[GRASS-dev] new profiling tool and other gis.m updates

[Trevor Wiens]

On Sat, 20 May 2006 19:57:34 +0200
Maciek Sieczka <werchowyna at epf.pl> wrote:

> On Sat, 20 May 2006 09:42:40 -0600
> Trevor Wiens <twiens at interbaun.com> wrote:
> 
> > On Sat, 20 May 2006 13:10:57 +0200
> > Maciek Sieczka <werchowyna at epf.pl> wrote:
> 
> > > Nice, but why not something easy to handle with one hand? Current
> > > key set isn't good for right handed nor for left handed. Maybe:
> > > 
> > >      Zoom-in:	s or k
> > >      Zoom-out:	x or m
> > >      Pan:	a or l
> > >      Query:	c or n
> > >      Measure:	q or o
> > > 
> > 
> > Ideally I would like to have them user configurable
> 
> True. But possible now?

Possible, but I don't have the time to write an interface to a config
file or have enough experience with Tcl/Tk (this hot key thing was the
first thing I've ever done in Tcl/Tk) to even setup reading a file
easily. At this point I implemented something I wanted.

> 
> >, but
> > 
> > the left hand is
> > I for zoom In

Oops Z for Zoom in (not S)
> > T for zoom ouT
> > A for pAn
> > Q for Query
> > D for Distance (Measure)
> > X for pointer

all are close together, the hand doesn't need to move from standard
typing position.

> 
> Do you really think it is practical?
> 
> > That is in my opinion a perfectly functional one hand configuration
> > unless you use a non Qwerty keyboard.
> > 
> > For the right it is less functional because of ? for Query, but rather
> > obvious.
> 
> Key mappings for map browsing+query are firstly supposed to be rapid in
> use (faster than doing all with mouse). Otherwise they don't make
> much sense at all. They are not necessarily supposed to be intuitive.
> Once you learn them (ie. read the manual, or the bubble help hints in
> the GUI) you benefit from the quick map browsing, which is the point.
> These are _only_ five key to get used to.

Using this logic the one of the obvious choices would be
asfdg and hjkl; for right and left hands.

> 
> Your key settings are not rapid nor comfortable in use. See how your
> hand jumps over the whole keyboard with the key setting you propose,
> while it remains in one place and lets the 3 fingers do the job without
> moving your palm, in the case I propose. *Both* for *right* (sxacq) and
> *left* (kmlno) handed people. Accidental touching the touchpad on
> laptops should be avoided BTW. And IMHO the pointer doens't need a key
> mapping at all.
> 
> > Possibly U would work better or allow ? or U to work.
> > 
> > Personally, I would prefer to integrate zoom and pan into a single
> > tool and pointer and query together too, but for new users, this kind
> > of functionality is often missed. Thus the conflict; we want our own
> > GUI (rather and QGIS) in part because GRASS is not for GIS newbies,
> > but at the same time we want to keep the learning curve as gentle as
> > possible.
> 
> My proposition conforms.
> 
> > Perhaps multi-functionality could be built into the zoom in and
> > pointer tools (using Ctrl and Shift) and reduce the keystrokes to
> > switching between zoom and pointer only.
> 
> That could be good as well. But not doable now (or is it?).

I have working code for this including getting the cursor to change on
key press (of Ctrl or Alt or Shift).

What is needed in any case is the ability to setup a config file for
reading keystrokes. If someone can give a working example, I'll do it,
as it won't take long, but I don't have the time to figure out how to
do it in Tcl/Tk right now.

I can supply the multi-functionality code for the zoom in button and
pointer to Michael for addition to the cvs tree.

An addition function which I think should be added to the pointer is
that clicking posts the coordinates to the copy buffer. This adds
meaningful functionality to a tool that otherwise is basically a place
holder. I have to research how to do this, but I think it would be
useful.

T
-- 
Trevor Wiens 
twiens at interbaun.com

The significant problems that we face cannot be solved at the same 
level of thinking we were at when we created them. 
(Albert Einstein)