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Subject: 
Re: [LDAO] Editor Feedback requested
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad
Date: 
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 18:03:26 GMT
Viewed: 
1963 times
  
Once upon a time, Larry Pieniazek <lpien@ctp.IWANTNOSPAM.com> wrote:

Well I agree with that. In rereading the stuff I posted on this (at 3 AM
saturday) I may have come across as a little argumentative.

Not 'argumentative', just 'containing strong opinions'. :)

Steve should
be free to do this however he sees fit, it is after all a labor of love.

Thanks, I will.

I can still advocate using an industry standard OO language like Java
(1) instead of a vendor specific OO wannabe like VB, though.

Go right ahead and advocate.  But I'd blast VB for faults other than
lacking inheritance.

Some discussion of how the underlying paradigm ought to be structured
would be beneficial. But we're already past that, talking about which
control keys do what.

Sort of.  Part of the discussion is that some users like 1-keystroke
commands when modeling for LDraw.  But those semi-mnemonic commands
conflict with the full text-editing capabilities which may be
necessary in an authoring tool.

So let's drop back a bit. Who are the users? How do they do their job
now, and how do they WANT to do their job later? What process do they
follow? Should that process be changed?  Are there two distinct classes
of users? Do some people belong to both classes? Should the paradigms be
different or similar? Why or why not?

Discuss.

The users are LEGO enthusiasts who want to work on LDraw DAT files.
Primarily adults, with numbers declining as age is decreased.

This group can be divided into two non-exclusive groups.  Group A is
modelers, those people who want to use pre-made LDraw part-files to
create models of LEGO-style creations.  Group B is part-authors, those
people who write the parts for people in group A to use.  It is
possible that all members of B are also members of A.  Proof of this
is left to anyone who wants to carry it out.  Users who are members of
both groups can, and do, change from one group to the other and back.
Also, some of the Group A activities are required for the success of
Group B--that is, authors need to work with subfiles like modelers
work with parts.

Group A uses tools created specifically to edit model-files, such as
LEdit.  Group B uses low-level, general tools such as Notepad and
Excel.

Currently, group A users are faced with a simple, DOS based, keyboard
driven interface.  The main limitations (as I see them) are:

0. Limited to a 640x480 screen area.
1. Only a few lines are visible on-screen at once.
2. Only single-line operations are provided.
3. The parts catalog cannot be left on-screen for reference.
4. No mouse support.
5. The typical DOS-vs-Windowed GUI issues.

There are vocal group A members who like to use short keyboard
commands for their activities, the shorter and more powerful, the
better.  But there is also an assumption that some users would want
more mouse-based operations.

OK, that's enough for right now.  I'll have to come back to finish
this up later.

Steve



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: [LDAO] Editor Feedback requested
 
(...) A few more... To make a new model/sub-model, you have to quit and restart. There are a limited number of views - there should be at least 3 more oblique views: over rear right, under rear right, under front left. (...) i don't mind mouse (...) (26 years ago, 16-Nov-98, to lugnet.cad)
  Re: [LDAO] Editor Feedback requested
 
(...) Can you make maybe a keyboard mapping definition file associating keys or key-combinations to functions? Let users define their own keycaps? Maybe for someone F makes sense for File, and for someone else, Ctrl-F or Ctrl-O. (...) IMO, mouse (...) (26 years ago, 17-Nov-98, to lugnet.cad)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: [LDAO] Editor Feedback requested
 
(...) Well I agree with that. In rereading the stuff I posted on this (at 3 AM saturday) I may have come across as a little argumentative. Steve should be free to do this however he sees fit, it is after all a labor of love. I can still advocate (...) (26 years ago, 16-Nov-98, to lugnet.cad)

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