VincentCuclair Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I would like to have the mode bar as an heads up option in the workspace. I have worked with this extensively in ArchiCAD and it makes for more efficient drafting with better overview and control. 1 Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 We really need this! I think its been wished for before. Kevin Quote Link to comment
0 grant_PD Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 yep. In C4d you press the V key and get the heads up menus, all customizable. Very very handy. Speed is the key, we are trying to reduce mouse moves and moving to the menu bar. Quote Link to comment
0 Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted December 17, 2013 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted December 17, 2013 To clarify, would the idea be to have a hotkey that would invoke this HUD, which would then remain stationary and clickable until the hotkey was pressed again or the active tool was changed? or would it ideally vanish as soon as a new mode was selected? Quote Link to comment
0 VincentCuclair Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 (edited) Well for me ideally it appears automatically when a mode bar choice needs to be made (ie as soon as a tool is selected it appears next to the cursor) after the command is executed it would reappear for the next choice. Obviously extra options to customize are important ie hotkey to show and hide, transparency for the dialog, size, placement in relation to the cursor, integration with the data bar heads up etc..... Edited December 17, 2013 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Yes, something well thought out, efficient and consistent..... KM Quote Link to comment
0 Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted December 17, 2013 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted December 17, 2013 So you wouldnt want to click on it, it would just be a visual indicator and the regular hotkeys for changing modes would be what you used to interact with it? It would serve to reduce hunting down where the mode bar was across the screen for visual feedback of what mode was currently active? Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Jim, I would like to cycle through it with a single key, much like the tab key does for the mode bar fields. Kevin Quote Link to comment
0 VincentCuclair Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) Basically i want it to appear near the cursor, i then want to choose the mode with the cursor and then continue with the action, so for me no hot keys. Check out how it is done in ArchiCAD that is how i would like it........ ( i don't really understand the use of the heads up and a hot key in this context, hot keys already exist for each mode bar position? I practically know the modes by heart for each tool so why have a floating mode bar? Btw i'm just curious, it still includes the same amount of keyboard depressions and glancing away from the screen as we have it now?) Edited December 18, 2013 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I like Vincent's approach better than what I suggested (it doesn't mean it could be augmented with a key to cycle through the options). In my ideal world the interface is as mouse based as possible with less keyboard interaction. I try and keep my keyboard interaction one handed where possible (left in my case since the right is on the mouse). I believe the intention of this wish is to keep focus on what the user is doing in the drawing area and I entirely support that. Kevin Quote Link to comment
0 grant_PD Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) The HUD in C4D is a hot key. It will bring up a series of customizable menus around your cursor, which keeps your eyes on the task at hand. I hate the mode bar in VW because it's different for every tool, too much to memorize. In an ideal VW world: Any tool you are working with can have the mode bar brought up via a hotkey, the mode bar is just above your cursor. Pressing a hotkey to invoke the HUD would bring up a user customized menu/toolbar just above your cursor. I'm going to throw in the ability to toggle X-ray view and Zoom view on or off, since right now they are great but one must hold them down constantly. It's like surgery. I want to get to the general location, cut the patient open (zoom/Xray) and then have a little tray of tools with all of the options (HUD), perform my miracles, and then move on! Edited December 18, 2013 by grant_PD Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I hate the mode bar in VW because it's different for every tool, too much to memorize. I completely agree with this. Its clunky and inconsistent (ie. sometime a tools preferences are the second item, sometimes the third). And the default keyboard shortcuts are on the wrong side of the keyboard if you're right handed (ie. my right hand is on the mouse). Kevin Quote Link to comment
0 AndiACD Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 i'm really not keen on Vincent's 100% Mouse orientated ideal, but unless the HUD is fixed when it appears, chasing it with the cursor would be more akin to gaming than CAD so i'm really fond of "The More Keyboard Orientated the Better"(as long as they are easy to find/access), but we all have to be content with VW so, the Mouse can survive for a few more releases. But it must be easy and practical and Above All, Intuitive without all the required options being hidden or locked or just forgotten about until someone complains about them being missing. Grant's Hot Key suggestion sounds best, IMHO. Quote Link to comment
0 VincentCuclair Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 This is what i want: http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/guides/archicad-17-int-reference-guide/user-interface-reference/dialog-boxes/work-environment-dialog-box/dialog-boxes-and-palettes/ Quote Link to comment
0 AndiACD Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 i'm Convinced! i'm afraid i am a remnant of the days when VW catered for a Mech class so i still expect a little more along those lines, never considered ArchiCAD, but VW can learn a lot here. Nice example Vincent. Thanx. Quote Link to comment
0 Vectorworks, Inc Employee PVA - Admin Posted June 1, 2015 Vectorworks, Inc Employee Share Posted June 1, 2015 Sorry, didn't post when I originally submitted this. Request was submitted after clarification. Quote Link to comment
0 VincentCuclair Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Please let's stop mousing around , just want to stress the importance of this one!! Edited July 14, 2015 by Vincent C Quote Link to comment
0 Markvl Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Great Wish. I think we'd all be astonished at the amount of time spent finding/picking functions to do our work. Especially in a multi-screen (monitor) environment. The HUD idea I think would help alleviate the searching for functions and keep you focused on the work at hand. +1 Quote Link to comment
0 bcd Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 (edited) 'twould be nice if we had a heads up function for the modebar(s) - this would eliminate a lot of backtracking (and repeated uiop[ keystroking) Edited June 25, 2018 by bcd 2 Quote Link to comment
0 Kevin McAllister Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 This is a great wishlist thread to bump. Kevin 1 Quote Link to comment
Question
VincentCuclair
I would like to have the mode bar as an heads up option in the workspace.
I have worked with this extensively in ArchiCAD and it makes for more efficient drafting with better overview and control.
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