Prevent selecting camera path unless camera path panel is open
This makes sense. I just wonder if the camera path should be entirely invisible if the panel is closed.
Is it confusing for the user to have something visible that they can't select? Especially when combined with the inability to grab things not on the current layer (another separate request that I'm considering)
i.e.:
I can't select this. Is it because it's on a different layer? Is it because the right panel isn't open? I'm confused! Help!Making anything that's visible unselectable needs to be carefully thought through if we are to avoid confusing users.
3 Replies
Tough question. Sometimes it's easier to draw the path and then build or arrange the scene taking into consideration where the camera is pointing.
Probably the best answer is to remember the visibility state that was last set on the panel, while prohibiting interactivity with the path itself while closed.
This prevents accidental interaction, while giving the user the option to have the current path visible or not.
If they find it confusing, they can simply hide it and not worry about it.
I think the practical advantages outweigh potential confusion in this instance.
If they are doing anything with camera paths, it shouldn't take too long to figure out that they need to have the panel open to work with the path at all.
If they are doing anything with camera paths, it shouldn't take too long to figure out that they need to have the panel open to work with the path at all.
What's the downside to hiding paths when the panel is closed? It seems to be a win for consistency at least.
(I've got to be careful not to prioritise the experience of knowledgable users if it hurts the experience of people who are still figuring things out. So if all other factors are roughly equal then "being obvious and intuitive" trumps "being more convenient")
If the panel is open you can adjust the path accidentally.
The drawback is if you can't see the path, and possibly any camera positions you have set with it, you can't use the path to plan shots
Basically, I've found that if I draw the path first, it makes planning the scene a lot easier, because I know what the camera is looking at.
So this provides a way to see the path without worrying about bumping it. I think that scenario is a lot more distressing to a user than figuring out that the path stays hidden or visible when they throw the panel away
So this provides a way to see the path without worrying about bumping it. I think that scenario is a lot more distressing to a user than figuring out that the path stays hidden or visible when they throw the panel away