>1: Most artist how works with a program like Gimp has more or less all >dialog open. E.g they arrange the workbench with the Image in the middle >and all the dialogs around. A Navigation window fits just fine into that >arrangements if it's auto aware. True. Each user places them as he likes, but most will end with lot of dialogs open (the wm's shade function is your friend, at least mine). >2: The artist above will then use the nav window not just for panning >(which you also can do with the middle mouse button or the popup window) >but most probably for a quick way of zooming in and out. This function is >the most important since it will allow you to have a quick view of really >big images or small images (that you work with in a large scale). Remember >all of us hasn't the opportunity to have a wheel mouse i.e all of us >working with a UNIX workstation. I use PCs, I have tested wheel mouses... no thanks. It is just a way to convert a useful button into "three" unuseful ones. Software that requires three buttons is a pain with this "cool" mouse, at least for me, becuase the middle button is a small bastard that moves forward and back when it wants. I am still trying to see a situation where the wheel does something that middle button can not. Scroll? Click, drag a bit and scroll in any dir, the more you drag the faster it goes (some software does that, others do as Gimp, which is not bad either). Zoom? The same as scroll. Combination zoom / pan? Key your hand near ctrl key (or any other modifier). 3D manipulation? Middle and drag gives you a two continue axis precise control. Well, forget all the ranting. I just want to say that three buttons is cool: MB1 for action, MB2 for view (zoom, pan, etc), MB3 for menu. >The above statements leads to the conclusion that you often need to >zoom in out quickly. That you have arrange your workspace to fit the >program and there for don't want additional dialogs for each image. It >there for very important to have a auto switch. Keybindings, typing fingers are faster than mouse. I use 12345 keys plus the key near 1 and versions with Ctrl (12345 zoom in to fixed ratio, ctrl+12345 out, extra key in / out in small steps). >If we now argue for the fact that is shouldn't be auto aware. Well to be >useful as a "icon" it must be much smaller. I don't say that Andy's >arguments are bad but I think a user/Artist is much more comfortable to >have only one nav window instead of one for each image he works with. She >then has to arrange his desk twice for each image. Further more she has >to bring up the dialog for each image that he works with. One nav window, like one L&C, is a good idea. With auto on / off and drop down menu to select like L&C (no icon needed here, I guess). My two Ecent, if someday we use them. ;] GSR
