On Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 12:07 PM, ~suv <suv-sf@...> wrote:
> - It does not provide more precision than the previous one (I see no
> difference e.g. for bug #515997) but at the same time obscures more
> details of the drawing as well as some of the (pre-)snapping hints (I
> always use snapping and set it to snap the node closest to the pointer).
Previously OSX used a four-way arrow, like Windows. I do not
understand how the new arrow cursor, with clearly visible single-pixel
tip, is not a precision improvement over this :) The four-way arrow
and hand were terrible with regard to precision, not to mention their
inconsistency across platforms. Now you can actually see the point
that you're clicking, it's not obscured by the cursor anymore.
> - The additional offset hand distracts me from the actual target ;)
I think that just needs some getting used to.
> - I'm repeatedly confused while editing which of the two equally-shaded
> (i.e. outline only) shapes - the arrow or the hand - is actually aiming
> the target.
Yet this is consistent with most other Inkscape custom cursors, which
typically also have two parts: a pointer (usually a cross) and an
icon. The only difference is that here, the pointer is an arrow, not a
cross. But this is justified by the fact that it is a second cursor in
a tool, whose first cursor is also an arrow, so we're improving
consistency here.
Unfortunately that default arrow is not Inkscape-custom, it is the
system arrow cursor and so is different across platforms and cursor
themes. I made the mouseover/drag arrow as close as possible to the
default Windows arrow, which I suspect is our largest user base. It is
also fairly similar to the default Ubuntu cursor. It works worse,
admittedly, on OSX where the default arrow is black, not white. But I
think that even there, it is at least not worse than the old one which
wasn't even an arrow at all.
> This might be due to being used to other (native)
> applications on Mac OS X which have the (clinched) hand symbol without
> arrow when panning and the arrow without hand when dragging an element
> with the mouse.
We might indeed use hand-only cursor for panning canvas. But not for
object dragging and mouseovering - this is a different situation
altogether. It has been Inkscape's big usability advantage that it
shows you at once, by changing cursor, that you're over a selectable
object. I just made this feature more consistent and precise.
> 1) I don't use vector applications like Illustrator or CorelDraw - my
> comparsion with other osx applications is limited.
> 2) GIMP 2.6.8 on OS X uses the same (linux?) type of cursors (arrow +
> symbol), but the arrow it clearly emphasized as pointer, and IMHO GIMP's
> cursor for the move tool is better suited than the clinched hand now
> used in Inkscape (which to me denotes panning not dragging).
I'm not sure what is meant by "arrow emphasized as pointer" - if it's
an arrow it's pointer enough, no? :)
As for hand, I think it works fine, but please feel free to suggest
another icon. What pair of icons would be easy to recognize _and_ be
related _and_ clearly denote the "something can be selected here" and
"you're dragging the selection" ideas?
--
bulia byak
Inkscape. Draw Freely.
http://www.inkscape.org
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