight away)
• (just used OpenPype tools to mocap the structure)

[LiborBatek]

@m-u-r-p-h-y I am strongly against alphabetical sorting....

there is actualy workflow routine as

1. Workfiles (first always)
2. Loading Assets (usually)
3. Publish Assets (a lot of times as third or even second action could be num 2)

Then there are tools for managing the workfile scene as

Manage / Inventory Looks / Looks Assigner

then there are optional tools like

Set Defaults Template builder etc

Regarding naming...I was using Milans ones mostly

[LiborBatek]

Ok I have updated the OP Menu after @m-u-r-p-h-y points...

the simpler the better

I have an idea / variant speaking of Manage separate category in my head...will post it soon

[m-u-r-p-h-y]

I do not agree with you at all. Looking for an item in menu is not based on workflow. Items should be logically grouped together and then sorted alphabetically to help find things quickly.

If you consider a modeling task with 30 workfiles, you only start with the Workflie tool for the first one and not for the other 29 cases. You are ending with Workfile tool most often than starting.

Look at Maya menu

[LiborBatek]

If you consider a modeling task with 30 workfiles, you only start with the Workflie tool for the first one and not for the other 29 cases. You are ending with Workfile tool most often than starting.

It is like saying you do not start by File>Open. If I can name one single item I hit most in OP Menu than it is Workfiles ...its just a fact.

How about when switching context? You dont use Work files for that never? I do always.

Note: Speaking of Maya tools I have been struggling for yrs to find what I have been after :)

[LiborBatek]

Here is another mockup version 04.

Not sure if better then previous but take it as a food for thought...

I personally think the previous version (call it v03) is probably better imho.

[m-u-r-p-h-y]

again, the order of menu items is not driven by the number of clicks. It is about the convenience of finding it. Items in each group should be sorted alphabetically regardless of their virtual importance. Separating Workfile tool to a separate group is a valid point (even though I do not think it is necessary)

[m-u-r-p-h-y]

For example:

[BigRoy]

I personally prefer the old "Load..", "Manage.." similar to "Open Scene...", or "Open.." as you regularly see in menus. To me "Loader..." doesn't tell me more. It also feels weird to have the ... after something that's the name of the tool.

Otherwise I'd also expect "Placeholder creator".

By the way, the last few designs are missing the "Create..." entry. (which in practice is also the Publisher, but there's been confusion in practice with "Create" removed in the menus plus it's a nice quick way to only access the create page.) That's another 👍 to go for Create... and Publish... instead of Publisher...

[LiborBatek]

Here is another mockup version 04.

Not sure if better then previous but take it as a food for thought...

As @BigRoy said there could possible be also Create next to Publish also

@mkolar any thoughts on this? How about the whole Menu Layout / Items?

I quite like it more and more :)