Oliver,
On Friday, 2016-11-25 10:44:58 +0100, you wrote:
> ...
> As the buttons are in the track details dialog the selection is for the
> track only.
Erm, except when you change some global default values.
> You can either choose:
>
> * user defined limits or values for this track
>
> * automatic limits for this track
>
> * apply the globally stored limits to this track
>
> If you select global limits you will see the current ones. And you can
> change them.
Basically, I see two problems here. The minor problem is that the Style
tab in the track details dialogue provides two pairs of tool tip texts:
* For the minimum/maximum range:
- User defined limits for this track
- Automatic limits
- User defined limits for all tracks
* For the width and arrow visibility:
- Use/edit user defined scale factor for this track
- Use/edit user defined visibility of arrows for this track
- Use/edit system's default factor for all tracks
- Use/edit system's visibility of arrows for all tracks
These help texts should be made as similar to each other as is possible
and meaningful but in any case the word "system" should be avoided here.
The major problem, however, is that there's probably just way too much
crammed into this track details dialogue, that is to say the definition
of global defaults.
A new user would probably expect fo find a "Setup" entry in one of the
pull-down menus. We could combine such an entry for setting global def-
aults with the already existing "Setup Map Paths" and "Setup DEM Paths"
entries. But having to already have a track to be able to globally spe-
cify how a track should be displayed is almost as surprising for a new
user as would be having to already have a map to be able to specify the
map paths. Almost.
If we separate the definition of defaults from the track details dial-
ogue, we'd have to specify what preciseley will happen when the user
changes these defaults:
- The new defaults will only affect new tracks.
- The new defaults will affect all tracks where the property in
question is still set to "default" (which, of course, is the def-
ault setting for new tracks).
The first is relatively easy to implement, the second resembles more
what we are currently having, but would require a new "default" entry to
be selectable for every property. And it should tell the user what the
current default is. Perhaps an initially checked checkbox "Use default"
next to the selectable item which shows the yet unchangeable default
value. Unchecking the checkbox will make the value changeable (greying
out unchangeable values is good for numbers, but for colors?). The ab-
ove would work at least for the colors, the width, and the arrows, the
latter then requiring a two items pull down selection "with arrows" and
"without arrows". For minimum and maximum we would probably need radio
buttons, "auto", "default", and "custom".
> A change will affect every track where you chose to use
> global limits. There is a small caveat: it will not update current
> opened graphs. You have to reopen them.
This just needs to be documented. As soon as the user clicks "Ok" in
the global default changing window check whether any defaults have been
changed at all, check whether there are any open tracks, and if both
conditions are met, pop-up a window telling the user something along the
lines of "To apply the new default vaules to the currently open tracks
close the tracks and re-open them."
Lads and lassies, this is pure brainstorming! I've never ever said any-
thing like the above :-)
Sincerely,
Rainer
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