New Filterdialog option "Preview"

Hi,

I have added a new option to the filterdialogs: a "Preview" checkbox.
Right now the filterdialog works as follows:
Some filters take a lot of computation time, even in PreviewMode. For this,
some of the filter dialogs have a "Try" button, where you can set your
settings, zoom in, move the preview area around and watch the results by
pressing the button.
But somehow this is a strange way to use those filters. If you move the
preview area for example, you have to hit "Try" all the time. Also when
changing the preview mode, you have to hit the button. This looks like
a "broken" dialog to me. When I'm in preview mode, I expect the preview to
update automatically, not by hitting a button.

So here is the new behavior:
In normal mode, you can set your settings, zoom in and position the preview
area where you like to have it. Then you can hit the "preview" checkbox like
you would with the "Try" button. The difference is that now every change in
the filter settings will affect the preview, like hitting "Try" all the time.
I think this behavior is much more natural and is also used in Photoshop or
Gimp.

Unfortunately i18n is frozen, so this change (if accepted) will never hit the
KDE3 version of digiKam...

I'll provide a patch here, it fixes the filterdialog behavior in general.
Additionally the sharpen filter will be fixed with the patch, too. So you can
actually use one filter with the new behavior.

patch:
http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/previewmode(%20+%20sharpenfilter).patch

demo video:
http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/filterdialog_preview.mpg

What do you think? For me it is a usability improvement, maybe we can use it
in further digiKam releases?

The preview checkbox can be placed elsewhere of course if this is no good
place...
Also the preview mode buttons can be disabled if checkbox is not set, so it is
visually clear to the user that the normal view mode will not affect
anything.

Andi

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I have to rename the patch, this is not web compatible...

patch:
http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/previewmode.patch

So please try the new behavior and tell me what you think!

Andi

On Thursday 10 July 2008 12:29:22 Andi Clemens wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have added a new option to the filterdialogs: a "Preview" checkbox.
> Right now the filterdialog works as follows:
> Some filters take a lot of computation time, even in PreviewMode. For this,
> some of the filter dialogs have a "Try" button, where you can set your
> settings, zoom in, move the preview area around and watch the results by
> pressing the button.
> But somehow this is a strange way to use those filters. If you move the
> preview area for example, you have to hit "Try" all the time. Also when
> changing the preview mode, you have to hit the button. This looks like
> a "broken" dialog to me. When I'm in preview mode, I expect the preview to
> update automatically, not by hitting a button.
>
> So here is the new behavior:
> In normal mode, you can set your settings, zoom in and position the preview
> area where you like to have it. Then you can hit the "preview" checkbox
> like you would with the "Try" button. The difference is that now every
> change in the filter settings will affect the preview, like hitting "Try"
> all the time. I think this behavior is much more natural and is also used
> in Photoshop or Gimp.
>
> Unfortunately i18n is frozen, so this change (if accepted) will never hit
> the KDE3 version of digiKam...
>
> I'll provide a patch here, it fixes the filterdialog behavior in general.
> Additionally the sharpen filter will be fixed with the patch, too. So you
> can actually use one filter with the new behavior.
>
> patch:
> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/
>previewmode(%20+%20sharpenfilter).patch
>
> demo video:
> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/
>filterdialog_preview.mpg
>
> What do you think? For me it is a usability improvement, maybe we can use
> it in further digiKam releases?
>
> The preview checkbox can be placed elsewhere of course if this is no good
> place...
> Also the preview mode buttons can be disabled if checkbox is not set, so it
> is visually clear to the user that the normal view mode will not affect
> anything.
>
> Andi

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[Gilles Caulier-4]

2008/7/10 Andi Clemens <[hidden email]>:
> I have to rename the patch, this is not web compatible...
>
> patch:
> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/previewmode.patch
>
> So please try the new behavior and tell me what you think!
>

It will be better to :

- change the checkbox to a toggle button.
- move this button behind the preview area where all other preview
mode buttons are. You optimize preview area space available.
- for i18n, i recommend to not put tooltips/whatsthis for this button
until 0.9.4 is out.

Best

Gilles Caulier

> Andi
>
> On Thursday 10 July 2008 12:29:22 Andi Clemens wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have added a new option to the filterdialogs: a "Preview" checkbox.
>> Right now the filterdialog works as follows:
>> Some filters take a lot of computation time, even in PreviewMode. For this,
>> some of the filter dialogs have a "Try" button, where you can set your
>> settings, zoom in, move the preview area around and watch the results by
>> pressing the button.
>> But somehow this is a strange way to use those filters. If you move the
>> preview area for example, you have to hit "Try" all the time. Also when
>> changing the preview mode, you have to hit the button. This looks like
>> a "broken" dialog to me. When I'm in preview mode, I expect the preview to
>> update automatically, not by hitting a button.
>>
>> So here is the new behavior:
>> In normal mode, you can set your settings, zoom in and position the preview
>> area where you like to have it. Then you can hit the "preview" checkbox
>> like you would with the "Try" button. The difference is that now every
>> change in the filter settings will affect the preview, like hitting "Try"
>> all the time. I think this behavior is much more natural and is also used
>> in Photoshop or Gimp.
>>
>> Unfortunately i18n is frozen, so this change (if accepted) will never hit
>> the KDE3 version of digiKam...
>>
>> I'll provide a patch here, it fixes the filterdialog behavior in general.
>> Additionally the sharpen filter will be fixed with the patch, too. So you
>> can actually use one filter with the new behavior.
>>
>> patch:
>> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/
>>previewmode(%20+%20sharpenfilter).patch
>>
>> demo video:
>> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmode/
>>filterdialog_preview.mpg
>>
>> What do you think? For me it is a usability improvement, maybe we can use
>> it in further digiKam releases?
>>
>> The preview checkbox can be placed elsewhere of course if this is no good
>> place...
>> Also the preview mode buttons can be disabled if checkbox is not set, so it
>> is visually clear to the user that the normal view mode will not affect
>> anything.
>>
>> Andi
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Digikam-devel mailing list
> [hidden email]
> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/digikam-devel
>

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So this would mean I have to use a toggle button without text? Hmm and how to
inform the user what this button does? And I need an icon as well. Maybe we
should just put this into 0.10 and leave 0.9.4 as it is? Release will be this
sunday, right?

Andi

On Thursday 10 July 2008 14:31:56 Gilles Caulier wrote:

> 2008/7/10 Andi Clemens <[hidden email]>:
> > I have to rename the patch, this is not web compatible...
> >
> > patch:
> > http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmod
> >e/previewmode.patch
> >
> > So please try the new behavior and tell me what you think!
>
> It will be better to :
>
> - change the checkbox to a toggle button.
> - move this button behind the preview area where all other preview
> mode buttons are. You optimize preview area space available.
> - for i18n, i recommend to not put tooltips/whatsthis for this button
> until 0.9.4 is out.
>
> Best
>
> Gilles Caulier
>
> > Andi
> >
> > On Thursday 10 July 2008 12:29:22 Andi Clemens wrote:
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I have added a new option to the filterdialogs: a "Preview" checkbox.
> >> Right now the filterdialog works as follows:
> >> Some filters take a lot of computation time, even in PreviewMode. For
> >> this, some of the filter dialogs have a "Try" button, where you can set
> >> your settings, zoom in, move the preview area around and watch the
> >> results by pressing the button.
> >> But somehow this is a strange way to use those filters. If you move the
> >> preview area for example, you have to hit "Try" all the time. Also when
> >> changing the preview mode, you have to hit the button. This looks like
> >> a "broken" dialog to me. When I'm in preview mode, I expect the preview
> >> to update automatically, not by hitting a button.
> >>
> >> So here is the new behavior:
> >> In normal mode, you can set your settings, zoom in and position the
> >> preview area where you like to have it. Then you can hit the "preview"
> >> checkbox like you would with the "Try" button. The difference is that
> >> now every change in the filter settings will affect the preview, like
> >> hitting "Try" all the time. I think this behavior is much more natural
> >> and is also used in Photoshop or Gimp.
> >>
> >> Unfortunately i18n is frozen, so this change (if accepted) will never
> >> hit the KDE3 version of digiKam...
> >>
> >> I'll provide a patch here, it fixes the filterdialog behavior in
> >> general. Additionally the sharpen filter will be fixed with the patch,
> >> too. So you can actually use one filter with the new behavior.
> >>
> >> patch:
> >> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmo
> >>de/ previewmode(%20+%20sharpenfilter).patch
> >>
> >> demo video:
> >> http://digikam3rdparty.free.fr/misc.tarballs/temp/filterdialog_previewmo
> >>de/ filterdialog_preview.mpg
> >>
> >> What do you think? For me it is a usability improvement, maybe we can
> >> use it in further digiKam releases?
> >>
> >> The preview checkbox can be placed elsewhere of course if this is no
> >> good place...
> >> Also the preview mode buttons can be disabled if checkbox is not set, so
> >> it is visually clear to the user that the normal view mode will not
> >> affect anything.
> >>
> >> Andi
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Digikam-devel mailing list
> > [hidden email]
> > https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/digikam-devel
>
> _______________________________________________
> Digikam-devel mailing list
> [hidden email]
> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/digikam-devel

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[Gilles Caulier-4]

2008/7/10 Andi Clemens <[hidden email]>:
> So this would mean I have to use a toggle button without text?

yes, a button with an icon.

> Hmm and how to
> inform the user what this button does? And I need an icon as well. Maybe we
> should just put this into 0.10 and leave 0.9.4 as it is? Release will be this
> sunday, right?

sound like better. Warning. I'm not be able to release this version. I
will not at home: no fast internet under Vista only (hollidays time
during 2 weeks)

Gilles
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On Thursday 10 July 2008 15:34:31 Gilles Caulier wrote:
> 2008/7/10 Andi Clemens <[hidden email]>:
> > So this would mean I have to use a toggle button without text?
>
> yes, a button with an icon.
>

Do you really think a button would be a good idea?
Some users might not notice that there is a preview icon button at all...
All of the programs I tested so far (PhotoShop, Gimp, Photo Paint etc) use a
checkbox, it is clear to read and understandable by first sight. A new
digiKam user might first hover over the icon buttons to see its function.
But ok this is not that important for now...

> > Hmm and how to
> > inform the user what this button does? And I need an icon as well. Maybe
> > we should just put this into 0.10 and leave 0.9.4 as it is? Release will
> > be this sunday, right?
>
> sound like better. Warning. I'm not be able to release this version. I
> will not at home: no fast internet under Vista only (hollidays time
> during 2 weeks)
>

I'm gone this weekend, too... I'll have no computer at all (thank god...
sometimes this is very relaxing... :-))

> Gilles
> _______________________________________________
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