User Interface!! ABout icon based/textbased

[HowardM]

I definitely like LWs text based buttons, but after using Maya for a year now, I think Icons are good, but only once youve learned what they are...so its tricky... because yes at 1st, Icons are daunting, whereas text is straightforward....

the bottom line though, to me, is the interface becomes transparent, and you learn to just click where, not what....even with LW, I zip through FX tabs without really ever reading them.... I just know that if I change a # in this slot, the one positioned there, or after this one... my settings will change and look like what I want.... heheh...

so in the end, text/icons, who cares.... youre just clicking the time and space... :)

[Srek]

Personaly i see no real difference between Text or Icons, if you realy know your app and layout the exact text or image of the icon is of no real importance to you anymore, it's just a visual landmark. Personal preferences on text or icons are imo only important until you learned the interface.
What is left in the end is that text gives you a smoother look in the interface while icons leave more workspace.

Cheers
Björn

[PetterSundnes]

If possible I tend to use keyboard shortcuts as much as possible, so I dont have to click around to get what I want. Not everything is assigned to a shortcut, so there is clicking around, and to be honest i like when there is both text and icons, such as small 16 pixels icons (or even smaller), with distinct colour, shape and contrast differences, accompanied with text next to it. This helps guiding the eyes to the right place: Function X is that roundish green icon. Such as my Firefox icon on the Taskbar is an round, orangy with a dab of blue thingy, cant really see that its a fox with a firy tail, wrapped around a globe, but it gives a visual cue. The text next to it is like an extra confirmation to make the user 100% sure its the right one. That is one of the reasons I think Cinema4D is the most userfriendly 3D applications available today. You dont have to choose between icons or text, you can have both :)

[CaptainObvious]

The answer is obvious:

DO IT LIKE MODO! ;)



Want icons? You've got it! Want text? You've got that, too! Want to change the text label? Go right ahead! Want to change the icon? No worries! And so on and so forth.


I prefer a combination of icons and text, by the way.

[mav3rick]

hatte icons....

[Per-Anders]

The answer is obvious:
DO IT LIKE MODO! ;)

You mean copy C4D? :D (sorry had to be said).

I have to agree with Srek, neither makes all that much difference once you're comfortable in the app, they're just landmarks you don't read the text anymore than you really look at what the icon depicts before clicking it once you know where it is, depending on space and layout you can usually fit more icons onto a screen in the same space that text would take up but that's about it, and when it comes down to it too dense a layout will slow you down.

Context sensitivity and good interface design will speed up workflows, but the fastest workflow of all involves not using icons or text at all but just your keyboard shortcuts, which is why many 3D aps have a "fullscreen" mode.

[CaptainObvious]

You mean copy C4D? :D
I wouldn't know; I never used C4D enough to fiddle with the customization.

[T4D]

I used to think text was king Started in Max then moved to LW

but now well it doesn't matter learning a interface is not a hard job.

direct text easy to read sometimes But it doesn't tell the full story,
Icons well a picture can tell thousand words sometimes...

the different is not even worth thinking about,. it's the features and the workflow in the app that makes a differents.

[CaptainObvious]

One thing to take into consideration:

A good icon will be easy to understand and often more efficient than text once you know what it is. A *bad* icon will be completely incomprihensible, and learning what the button does will mostly be a product of learning where it's located.

[HowardM]

hatte icons....

cuz youre a punk ass bitch ;)

[guardonduty]

Stay "Icon less" and eventually u will be left behind. Why. New comers will think there is no future with your software because it "looks" outdated, thus not worth the investment(purchase and time to learn it). Allowing "choice" (icons or switch to text) tells new users, a big part of improving our software is also to improve the user "experience". Some like it "text" some like it 'icons" ...done.......


remember, one way to grow your business, is to retain customers and attract new ones.

[Nichod]

one word: Truespace. An example of horrible icon implementation.

[Nichod]

Stay "Icon less" and eventually u will be left behind. Why. New comers will think there is no future with your software because it "looks" outdated, thus not worth the investment(purchase and time to learn it). Allowing "choice" (icons or switch to text) tells new users, a big part of improving our software is also to improve the user "experience". Some like it "text" some like it 'icons" ...done.......


remember, one way to grow your business, is to retain customers and attract new ones.

Thats entirely based on personal opinion. I think most could care less if its text or icon as long as things are clear and easily understandable new and old users will use the software.

[E_Moelzer]

I prefer text based buttons over icons.
Especially for people starting with an application I think that plain text buttons are much easier to handle than icons.
Think about tutorials. I think it is so much easier to explain something that way to someone, even without a screengrab. Like "you hit the button that says move" not "you hit the icon that has these 4 arrows on it", or something.
CU
Elmar (who wants to point out that hyroglyphs came out of fashion thousands of years ago...)

[guardonduty]

OK. Look at all the apps.

Maya
3D Max
Blender
Cinema 4D
Lightwave
XSI
Zbrush
Rhino

How many are text based? Where does NT place? Dont get me wrong, I love my NT. But when new users see familiar "buttons types", a huge mental hurdle is overcome.

[Pancho]

Can those who like funky little images please switch over to the colorful world of C4D and those who are able to read stay with LW? Shouldn't be much of a problem.

[cresshead]

why does it have to be one or the other?


options...

for example 3dsmax can have either icons or text...just load up the option you'd prefer...also in max you can design you own icons if you wish...

[T4D]

why does it have to be one or the other?


options...

for example 3dsmax can have either icons or text...just load up the option you'd prefer...also in max you can design you own icons if you wish...

you can do the same in XSI & modo.

[HowardM]

Choice is good....

[Zarathustra]

Allow the user to change everything PLUS have a number of preset layouts as default (which of course the user can add to) with all text or all icon options. Those layouts could also include ones that mimic other apps' layouts along with their keys.

That's it. Simple, really. No arguing, and no leaving anyone out.

[Pancho]

Concerning the current state of LW, any minute someone spends to create an icon interface over at NT would make me indeed very angry. Absolutely no priority. Therefore this discussion is redundant, isn't it.

[Zarathustra]

Touche'! Nicely done, Pancho. :thumbsup:

[CaptainObvious]

Heh, ain't that the truth. :)

[PetterSundnes]

Concerning the current state of LW, any minute someone spends to create an icon interface over at NT would make me indeed very angry. Absolutely no priority. Therefore this discussion is redundant, isn't it.

I cant see the problem. Redoing the underlaying structure of the whole LightWave interface (not it's looks), is something that needs to be done, before we start to shout about better workflow and features such as better character animation tools. Giving users the choice of toggling icons, would only be a small part of the total development time and cost in making such an update.

[T4D]

I cant see the problem. Redoing the underlaying structure of the whole LightWave interface (not it's looks), is something that needs to be done, before we start to shout about better workflow and features such as better character animation tools. Giving users the choice of toggling icons, would only be a small part of the total development time and cost in making such an update.

Icons in LW VS a load from scene that keeps lock items setting and selection sets ??

both seem to be small issues

which would perfer Newtek to spend they time to help your working day ?

[PixelInfected]

icon or text?
i think both is better for who want to decide, for me text only, is more productive oriented.
i customize heavely my lw, and any software that i can customize, to put near to my fingher all tools that i use often.

every 3d artist have preferred tools, and confortable tools, if you can customize your interface to have in a same tab all tools that you use in daily work you can speed up workflow a lot, for example, when i hit ctrl+shift and right button of mouse i see under the arrow of mouse a list of selections' option and tool, like loop, inverse selection, sel connected and more, be cause i use often that, other tools are under my custom shortcut list, other are distributed in interface.

in my lw i use hundred of free and commercial plugin that i put in the right place (for me) in the interface, to replace some tools, to be near other and more.

if i can use icon only i risk to have x tool with blank icon, or i must design a lot of icon to recognize it in interface, that mean for me text button is better.

p.s. most of application that start like text button start from unix, like softimage -> that keep good abitude that tell : before we do a good and working software then we will think to interface.

p.p.s. i test maxon 10 demo, i'm impressed from stability and grow of this packages, but i use often shortcut and menu, like in maya, i'm faster then search in different icons, i must tell that new icons of cinema4d are very well projected, better than previous...

[SunDog101]

I think icons are ok as long as they are designed properly so you can understand what they are and remember them after a few times. If I was given a choice I always prefer text over icons though. I kinda like Modos approach to this, it has both text and icons! Modos icons are very clear and well designed for th most part.

[ercax]

Icons in LW VS a load from scene that keeps lock items setting and selection sets ??

both seem to be small issues

which would perfer Newtek to spend they time to help your working day ?

I'll take a load from scene that works properly. Can I have it well done please?

[vbvcvj]

you can do the same in XSI & modo.

As well as C4D . :)

[Limbus]

Textbased all the way! Text buttons are much easier to understand even if one knows the interface inside out. And even a fully customizable interface is nice I still think that it is very important that the manufacturer ships the programm with a logically structured interface in the first place. Since I am no interface designers I would rather use the standard interface than design my own.

Florian

P.S. funny how some Cinema users always pop up in discussions in the LW subforum to state "cinema too" or some other irrelevant stuff. This is really very annoying.

[Srek]

P.S. funny how some Cinema users always pop up in discussions in the LW subforum to state "cinema too" or some other irrelevant stuff. This is really very annoying.
Yes, it's sometiimes annoying when stuff like that happens, but for them it's annoying that stuff that was in their favorite app for years is attributed as a main feature to other, much later apps. I think most LW users can understand that one likes beeing proud on his weapon of choice ;)

Cheers
Björn

[Limbus]

Yes, it's sometiimes annoying when stuff like that happens, but for them it's annoying that stuff that was in their favorite app for years is attributed as a main feature to other, much later apps.

I dont find it that annoying. Everyone copys features from everyone all the time. But I really find discussion like "but <insert Hard or Software manufacturer of choice> had the feature first" annoying. I really dont care who implemented some feature first. I care who does it best.

I think most LW users can understand that one likes beeing proud on his weapon of choice ;)


I know I cant understand it. All I am proud of is the work I produce with the tools I use not the tool. But I guess a lot of people are.

Since this is now really of topic I will end this discussion here.

Florian

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