Excuse me for replying to myself. I have something to add. Citát Stefan Urbanek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> Hi, > > Here you can see right-click tool menu from Cubase application (music + MIDI) > on > Atari ST: > > http://rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/~hep09515/keyboards/1197/bilder/0000015g.gif > > The mouse cursor changes to the image of the selected tool. Squares were big > enough for comfortable selection. > > This small rectangle with larger squares is better than circular menu, as > one > can have tools added and removed, while keeping location of first few tools > unchanged. As mentioned before, this is not possible with circular menus as > you > are limited with space so you have to change widths of items and therefore > to > change their location. > > Brief description of toos: > Arrow - pointer tool, select objects, move objects > Eraser - delete objects > Q - track specific tool (i have never used that) > scissors - cut tracks like a tape (not like the 'Edit/Cut', but like real > tape > cutting) > magnifier - zoom > pencil - "draw" tracks - insert new tracks > X (mute) - mute clicked track > glue tube - glue tracks - oposiste operation to cut > > This is what I would call good metaphor of tools and good implementation of > that > metaphor. > In this case, there were modes. However! The modes vere visible and it was almost impossible to not to see the mode. Why? Because the mode was indicated by the mouse cursor. Now, let me go from user's point of view. I can have a scissors or a hammer in my hand, or I can use my finger to do things. While working with computer, I hold mouse in my hand, therefore the mouse is my tool. I know that I can move a picture of a tool on my screen by moving the mouse and I know that by pressing button on my mouse i use the tool to an object that I am pointing at. Same as in old adventure games: http://www.gametective.de/screenshots/details/6904.html I consider this a good UI: view on the virtual world (compare to the virtual desk(top)) and: - panel with tools that can be used on objects on the scree - panel with inventory - objects I can place in the world or I have taken from the world (compare to Workspace shelf) This methaphor disappeared from the computer environments. It is present only in few applications, such as imagemanipulation apps (Photoshop). In other applications only few tools remained: arrow (selection), text cursor (well, it is same as arrow in function), busy indicator,resize cursors. What about: - open hand for scrolling (present on Atari ST even on window moving) - "pick" shaped hand / hand holding something (for d&d) - glue - for linking/joining - color marker for labeling (like the one in MS Word) - ... Considering the above, I think that modes are feasible IF the user knows what mode he is in. The best mode indicator is the mouse pointer. In these days you do not have to have B&W 16x16px cursor with simple transparency mask, you can have nice large images or photos (imagine a photo of a key/lock for encrypting your files...). Also animations when used decently can help. Yes, they were misused in OS's, like Windows to make things pretty-and-annoying, like arrow with moving tail. However, that is the reason why I used the word "decently". Conclusion is, that yes, modes can be used - with the original approach to the mouse-as-virtual-tool metaphor. Stefan Urbanek -- http://stefan.agentfarms.net First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. - Mahatma Gandhi
