On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 10:24 AM, Alexandre Prokoudine
<alexandre.prokoudine@...400...> wrote:
On 9/11/10, Aleksandar Kovac wrote:
> -Inkscape Accessibility.
> Some of us can't see as good as others can. Using vectors, we can provide an
> ability to scale the cursor so that people with 'not-perfect-sight' can be
> happier with the Inkscape, enjoy and be creative! Scalable cursors and tool
> icons, might not be a huge bump in the accessibility, but would be a good
> and friendly step forward.
Exactly how will it help? Okay, we have a larger cursor and larger
tool icons. And then what? :) Is content magnified as well? :) Whereas
modern desktops already provide rasterized (admittedly) scaling of the
whole desktop for free.
:) I have a feeling you never tried that scaling function. Try sometimes and see how long you can do it before getting sick. :) Scaling kills proper spatial perception of the screen limits and objects on the screen, leading to inability to properly correct cursor position on the screen, leading to ... well, getting lost on the screen. Even reading, that demands simple eye-tracking, in many cases takes double the time. (
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.3.795) No, zoom function is not a solution.
And... Nope, the content is not magnified. :)) ...for that we use Inkscape's zoom tool which, the people with less than perfect sight, would access easier. Kidding aside, icon scaling can go both ways, some people like icons small.
> -Icons with deeper meaning.
> What we did with the introduction of the color on the cursor is simply
> telling the user what's the color at the time of use. This approach could be
> even smarter.
> a) For example, imagine that you look at the *toolbar* and see: that all the
> shape icons have red fill and black stroke. That gives the user 2
> advantages:
> 1. to know in advance the color of the shapes.
Are you sure that users won't screw their heads off after dealing with
toolbars that change all the time? :) It's an interesting idea though.
…Like that MS Office horror menu thing that use to hide the commands from users? Whatta fun! Yikes!
I'm not *sure* this will work without testing in working conditions. But, I *think* this would work : When a person sees: a brush with green track, and a pencil with orange track. People immediately figure out what's going to happen if you use it. A green brush stroke, and an orange pencil stroke.
When using natural media, tools are more complex than GUI metaphors. e.g.: colored pencils, crayons, ... A lot of tools that come in many variations. In the case of the colored pencils, not only the color is changed and the shape stays the same, but there are many of the objects, too! Sounds like a recipe for confusion, yet somehow it does not confuse the brain too much. As I said, I think this will work based on experience, but without the testing, nothing's for sure ;).
...
Anyone interested? Should I try to make a sketch?
> b) Dynamic tool icon
> For example, a tool cursor icon, that changes appearance depending on the
> Tablet pressure, angle, speed or inclination. This would be nice for some,
> don't you agree?
How exactly would it look?
