Display Configuration KCM design review

[Dan Vrátil]

On Tuesday 02 of October 2012 16:23:02 Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> On Tuesday, October 2, 2012 14:29:24 Dan Vrátil wrote:
> > I'm now working on new KCM.
> 
> code
> ------
> where is the code currently? i find it is often a lot easier to comment 
(and
> help out) when i can build and try the code directly

Hi,

the code is on git.kde.org/scratch/dvratil/displayconfiguration.git, you also 
need git.kde.org/scratch/dvratil/libkscreen-clone.git, it was linked in the 
original email  ;-)

> 
> 
> duality in interaction
> --------------------------
> my first thought is: why are there two areas for interaction?
> 
> all the informaton is currently shown on the screens in the preview area,
> and i have to interact with the preview area to move or rotate a screen ...
> 
> ... but if i want to change other information i see there, then i have to 
go
> to the bottom area (after noticing that they are connected :), find the
> matching information and then change it there.
> 
> why can't i just change which is the primary monitor by pressing on the 
star
> (or whatever it eneds up being) in the preview area?
> 
> why not be able to change the resolution and refresh by pressing on the
> information in the monitor itself?
> 
> having some interaction in one area and some in another feels scattered. i
> find my eyes (and mouse) going back and forth a lot. that some things are
> able to be configured in both the preview and the details below
> demonstrates some additional inconsistencies.
> 
> perhaps the nicest thing about having the previews where configuration
> happens is that one does not need to "translate" between the representation
> (the preview on screen) of the real thing (the actual screen) and a further
> abstraction (the collection of widgets at the bottom). it's one layer of
> mental re-direction less.

I originally written the KCM without the bottom panel, but then I had to add 
it because all the controls won't just fit into the monitor rectangle when 
it's too small (1024x768 is already problematic), so right when the rectangle 
becomes too small, I just hide or scale some of the controls there and rely 
on those in the pane below.

> 
> layout finesse
> ------------------
> 
> i'll echo the suggestion to put a little bit of space between the monitors.
> yes, the screens are "connected" in the "real" world in that the graphics
> they show are connected (though in the "real" "real" world, there is always
> some separation, if only by the bezel). however, visually in the settings
> it doesn't look ellegant but like someone forgot a margin somewhere :)
> nobody will end up confused or balk a the lack of literal pixel truth if
> there is a nice little margin between the screens. if anything, it is
> likely to help people see that they are separate things more easily, useful
> when the screens are otherwise identical.

Ok :)

> 
> i do prefer the two rotation arrows over the one rotation icon as seen in
> http://i.minus.com/j0jCsZ3DaQQPO.jpg .. it's fewer clicks to get what i 
want
> and very clear what will happen.
> 
> it would be nice to find a prettier way to show the bottom of the monitor
> than dark line (which isn't obvious at all at first to me?) ... probably
> will require an artist's intervention ;)

As some suggested, the arrows for rotation could be always attached to the 
bottom side of the monitor, so that when you rotate the monitor by 90 
degrees, the arrows would be on the left side. I think that could be obvious 
enough?

> 
> the on/off checkbox is perhaps one of the few perfect times to use the
> toggle switch QML Component on the desktop as it is rather literall "on" or
> "off" :)

\o/ I like the switch!


Cheers,
Dan


> 
> 
> thanks for working on this :)
> 
> --
> Aaron J. Seigo
-- 
--
dvratil at redhat.com | Associate Software Engineer / BaseOS / KDE, Qt
GPG Key: 0xC59D614F6F4AE348
Fingerprint: 4EC1 86E3 C54E 0B39 5FDD B5FB C59D 614F 6F4A E348