i want to continue discussion about standards in mxs development.
there is another very important subject. The UI of your tools… means the way how your tools are represented to your final user.
before a real discussion i’d like to post a poll …
I’ve voted as “Other point”… this is really why i want to discuss this subject with the community.
i do like vote other but the user the script is only me, so theres no lie in there…if I could point is maybe standard design , like not too big button size, or too over flash UI design [colorfull]…altho if I remember its already have a topic back then.
I don’t understand what you mean by ‘my user designs UI for me’.
The poll is’nt very clear in the individual options …
I voted for “make it look like Max”, but in reality i meant to vote for ” make it look like the clever and good working part of the UI concepts existing in Max”
The meaning of “My user designs UI for me” option is hard to comprehend…
Voted “other” since I try to designing the ui based on how a particular tool would be used, from an ergonomics standpoint. Definitely not a fan of “making it look like max”.
Always open and often used tool? The important “execute” buttons are BIG, to be easy and fast to aim and click with a mouse many times during a session; secondary less used buttons or options are smaller; secondary option distance from the main button proportional to how often it is likely to be used together.
Always open tool to be used occasionally by changing a couple of settings and pushing a button? Condensed UI with not too big buttons; elements ordered in related groups, distances between groups based on how often they’d be used together in sequence, tooltips on nearly every element to avoid confusion.
A specialized toolbox with many options? A bunch of dreaded rollouts…
A tool that many people would have to use, but only very rarely? Make it “look like (the good parts of) max” as much as possible.
As far as UI goes, it has to integrate well with max, without making people blind with colorful logo’s and animated banners. The main framework has to be the same color as the max UI but buttons can be colored if it serves a function. So function over form in some way, I don’t allow myself completely freeform designs as it will only alienate users.
So colors are fine, c# winform widgets are okay too, but I always try to stay within the design boundries (to some extend) of the max UI.
I work like this:
Identify a problem that needs solving (normally with a “Dave can you make me a tool which does this…”
Create a basic UI that should allow the user to solve the problem
Get them to feedback on the basic UI
Make the tool functional
Let users give feedback on design when it’s working
Address additional features and bug reports
The UI should always be simple and clear as possible, fit with the standard max UI as much as possible, and if there are a large amount of buttons then icons and labels should be used. Tooltips are essential and I normally make an extra rollout in any tool which gives a detailed break down of how to use the tool, so help is in-place accessible from directly within the tool.
Denis… you are always so clever. But after reading the poll answers a few times, I was wondering if I “accidentally” slipped too much rum into my coffee
Anyway, I agree mostly with Dave. I mainly care about functionality personally–pretty buttons are never really one of my concerns. Organizing the features into a logical flow is all I ever really care about. And then adding Tooltips to everything. And when possible, hyperlinks to extra documentation if the function is complex, uncommon or novel.
Regarding UI, I’ve often found that when a tool has too many icons, the slower I am to learn it. I prefer straight text labels on most buttons except broad Max functions. Word labels and tooltips have far less ambiguity than most “pretty” icons.
Also, from years working with various websites, I’ve learned that big buttons are not always a bad thing. Many people seem to give relevance to functions based on the size of something. So it isn’t always so bad to make the “Do It” button stand out like a sore thumb!
I agree that the vote options could be clearer. I chose “other”
I generally make the UI
-and of course it looks like max because its mxs-
and then adjust for workflow based on user feedback.
but 50% of the tools I make are used by me alone.