RE: Menu UI issues

[Russell Nelson <nelson crynwr com>]

Paul Hepworth writes:
 > > Obviously, by default, the top-level menu gets pinned to the top of
 > > the application window, which gives them a familiar UI.
 > > 
 > > There ought to be a way to work a toolbar into this same system, so
 > > that a toolbar is just another menu with icons that a user can pin
 > > into their application window.
 > > 
 > I agree with this.  "A menu is just a toolbar" is a good idea.  I don't
 > think the right-mouse menu should match the application main menu,
 > however.  The right-mouse menu should be a context-menu with only the
 > stuff relevant in the current context.  Nothing wrong with a submenu at
 > the bottom for "Main menu -->", though.

No, because that would break the main advantage of pie menus -- that
you don't have to read them.  If the right-button menu changed
depending on what you were pointing to, or the state of your program,
you couldn't mouse-ahead.

 > > [ warning: this is a stealth pie menu message ]
 > > 
 > What the heck is a pie menu?

Instead of putting the menus in a line, where the distance varies, put
them in a circle, so the angle varies.  A mouse is better at selecting
an angle than selecting a distance.  Same thing for trackballs, and
even a tablet.

-- 
-russ <nelson@crynwr.com>  http://web.crynwr.com/~nelson
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