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UI Design
From: |
Stefan Urbanek |
Subject: |
UI Design |
Date: |
Sat, 25 Jan 2003 01:40:17 +0100 |
Hi,
This is how I see it...
I draw a sketch of window layout with some app, like drawing with a pencil on a
paper. With this 'paper/pencil' approach I can be more productive and creative.
I tune it to get most of it and to make it usable. When I am satisfied with the
design, then i can start thinking about autoresizing of views depending on the
window size. I can do that in Gorm.
What I want more? 1. I want it to be localizable
2. I want it to adapt to font size changes
3. ...
Where is the problem? Relayout depending on the contents.
Now I have my UI designed and I want to make it adapt automaticaly. Possible
solution should be to specify relative distances between objects. This can be
achieved by having NSPoint, NSSize as objects, not as C structures, where I can
two types of each. One with absolute positions and another with relative to
other NSPoint, NSSize. With current implementation, we have only absolute
points and sizes, we cannot specify the size as: {half of some width, same
height} or point as {5 points to the right of that point, same y}. Yes, THIS
is what we really want - specify either relative or absolute position and size
of a view. Because points and sizes are not objects, just plain
structures, we have to do it another way: store an additional information about
the points and sizes of objects.
To sum it up:
1. design and tune the interface.
2. autosizing
3. autolayout depending on contents
The most important thing is, that the FIRST step should be done ONLY by a
designer, without any forcing/assistance of automatic layout. Relayout design
should be done by the designer, when the interface is finished. Either as
grouping objects, or specifying relative sizes and positions in similar way as
we specify outlet/action connections.
Be it Gorm or Renaissance visual editor, I think, that both should keep that
order of UI design steps.
I see no sense in creating one UI to be adaptable to an UI philosophy of a
hosting OS. That is one-size-fits-all solution and the result will be unusable,
but portable UI.
Stefan
--
http://urbanek.host.sk
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you
win.
- Mahatma Gandhi
- UI Design,
Stefan Urbanek <=