On 14 Dec 2005 at 17:09, Aaron Sherber wrote: > I should also note that the Windows version of the plugin still > features a completely counterintuitive UI. Take a look at the image > on p.76 in the PDF. You would think that you would manipulate this > by painstakingly dragging the dials around in circles. But this is > wrong! What you actually do is click on the dial, hold down the > mouse button...and drag left and right AS THOUGH IT WERE A SLIDER! > David Fenton would have a field day with this one.
I'm replying mostly just to test having switched my subscription to a different email address, but I was amused at the remark above, since it tends to cast me as someone who takes pleasure in pointing out user interface infelicities. I guess I do enjoy a good bout of Schadenfreude every now and again, but I don't really enjoy pointing out some of the awful UI implementations in any program that I depend on to the extent I depend on Finale. I am always surprised that the people who design them don't realize immediately that there's something wrong, but UI design is actually quite difficult -- you have to understand both your audience and the entire field of conventions and appropriate UI choices. It's more art than science. I do think that circular knobs do have no place whatsoever in a computer UI that is manipulated by a mouse, since there is no possible mouse motion that can ever be as easy or intuitive as turning a knob with physical fingers is. I just think there is never any way to to implement them in a manner that will make any kind of intuitive sense. I gather from the fact that you mention me here that this rant is something of a re-run, though -- I have no memory of having said this before, but if I did, I was right then, too! :) -- David W. Fenton http://dfenton.com David Fenton Associates http://dfenton.com/DFA/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
