[KDE Usability] Re: Display Management Design

[Lukas]

> >
> https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1A7bdmsLBE_oeRZPHxZNMBVAxMQZCkQIclWOrd2mRLGs/edit?hl=en_US
>
> I've made some changes (all are easy to delete if you don't like
> them), and have some suggestions for more substantial changes:
>

Online tools are designed for team working, so any changes are more than
welcome :)



> Changes so far:
>
> 1. I got rid of the numbers entirely and replaced them with a
> three-state button.  The button by default is set to "enabled" (green
> check).  It has to other modes, "disabled" (red X), and "primary"
> (gold star).  I have a few ideas about how to change this:
>  A. Single click: enabled->disabled->primary->enabled or
> enabled->primary->disabled->enabled
>  A. Single click: enabled->disabled->enabled->primary->enabled
>  B. Single click: enabled<-> disabled
>      Double click: enabled<->primary
>

It looks good, and makes a lot of sense once you know what it does, but
before I read the description, it wasn't obvious.

Having in mind, that primary display is a subtitle option (just changing
enabled/primary states wont give any useful/related feedback)
as well making them clickable in the middle of the screen would reduce
grabbing area to move display around,
I'd suggest using Todd's suggested icons as secondary indicator next to some
switch using strings for each state



> 2. I put a line at what corresponds to the physical bottom of the
> screen, so it is easy to tell how the screen is rotated.
>
+ 1


3. A triangle to pull up a menu of advanced settings, including DPI,
> color profiles, custom resolution, and other such tasks.  Each will
> pull up a small window to let you set that aspect.
>
+1


4. I put the resolution inside each screen.
>

Hmm. KDE for smart phones/tablets are coming fast. If user would connect 24"
external display to his 7" quad-core tablet,
would there be enough space for resolution on smaller screen? (Tablet is
more than 3 times smaller)


5. I changed the "Settings" button in the mini display to "Advanced".
>
+1



> Suggested changes:
>
> 1. Get rid of the bottom area entirely.  Users can use the
> drag-and-drop interface to customize everything.  For the activity,
> use a drop-down list at the top right, next to the name.  Use "None"
> as the default.  There can be a graphical preview of the activities in
> the list, such as with the existing drop-down list of wallpapers in
> some interfaces, or just use the activity icon.  "Create new" should
> also be on list.  It should be labelled "Automatically switch to
> activity:", or something similar.  Below I would have a check box:
> "Switch to this layout when this activity is selected".
>

While everything could placed as you suggest, what benefits would it give?
Main window has plenty of free space, using bottom area saves a few click as
well as makes things more discoverable.
The least argument - having ~4-5 options still makes UI look clean and
solid, at the same time sending a signal its a pro tool, not some fruitPhone
app, where everything is decided for you.


2. I think the small interface should show the previews in the list,
> rather than the icons.  Have the icons in one corner of each preview,
> or better yet get rid of the icons and just use the previews.  The
> previews should automatically resize for the detected display's EDID
> information.
>

Are you talking about plasmoid?

Anyway, Icons was added since there could be more than one profile with same
"extend on the right", but with different resolutions/rotation/DPI, that
cant be easily identified by small preview.


3. I would get rid of the "Meta-info section".  All necessary
> information should be displayed in the screen box, graphically when
> possible.
>

Meta was placed outside since it might not always fit (as of change #4)



> 4. There should be arrows or triangles or something in the lower
> corners to tell people they can resize there, and a curved arrow just
> inside or outside the upper-left corner so people know they can rotate
> there.
>

Won't changing cursor be enough indicator. It is consistent with resizing
any window in any OS.


Juts my 2 cents.

What others think?

Cheers,
Lukas
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