Zoom and Track icons

Discuss ideas for new features with other users. To submit feature requests to Smith Micro, please visit support.smithmicro.com

Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger

Post Reply
User avatar
Hoptoad
Posts: 714
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 4:19 pm
Location: Florida

Zoom and Track icons

Post by Hoptoad »

The icons for Track Camera and Zoom have never made sense to me. They make a little more sense when they are reversed (the Track Camera icon for Zooming, and the Zoom icon for Tracking Camera).

May we have better icons?

For Track Camera, instead of a confusing plus sign, use a left and right arrow. <--->

For zoom, superimpose a letter Z.

Thanks.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9900
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Zoom and Track icons

Post by Greenlaw »

Hoptoad wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:13 pm For Track Camera, instead of a confusing plus sign, use a left and right arrow. <--->
I believe the 'plus' sign is meant to be a compass, indicating lefl-right (X-pos) and up-down movements (Y-pos).

The tool also does forward-backward (Z), of course, but I'll give them a pass on that since it's an option. :)
For zoom, superimpose a letter Z.
I agree that Zoom is an odd one. The button displays forward and back arrows, which, to me, suggests a camera dolly (Z-position), not a zoom lens effect. Plus, the other two buttons use arrows to indicate rotation, so it's a little inconsistent.

I don't know about superimposing the letter 'Z', since it could easily mean Z-position. Plus, I'm not sure the term 'zoom' is the same in other languages, which is probably why they avoided using letters in the buttons.

TBH, I haven't had a problem identifying the buttons because it always made sense to me that XYZ position controls would be grouped in the same tool and be the first button since camera position is more commonly used, and Zoom would be its own tool and the second button in line.

I hardly ever use Zoom unless I'm intentionally avoiding parallax effects, so I usually just go for the first button. I don't think I even look at the button graphic anymore, I just know the first button is camera position, and the second is zoom.
User avatar
Hoptoad
Posts: 714
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 4:19 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Zoom and Track icons

Post by Hoptoad »

Greenlaw wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:32 pm I believe the 'plus' sign is meant to be a compass, indicating lefl-right (X-pos) and up-down movements (Y-pos).
A compass? That's such an awful an idea, it can't be right. The plus symbol looks nothing like a compass. A compass icon needs a bounding circle, and it must have at least a dot to indicate North.

The icon for Tracking is clearly a plus, the symbol on my keyboard near the delete key, meaning the Moho tool somehow manipulates numbers to the right of zero on the number line. . .which is inacurate. :cry:

Greenlaw wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:32 pm I agree that Zoom is an odd one. The button displays forward and back arrows, which, to me, suggests a camera dolly (Z-position), not a zoom lens effect. Plus, the other two buttons use arrows to indicate rotation, so it's a little inconsistent.

I don't know about superimposing the letter 'Z', since it could easily mean Z-position. Plus, I'm not sure the term 'zoom' is the same in other languages, which is probably why they avoided using letters in the buttons.

Well, the letter "T" is used for the Text tool. . .so adding another English letter onto a Moho tool doesn't seem to be breaking any new ground.

Maybe adding a magnifying glass would be better for Zoom Camera, though. After all, a magnifying glass is the icon for the Zoom tool.

Greenlaw wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:32 pm TBH, I haven't had a problem identifying the buttons because . . .
Dude, with all due respect, you probably dream about Moho. You probably name all pets Moho. The fact that you easily understand something about Moho is so obvious it borders on tautological.

Me, on the other hand, I get confused while using Moho more often than I'd like to admit, which probably makes me the ideal candidate for feedback. If something about Moho's interface and function is perfect, I generally learn it quickly and seldom make mistakes. Otherwise, I keep making the same mistakes and, on occasion, will get annoyed. Yes, I might the fabled Average Consumer. 8)

Greenlaw wrote: Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:32 pm . . . when it comes to locating it always made sense to me that XYZ position controls would be grouped in the same tool and be the first button since camera position is more commonly used, and Zoom would be its own tool and the second button in line.

Oh, that gives me a great idea! Hey, Lost Marble, please change all the tool icons to smiley faces - I want to navigate the menu by memorizing the positions of tools!

PS: Lost Marble, that was a joke. Don't do the smiley face idea.
User avatar
Greenlaw
Posts: 9900
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Los Angeles
Contact:

Re: Zoom and Track icons

Post by Greenlaw »

Hoptoad wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:01 am A compass? That's such an awful an idea, it can't be right. The plus symbol looks nothing like a compass.
What I meant was that I think it represents the crosshair 'compass' in the middle of the Moho Workspace indicating X and Y directions...

Image

(I know this is actually attached to the current layer, but it relates to how the camera moves.)

Oh, that gives me a great idea! Hey, Lost Marble, please change all the tool icons to smiley faces - I want to navigate the menu by memorizing the positions of tools!
Way ahead of you...

Image

Anyway, point taken. Some of what I wrote is silly.

It's just how I look at the camera buttons: the four icons look practically identical to me, but I know the first one does everything I need 95 percent of the time, and the second one does another 2 or 3 percent. I do use the other two buttons, Roll and Tilt, but it's a very small percentage (like when I need a peculiar angle or I'm setting up a 3D environment,) and those buttons are clearer about what they do.

Actually, this UI is kinda cute. Maybe I'll keep it. 😸
Post Reply