Moonlight|3D User Interface Ideas

Toolchest Enhancements

The next iteration of the toolchest will replace all tool text with icons (see MoonlightIcons for icon guidelines). This also requires a new visual structure of the hierachical grouping that will be carried over.

Buttons for each group will be arranged in a regular grid. They are indented by the same amount regardless of their depth in the hierachy so that the left edges of the leftmost buttons line up in a vertical line.

A group of buttons is indicated visually by a frame that encloses it on three sides (top, left and bottom). The right side is framed in order to not increase the width of the toolchest disproportionally in respect to its active area. The top and bottom parts of the frame must convey the fact that there is no right hand side part of the frame (i.e. the toolchest is visible in full width and not clipped in any way). The top part of the frame contains the group name as text and possibly an icon representing the group if this makes the groups more visually distinct. Clicking on it expands and collapses the group. For collapsed groups only a variation on the top part of the frame is displayed which must indicate clearly that this group is currently collapsed (different color, no transition to any left frame element etc.). The left hand side element of the frame must visually connect the top and bottom parts of the frame. It must be shaped and occupy its space in a way so that these elements of several nested frames are easily distinguishable (they are rendered next to each other). The bottom element must indicate that the current group of button ends here. Below it, either another group header may appear in either expanded or collapsed state, or the group of buttons of the higher level in the hierarchy. It must perform its function properly in both cases.

TODO: Where to place the option editors? How do you open it for a certain tool? How is the presence of an option editor indicated?