GHPython Editor Design Feedback

Hi @piac and @stevebaer,

I just had a chance to fiddle around with the new GHPython editor again, and made a few observations regarding the visual design (in case you’re still taking requests):

That is:

  1. The console out help font wastes substantially more screen real estate, than the old one (red).
  2. There’s an odd looking white accent on the console output/help window and the editor itself (blue).
  3. The new run and compile (?) buttons do not have mouse over help. Also, I’d much prefer text buttons (green).
  4. The editor main bar is quite chunky/tall and has weird looking gaps around the close button (magenta).

Some of these issues are also in V5 when using Windows 10 (2 and 4 specifically), but perhaps these can be fixed/changed for V6.

Cheers and best,

Anders

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Uh, and can we please either get rid off or user-customise this starting code:

Alternatively, have it be added when clicking a menu point or button?

Also, apologies for being so conservative here, I’ve grown quite accustomed to/fond of the old editor over the years :wink:

Edit: For reference, I use my own system for documenting, versioning, and issuing GHPython components as UserObjects that looks like this:

So, being able the customise the starting code, and/or add some snippet code from a menu point, would be terrific!

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Wanted this for the regular (non-GH) Python script editor as well - since the beginning…! --Mitch

Hi Anders

Yes! We are still taking comments for this! The only thing is, that this likely will not make it in time for Rhino 6 SR0. Possibly some of this will make it for SR1.

RH-42946 GhPython Editor: Console out help

I assure that there’s nothing in the editor that specifies a special color. This is the Windows 10 default color for items of that type. If you change the color for that item, it would change also in the editor. See this StackOverflow page for how Microsoft hid the old option dialog.

What I could do is try to shrink that space. I’ll try something once I am onto one of the other issues. No promises.

RH-42947 GhPython Editor: Run and Compile buttons

The white space is not of my doing (again). Probably another type of window style will do. The background curve to the component, however, should be custom-positioned for Win10, unfortunately.

I’ll look into this when the other white space is addressed.

Yes, this has been a long-standing request, going both ways (please add a default, and please remove it). It’s time to let users customize :slight_smile: also, I am not sure that default-making every script a user objects is a great idea, but that is your decision… :smiley: .

RH-42948 GhPython Editor: Customize starting text

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Thanks! Logged: RH-42949 RhinoPython Editor: Customize starting text

That’s what I figured, it’s related to the issue Mitch and myself also had here then. Still haven’t found a solid method for fixing that. Stupid Windows 10 :angry:

Hehe, oh hell no, I’m with your there :wink:

Thanks for listening, really looking forward to seeing what you up come with. One more thing I forgot to mention: Perhaps it would be possible to document all the keyboard shortcuts available. For instance the uncomment one, that I had no idea about, there might be more perhaps?

Edit: One last thing, I swear I’ll stop after this:

Sticking with the (apparent) theme of clean minimalism, I personally sorta also really quite prefer the old/official Python icon (would actually make sense with an IronPython one, but that doesn’t seem to exist, except this ):

pUBY5pVj_400x400

You’ll have to speak with @DavidRutten regarding that one.

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Ahhh, didn’t realise. That makes sense, with it being a standard component and all. Anywho, in case this is up for feedback @DavidRutten:

2017-12-08 09_43_52-Grasshopper - unnamed

I personally find the new logo a bit “unpythonic” (read: not minimal) with the gradient and highlights and such. But I can certainly see how that is in keeping with the Grasshopper icon aesthetic and all. Thinking more about it, I suppose my largest issue might actually be the orange lower snake, Python (for me) has always been blue/yellow.

Also, the logo is slightly cut off when zooming in:

2017-12-08 09_44_41-Grasshopper - unnamed

Anywho II: This is all really not very important, buuuut, since we were discussing GHPython design, might as well be thorough with it :snake:

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Been fiddling around with V6 a bit more and have just a few more points to add:

  1. Having this menu dropdown over on the right as an icon button is confusing/inconsistent/weird, when all the other other menu dropsdowns are over on the left. Furthermore, having this small button/dropdown that one will click very rarely (maybe never) right next to the run button, which one will be clicking a lot, is really weird in terms of user experience IMO:

  1. The consistency between dropdown menu points and buttons is also pretty weird/lacking (e.g. the Test menu point is linked to a Test icon button on the same menu bar, which is next to a dropdown icon dropdown menu. And there is no OK button). Especially when compared to V5, where there is a very clear correlation between the File dropdown menu and the three textual buttons on the bottom (which are also larger and easier to hit than the icons in V6) :

2017-12-21 11_55_44-Grasshopper - unnamed

I apologise for (again) being perhaps overly critical here, but to me these points aren’t nit picky. I’m admittedly rather sensitive to visual clutter, verbosity (yes yes ironic, I know), and inconsistencies when it comes to the GUI’s I spend all day staring at and interfacing with. Also note that I haven’t fiddled much with the compile workflow yet, so I may be missing something here.

Best,

Anders

I used the regedit method, changed all white colors to be non-white, but the menu bar still is completely white (255,255,255) (yes, I did restart).

Sounds like there’s something more than I remembered. Well, sorry, I have to look into this. In any case, this will be all modified when the rest of the bugs are being worked on.

This could go into the left menu part, under “Plug-in” or something similar.

The “Test” ( :arrow_forward:) button really should be bigger. This will be improved.
The “OK” – I really really do not want to place it in its own toolbar in order to use less surface… I’ll experiment a little more while at it.

Thanks for your meticulous scrutiny.

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Maybe naming this dropdown menu "Mode" could make sense (considering the main sub-menu points).

What I was imaging was basically something like this (placing Test, OK, and Close all in the top right corner):

GHPython_V6_Menu_Mockup

I’m pretty sure there would be no superfluous buttons that way, and it would correlate with the File dropdown.

Thanks for tolerating it :wink:

@nathanletwory in the code, the control background color is “ControlLight” and everything else is unchanged.

RH-42946, RH-42947, and RH-42948 are fixed in the latest Rhino 6 Service Release Candidate

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A post was split to a new topic: Additional Rhino 6 GhPython feedback