Idea for the main window

[grd]

...
On my side, in the last 2 weeks I tried to get an insight on C++ without much success. So, I shut up meanwhile.

The problem is that coding is difficult and knowing every bit of FreeCAD is difficult too as it present two type of problems:

No, the ONE problem is C++. Creating wrappers around the C++ headers and start with Nim is gonna ease it all by a lot!

[adrianinsaval]

This is why I suggest implementing this as a python addon. Intrinsic UI changes into the main code base are bound to be met with staunch opposition by vocal names that have been around a long time and are well established around here. If it becomes popular enough, then you'd have a good case to argue for full and proper integration into the main codebase.

but this is already been done and it didn't become that popular...

IMO FreeCAD has a little too many categories to be efficiently used in a ribbon UI, first just consider the number of workbenches and you already have too many tabs, then some workbenches have so many commands that a proper ribbon UI would require them to be split into even more tabs (which then becomes confusing)

[grd]

This is why I suggest implementing this as a python addon. Intrinsic UI changes into the main code base are bound to be met with staunch opposition by vocal names that have been around a long time and are well established around here. If it becomes popular enough, then you'd have a good case to argue for full and proper integration into the main codebase.

but this is already been done and it didn't become that popular...

IMO FreeCAD has a little too many categories to be efficiently used in a ribbon UI, first just consider the number of workbenches and you already have too many tabs, then some workbenches have so many commands that a proper ribbon UI would require them to be split into even more tabs (which then becomes confusing)

SolidWorks also has RibbonBars and when you add a new module you get another set of commands inside a new tab. That could work here too.

[xtemp09]

but this is already been done and it didn't become that popular...

Ribbon UI has not been implemented.

IMO FreeCAD has a little too many categories to be efficiently used in a ribbon UI, first just consider the number of workbenches and you already have too many tabs, then some workbenches have so many commands that a proper ribbon UI would require them to be split into even more tabs (which then becomes confusing)

People use only one-two workbenches. You open PartDesign, Sketcher and that's it. Or you open only Arch. No one uses more than three workbenches, at least simultaneously during a week. Ribbon UI is customizable, so multitabs won't be present unless you intentionally set it.

And I think, no one is going to implement Ribbon without downshift to the previous UI if that somebody finds will to implement it.

[grd]

And I think, no one is going to implement Ribbon without downshift to the previous UI if that somebody finds will to implement it.

And then it probably gets silent again...

[Hologram]

This tendency to discourage people from working on a ribbon UI is a bit ridiculous imo.

[obelisk79]

I don't know if I've seen much in the way out outright discouragement. There are some potential difficulties/challenges being presented which, in all honesty, adds value to the discussion. I personally think there is room for an intelligently implemented Ribbon UI solution, however my observations are that a fundamental change to the UI is probably best done as an addon, or at least purely optional or code will never get merged as UI changes are probably the most controversial/hotly-debated around here.

[adrianinsaval]

People use only one-two workbenches. You open PartDesign, Sketcher and that's it. Or you open only Arch.

demonstrably false, even if we limit ourselves to someone doing mechanical design you may need sketcher, part design, part for some stuff, occasionally draft, techdraw, FEM and or CfdOf, curves if you are doing complex surfaces, some assembly wb, spreadsheet to manage parameters or do reports, mesh wb if you need to export high quality stl, etc, etc...

I imagine someone doing architectural work may also need multiple WBs althought I'm not very familiar with the workflow.

No one uses more than three workbenches, at least simultaneously during a week.

I wouldn't want to reconfigure my UI every week...

There are some potential difficulties/challenges being presented which, in all honesty, adds value to the discussion

Agreed, if anybody plans on seriously working on this they need to see the disadvantages to be able to mitigate or solve

[obelisk79]

I think for a Ribbon UI to work there would need to be a holistic assessment of how users interact with FreeCAD within the workbench construct. It can be done, however will undoubtedly require extensive planning. That is only from a feasibility perspective also. There still the people problem of, people inherently resist change, and this would present a potential paradigm shift in how workbenches are used/presented which is an additional challenge. I would argue that a Ribbon bar could/should be able to present elements/functions from multiple workbenches. But that's already going down the rabbit hole, we're still in the merits of the idea part of this.

[xtemp09]

Ok, adrianinsaval, you made a good point. Now I pity users of SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor.