Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 01-11-2014, 02:06   #16
Registered User
 
rgleason's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Boat: 1981 Bristol 32 Sloop
Posts: 17,525
Images: 2
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

This is a very good thread discussion. There is passion respect learning and understanding and a positive outcome: resolve to help and work together to improve opencpn for Mac! Thankyou all. I will post a couple of links about Menus and shortcut threads later for your review.

In tracker using the ALL dropdown or Opencpn Features or Beta for PROJECT. Then try clicking on "Description" to sort, Then scroll down to "UI". You will find lots of entries there.

Sometime ago we also started a separate "Project" dropdown for "Menus and shortcuts" or something like that. This is in Tracker and it has not seen much activity but this project is focused on the same improvements you are all talking about.

When i get to a computer I will add those links.



Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
rgleason is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2014, 02:14   #17
Registered User
 
rgleason's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Boat: 1981 Bristol 32 Sloop
Posts: 17,525
Images: 2
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

On an off topic question, should I suggest Opencpn for Mac to a friend who is migrating from windows to Mac? He has been using opencpn on windows but is concern about the challenges in running Mac. He has been looking at other nav software too. It would be very nice to be able to suggest "stick with opencpn on mac". Is there any particular suggestions for install and operation? Should he use 3.2.2?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
rgleason is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2014, 05:10   #18
Registered User
 
Mollymawk's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: on the high seas
Boat: "Mollymawk" 50ft Steel Ketch
Posts: 149
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason View Post
This is a very good thread discussion. There is passion respect learning and understanding and a positive outcome: resolve to help and work together to improve opencpn for Mac! Thankyou all. I will post a couple of links about Menus and shortcut threads later for your review.
Not just for Mac, I hope, if we can make some positive changes to the toolbar such as I suggested I think it will greatly improve OpenCPN on all platforms. The Mac menu bar is a side issue, almost.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason View Post
In tracker using the ALL dropdown or Opencpn Features or Beta for PROJECT. Then try clicking on "Description" to sort, Then scroll down to "UI". You will find lots of entries there.

Sometime ago we also started a separate "Project" dropdown for "Menus and shortcuts" or something like that. This is in Tracker and it has not seen much activity but this project is focused on the same improvements you are all talking about.

When i get to a computer I will add those links.

I have seen a few of those entries, but will make time for a proper look through the tracker.

A general "UI" project category might be useful.




Quote:
Originally Posted by rgleason View Post
On an off topic question, should I suggest Opencpn for Mac to a friend who is migrating from windows to Mac? He has been using opencpn on windows but is concern about the challenges in running Mac. He has been looking at other nav software too. It would be very nice to be able to suggest "stick with opencpn on mac". Is there any particular suggestions for install and operation? Should he use 3.2.2?
You should absolutely recommend it. It works great on Mac, even though it doesn't look totally native. It's certainly the best Mac navigation software I know of.

I don't know whether to recommend sticking with stable 3.2.2 or using beta 3.3.x. I am using the beta for day to day navigation, and it is very stable. It also has several useful features that stable, such as NMEA input/output over the network. The only major regressions I am aware of are the fontselector crash and the massive underzoom issue, but the latter affects all platforms.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
www.yachtmollymawk.com
Mollymawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2014, 05:38   #19
Registered User
 
rgleason's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boston, MA
Boat: 1981 Bristol 32 Sloop
Posts: 17,525
Images: 2
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Here are some of the discussions about UI which might be worth reading or for reference:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...st-112272.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...eys-61303.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...een-38087.html

This one is about Tablets which might be interesting, but not totally applicable.
Tablets - Page 2 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Tracker: OpenCPN::Tracker 0 - OpenCPN - Feature Requests: Tasklist
Project: Opencpn Feature Requests click on Summary to Sort There are about 3-4 pages of UI suggestions.

In Tracker Project dropdown we have a separate project for "Shortcuts & Touch Screen" perhaps this will work:
OpenCPN::Tracker Shortcuts & Touch Screen: Tasklist
Nobody has really entered anything into this special project.

Thanks Mollymawk for your suggestions re MAC use.
rgleason is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2014, 19:48   #20
Marine Service Provider
 
bdbcat's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,387
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Gerhard...

re:
"If there is someone of the Mac users here who knows to work with Xcode for compiling OCPN, then please use the analyzer in Xcode.
After that please come back for further discussions..."

Check again, please.

All issues are now "Dead Stores".

"Dead Stores" are not bugs. It's like leaving the glass of water on the table untouched after dinner. You don't want it, don't need it. But it is not an error to leave it half full.

Thanks
Dave
bdbcat is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2014, 20:08   #21
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: oriental
Boat: crowther trimaran 33
Posts: 4,414
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Often this analyzer is not clever enough to realize the intention of the programmer.
seandepagnier is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 05:03   #22
Registered User
 
Mollymawk's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: on the high seas
Boat: "Mollymawk" 50ft Steel Ketch
Posts: 149
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Everyone,

Please see my pull request at https://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN/pull/176 regarding Mac menus.

I would like input from others on what items should be in the menus, and what order they should be in.

For those who don't want to build from source, I will post some screenshots later (when I get to my Mac) so you can see what I have done and provide input.

Thanks, Caesar
__________________
www.yachtmollymawk.com
Mollymawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 06:29   #23
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hannover - Germany
Boat: Amel Sharki
Posts: 2,537
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Caesar,
I have made a comment in your git.
When something should be OS X like then please make it OS X like and not another way.
Gerhard
CarCode is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 07:22   #24
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hannover - Germany
Boat: Amel Sharki
Posts: 2,537
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Quote:
Originally Posted by bdbcat View Post
Gerhard...

re:
"If there is someone of the Mac users here who knows to work with Xcode for compiling OCPN, then please use the analyzer in Xcode.
After that please come back for further discussions..."

Check again, please.

All issues are now "Dead Stores".

"Dead Stores" are not bugs. It's like leaving the glass of water on the table untouched after dinner. You don't want it, don't need it. But it is not an error to leave it half full.

Thanks
Dave
Checking your latest code with latest Xcode 6.1 there are still 63 issues like "Logic Error", "Memory used after it is freed" and so on, besides more than 100 "Dead Stores".
Gerhard
CarCode is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 07:27   #25
Registered User
 
Mollymawk's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: on the high seas
Boat: "Mollymawk" 50ft Steel Ketch
Posts: 149
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Quote:
Originally Posted by CarCode View Post
Caesar,
I have made a comment in your git.
When something should be OS X like then please make it OS X like and not another way.
Gerhard
Gerhard,

Thanks for the feedback.

This is supposed to be about menus, not Help Books, but:
OCPN does not have an OS X Help Book, so far as I am aware.
Maybe it should, bit that's a different issue and can be addressed later.
For the moment I have used the existing method of opening the help in a browser. At least it is more visible than before.

What do you think about the rest of the menus, especially regarding layout and and which items are in which menu?
I know I haven't put the AIS options in the menus yet. I'll come to that.

Cheers, Caesar

PS - if you have a better idea, eg regarding the help menu, please feel free to send a pull request to my mac-menus branch.
__________________
www.yachtmollymawk.com
Mollymawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 08:34   #26
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hannover - Germany
Boat: Amel Sharki
Posts: 2,537
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Caesar,
to see my Mac menus look here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1665917

The help menu item is in the upper original Mac OS X menu bar. It has a search function also. I have made another item there for updates with Sparkle.framework.

Gerhard
CarCode is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 10:10   #27
Registered User
 
Mollymawk's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: on the high seas
Boat: "Mollymawk" 50ft Steel Ketch
Posts: 149
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Here are screenshots of the menus as I currently have them.

Feedback from all Mac OCPN users would be helpful.

Note, for now I have just used the existing shortcuts (except for fullscreen, where I have used the standard OSX fullscreen shortcut, and MOB, where I have used Ctrl-Space as Cmd-Space is reserved globally for Spotlight.)

However, a few shortcuts could do with changing to be more usable on the Mac, particularly the funtion keys F4, F5, and F9 used for Measure, Colour Scheme, and Quilting.


Gerhard, I looked at your menus. I don't understand German, but I can work out what most of the entries are...
Yes, automatic updates using Sparkle would be fantastic. That will have to be discussed separately from the menus.
To be honest I am not sure if a major feature like that should be Mac-only, a more cross-platform solution would be better (though of course the Linux packages are updated automatically anyway, so "cross-platform" here would just be Mac and Windows.)

~ Caesar
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	1 OCPN menu.png
Views:	100
Size:	48.6 KB
ID:	90826   Click image for larger version

Name:	3 View menu.png
Views:	115
Size:	51.0 KB
ID:	90828  

Click image for larger version

Name:	5 Help menu.png
Views:	111
Size:	28.1 KB
ID:	90830  
Attached Images
  
__________________
www.yachtmollymawk.com
Mollymawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 10:21   #28
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hannover - Germany
Boat: Amel Sharki
Posts: 2,537
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

The function keys works only on Mac together with the fn key, e.g. fn-F4 etc.
You should change the short key description in your menus like that.

Gerhard
CarCode is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 10:48   #29
bcn
Registered User

Join Date: May 2011
Location: underway whenever possible
Boat: Rangeboat 39
Posts: 4,702
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Quote:
Originally Posted by CarCode View Post
The function keys works only on Mac together with the fn key, e.g. fn-F4 etc.
You should change the short key description in your menus like that.

Gerhard
With genuine Apple keyboards, or?
At least here with a Win style keyboard and a MAC mini the F-keys are working as expected.

Hubert
bcn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2014, 11:02   #30
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Hannover - Germany
Boat: Amel Sharki
Posts: 2,537
Re: Suggestions for UI improvements

Hubert,
I'm on Apple not on Windows.
Gerhard
CarCode is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
opencpn

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
improvements Looming on Lithium Batteries fastcat435 Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 0 20-06-2010 11:59
Two Possible Improvements... Christian Van H Forum Tech Support & Site Help 17 01-03-2010 07:29
CAD Applications to Boat Improvements Sam Plan B Construction, Maintenance & Refit 0 30-12-2008 19:55

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:58.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.