Toolbars/Command buttons in Status or Transparent bar

[silopolis]

Re,

Still working at my UI config is it possible, and of course how, to add toolbars and/or command buttons to the status bar ?
Using other softwares I've become used to have some commands (specially the View and Snap ones) at the bottom but would rather not loose vertical real estate by adding another bar at the bottom... Unless maybe if it could be made transparent !?

Are these doable ? Other ideas ?

TY
J

[onekk]

...
Still working at my UI config is it possible, and of course how, to add toolbars and/or command buttons to the status bar ?
Using other softwares I've become used to have some commands (specially the View and Snap ones) at the bottom but would rather not loose vertical real estate by adding another bar at the bottom... Unless maybe if it could be made transparent !?

Are you familiar with Qt?

what version of FC you are using, there could be some differences between Qt versions.

More in general:

https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2264

Without entering on more deatils, you could add things to the status bas as it is a QtWidget, how it depends, on some extent on what you have to do.

If you intend to modify the UI you have to get rid of the "standard" toolbars, but as example View controls could be find some place in a "modern UI" in the Navicube as example, Snap controls, are useful only in some WB and have no meaning in other WB, (FreeCAD is somewhat different from "other softwares").

Making something transparent could be an option, but "it depends", as what is perfectly visible on "your settings" could not be visible as example if an user is customizing "3d view" backgroud color, did you consider this fact.

A little example, if you want to have for whatever reason 3d view background black, what happens to your transparent buttons, with "black text" on them?

Consider also that for some people "color choice" is not a simple matter of tastes, see as example:

https://webaim.org/articles/visual/colorblind

https://accessibility.psu.edu/accommoda ... blindness/

This link will reveal that almsot 10% of caucasian people have some sort of color blindness, and sadly this is not taken in account by many "UI developers".

https://www.colour-blindness.com/general/prevalence/


Side note I'm not color blind.

Regards

Carlo D.



And take in account that

[silopolis]

Are you familiar with Qt?

Sadly not, hopefully before too long...

what version of FC you are using, there could be some differences between Qt versions.
More in general:
https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2264

I'm using last stable version ATM... And I'll take care of improving my posts quality, sorry.

Without entering on more deatils, you could add things to the status bas as it is a QtWidget, how it depends, on some extent on what you have to do.
If you intend to modify the UI you have to get rid of the "standard" toolbars, but as example View controls could be find some place in a "modern UI" in the Navicube as example, Snap controls, are useful only in some WB and have no meaning in other WB, (FreeCAD is somewhat different from "other softwares").

This looks way to invasive for my current skills and potentially a maintenance chore :/
Could a "docking" area be added in the center of the status bar be added where users could drag and place toolbars of their choice ?

Making something transparent could be an option, but "it depends", as what is perfectly visible on "your settings" could not be visible as example if an user is customizing "3d view" backgroud color, did you consider this fact.
A little example, if you want to have for whatever reason 3d view background black, what happens to your transparent buttons, with "black text" on them?

Good point, but I believe designing a nice, clean, complete and accessible UI is one of a Craft as witnesses the huge work it takes to some people in this community to take FreeCAD's UX to the next level... And we all owe them their weight in their favorite beverage for this !
This is to say that of course there may be color and contrast incompatibilities but, if adequately used with a well contrasted highlighting stylesheet and/or possibly a specifically designed icon theme, this could do wonders !

Consider also that for some people "color choice" is not a simple matter of tastes, see as example:
https://webaim.org/articles/visual/colorblind
https://accessibility.psu.edu/accommoda ... blindness/
This link will reveal that almsot 10% of caucasian people have some sort of color blindness, and sadly this is not taken in account by many "UI developers".
https://www.colour-blindness.com/general/prevalence/

Absolutely, no debate ! This actually ponders even more my preceding appreciation
And thank you for these very good resources BTW

TY
J

[onekk]

You could use custom toolbars, but
I don't know the behaviour in respect to not activated WB.

Probably it is better to ask explicitly how to make a toolbar with button belonging to different WB.

I have some doubts about the availability of tools (buttons) of not active WB, it may depend on FC versions as some works has been done between versions.

Probably in 0.20 there is already a way to activate some WB automatically when starting FC.

When I have coded some WB I've had to activate them explicitly in the Init phase of my WB to have them available.

But I don't know well the customize mechanism, better to ask.

Regards

Carlo D.