Content Creation Improvement Informal User Group/Archive/August 21st, 2012 Meeting
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15:03 | Geenzian Scientist | for anyone just arriving, you can find the agenda here: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Content_Creation_Improvement_Informal_User_Group |
today we'll be focusing on the UI discussion first | ||
15:05 | Oz Linden | Introductions.... Brooke is coordinating all our efforts for Materials, and Leo is our UI designer tasked with making the changes needed for the materials project. He'd like to leverage the input from this group. Be nice. Take it away Leo... |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | thanks
[15:06] Braydon RandtBraydon Randt listens attentivly | |
15:06 | Siddean Munro | hi all :) |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | We've heard some suggestions and input, and there have been some drawings of a UI for materials. | |
Geenzian Scientist | on that note, I'll do a quick recap of last week's discussion | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | I'd like to take the opportunity to take a step back and find out | |
what tasks this group finds most important for users to have | ||
in the new materials functionality | ||
15:07 | we've put together a doc with some preliminary user stories | |
https://docs.google.com/a/lindenlab.com/document/d/1UKJfP7S3Ptwdp-bSFc1MAwfU2E61vk2R-RDpTNRGO1Q/edit | ||
that everyone should feel free to examine. if anyone here is unfamiliar with the term "user story" I am happy to discuss. | ||
15:08 | geenz, i'm sorry, i did not see your message. | |
Geenzian Scientist | it's fine | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | would you like to recap? | |
Geenzian Scientist | indeed! :P | |
15:09 | Kadah | "As a builder, I don't want the tools floater becoming larger and taking up additional litmited screen space." :p |
Geenzian Scientist | so, last week during our build UI discussions, Trinity had an interesting idea: let's break down building tasks ranging from the simple functions of placing an object (such as a couch, car, bed, etc.) to the more advanced functions such as adjusting a prim's flexible properties, a prim's inventory, and so on | |
15:10 | Trinity Dejavu | As a resident builder I have no idea what a normal specular thingy is and want it to go away |
Motor Loon | and no extra window opening like the stupid "More info" button in the build floater now °͜° | |
15:11 | Kadah | "More info"?
[15:11] Oz LindenOz Linden suggests that we improve the tone of the discussion by leaving out value-loaded terms like "stupid" |
Trinity Dejavu | Im veyr interested in a basic build mode, simple tools with simple controls that do just enough for a consumer. then a great big Advanced button that exposes all the magic for builders | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | I would disagree that the items inventory is useless to the average user. Some things require access to that for the average user. (like sitters, etc) | |
15:12 | Kadah | (What Oz said) Yes, please, these meetings take long enough as is without banter. :p |
Geenzian Scientist | how about we focus on Leo's topic first (I imagine that today's guests may not be able to make it through the entire meeting today) | |
Motor Loon | Sorry, wasn't trying to banter - that's just how I talk °͜° | |
Xentha Melune | I remember when there used to be a 'more' button that actually extended the build window downwards into what is currently the tabs and all the things therein. | |
Trinity Dejavu | I disagree Isla, a consumer has no need to see inside the couch they are rezzing | |
15:13 | Siddean Munro | well what does your average user need access beyond moving stuff around in space? Because you can access that with Ctrl, Alt and the mac equivalent and don't really need the build box there at all /shrug |
Brooke Linden | thanks, geenz, yes we have to jump off at 3:30 | |
Kadah | Xen, I recrated that functionality in Ph/FS | |
15:14 | Siddean Munro | I don't know, since I use ALL of the build tools |
Xentha Melune | I'm just saying, it used to be a kinda nice thing to have. Why not have something similar for newer build tools instead of a whole new floater? | |
Brooke Linden | what we're looking for scope wise is how to more effectively manage texture building, with the new map types being added in | |
Trinity Dejavu | keyboard shortcuts all all well and good - once you know them. | |
build tools and build tools 2 ? | ||
Kadah | I don't find the tools floater colapsing all that useful though, usually I just minimize it instead to stay in build-mode. | |
Geenzian Scientist | which for those interested, are normal maps, specular maps, and a few different additional parameters here and there | |
15:15 | Siddean Munro | Brooke, are you just going to add new texture pick boxes for the new maps? Can I suggest a little >> on the side of the texture tab that pops out to the new functions? |
OctaviaJane Farquart | wewt | |
Braydon Randt | i fell that the user story is more than acceptable , for the average builder, yet may not be simpl enough for the non builder/dabbler | |
Xentha Melune | Each to their own preferences. Not all of us are viewer developers and can modify it to our own preferences. | |
Not meant directly at you, just, pointing it out. :p | ||
Brooke Linden | so, we're going to focus on *what* the users need to do today | |
15:16 | mighty Leonidas the Mighty | The user stories are pitched at the group most likely to use the new features, at least at first -- more advanced builders |
Brooke Linden | and then we'll look at *how* we put that in the tools :) | |
Siddean Munro | Ok | |
Oriana Kuhr | I would suggest, instead of changing the build panel, a drop menu system similar to the avatar/world/build thing, likt, right under the landmark bar. If you keep all of the tools useable, but out of the way with easy access, it should make most happy.. I use all of the tools, but it gets annoying having to maneuver my camera around the build box | |
Trinity Dejavu | I think there is certainly room to punt the entire build tools as advanced into a tabbed sidebar assembly - there there are no problems with size, no need to keep jamming more and more in one teeny floater. Pretty much the standard for any other 3D application | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | id like an advanced builders button please | |
Nal | When I am texturing using in-world textures, there is lots of searching for the right texture. It seems like Normal and Spec maps are going to add lots more searching. If the Build Panel is split up, may be split off a texturing panel, so it can be big enough to work with, | |
15:17 | Kadah | There is no sidebar. |
Oz Linden | you're all talking about How... Leo is asking about What and Why | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | At this point in the project it's premature to consider how these controls would be invoked or presented. | |
Braydon Randt | it might be worth doing like you do with colour and texture , yet on the texture add the buttons for normal and spec | |
Oriana Kuhr | or better yet, as people have to pass the mesh test to upload mesh, why not have a "designer" viewer with all the tools, and a normal viewer with no build tools? then only allow registered builders to get a hold of the designer viewer | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | the user stories are step 1. if we can nail those down with your help, we can proceed to which controls we'd need, and then later to how they'd be presented | |
Trinity Dejavu | I want options for everything I can edit easily accessible | |
15:18 | Motor Loon | Personally I'd think they'd be most logically placed next to the Texture and Color slots of the "Texture" tab... but I'm unsure just how much more you need with materials than the "Normal" and "Specular" texture slots... |
Oz Linden | For example, the current user stories do not address whether repeats and rotations should be applicable independently to the diffuse, normal, and specular textures.... | |
Helpless | largest current use by everyone for build tools will be "edit my attachment", followed by "place my <thing I rezzed>" | |
Kadah | One issue with the tabbed layout is that the tab bar gets scrolled. | |
Trinity Dejavu | yes OIZ, absolutly | |
Braydon Randt | well ..... how its presented is " end of line" for the project ... what i want functionality wise ... is covered well enough in the user story | |
Motor Loon | ..the transparency and glow could be moved underneath the current texture and color slots to make room mabye | |
Trinity Dejavu | Oz* | |
15:19 | Siddean Munro | For mesh items, I don't care because they will use their own |
Brooke Linden | are there additional user stories that are missing? | |
Vaalith Jinn | I don't see any reason to separately apply repeats/rotations to what essentially are parts of a single material. | |
Siddean Munro | well, for me anyway | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | Braydon, thank you -- this is the feedback I need -- or to hear tht there are stories missing | |
Motor Loon | well, the question is if they are to have their own values for offset - or simple use the same as the diffuse texture uses right? | |
Oz Linden | that is a good question, Motor | |
15:20 | Motor Loon | Might be usecases where it'd be nice to allow to seperate settings |
Trinity Dejavu | assuming there are differences in texture and normal map resolution, the ability to fine tune the position of the normal map is essential | |
Geenzian Scientist | I can think of one | |
if you want to use a normal map as a detail texture primarily | ||
Oz Linden | for example, if they are locked to each other, I get alignment automatically; if not, I can create many visual combinations with a small number of textures | |
Motor Loon | like if you use a texture with repeats on your face, but dont want the normal map to act that way... | |
15:21 | Vaalith Jinn | hm, i was wrong. fair point Motor. |
Motor Loon | but that's going to be somewhat more info that needs to be sent to the viewer for each face on the object's prims | |
Geenzian Scientist | it'd be managable | |
15:22 | Motor Loon | than I'd deffinately do it... |
It'll take up more space for the UI too though | ||
like... you'd pretty much need 2 more tabs like the current "Texture" tab... | ||
15:23 | Braydon Randt | im not happy with the fact that a bump map can only be previewed and not canceld, thats kinda no preview *lol* |
Geenzian Scientist | is there anything else? we only have a few more minutes with today's guests regarding the user stories here | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | The UI is crowded, yes, and we don't want it to sprawl unnecessarily. it's a challenge. | |
Motor Loon | nods | |
Braydon Randt | how about ....... | |
and edit object ... in addition to a build tab | ||
Trinity Dejavu | features first, if the UI doesn't fit, thats a bug | |
15:24 | Braydon Randt | ok scratch that < rethink |
Brooke Linden | we'll be leaving this page accessible after the meeting, so feel free to send us feedback | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | look for stories we missed, first and foremost | |
Siddean Munro | Ok | |
mighty Leonidas the Mighty | and any detail that needs to be added | |
Oz Linden | Send email ( _not_ notecards, please ) to me... I will collect and share | |
Brooke Linden | we are also going to provide some information on the forums for the broader group, but don't plan to share this document until then | |
15:25 | we'd like to have a chance to roll in your feedback and then share it more broadly | |
Motor Loon | can we edit that user stories page? | |
15:26 | Trinity Dejavu | As a resident builder .. I need to know what can be accomplished before I can come up with meaningful ideas as to what I would like to do with the tools or how they should work. |
Brooke Linden | unfortunately, no, Motor | |
15:27 | please send us feedback through oz | |
Motor Loon | As a builder ... I want to be able to specify both normal maps and specular maps per face on my prim. (assume it'd work that way, but since you're asking) | |
Braydon Randt | basics are enough at this time ..... upload, edit and download | |
Brooke Linden | so perhaps we need to give a bit of a primer on what's possible with normal and specular maps? | |
Trinity Dejavu | very much so | |
Brooke Linden | that's reasonable | |
15:28 | sachi Vixen | It doesn't mention diffuse maps, they are important too |
Motor Loon | diffuse we already have | |
Trinity Dejavu | not just teh basics, but what the limits possible with the SL implementation are | |
Siddean Munro | Diffuse is what we currently work with | |
Brooke Linden | we'll work on a summary that we can add to this document | |
Geenzian Scientist | Oz and I need to put together some docs regarding that is is | |
Trinity Dejavu | thank you ㋡ | |
Geenzian Scientist | as is even* | |
15:29 | Brooke Linden | and the changes for normal and specular may affect the diffuse maps, so it may be important to list what is currently supported for diffuse maps |
Braydon Randt | normals maps are better bump maps they give high rez detail to low rez objects by telling the lighting how to bounce of the object and specular maps are how something reflects light | |
15:30 | Brooke Linden | unfortunately, we need to jump off |
Geenzian Scientist | alright, we'll get on the documentation for the materials project very soon | |
Oz Linden | other commitments are calling.... | |
Brooke Linden | it looks like we have some action items to follow up on :) | |
Geenzian Scientist | thanks to Leo and Brooke (Oz too!) for coming by! | |
Siddean Munro | thank you Lindens | |
15:31 | Brooke Linden | we'll take care of those and look forward to additional feedback |
thanks so much! | ||
bye! | ||
Trinity Dejavu | thankies | |
Oz Linden | (incidentally, if you have time, some discussion of a slightly earlier time for this meeting would mean I could attend more reliably) | |
sachi Vixen | Bye Lindens, thanks | |
Oz Linden | (or maybe later so that I stay away would be better :-) ) | |
ttfn | ||
15:32 | Braydon Randt | so back to us mere mortals then |
Kadah | oh lol | |
15:33 | Geenzian Scientist | right, well let's get back to the UI discussion from last week |
unfortunately I can't enable rezzing on the parcel, so for now I'll be putting Trinity's images on some prims | ||
15:34 | Trinity Dejavu | please excuse the roughness .. just to flesh out an idea |
15:35 | Kadah | Ow, my screen space |
Geenzian Scientist | so I believe the first one is the advanced option, the second is the basic option | |
Trinity Dejavu | point 1 you should be able to SEE what uoi are building, not a mess of floaters you have to keep dodging or moving about | |
15:36 | this kind of format is pretty standard game in any 3d content creation application. Can you imagine blender or max if it had a build floater .. no, not really | |
15:37 | Motor Loon | I like the "advanced" mode idea... espicially if it remembers your preference for it so you only have to select what mode to use once |
Trinity Dejavu | remember the sidebar we all hated | |
Siddean Munro | I like the basic concept but I would like to see the contents rearranged somewhat to make the advanced mode narrower | |
15:38 | I didn't hate the sidebar, I find the new system of floaters all over my screen very annoying | |
Trinity Dejavu | yes, same | |
floater are a mess | ||
Siddean Munro | Constantly moving it around to see what's behind it, access HUDS etc | |
Geenzian Scientist | kinda funny, now that the sidebar is gone, people miss it all of a sudden :p | |
Kadah | Not really, lol. | |
15:39 | Motor Loon | key element is options to customize to personal taste |
Kaz Nayar | I'm fine with docked windows as long as I have the option to tear them off | |
Trinity Dejavu | and I think finding ways to make smaller tighter floaters is a blind alley. were already at a pretty high density on the build tools and now LL want to add a dozen more controls and texture pickers | |
Motor Loon | and for the record... I missed the sidebar - atleast for a few weeks after it went away lol.. | |
Oriana Kuhr | (kinda off topic lol)..I still vote for a builders viewer. personally, i get sick of it when a customer contacts me saying that their item doesnt work anymore, because they decided to delete the scripts or did something else to break it, and they dont know how to build, so they have no idea what they did. | |
Trinity Dejavu | well fi you see the basic mode buildiing pic I did | |
thats the idea | ||
Oriana Kuhr | but having things in a "builder bar" seems to make more sense, i think | |
Trinity Dejavu | dont expose the tool chest by default | |
15:40 | once you get skilled up, make the basic buttons go away as you dont need they anymore | |
Kadah | I am not a fan of tool bars in the viewer. | |
Siddean Munro | Is anyone familiar with the new Blender UI?
[15:40] Oriana KuhrOriana Kuhr nods | |
Geenzian Scientist | there's a new new blender UI? | |
Braydon Randt | yes I am Siddean | |
15:41 | Trinity Dejavu | yes |
Siddean Munro | The way they arrange the tools under the T and N options may work | |
Trinity Dejavu | and its good | |
Siddean Munro | with little flydown subsections | |
Oriana Kuhr | i thin the new UI is far easier to work with. especially how we can resize the panels | |
Kaz Nayar | I kind of liked the idea of having separate menus.. a build menu and an edit menu.. even if that means repeating some tools. Maybe even have the option in preferences to activate the build menu. Edit being default. | |
Siddean Munro | Like a subsection for Position that you can open when you need it | |
Oriana Kuhr | yeah, the tools hitind is neat | |
*hiding | ||
Trinity Dejavu | specifics dont help at this point | |
15:42 | Braydon Randt | it seams as though the texturing subsystem is becoming its own system outside a build menu |
Oriana Kuhr | i think Blender should make a viewer, so we can build inworld..lol | |
Motor Loon | main problem with the sidebar was that it was completely unflexible... had it been the opposite it might have been loved | |
Siddean Munro | I'm not talking about specifics, I'm talking about arrangement of the items we have there now | |
Trinity Dejavu | if you have a great idea for laying out some widgits for something, write it down and keep it for when its helpful - you say goiod stuff now and its gonna be forgotten | |
Oriana Kuhr | at one point, wasnt the build box in the LL viewer, resizable? a few years ago maybe? that helps | |
Siddean Munro | these meetings are logged Trinity | |
15:43 | Trinity Dejavu | well, I think for building it can work pretty well - NO sidepanels at all, none of that full sidebar group properties rubbish |
15:44 | Kadah | There is no sidebar anyway. |
Oriana Kuhr | Siddean brought up would work, i think. its like having a sidebar that is temporary. in blender, you hit T or N and your potions pop up. then you tat T or N again to hide them, but they are always fast to access | |
Motor Loon | a floating window that's dockable - and if docked it would act like a sidebar perhaps... making your worldspace smaller and thereby changing "center of screen" so you wouldn't have to move anything to work the worldspace | |
Oriana Kuhr | it would be idea | |
Trinity Dejavu | that can be easily fixed kadah | |
Oriana Kuhr | *ideal | |
Motor Loon | ..best of both worlds | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | It would be ideal if it could dock. | |
Trinity Dejavu | yes - a side bat with advanced tools that folds in and out as you need | |
Kadah | Just its lingering trash. | |
Siddean Munro | Having tools hidden under flydowns till you need them also makes better use of screen realestate | |
15:45 | Kaz Nayar | changing center of screen is key for that |
Siddean Munro | we don't need all that stuff out on display all the time when we're not using it | |
Oriana Kuhr | in blender, the ONLY thing you can see that lets you know those menus are there, is a teeny weeny little plus sign up in the corners | |
they dont take up any space at all | ||
Trinity Dejavu | yes | |
15:47 | Oriana Kuhr | they are also resizable, in case you want them open, but need a little more room to see |
Trinity Dejavu | I do really like that in BL .. the rest of the new UI isnt really that innovative, more like a finally waking up to how other apps have been doing it for the last 15 years | |
Geenzian Scientist | so kind of a "now you see just what you need, and now you don't" kind of affair | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | yes | |
Siddean Munro | Yep | |
Geenzian Scientist | (note: I haven't actually tried the latest version of blender) | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | it works the same in maya | |
15:48 | Geenzian Scientist | ah |
Maya I can relate to! | ||
Isla Gealach-Nayar | (and has done for quite some time) | |
lol | ||
Trinity Dejavu | very keen not to reinvent the wheel or some kind of new wheel. but I do want to see consumer level controls that would be more at home in the sims | |
Kadah | The few people I know that use Blender have said they hated to new UI. | |
Braydon Randt | where as I dont .... as im a builder | |
15:49 | Siddean Munro | http://imgur.com/Wgy3T this is how mine is usually setup |
Kaz Nayar | my one UI wish has always been the ability to drag windows off screen like Photoshop allows. (handy with dual monitors) | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | But really the ability to dock the advanced window and re-centre the view would be amazing. It would eliminate all the floaters. | |
Trinity Dejavu | the same people who still use V1 I bet .... | |
Motor Loon | everybody hate change - until they get used to it °͜° | |
Oriana Kuhr | the new UI is more reliable, imho | |
Drongle McMahon | I hated it, but now I like it. | |
Braydon Randt | you can dual monitor withblender as well | |
Trinity Dejavu | the new blender UI makes the application usable without nweding to learn everything | |
Oriana Kuhr | mine is set up similar to that, Siddean :) | |
15:50 | Motor Loon | oh god... if I could dual monitor Second Life™ it would be awesome ;-) |
Kaz Nayar | It really would | |
Trinity Dejavu | the old blender you never knew how to do something till you found a tutorial. the new one is discoverable | |
Oriana Kuhr | there are so many features that we use in other 3d programs, that would be useful in sl, without creating "more junk" to get in the way | |
Braydon Randt | old blender was " too much at once" | |
Trinity Dejavu | you cant dual monitor SL ? | |
Siddean Munro | The object tools on the left is how I would envision the SL build panel | |
Kaz Nayar | you can't drag menus off, no | |
Motor Loon | no you can't move a window to your other screen. | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | Siddean - http://cl.ly/image/2q1Z393l1F0M | |
Kaz Nayar | they're bound within second life | |
Drongle McMahon | Where did the tabs go? | |
15:51 | Oriana Kuhr | blender 2.49- was basically, here are the menus, now try to find stuff. I think the new UI is easier to navigate |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | same concept | |
Braydon Randt | you can stretch SL over 2 monitors | |
hell .. i can drag it over three | ||
Geenzian Scientist | so, say, texturing tools? | |
would this be its own "mode" with its own button in the toolbar? | ||
Kaz Nayar | yes, you can drag it but thats not what I mean | |
Geenzian Scientist | and I'm assuming that the tool properties would change accordingly | |
15:52 | or would it just kind of be "there" | |
as it were | ||
Braydon Randt | i say that with the amount of texturing stuff comming .... a textur men u would most likely be the best bet | |
Trinity Dejavu | in the basic mode - yes. only show controls relevant to what you are doing right now | |
and everything that isnt absolutly needed most of the time is advanced | ||
15:53 | simple example, there woul dbe no way to rename a prim you have rezzed in the basic tools | |
Geenzian Scientist | so say, as a consumer, I want to retexture my couch, or change the color of it | |
Drongle McMahon | S how do you tell it - now I want to do textures? | |
Oriana Kuhr | i just dont see the point in having everything RIGHT THERE when you dont want it to be. Docking can even be annoying. i constantly have to move around the build menu. its so annoying | |
Geenzian Scientist | click texture button, get texture and color params? | |
Trinity Dejavu | then you are a builder and you can go learn the big boys build tools | |
Helpless | if you're not using a scripted menu, then you're already doing something advanced, Geenz | |
Motor Loon | for advanced mode however - I'd like to be able to do my "thing" with a little clicks as possible - as little switching between "menus" for get to the information or button I need | |
15:54 | Siddean Munro | I don't know if a basic mode is really going to work to be honest. Everyone has their own basic needs |
Some people ONLY need to remove scripts and never do anything else | ||
while others are only interested in moving stuff around | ||
Braydon Randt | so we need a " break it " button then Siddean * lol* | |
Siddean Munro | and others might want to texture a little but never delve any deeper | |
Trinity Dejavu | somepeople need to stop telling newbies that they need to descript things | |
Geenzian Scientist | I'm looking at it from a basic standpoint here; surely there's some very basic functions relating to textures that should be exposed in a simple way (I see many people who like to change the color of something all the time, even if they don't care about the texture) | |
15:55 | Siddean Munro | I agree with that but some things still have a thousand scripts in them! |
Trinity Dejavu | you have a home in SL, you need to rez, move, rotate and remove. that's it. | |
Oriana Kuhr | there should be a "shut off all scripts" button somewhere, so that people who dont know how to navigate the menus can turn them off | |
15:56 | Geenzian Scientist | "break my object" button for the scripts issue :P |
Oriana Kuhr | people messing with the script removal, when they dont know what they are doing, can get bad | |
Trinity Dejavu | basic tools will not contain anything that would be classed as descructive | |
Oriana - there is no reason to ever remove scripts | ||
Braydon Randt | i think ... click on the texture and get the texture options available ........ such as defuse, colour .. normal and spec | |
Oriana Kuhr | i know that, but some people dont | |
Siddean Munro | I'm not advocating removing scripts! I am quite glad that they can't be removed from no mod stuff myself | |
It was probably a bad example | ||
Oriana Kuhr | i always turn mine off, but i have been building since 05, so i am familiar with the tools | |
Braydon Randt | i think most users "attempt" to build something at some point | |
15:57 | Siddean Munro | Ok how about.. Some people just want to add sit animations and a sit helper to their couch |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | I get that a LOT | |
Kaz Nayar | Scripts being in or out of an object should be up to the creator tbh | |
Braydon Randt | if they cant build ..... a sit helper is like asking them to fly a plane | |
Siddean Munro | Point is. at some stage you are going to need to delve into the build tooks | |
tools | ||
Oriana Kuhr | but someone going to a laggy club wants to complain because they removed the scripts in their favorite boots so they wouldnt cause lag, will come to me and complain later when they cant change their textures | |
Trinity Dejavu | thats very advanced siddeean - editing, inventory, operation of a complex scripted tool | |
Oriana Kuhr | some tools should not be available to the open non-building public | |
imho | ||
Trinity Dejavu | agreed | |
Siddean Munro | So a basic mode isn't really all that useful beyond moving and tinting. | |
15:58 | OctaviaJane Farquart | i think you should keep the basic building options that you have right now .. because lets be honest .. if its too basic ..they cant build and if its too advanced it will frighten a lot off .. i think what we have now is good for basic |
Helpless | this isn't about what random user may want to do a handful of times in their SL life.... it's about what a majority needs most of the time... if something falls outside of that, then there's still the "advanced (=current)" way of doing it anyway | |
Geenzian Scientist | I think it may be a good idea to start compiling some user stories ourselves here! | |
Trinity Dejavu | the basic mode is about NOT building | |
if you build, you're already not basic | ||
Siddean Munro | So why are we talking about a basic mode? | |
15:59 | Geenzian Scientist | for consumers |
OctaviaJane Farquart | im talking about givng people the opportunity too who havent before .. and if you hide all build tools then they wont attempt it | |
Helpless | to edit an attachment, to move furniture, basic things | |
Siddean Munro | I think it'll just unnecessarily confuse people | |
Trinity Dejavu | because its actually harder to get right than an advanced mode | |
Geenzian Scientist | people who know nothing about building and don't want to know | |
Trinity Dejavu | teh advanced tools are pretty straightforward to cook up and were all skilled enough to knwo what we want in a tool chest | |
Braydon Randt | like the sex starved 14 year olds ... * lol* | |
Drongle McMahon | What happened to the official viewer basic mode? Is it still there? | |
Helpless | it died a while back | |
16:00 | Geenzian Scientist | it's gone Drongle |
Siddean Munro | no, it was deemed a bad idea and killed off | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | really there are people who dont want to rez a prim out of curiosity and see what it does? | |
Oriana Kuhr | ok, what about a "build mode" button? click it, and you can turn it on, and all of the build buttons would appear. click it again to hide them, and go back into basic mode | |
Drongle McMahon | Is there a message in that? | |
Oriana Kuhr | similar to how, you have to turn on the advanced & develop menus | |
Inara Pey | Basic mode was never intended to survive. | |
Trinity Dejavu | I forget the stat, but something like the majority of SL residents will never rez a plywood cube on purpose | |
Kaz Nayar | if there was an option in preferences to enable the build menu.. they can be curious if they want.. quit easily | |
Oriana Kuhr | they are not automatically visible when you first install a viewer, so why should the build tools be? | |
16:01 | OctaviaJane Farquart | thats a big 'if' |
Kaz Nayar | ^ | |
Braydon Randt | sl ...... already HAS a basic mode | |
Geenzian Scientist | most consumers I run into want the following basic functionality: | |
Braydon Randt | its call " dont press build" | |
Geenzian Scientist | 1) place a couch | |
2) position something on their avatar | ||
16:02 | and occasionally: | |
3) change the color of something | ||
Kaz Nayar | well then basic should be redefined | |
Oriana Kuhr | i think movement, tint and resize are used by most. but the more detailed bits dont belong on a non-builder's viewer | |
Trinity Dejavu | 3* is more often - change the colour of something when it doesnt have a built in menu | |
Oriana Kuhr | they want something done, and try to do it, and break something | |
then it becomes the designer's fault | ||
16:03 | OctaviaJane Farquart | then dont make it mod to start with |
Kaz Nayar | and yes, that sounds like a really good basic, Greenzian lol | |
Oriana Kuhr | then tinting and resize would be pointless | |
just give em a move button | ||
Braydon Randt | if they want to change the colour | |
or size | ||
then they are on step ONE of building | ||
OctaviaJane Farquart | exactly | |
Trinity Dejavu | move my thing, move my cam to see my thing, all done. omg put it back | |
Geenzian Scientist | I would see a basic mode as a padded cell kind of deal; if you need to do any of the following, then basic is for you and you won't obliterate that fancy no-copy thing you just bought in the process! otherwise, use advanced I suppose | |
16:04 | Oriana Kuhr | its impossible to give one and take another in sl |
either give them the tools, or dont | ||
Braydon Randt | give EVERYONE the tolls to create , as Sl is a place that the users make the content | |
Trinity Dejavu | give them basic tools and then expose a way to get the advanced. that extra step | |
Braydon Randt | if you dumb it down | |
then hell yeah .. its the sims | ||
OctaviaJane Farquart | here here Braydon | |
Siddean Munro | Anyway, I thought the point of these meetings was to improve the content creation tools, not discuss basic mode for people who will never use it? | |
Trinity Dejavu | ok look simple buttons .. oh wow,, thats complicated, back away | |
16:05 | Braydon Randt | and i would rather cut my knob off with a spoon than go and play sims with 8 year olds |
Oriana Kuhr | everyone HAS the tools. but a good chunk of them dont know what they do, THAT is the problem | |
"oops, i returned everyones things, because i wanted to return this box" | ||
Siddean Munro | That is their problem, I would argue | |
Trinity Dejavu | the problem as faced now is that the existing tool set is cramped, fractured over several viewers and in some cases not fit for purpose | |
Siddean Munro | learn how to use the UI | |
Oriana Kuhr | things that we know how to use, are a completely different language to others | |
Trinity Dejavu | when was the last time anyone here build on the stock LL viewer | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | and if you take them away they will never give it a go or try or even realise that there is an option to have a go .. wow rez a prim ... shit .. i can do stuff witht hat too | |
16:06 | Drongle McMahon | yesterday |
Oriana Kuhr | i use it for more accurate mesh uploads. thats it..lol | |
Geenzian Scientist | with where Trinity's idea is going, it seems like we're covering a single facet of the general idea here | |
Siddean Munro | every day | |
Kadah | The basic build tools should be a gateway towards actual building. | |
Braydon Randt | " i cant get my cock to fit ................. and by the way can i borrow 100L till tommorow" | |
Oriana Kuhr | im not saying take them away, im saying hide them | |
Braydon Randt | they ARE hidden .... with a build button | |
16:07 | Oriana Kuhr | not like that |
Trinity Dejavu | no they arent | |
right cick, edit | ||
oh shit, build tools | ||
Oriana Kuhr | what I am suggesting is, hide the unnecessary buttons, but have the ability to turn ON the options | |
Braydon Randt | so ... you are saying ... that because they are able to edit ... then they need to be mummied | |
Drongle McMahon | ...I wonder what they do.... | |
Oriana Kuhr | but the build button | |
Braydon Randt | and protected from creativity | |
OOOOOHHHH BAAAD CREATIVITY!!! | ||
OctaviaJane Farquart | talk about closed shop | |
Kaz Nayar | not sure how brainstorming became an argument here | |
Oriana Kuhr | i mean something that hides build, and script info, and all the stuff builders use | |
16:08 | click once, you see the build stuff. click again, it goes away | |
Geenzian Scientist | Hi! I'm a simple user. I totally need to know what the description of an object is when I go to edit my L$200 hair. | |
Trinity Dejavu | it will be plenty obvious you can build andc create in SL - the goal is about tools for the task at hane | |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | something like this little box... http://cl.ly/image/3R2M241U132M | |
which already exists.... until you choose to hit that arrow | ||
Geenzian Scientist | now, who thinks a regular user needs to know the description of their hair? | |
Kadah | The coolest part about SL is that you can edit things, stuff is not just a static model like in other things. | |
16:09 | Trinity Dejavu | dont eve need to rename it |
Oriana Kuhr | SL has thrived on user content. believe me, i have been here since 04, i KNOW how importent user content is. but not everyone builds, so they dont NEED the build stuff to be in all of their menus | |
Geenzian Scientist | for that matter, who thinks every user needs to know what the inventory of their recently bought pair of shoes is? | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | soo nobody ever learnt from making those mistakes when they were noobs? | |
Oriana Kuhr | i dont, geenz | |
if they didnt make it, they shouldnt be able to access the innards | ||
16:10 | unless its a packed box | |
Braydon Randt | police state ...... charming | |
Trinity Dejavu | I spent money, I bought some hair, somehow it got broken.. fuck SL | |
Geenzian Scientist | which we have the "Open..." option for | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | seriously | |
Oriana Kuhr | yup, exactly | |
Drongle McMahon | I need to know how many triangles it has. | |
Oriana Kuhr | when you buy gear in an MMORPG, you can take it to an NPC to tint it.....why do people here need to do more than that? | |
Trinity Dejavu | then your desires as a power user are about as far removed from a consumers as its possible to get | |
16:11 | Geenzian Scientist | knowing something's render cost could be a good idea for consumers |
Vaalith Jinn | i'm not sure why we're talking about hiding tools from people. if someone clicks 'edit', it's quite likely they're trying to edit. if someone clicks the 'build' button, i would assume they're trying to build. and speaking of object inventory - i'd really like to know if an object i just bought contains a whole lot of unnecessary scripts. and it would be -good- if regular users were exposed to that, and were aware that some content creators still put too many scripts in their items. | |
Motor Loon | kinda agree with vaalith... we DO have then "Open" function in the menu too for those that just wants to see whats inside the box they bought | |
16:12 | OctaviaJane Farquart | soo that is what always made sl special isnt it .. |
Helpless | if you want content creators to use less scripts, then punish content creators for using too many scripts... smacking consumers around with it isn't useful because they don't understand and do not care | |
Oriana Kuhr | aka, the "turn off scripts" button. not menu dropdown, but an exposed button | |
Trinity Dejavu | Vaalith - Unnecassaey scriupts - come on - you cant even see what is in a script how can you possible determine what is necassary or not beyond guesswork based in filenames - how on earth do you expect that to mean ANYTHING to a non technical user | |
Braydon Randt | I want others to learn how to build ... THAT is why i do tutorials ... if i wanted people to pay me to fix the shit they broke .... i would be a plumber | |
Vaalith Jinn | Trinity, here's a fact of life for you: nearly everything that ever needs to be done with a script, can be done with one script per whole object. | |
16:13 | Trinity Dejavu | I am well aware |
Kadah | Its the "Build" button on the LL viewer not part of default toolbar setup? | |
Geenzian Scientist | pretty soon we'll be wrapping up the meeting, so let's do this | |
Vaalith Jinn | so yes, there are still many items being sold with a lot of very unnecessary scripts and users must be aware of it. | |
Trinity Dejavu | seriously. no. users should never even care | |
Oriana Kuhr | im not talking about a build button to open/close the build menu. im talking about a button to change the viewer between build mode and basic mode | |
it would change what is shown in the drop down menus | ||
16:14 | Siddean Munro | So should we design a whole UI based on a bunch of legacy content? |
Braydon Randt | no .... | |
Geenzian Scientist | right now from the looks of it, there's a lot of ideas flying about regarding why have a basic mode, why should the basic mode conform around these needs, why not have this instead of this, and so on | |
Oriana Kuhr | if people just want to walk, buy, chat, or whatever, and not build, why do they need build options in the dropdowns? | |
Trinity Dejavu | basically what we need is user stories | |
Braydon Randt | let um rott lookin like homer simpson | |
Geenzian Scientist | right Trinity, just what I was about to get to | |
16:15 | so let's focus on "as a Builder, I want to..." and "as a Resident, I want to..." kind of user stories relevant to the build UI | |
Trinity Dejavu | user stories that cover both technical high skill activites and consumer tasks | |
16:16 | Geenzian Scientist | we have two distinct categories here; and going forward, we can come up with ideas to satisfy these user stories instead of tossing every discussion into one pot here and hoping for the best |
does that sound good to everyone? | ||
Motor Loon | nods | |
16:17 | Drongle McMahon | I'm not convinced it's two categories. I think thetre is a continuum of technical skill and interest. |
Trinity Dejavu | then feel free to go remake the UI and let us know when you come up with something | |
16:18 | Geenzian Scientist | well, if we can it may be a good idea to design the UI to "lead" users into things, instead of pushing it up in their face |
Drongle McMahon | However, that doesn't argue against the two menu state options. | |
16:19 | Geenzian Scientist | now, we're a couple of minutes over our time limit, so lets go ahead and wrap up here |
let's focus on user stories first here, then design something to satisfy those user stories | ||
16:20 | Trinity Dejavu | I dont want to come over as blunt, but at the end of the day there are a very very small number of people who will have to put a lot of work in to make anything actually happen. what we want to do is make sure all the bases are covered before even starting something of this size |
Geenzian Scientist | this gives more context to conversation, this gives more motivation to whatever designs that are produced, and it helps keep things organized, alright everyone? | |
Oriana Kuhr | its like, why i do texture change options on my shoes...why overload your inventory with 12 pairs of the same shoes in different colors, when you can just have one pair and a HUD? why have unnecessary menu buttons you may never use? the SL interface is intimidating for a new person, until they get used to it. why force them to navigate through overloaded menus if they never intend to build? making it hidden until they want to try building, seems like a good idea to me | |
less clutter | ||
16:21 | Trinity Dejavu | there are clearly two different sides to building, so please please please. user stories |
Braydon Randt | edit/build kinda puts that into force anyway | |
Kadah | There is a difference between smart UI design and childprooding :P | |
16:22 | proofing* | |
floor typing = bad | ||
Trinity Dejavu | If you're a phoenix user you're not allowed to talk about UI design :P | |
Geenzian Scientist | good point Kadah, and on that note we'll end today's meeting | |
Oriana Kuhr | hey, im a mom. im all for childproofing sl | |
Kadah | ||
Siddean Munro | Ok here's the thing. None of us are basic users anymore. We don't really know what "Basic mode" people would want to have. So why don't we ask them to write their own user stories?? | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | good lawd | |
16:23 | Kadah | I'm out of here. bye |
Isla Gealach-Nayar | i think that's a brilliant idea | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | even shildren have to grow up | |
Braydon Randt | that a point i do agree on .. NON of us here ... can know what a basic user would want | |
OctaviaJane Farquart | and on that note im out | |
thanks ..it was informative | ||
:/ | ||
Oriana Kuhr | all i am saying, is why make it overwhelming? | |
16:24 | too much info at once, is never good | |
hiding what isnt used, but leaving it accessable, is good | ||
its not that hard to understand | ||
im not talking about taking anything away, except the clutter | ||
Geenzian Scientist | we could debate the issue all day | |
but let's continue this next week shall we? | ||
16:25 | thanks to everyone who came out! |