From: Darcy K. <dar...@sy...> - 2009-08-21 23:28:24
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I kind of like the idea proposed. I used to use a midi sequencer under Win 89. It had a similar method of using the keyboard for selecting the notes. you used the up/down arrows to cursor through the notes, and the period to cycle through the dotted notations. There was another key (I forget which) that cycled through the accidentals. I have always missed the ease that that method allowed in entering notes. D. Michael McIntyre wrote: > Heikki jumped into some refactoring work to clean up the duration-related > menus in the notation editor, and related keyboard shortcuts. Now you use > Shift+Y to switch to inserting rests, Y to switch to inserting notes, and . to > toggle between dots and no dots. This coupled with I II III-based (or do re > mi in the English speaking world) keyboard shortcuts should really improve the > workflow for people who prefer to use these quick entry keyboard methods. > > He wanted to extend this kind of thinking to an effort at reworking the > duration toolbars in the notation editor. I have just committed the final > draft of a working version of this new scheme to a branch. You can, and if > you have any interest in the outcome of this decision, should, check it out > at: > > svn co > https://rosegarden.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/rosegarden/branches/notation_toolbar > > As big a change as this is, I feel like we have traditionally been crippled by > major decisions like this, and I don't want this debate to drag out forever. > > Let's get cracking, and decide something, shall we? > > The old scheme had three columns of toolbars, with a "notes toolbar" on the > left that had standard durations at the top, dotted durations at the bottom, > and the same arrangement on a "rests toolbar" immediately to its right, in > what I will call the "four corners" layout. (Keep your working copy of trunk/ > or even Classic for comparison. They can run side by side.) > > The new scheme puts notes, dotted notes, rests and dotted rests onto separate, > otherwise identical toolbars, and adds two (hopefully self-evident) action > controls. These two new controls are used to pick which of the four toolbars > is visible at any given time, and they are a graphical alternative to the > Y/Shift+Y/. keyboard scheme, which can also be used in conjunction with this > new layout scheme. > > It works fine here. Very clean and snappy. Is it an improvement? > > Advantages: > > * Only two columns of toolbars on the left makes a more compact and better > balanced layout > > * The "landing zone" for mouse operations never changes for a given duration, > regardless of the type of note or rest being entered > > * Potential future extensibility to include double dotted durations with > some minor rework that could definitely get done in time for release if > there is any demand > > * Potential to add arcane new types of durations for the price of a new > toggle icon in the "control area" of this scheme, which is a very low price > to pay in terms of screen real estate in order to add another heaping glob > of duration icons (this would not get done for Thorn, if ever) > > Disadvantages: > > * Many extra mouse clicks required to enter a typical 8. 16 pattern using the > toolbar entry method (especially when entering notes in sequence): > > click 8 (selects 8 duration) > click . (switches to dotted version of 8) > click staff (enters 8.) > click 16 (selects 16. duration) > click . (switchs to plain version of 16) > click staff (enters 16) > > Opposed to: > click 8. (selects 8. duration) > click staff (enters 8.) > click 16 (enters 16 duration) > click staff (enters 16) > > * Extra mouse clicks also required to intermingle notes and rests, although > I think this is done much less frequently, and is of less concern > > Michael's personal conclusion: > > I don't really care about double dotted notes or the ability to enter bizarre > new arcane types of durations, so that cancels out two advantages. > > The extra work for the 8. 16 8. 16 pattern is a serious disadvantage. > > I've always found the "four corners" layout annoying, and have wanted to > something to improve it for the longest time. It does present all the > possible durations where they are all one mouse click away from being > selected, but I have had a tendency to go back to the last place I came from, > so I'd enter 8. then it was not uncommon for me to enter 16. by accident, and > have to fix it. > > Therefore having the same "landing zone" where 8 is 8 is 8 is 8 and 16 is 16 > is 16 is 16 is a serious advantage. > > These two cancel each other out, narrowing the decision down to compactness > weighed against the increased tedium of rest switching. > > I conclude that the new scheme gets my vote, and I think I can try to learn > new habits so as to minimize the disadvantage of the new scheme in the 8. 16 > scenario. > > Now then, that's enough of me talking. This one is a pretty big paradigm > shift, and everyone who has a vested interest in this should please weigh in > as soon as possible. > > Thanks. > |