Over the time I've gotten some request to add a text-mode to the Panels, and I'm finally considering doing it.

First some basic considerations:
Names can be pretty long like "WookieChat", "TaskManager" or even "Bookmarks" so putting those into a standard square panelbutton is not going to happen.
No matter how things will get implemented text will be setable to something shorter in prefs and if that hasn't happened cut to fit.

Now the big quesion how to proceed:

a) place text ontop of icon-GFX like this:
Panel.png

good: panel objects are still square and layout will stay consistent with non-text objects
bad: reduced readability and compromised look

b) place icon and textobject in a vertical group
(no mockup for this yet)
good: text and GFX are independent and even text-only button-groups could be done
bad: whole object (the group) either isn't square or lots of white space between smaller icons
objects with and without text wouldn't be alligned

[ Edited by Kronos 16.03.2014 - 19:07 ]

Option a) looks bad. It is hard to read.

What if there was option c) where text is displayed above or below panel (or on the left or right) depending on a panel placement? But only when mouse pointer is on the top of object.

It would be quite laborous but both a) and b) sound bad to me.

well c) sounds a bit like a MUI-helpbubble (which are allredy there...), maybe make the timeout for them to appear user-setable ?

I'd like text-only possibility. Configurable text with possibility to use MUI's %[I[] tags for a small image would be just perfect :) Maybe even forget the hard to implement idea of both image and text, but make option d) image OR text.... for example, it could be cool to have main panel as images, but then subpanels as text.. etc configurations...

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I'd go with the a) solution. I don't think readability would suffer too much if a good outline/shadow effect (better than in the mockup) is applied so that a high level of contrast would be achieved.

Would it be good enough if the text is presented as a mouse-over effect, kind of like a speech bubble but with no delay, transparent background and the text centered horizontally at the center of the (bottom part of the) icon, allowing it to flow freely over icons to the left/right if necessary? This would also make it possible to use longer text. Downside is that the icon text isn't always visible and that you would have to slide the mouse pointer over the icon to see the text, but as long as the text is only supposed to function as an explanatory supplement to the graphical icon, then maybe this is good enough?

Wouldn't help if you want text-only buttons (which is nice IMHO), but I think those only makes sense in a vertical panel anyway.


[ Edited by takemehomegrandma 16.03.2014 - 20:48 ]

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If I do textonly objects I would also do a special group-class that would place 3 or 4 of those vertically into a horizontal panel....

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With text-only you could do panels like this:
menuexample.png
Maybe there could be switch to have text items being placed vertically or horizontally to get those second level subpanels more sensible way...

But anyway, adding those little images to text string comes for free with MUI.

I have successfully set up panels and I agree there should be text. especially takemehomegrandma's mouse over suggestion.

A text only panel would look good only if it was vertical. Also it would be nice to add a tiny icon (the same height as the text font) to the left of the text. I also like the three or four vertical panels tied to a horizontal panel, similar to that in the JPV picture.

And please add a feature where panels remain collapsed until re-expanded.

[ Edited by In_Correct 16.03.2014 - 14:08 ]

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Not 100% sure what you mean here...

Panels can be autoclosed (see Prefs), or are you suggestimg that a panel should be "closed" on startup ?

Doesn't sound so hard to implement, but the devil is in the details and I allready plan to do a complete overhaul of the zipping code (but probraly not for 3.6).

MorphOS really needs an update in the GUI. There should be at least the possibility to minimize windows to a panel or dock, just like in windows and mac os. And some more dynamic behaviour of the buttons would be nice too, like changing colours, when you move the mouse over a window gadget for example.
the way it is now, it looks too much like an 90s operating system. very static.

@Cego

Well an appicon like mechanism for the panels should be possible, heck even hijacking actual appicons/iconifying wouldn't be impossible (but I rather have a dedicated API used by the apps).

@ Kronos & @jPV

I like the jPV version the best, and I've just been thinking of how to make something like that. I have seen similar programs for Classic.

My suggestion then would be to be able to have an icon to the left or right with text on the side. And maybe also that when you put your mouse over the icon the text would appear on the side. More options are nice, but I suppose you need to make them not stray away too much or else there will be to much to program. I think this makes the most sense.

Having text over the icon looks very cluttered. I'm not a fan of that idea.

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I found it. I needed to select "Auto Zipping". This auto zipping is very useful because I currently have four panels. (Utilities, Games, Emulators, and Applications) I don't want them open all the time. And they must be collapsed on startup. However, the auto zipping solves all the problems.

Obviously I would welcome the Multi-Panel in JPV's picture.

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I completely agree with this minimize windows to the panel.

The icons already light up when you mouse over them. But it isn't a default feature.

Ambient Settings >> Icon Display >> Icon Glows Under Mouse.

I used to have text under the icon with Polynet and it was working just fine

This is how I've currently set Polynet:

1NYudff.png

When I was using DOpus on classic, I had my toolbars set like jPV's. Text only works for me, but I could definately use second level panels. Best would be to give the option to place additional icon either left, right, top? or bottom. Top option could hover over the toolbar on mouseover like on OSX.

I also like the idea to iconify programs to dock (or some other menu), currently they partly overlap with drive icons and I have not found a way to snapshot them to a different place.

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You could use MUIM_CreateBubble yourself to display the bubble immediately if the mouse is over an panel object.

[ Edited by igracki 18.03.2014 - 13:44 ]

Thanks for the ideas.


I started implementing a simple text-only button to be included in normal icon-based panels.
Wether this will allow the use of a mini-icon and how it will look is to be seen.
I also hope to get some sort of text-object-only (sub) panels ready in time for 3.6.


Hybrid buttons (text on or below "big" icon) are "canceled" for the moment.

@granny

"text hovering above (highlighted) icon" sounds alot like the OSX dock ;)

Which is nice, but would require the panelwindow to also includes those areas, no problem on enhanced screens were they would stay invisible but you'd be suprised how many people are still useing non-enhanced Ambient screens.
Might still looks into something like that for 3.7 or later.
What would work is creating help-like bubble instantly, but I can't say I like the look of that...

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Wouldn't a screenbar module be more appropriate (allowing access to iconified applications from any MUI screen, including Ambient)?

Speaking of which, as the number of useful screenbar modules increases, are there any plans to implement multiple rows on the screenbar?

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I'd very much like this option too. Especially being able to re-style or add text to the 'zipped' panel button (arrow-in-a-box).

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Yeah, I don't like the idea of hack minimizing into Panels and mimic the other OSes in that regard. Not everyone even likes to use Panels at all, it's just an option.

But screenbar would be more natural option for that. Maybe you could access iconified programs from there, or completely hidden windows too. There's a way to hide windows so that not even icon is left visible, but it's a bit clumsy to bring them up again... so, having a better way to bring them up would be justified.

It should be thought if it would be better as screenbar module (which can be enabled/disabled) or should it be implemented into screen depth gadget which would be available always for users (you can already select the screen from there).

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I truly hope someone is taking care of that because right now I am out of space on the (default) screenbar and if a new/interesting module appears, I will have to remove something.

Here's my wild suggestion on this, how about making an option that would allow us to create drop down menus (with or without folders) on the screenbar and place inside them modules?

Regarding the text in panels, I don't find it necessary. Perhaps optionally it would be nice if the text appeared under a mouse hover. Anyway, I am using polynet which has all the features I want.

Small reminder :
Panels do support an plugin API similar to screenbars.

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I like the sound of that. A list of iconfied/hidden applications that uniconfies/unhides on selection (and jumps them to the current screen).