General Usability Suggestions Part 2

Since I can't edit the first one...here's version two. Includes previous ones and new ones.

1. Ability to hold [ or ] and keep scaling up or down without having to press again.

2. Ability to rearrange menu order.

4. Ability to change order of the icons in the drop-out menu.

6. Dual/Tri/Quadview. Views of the same simulation (heat, pressure) side by side.

7. Help text accessible by pressing F1.

8. Ability to map keys to certain functions.
8a. Ctrl+N - New simulation
8b. Ctrl+S - Opens server
8c. Keys can be mapped to "profiles". Profiles would include EVERYTHING customizable (including 2, 4, and more).
8d. Keys can be mapped to "sub-profiles". These are just primary and secondary elements.
8e. X to switch primary and secondary elements
8f. D to make secondary element eraser.
8g. Shift+D to make secondary element wall eraser.

9. Tabs for working with more than one simulation at one time (and supported copy/paste for cross-simulation.)

10. Better Server UI
10a. Popular tags should only be listed when a "Tags" link is pressed. Maybe tell us how many times that tag is used, or make each tag font size bigger the more it is used.
10b. Ability to place simulations into a category when saving. Then we could select which category to view from the server UI.
10c. Have a note encouraging users to delete tests and older versions.
10d. Quick tags. Remove, Cool, Complex, Artwork, Circuitry, etc. Simple buttons in each tagging window. Allow people to search easier.

11. Pin element rectangles to the top (separately).

12. A snap-to function that can be turned off to various endpoints of walls. Would be used when users use the Shift+drag to make straight lines. To turn on - F9, F10 to turn off.

13. Slow down framerate for troubleshooting circuitry.

14. Ability to make your own groups.

15. A small stroke on the version, fps, and roll-over information so you can see it even when it's covered by material of the same color.

16. Ability to make boxes by shift+ctrl+drag. (Like Ctrl+drag, but just a border)

17. Screenshots - what exactly is a .ppm file?
On that note, let use choose between jpg and png and the size of the screen we want to screencap. Maybe when you have nothing to do, ability to record video and output to .gif

18. Notes - Ability to select font size, ability to drag pointer to where the user wants.

19. Stamps - Ability to make stamps where the snap size can be less than 4x4. I think the reason is because one can't have part of a wall, so maybe include an error message if a person tries to stamp part of a wall. But mainly, this would be useful for circuitry with just metals. Ability to rotate and flip stamps.

20. Typing - I noticed throughout the entire game, when you backspace, you have to keep hitting it to delete everything. Possibly let us delete like in regular word processors (hold to delete, every .1 sec another letter is deleted).

21. Give delete wall and delete powder it's own category (each one gets a little square) for quick access

22. An "are you sure" message when overwriting simulations (the one click box)

23. Deleting & Creating powder with Ctrl-Drag: Make it a perfect rectangle (creates

rounded edges right now.)

24. The powder goes one pixel beyond the selection. Like, I would select a box 4x4

and it would make a 5x5 box. Make it accurate.

25. Search option on forums so threads aren't repeated over and over again. A forum post with common suggestions and why it's very hard to develop it/coming soon (increasing window size, undo).

26. Not a usability suggestion, but shouldn't THDR be an abbreviation for lightning, not thunder?

EDIT 1: 27. Middle-click blank space brings up eraser.

EDIT 2: 28. The Powder Toy Information Center (see http://powder.hardwired.org.uk/Forum.html?action=vthread&forum=2&topic=93 for details.)

EDIT 3: 29. Ability to create guidelines (just drag them on to the screen). Ability to lock them in place and hide them.

EDIT 4: 30. Eyedropper can select wall types.

EDIT 5: 31. F2 to bring up how high/low the pressure/temperature has to be for every element to change phase. I'll start compiling a list from the source code, I'll post a table when I'm done.

EDIT 6: 32. A single line of diamond or void doesn't completely stop/clear elements, some particles pass through. Fix it so one line is enough for all particles.

EDIT 7. 33. Bug. Metal cannot overlap detector wall, unlike NSCN, PSCN, and every other powder.

I'll edit if I can think of more, but this is it for now.

Some of these have already been suggested, just compiling the one's I think are important. Feel free to add more.

Any of these would be welcome.

Thanks for reading, and don't hesitate to ask for clarification!

devast8a
I thought .gif could be uploaded to sites easily (imageshack, etc.)
But sure, maybe we could have an option for either one.

Felix
wouter215
Well we have the option to reduce framerate. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here - this probably won't be included for a long time.

Felix
I guess so.

I added a few more suggestions, see what you think.