The Survey document on Wings3D 1.5.3.

written by tkbd
Note: Including the mock-up of the user interface in Screen shot .
Note: This document is a survey by one Wings user. It is one of the information source for the brainstorming.
2015.01. 0.1

1. Add ON/OFF for Light Sphere display

Wings3D Wish list

The present conditions of Wings3D 1.5.3.
Light source object is displayed in any case.

When the rendering by Wings3D view only,
there is that the gizmo(for light sphere) gets in the way.

1. Add ON/OFF for Light Sphere display
The Proposal

I wish this feature....

Light Sphere

The display when “Light Sphere” turned off.
But the lighting has been keeping.

2. Why Light color setting is tricky?

Wings3D Wish list

Beginner can’t forecasted that how it works.
What is these values mean ?

This command is
make to lightcolor by(HSV:Hue,Satulation,Value)

The Information Line text also not user’s help
Mouse Move x,y LMB Drag ...etc

2. Why Light color setting is tricky?

The Proposal

If improve current specification (change by mouse biaxial movement amount),
there are ideas to add color pane.
ValueSaturation(L+Drag) Hue

By the way, look at this screen shotthat a color-setting from Outliner
Window

This way is easy to understand.

3. One Light ? Two Light

Wings3D Wish list

Beginner can’t forecasted that how it works.

ToggleOne Light <--> two Lights
What Mode is now?
Also Scean Light not workon Shader Mode.
In order to try the combination,
the User will also trial and error many times.

3. One Light ? Two Light

The Proposal

More Infomation line follow
It needs some screenshot for this.

4. Better safe than sorry.

Wings3D Wish list

Beginner can’t forecasted that how it works.

User will also trial and error many times.
Information line isnt tell about these.
Edge > Bridge

Vertex > Weld

Edge > Circularlize

4. Better safe than sorry.

The Proposal

About Important thing,please tell User at first.
Need document’ s update.
if this problem occuer on a command in the deep location of menu.
For example.... Vertex＞Deform＞shear>RMB
Vertex>intersect>MMB

5. A command that has many 2nday selections will be difficult.

Wings3D Wish list

Hansel and Gretel had put the bread scraps as signpost.
But they had been eaten by the birds.
They were lost in the deep forest after all.
(From Grimm's Fairy Tales)
Secondary selection marker(Green arrow/Point)....
When in next step , previous marker disappear immediately from an user's sight.

So,before and after the 2nday selection process has always been hiddenfrom the user. And it is difficult to understand the whole.
As a result, fail to correct assembly of the secondary selection,
unnecessary trial and error will occur.
For example
Vertex > Bend
Vertex > Bend ClampVertex > Deform> Shear
Vertex > Intersect >RMB

This is referred to allcommands that havea secondary selection.

P.:us, I selectoiv
ede pre diIn th ot wherForgt,Nexsecenit is?

o doytsar

5. A command that has many 2nday selections will be difficult.
The Proposal

Improve the Document or Visual feedback is necessary.
To can understand if User knows the whole of the process.

For example, It is that remain display the past 2ndary selections on the CURRENT operation.

as like a foot print.

Rod CenterRod Top

Bend Normal

Status quo
123Result

123ResultImprove(It leaves the previous 2Sel marker..)

Of course, it is necessary to test and allow ON / OFF this feature from the configuration.

6. Users want to see the results immediately.

Wings3D Wish list

Snap Image Mode is a very useful feature.
But in that mode is always overlapping images.

Once ,Exit this mode?
This is inconvenient to see the results!!
A few clicks it is necessary to to enter the SnapImage mode as we know.

6. Users want to see the results immediately.

The Proposal

For example ...

overlap display on/off command

display on/off

ToggleDefault:
display on

It to be well-known.
“Snap Image” command appear only Face select mode.

display on/off

7. Depth of a menu hierarchy.

Wings3D Wish list

About Menu bar

So far, Camera View and Selection Groups features are improved.

These are improved and easier to use. It became accessible from each palette window.

But...

Still ,there is a hard-to-use feature deep menu hierarchy.
For example Bounding Box commands, Set Constraint,
Magnet mask commands ,it is too far to reciprocate.

About RMB menu for command

Some commands in Vertex>Deform menu. Face>Sweep command.

Why RMB menu not indicate for submenu symbol?

There do not knowwhat sub-menu exists.

7. Depth of a menu hierarchy.

The Proposal

About User interface design,Complex look, but that it is easy to use.
On the contrary, Simple look but difficult to use it too. (Flat design for smart phone)
Changing the UI design frequently is responsible for exhausting the user.(iTunes/iWork)To renew all the UI when the user is familiar with the work is not a good idea.
(Ubuntu-unity,Win8,MSOffice)Be carefully...
It would be better to be able to someextent to customize the UI in the userside.
In Wings3D’ s RMB menu, for the orderin which items appear.It has decided toit from each plug-in program side.
So, it is considered a method thatreconstructs a menu for customization
after once aggregating RMB menu.But
useless processing occurs in this.
To solve this problem, it is necessary toproperly modify the number of plug-inprogram.

8. The difference of recognition.

Wings3D Wish list

PlaneCut or Slice RMB commandAt first , Information line says “Pick Axis” simply. What axis is it?
I want cut thisline on object

Hum... I pick here.

Next, Information line says “Pick Point” .
Point + Axis
What would how to do?
I got a result which is not desired.
It is not possible to return to the previous process.

I decided to here8.

The difference of recognition.
The Proposal

Users can trial and error many many times,
get to the correct answer.
Infomation line

How to express this in the help text?

*Direction of the knife/sissor.
*Normal for Cuttingetc...

Solution*Clarity of the help text.
*Improve the document.
or*Interactive feedback*Improve the usability.

Similar problems in other caseTools> Align command
This feature is handy to be able to immediately access.
But I often to misunderstand the "x" and "radial x".
So,It may not work in my expectations.

Align and Center

AlignX Y

Z

X Y

Z

Align Radial

Distribution

AllCenter
Align

X Y

Z

RadialX YZAllAll

This problem can be resolved document
or UI improvement.
Icon or illustration is going to help
the user to understand the function.

9. The ruler does not exist.

Wings3D Wish list

Is there is no clue to a need to specify a numeric value.
Users feel frustrating.

Absolute command

Move >YCan you point to a reference pointin 3D Geomety window?

9. The ruler does not exist.

The Proposal

Display a virtual rular in temporary.
3.0

105

10. Shader and Image compositing

Wings3D Wish list

1. Wings3D shader is not enough.

Please increase the more various types of shaders.
for example “Object Contour” etc...
1-1. Shader Programmers does not come.
Because it is not easy to add a shader to menu.
(Menu data is hard coded in Wings source codeand need Build Wings3D )How can we do to get their cooperation?

2. Lack of image compositing function.
You can apply filters using AutoUV.
(see screenshot)
However Image composite can’t.

If we can synthesize the two images,We'll be able to or baking ambient
occlusion texture.

10. Shader and Image compositing
Shader 2D Effect

The Proposal

Shader 3D Effectwpc_SHADERNAME.auv{name, "Shader"}.
{vertex_shader, "vertexshader_file.vs"}.
{fragment_shader, "fragmentshader_file.fs"}.

vertexshader_file.vsfragmentshader_file.fs

Currently it is possible to modify the existing shader.
However, to be registered in the menu, it is necessary to compile the Wings3D.
It is to the menu structure data to an external file.
So, it can shorten the cycle of trial and error.

11. User Interface: Launcher

The Proposal

Game or OS(Operation System) are worth to study.
In FPS or Minecraft and Wow such as a game, these has palettes for quick access to items and current equipment.
They are dealing with a large amount of items. Users are able to perform the work quickly.
This is a hot key dedicated alt + 1~alt + 9 only.
The hot key string must be always displayed to the user.

Mac OSX has launcher too.

User will be able to have some of the settings as Folder, and could switch them

An idea of additional QuickLauncher.

It's idea to use efficiently the hot key with limited.

Drag & Drop for resister it.

alt+5
ExecuteCrumble TaperY
alt+6

Run from top to bottom

alt+7

ShearZ
alt+8

11. User Interface: Launcher

The Proposal

The Launcher which ﬁnding to commands immediately by search text input.

12. Put a Prmitive in the Screen’s center.

The Proposal

I understand that Wings3D hasn’ t 3D Cursor.
Probably User must create something in around of (0,0,0) always.

However, I sometimes would like to place the primitive in a location that is away from the origin.
(0,0,0)The Ideas that little attentive.
What do you think?

if (0,0,0) can’t see in current view when make primitive ,then the Primitive generate in the screen’s center.

13. User Interface
RotateMove
ScaleThe Proposal

Copy
extend feature
RandomWhen Tab key input mode.

Copy0Random0Times

It such a thing is possible.

Move copy
Rotate copy

Scale copy%

This solution doesn't messed up in the command menu.

14.Cooperation with the tutorial movie author.
The Proposal

Realtime key monitor is nessesary(this indicate in Wings3D’s window).
When key press now?, which mouse button push now?

altX

Graphical type?

orRMB

x + SHIFT

Simply text?

Why need this?

*Wings3D has a user interface that the mouse button switch frequently .
It display what kind of operation you did.
it is help to people which make Wings3D’s tutorial movie.

The fall back to another software?
* No, There is no monitor software that can display ofthe mouse button in Windows/MacOSX.

15. Avoid the conflict of Data and UI string

The Proposal

An advice that to plugin developers from a translator.

Please provide each resources for a new object name and for interface string.

In other words, it should not be finished in one Data. It requires two data for i18n .
For example, It assume to transfer files between users who has different language settings.
An user using Japanese ui

Menu
Interface

An user using English ui

New Data

New DataOpensaveefeRse remo saetrenc

Menu
Interfacece.
ourxxxx_jp.lang

Mojibakexxxx_en.lang“cylinder”

So,I don’t translate some object name DATA.
Blender2.73 has a great solution to this problem.
It is suitable to each user’s different learning/using styles.
*The File management on between different language.(”new data” to English)*Set to User interface by English , but the help string is in native language.

This image from Preference Window