Plot toolbar and user interface

[single phase]

I have been using NCPlot v2 beta 24 a lot the last few days and I love it. I have an older CNC lathe and I prefer to write g-code for it by hand. There is not a lot of memory in my Fanuc controller but it has some nice canned cycles that make the job easy and Scott has added some of them into the beta 24, thanks. My lathe does not have any graphics option either.

I am having a hard time finding anything to fault in the beta 24. It works so well. I write a few lines of code and look at the plot, then I write a few lines more and check the plot again. Plotting can be done many ways. I find the F7 and F8 keys to be the most useful of all. Their functionality is not the same as the plot tool bar counterparts in a very important way, they auto repeat if you hold the key down! It is just like using the animate push button except the animate delay parameter does not kick in (BTW, I think it should).

I find the plot tool bar to be a little small and so I am going to preset the following alternative concept for Scott to consider;

* break the plot tool bar into three tool bars and increase the size of the buttons by 300%. Make it so that the new tool bars can be docked anywhere on the page, particularly at the bottom of the graphics window.

* update the icons to be standardized, see below, I only modifided the icons shape, I did not make them any bigger.



I know my tool bar graphics idea could be more modern and 3D enticing but I suck at art.


Cheers
Dave

[MetLHead]

Dave,

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll add these to the list. However, I wasn't planning on making any more changes to the UI before the release of V2. With the exception of a new toolbar, but that's already done.

Don't forget about the viewport hotkeys:
Z – Zoom window
F – Zoom selected
A – Zoom all
X – Zoom extents
C – Zoom in
V – Zoom out
P – Pan
S – Step Forward
B – Step Backward
M - Measure

These hotkeys require that the viewport have the focus. That is, just click the viewport before using them.

I appreciate the suggestions!

Thanks,
Scott

[single phase]

Scott, I suggest that when and if you get around to updating the plot tool bar that I make an art competition here on cnczone for the design of the tool bar buttons. We take entries from all the cnczone users that want to enter a design. Then we pick the top 10 and put them up for a vote. The winner gets a free license to NCPlot (paid for by me). That is my thanks to you for adding the canned cycles I needed. And you then pick your favorite from the top 10 to be used in your application (this does not have to coincide with the winner).

I did this before on CPF for my flashlight logo competition and it was an over whelming success. It not only got me a great logo but it drummed up great interest in my flashlight project.


Cheers
Dave

[single phase]

I really like what you did with the plot toolbar layout. It is much better than what I was suggesting. Good Job!

However, I still think it should be bigger and more modern. It is the center piece of the control, the style of the program. Think about the dash controls in a modern sports car. This is not just a looks thing, it needs to be bigger so it is easier to click the controls super fast. All the other toolbars do not need to be big because we do not use them very often and so we do not want them taking up screen realastate. But the plot control is often clicked hundreds of times in a programming session.

This gives the program kind of a trademark look and feel. This is what we are missing. Of course if you hate it just kick me.



Oops, looks like I missed the icon on the "plot selected" button.

[MetLHead]

Dave,

I like your suggestion, it gives it a "skinned" look like you see in these media players. I'm not sure what others think about this, but I actually think that the keyboard is the way to go. This cuts down on clicking for simple step forward/back stuff and I will probably add keys for the other functions as well. Besides, the toolbars won't allow for odd shaped buttons. What I could do though, is make a floating toolbar with larger buttons that you could keep anywhere on the screen.

Thanks,
Scott

[single phase]

Your program has it where it counts for a person like me. It functions really well and has all the guts to model the cutter path 100% correctly.

Thanks for all your hard work. I love your creation.

A floating toolbar with larger buttons that you could keep anywhere on the screen would rock! A good custom tool bar can help make a good marketing icon too.

Cheers
Dave

PS. I use keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop and Inventor. They are programs I use almost every day or week. I do not use keyboard shortcuts on a program like yours. I prefer the mouse. If you are curious why, I will explain. I use your program every time I need to write a new program for my lathe. That happens sporadicly. In the weeks that can go by where I do not use your program I forget the shortcuts.

For a beginner or a person who is not tasked with writing gcode every day the quickest interface is the one that is visually intuitive.

[MetLHead]

Dave,

I agree that keyboard shortcuts only work well if you use the software a lot, but for those that do it helps a lot. I'll add the floating toolbar idea to my list.

Thanks,
Scott