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

[Leon82]

1 hour ago, Chally72 said:

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.

Yes years ago I ended up with a custom bolt circle

[Thad]

18 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.

In over 20 years of using MC, I've never used tip comp and breakthrough. I couldn't care less what page that setting is on, or if it even exists at all.

Doing die work, we do a lot of holes that start and end at different Z depths (inside pockets, keys, break into pockets/steps on the other side, etc) so I change back and forth from absolute to incremental multiple times per day. I also copy and reuse toolpaths all day long. So if you think Abs/Inc is changed "almost never," you're wrong.

[Johnward Holmeson]

15 hours ago, Newbeeee™ said:

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.

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:

You don't have to wait.  Just hover and scroll immediately.  Works just fine for me. 

[OVodov]

[Jobnt]

3 hours ago, Thad said:

we do a lot of holes that start and end at different Z depths (inside pockets, keys, break into pockets/steps on the other side, etc) so I change back and forth from absolute to incremental multiple times per day. I also copy and reuse toolpaths all day long. So if you think Abs/Inc is changed "almost never," you're wrong.

Like I said, it's like CNC Software is getting their product development direction from the Marketing department, not from the end users.

15 minutes ago, OVodov said:

I tried to create another account so I could like this again but it wouldn't allow me.  

[JoshC]

the panel interface used in 3d lathe tool designer and Custom thread toolpath and b-axis turning paths is sooooo ugly to me, i really hope panel interface is not going to be the new thing but i think it is...

not trying to take this off topic but i dont mind the drop down much its that panel interface that for some reason has recently started being used is what i dislike, surprised i dont hear more about that but maybe its just me on that

[Aaron Eberhard]

1 hour ago, OVodov said:

That will never happen..   There's about 20 UX reasons that's a bad idea, but the biggest is different languages

[Newbeeee™]

3 minutes ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

That will never happen..   There's about 20 UX reasons that's a bad idea, but the biggest is different languages

If you can't speak the Kings language, who the heck are you?

(That's worked for many hunnerds of years )

[OVodov]

4 minutes ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

That will never happen..   There's about 20 UX reasons that's a bad idea, but the biggest is different languages

 

Change Abs. to G90, Inc. to G91 and Assoc. to any graphic icon and problem solved for all languages. 

[Newbeeee™]

2 hours ago, Johnward Holmeson said:

You don't have to wait.  Just hover and scroll immediately.  Works just fine for me. 

Everyday's a school day to me, but hover, and scrolling.....there's still 2x actions going on....Position mouse, finger on wheel and scroll....

Where you could just position the mouse and click....on the actual, physical, setting you want. Not hidden, bold and in your face.

I understand it's all preferences, but....

[Jobnt]

42 minutes ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

That will never happen..   There's about 20 UX reasons that's a bad idea, but the biggest is different languages

Imma call BS on this. If it "won't" happen it's because they don't "want" it to happen. 

It's called a GUI for a reason... Make it GUI. Give the CUSTOMERS what they want. Move on to the next big thing. 

It's simple. Really. Simple.

[Aaron Eberhard]

3 minutes ago, Jobnt said:

Imma call BS on this. If it "won't" happen it's because they don't "want" it to happen. 

It's called a GUI for a reason... Make it GUI. Give the CUSTOMERS what they want. Move on to the next big thing. 

It's simple. Really. Simple.

That's right, it's THE MAN tryin' to keep ya down.

[AHarrison1]

56 minutes ago, OVodov said:

 

Change Abs. to G90, Inc. to G91 and Assoc. to any graphic icon and problem solved for all languages. 

...Just not for lathe language

[OVodov]

8 minutes ago, AHarrison1 said:

...Just not for lathe language

Will 3 icons work for you?

 

 

[rgrin]

1 hour ago, OVodov said:

 

Change Abs. to G90, Inc. to G91 and Assoc. to any graphic icon and problem solved for all languages. 

Doesn't work for other control languages. Heidenhain doesn't use G90/G91 calls IIRC

[AHarrison1]

4 minutes ago, OVodov said:

Will 3 icons work for you?

Any 3 icons, or did you have 3particular icons in mind?

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, rgrin said:

Doesn't work for other control languages. Heidenhain doesn't use G90/G91 calls IIRC

3 icons for you too then i suppose.

[#Rekd™]

Lets solve this crisis.....Chat GPT!!!!!!!

 

:)~~~~~~~~~~

[OVodov]

[Thad]

26 minutes ago, OVodov said:

OT: What does the crosshair next to the value field do?

[AHarrison1]

3 minutes ago, Thad said:

OT: What does the crosshair next to the value field do?

I'm guessing it's the same functions as the buttons below

[Thad]

On 5/24/2023 at 11:08 AM, Chally72 said:

... 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.

 

You're all about considering copied ops....

 

On 5/24/2023 at 11:08 AM, Chally72 said:

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.

 

...until you aren't. 

 

Just sayin. 

8 minutes ago, AHarrison1 said:

I'm guessing it's the same functions as the buttons below

I thought that's what the cursor icon was for. 

[Jobnt]

1 hour ago, Aaron Eberhard said:

That's right, it's THE MAN tryin' to keep ya down.

Did you just assume their gender? 

[JoshC]

2 hours ago, Jobnt said:

Did you just assume their gender? 

[Jobnt]

1 hour ago, JoshC said:

Oh. Sorry, sir.

[sweeper]

"That will never happen..   There's about 20 UX reasons that's a bad idea, but the biggest is different languages "

I think the language being referred to is what the GUI is programmed in. There is a much bigger programming world then CNC machines.

Eric