UI: Small visual changes to the properties tabs
CURRENT SITUATION:
The current default color scheme, and flat design, for the properties tabs raises a few issues.
- It is unclear what the icons are supposed to align to horizontally
- It is unclear why some icons have a different vertical spacing
- The big tab shadow (big red circles) looks like an arbitrarily placed spacer line
- The tiny individual tab shadows (small red circle) between each tab are barely visible
PROPOSAL:
- Get rid of the tiny shadows (small red circles) between grouped tabs
- Make the background color darker
- Align the outer side of the tab to the outer side of the workspace and move the properties window along with it (remove padding)
- Make the selected tab the same size as the other tabs
ADVANTAGES:
- The cause for the spacing between tabs is clear, now that the tab groups are visible again
- The spacers between tabs are visible even when a tab adjacent to a spacer is selected
- The icons are centered on the tab area, not the invisible tab size
- More contrast, giving a better hint of the clickable area
- More size consistency between highlighted and selected tabs
- Reduce padding by 3 pixel, that's more space for the properties window
Pictures:
May BTL forever live in our hearts.
4 Comments
FYI 4.2 alpha looks like this
tbh no idea why space between sections is enlarged and contents will be cut off sooner in smaller windows. Your grouping idea way is better.
Those enlarged spacers are a bug that has been fixed just now by Harley Acheson. projects.blender.org/blender/blender/issues/118087
The groups already exist in the current design (as you can see with this bug), my proposal just makes them more distinct and more clear why there are slightly bigger spaces between some icons.
Have you checked whether you can set Blender's appearance how you'd like it already? Blender is very customisable! Colours, buttons and much more can all be changed (alhough I don't exactly know whether the button alignment can be changed how you'd like it).
Personally, I don't feel like your suggestion adds to Blender's functionality, disregarding the fact I like the current design more.
Yes, the picture has been created partly by drawing over a custom theme, however some of my suggestions like grouping the tabs by removing the small shadows and the alignment I did in GIMP.
You're right. It's just a visual change, maybe adding 3 more pixel for the properties tab as a result. But I have to wonder what you like about the small shadows between each tab. I'm talking about the small red circles in my first picture. I would almost consider them a bug of the current, flat, design.