Please do not replace radio buttons with a combobox (another bad UI design decision)

[SlaveCam]

These settings are changed all the time. Now it takes two clicks instead of one to change a setting. How is this better?? Also it is much easier to misclick a combobox selection.

[Newbeeee™]

Ohhhhh, that's bad. Obviously "someone" thinks hidden is the way to go

Also....the ABS and A55 word would all blur with my eyes when buzzing through the settings, as only "A" is capital.

I'd be looking to bold the first couple of letters for clarity (I say couple as the political correct dept would explode if "A55" was highlighted.... )

ABsolute

ASsociative

INcremental

 

Edit:- Oh Wokey dopey SW - it "xxx" out my original post  

 

 

[Johnward Holmeson]

Just hover over and use your mousewheel.  No extra click

[Jobnt]

1 hour ago, Johnward Holmeson said:

Just hover over and use your mousewheel.  No extra click

Why are you trying to justify bad implementation?

2 hours ago, Newbeeee™ said:

Oh Wokey dopey SW

Words can hurt people. Especially adults. 

 

LOL?

[AHarrison1]

30 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Why are you trying to justify bad implementation?

 

 

 

I dont think he/she/it is justifying any implementation, he/she/it is pointing out that the OP does not need the extra mouse click.

[Jobnt]

51 minutes ago, AHarrison1 said:

I dont think he/she/it is justifying any implementation, he/she/it is pointing out that the OP does not need the extra mouse click.

Was mostly joking. But seriously, why was this even changed? 

[nperry]

2 hours ago, Jobnt said:

Was mostly joking. But seriously, why was this even changed? 

Because there's going to be a non-zero number of new, very annoying glitches in this upcoming version and the aesthetic appeal of drop down menus is the only thing that's going to make downloading it even remotely palettable.

[Jobnt]

11 minutes ago, nperry said:

Because there's going to be a non-zero number of new, very annoying glitches in this upcoming version and the aesthetic appeal of drop down menus is the only thing that's going to make downloading it even remotely palettable.

Oh man. This guy. He gets it!

 

[JTaylor]

Honestly I almost never change these settings and it looks cleaner.

Downside will be when debugging a program it's easier to spot a bad selection when they are all presented.

[Thad]

I'm seeing a trend with Mastercam. The more time that goes by, the more it sucks.

[Jobnt]

4 hours ago, Thad said:

I'm seeing a trend with Mastercam. The more time that goes by, the more it sucks.

They keep changing things for the sake of, well... changing things. Not because they make a programmers job easier or more fluid or more practical or more productive.

It's like they're getting their direction for product development from people who have never programmed a part before.

[Simon Kausch]

I like that tip comp is now on the same page but the radio buttons are better. Seems like an unecessary change.

[Chally72]

There were a few areas we specifically targeted to improve the linking page for. The biggest was- how do we get Tip Comp and Breakthrough onto the same page with the rest of the linking parameters? It was a huge impediment to learning the toolpath and also to understanding what a path was doing when you had to visit not only the linking page, but also a subpage (that depending on the toolpath was either under Linking parameters or Cut parameters) to get a complete picture of what depth the hole would actually be drilled to, for example. Adding options to a page that was already full always comes with a compromise, and in this case the radiobuttons took up too much room and had to be changed to a dropdown, but we feel the visibility of the tip comp settings is the more important choice here, given how many problems it causes when you copy an op or leave it on and then drill to a wrong depth or don't understand why the path isn't giving you what you want.

 

When we talk about clicks, first we have to look at how often we're changing from incremental to absolute and back- almost never. It's a setting that's changed once when the path is initially made, and usually not touched after that. Tip comp, or depths, however, are things that require constant tweaking as you dial in a process, and making a user take two extra clicks and jump to a different page to even view these settings is mouse miles, too! Also, as mentioned, there is the ability to simply hover over the dropdown and scroll the mousewheel- so we went from one click to "zero" clicks from that perspective. In terms of visually digesting what a toolpath is set at, as well, I'd have to mentally spend some energy to scan through the column of radiobuttons to, say, make sure that all my settings are indeed incremental, or associative, etc, whereas it's a lot easier to "tin soldier inspect" the dropdowns and spot the one that might be set wrong or out of place.

UI changes or tweaks always come with compromises when an existing interface has been around for so long and isn't in a state where it can be easily expanded. In this case we felt that these changes offered much more value than what retaining the radiobuttons offered.

[Jobnt]

17 minutes ago, Chally72 said:

how often we're changing from incremental to absolute and back- almost never every hour.

Little fissaroo for ya...

 

17 minutes ago, Chally72 said:

there is the ability to simply hover over the dropdown and scroll the mousewheel

My mousewheel is smooth (i.e. it sucks) and it's difficult to get things to scroll one item at a time. Been looking for an excuse to get a new one.

 

17 minutes ago, Chally72 said:

a page that was already full

Uhh, here's some room... ??!!

[#Rekd™]

17 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Uhh, here's some room... ??!!

Sharpen your crayons!! :D~~~~~

[Chally72]

31 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Little fissaroo for ya...

 

My mousewheel is smooth (i.e. it sucks) and it's difficult to get things to scroll one item at a time. Been looking for an excuse to get a new one.

 

Uhh, here's some room... ??!!

There might be something called Feed plane that appears in some circumstances

[SuperHoneyBadger]

29 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Uhh, here's some room... ??!!

2022's "old way" fits in the exact same vertical space as the dropdown method...

Also, if we're going to colour code the planes in this page, and in the viewport, let's go HARD BAHD

[Jobnt]

36 minutes ago, #Rekd™ said:

Sharpen your crayons!! :D~~~~~

Can't. Every time I try to sharpen them I get hungry and eat them. 

 

#FirstWorldProblems #BananaRepublicProblems

[Leon82]

If you move you mouse and accidentally hit the wheel as you pass over it could change them inadvertently 

[MIKE_B]

29 minutes ago, Leon82 said:

If you move you mouse and accidentally hit the wheel as you pass over it could change them inadvertently 

This is what i'm afraid of!  

[Jobnt]

50 minutes ago, MIKE_B said:

This is what i'm afraid of!  

Boss: "Why did it crash?"

Programmer: "I DON'T KNOW!!!"

[Chally72]

2 hours ago, Leon82 said:

If you move you mouse and accidentally hit the wheel as you pass over it could change them inadvertently 

This works the same way in all panels with drop downs and has for several years, so if you haven't run into it yet then chances are it'll be a similar experience here.

[cruzila]

4 hours ago, Chally72 said:

There were a few areas we specifically targeted to improve the linking page for. The biggest was- how do we get Tip Comp and Breakthrough onto the same page with the rest of the linking parameters? It was a huge impediment to learning the toolpath and also to understanding what a path was doing when you had to visit not only the linking page, but also a subpage (that depending on the toolpath was either under Linking parameters or Cut parameters) to get a complete picture of what depth the hole would actually be drilled to, for example. Adding options to a page that was already full always comes with a compromise, and in this case the radiobuttons took up too much room and had to be changed to a dropdown, but we feel the visibility of the tip comp settings is the more important choice here, given how many problems it causes when you copy an op or leave it on and then drill to a wrong depth or don't understand why the path isn't giving you what you want.

 

When we talk about clicks, first we have to look at how often we're changing from incremental to absolute and back- almost never. It's a setting that's changed once when the path is initially made, and usually not touched after that. Tip comp, or depths, however, are things that require constant tweaking as you dial in a process, and making a user take two extra clicks and jump to a different page to even view these settings is mouse miles, too! Also, as mentioned, there is the ability to simply hover over the dropdown and scroll the mousewheel- so we went from one click to "zero" clicks from that perspective. In terms of visually digesting what a toolpath is set at, as well, I'd have to mentally spend some energy to scan through the column of radiobuttons to, say, make sure that all my settings are indeed incremental, or associative, etc, whereas it's a lot easier to "tin soldier inspect" the dropdowns and spot the one that might be set wrong or out of place.

UI changes or tweaks always come with compromises when an existing interface has been around for so long and isn't in a state where it can be easily expanded. In this case we felt that these changes offered much more value than what retaining the radiobuttons offered.

I try to not always buck against change for it's own sake but keep an open mind or use that grain of salt. Hard to do but I have had years of practice. My tongue is so full of scar tissue it's a wonder I don't lisp. 

I have tried really hard to NOT use tip comp for this reason. I think it IS an improvement to have this info all in the same place. It is also wise to give weight to those that are using the software and just trying to get the job done. CNC is in my experience the best and most responsive to doing this. Thanks!

That said, both windows side by side, MC2024 is smaller when at minimum. The first thing I usually try to do is drag the window bigger so I can see what part or piece follows. I.E. the list field in the tool page. I am not sold on the "we didn't have room" theory.

[Chally72]

MC2024 dialog is actually slightly bigger than 2023 by default, and if you look at the tool page, it has been redesigned and expanded as well to create more room as well and get a few more rows to show tools along. 

I'm on the forums discussing these items as I know that as a user, I'd have appreciated this kind of dialogue on some of the choices that affected me and my workflow, and we listen heavily to feedback in targeting enhancements and changes to make users' lives better. Thanks for the continued feedback on all aspects of the product 

[Newbeeee™]

4 hours ago, SuperHoneyBadger said:

2022's "old way" fits in the exact same vertical space as the dropdown method...

Also, if we're going to colour code the planes in this page, and in the viewport, let's go HARD BAHD

Ohhh, EVEN better!!!

I never suggested colour coding because I thought it would look all Fisher Price....

But yes, what you have there is 100% better IMHO.

On 5/23/2023 at 1:39 PM, Johnward Holmeson said:

Just hover over and use your mousewheel.  No extra click

So.... as others have said, you can accidentally change something with no knowledge of how it happened?

Annnndddd....the length of time you wait hovering for the options to appear, is it not faster to click it?

One step forwards, 2x steps backwards....:hrhr: