Main menu design proposal

[wolf]

Nice icons.
But why using a different movie icon, the old one is like the Canon icon on the wheel and it is very clear that this means movie mode? Also the the old audio icon seems to me more comprehensible when seeing it the first time.

[scrax]

Canon groups menu tabs by color, is it sensible to classify linked tabs by color group? That is make the icon/name/frame line same color?

If that gonna be added i'll suggest to colorize the tab line/border only, so to keep it simple

[stevefal]

I will create a vidcam icon for movie mode. Thanks for the feedback.

[scrax]

Nice icons.
But why using a different movie icon, the old one is like the Canon icon on the wheel and it is very clear that this means movie mode? Also the the old audio icon seems to me more comprehensible when seeing it the first time.

Agree, movie icon is nice, but changing it will not match the one printed on mode dial and so would be less immediate (canon users already knows the actual one)

Trammell has some code to convert ML fonts to Canon font format (the one used by current icons), so it shouldn't be too hard. Need to decipher those scripts.

I think would be nice to have a file with all the icons used so to call then from various part of ML, for example K icon is written twice in my fork actually, since it should appear in WB dialog and in info screen.

[stevefal]

I've revised the movie icon to match the original concept:

[Francis]

I don't think that this set is any more clear than the current icons. Too cartoonish.

[nanomad]

Actually,  after some thoughts there are a couple of icons I don't like in this new set
- microphone /audio settings is not recognizable
- the debug menu icon looks like the settings icon (gear).  I prefer the crossed bug icon someone suggested before:

to me gear looks more used for prefs,
debug can have a bug with "slash bar" on it?

[stevefal]

I've revised Audio (coarser grill) and Shoot (smaller lens).

[scrax]

tabbed menu is great, and also I like more the new Shoot icon. Overlay is not really immediate to me,  maybe too much used to what is now...

[stevefal]

I've posted this alternate for feedback. This one has a more retro mic for Audio, and a wrench for Debug. I can't bring myself to use a literal insect - some metaphors go too far!

I personally prefer the modern mic, especially with the coarser grill, but there have been a couple comments against the previous version, so something else to consider.

I also improved the geometry of the overlay icon. I have not posted a new isolated set, and I won't until things settle.

[meeok]

Implemented tab interface looks good.

Off by a pixel though. http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/7413/vram1.png

[a1ex]

I have not posted a new isolated set

The screenshot is enough for me to extract the icons, no need for the extra work to update the zip.

The "retro" mic is much more obvious, the modern one looks more like a cup of ice cream to me
Expo icon looks perfect.
Overlay icon isn't very obvious, maybe a histogram?
Camera icons: OK.
Focus icon: I like it.
Display icon: causes confusion with the old icon.
Checkmark: not sure what menu is it.
Wrench: that's for Prefs, right?
Question mark: OK, although I like the "i" symbol better.

I'll try to come up with a script that extracts the icons from the sample screenshot and encodes them for including in ML.

[scrax]

The screenshot is enough for me to extract the icons, no need for the extra work to update the zip.

The "retro" mic is much more obvious, the modern one looks more like a cup of ice cream to me
Expo icon looks perfect.
Overlay icon isn't very obvious, maybe a histogram?
Camera icons: OK.
Focus icon: I like it.
Display icon: causes confusion with the old icon.
Checkmark: not sure what menu is it.
Wrench: that's for Prefs, right?
Question mark: OK, although I like the "i" symbol better.

I'll try to come up with a script that extracts the icons from the sample screenshot and encodes them for including in ML.

Checkmark was debug, I suppose wrench is intended to be used for debug, and gear for pref.
The script will be great.

[stevefal]

With the isolated set of icons, I can be sure that the icon is positioned horizontally where I intend it within the 46x42 frame. Also, the files are named, which should eliminate confusion about usage. It's no trouble at all, so I'll continue making them unless you absolutely know you won't use them or look at them.

- Retro mic settled
- Expo settled
- I'll upload a histogram next
- Movie settled
- Shoot settled
- Focus settled
- There is implicit overlap/confusion between Overlay and Display. Even if this new Display icon resembles the old Overlay icon, I think this is the right approach - it is literally the camera's display. Users adapt quickly, especially if symbols are intuitively well-reasoned.
- Checkmark is preferences. I will upload a gear for feedback.
- Wrench was Debug. Will you consider calling this "Utilities"? Debug is not a user term, and this menu contains functions beyond debugging.
- I actually prefer an enclosed "i" symbol as well, but can't get past that it literally means "info" or "information". Consider calling this menu "Info"? Then the hardware button, title and icon would be consistent.
- Star = My Menu settled

[stevefal]

I've put time into refining and balancing this set. Every icon is revised to sit better within the group. Note that each symbol is placed pixel-precisely within its 46x42 (WxH) bitmap. Also note that some symbols are not perfectly centered within the bitmap. This is either by design or necessary due to math.

Icon	Menu	Status	Note
mic	Audio	settled
+/-	Expo	settled
histogram	Overlay	feedback
movie camera	Movie	settled
camera front	Shoot	settled
focus indicators	Focus	settled
camera back	Display	feedback	a1ex had reservation but I am promoting this
check mark	Prefs	feedback
wrench	Debug	feedback	I propose that this menu is renamed to "Util" or "Utilities"
"i"	Help	feedback	I propose that this menu is renamed to "Info"
star	MyMenu	settled

Element	Color
unselected icon	75,75,75
selected icon	255,255,255
menu background	20,20,20
tab outline	75,75,75

[g3gg0]

histogram   Overlay:
can you make it start from the upper left corner? it looks like mountains

check mark:
could be misunderstood. maybe there is an alternative

else:
very good work!
thanks!

[stevefal]

Do you mean a histogram showing crushed blacks?

[1%]

What we've gotten last few days looks really good. ML is looking sharp.

[Francis]

The histogram looks much nicer than the crop marks. I agree that the check mark isn't very clear.

[scrax]

Icon	Menu	Status	Note
mic	Audio	settled	I like this old mic
+/-	Expo	settled	This is perfect
histogram	Overlay	feedback	Histogram better than cropmark, maybe a screen border too?
movie camera	Movie	settled	A friend of mine once asked me why that icon has  only 2 leg, not sure if it needs 3, other opinions?
camera front	Shoot	settled	Agree
focus indicators	Focus	settled	Really nice, what about a border here to, like the one on the focus point selection button?
camera back	Display	feedback	I think that even if a bit out of contest the monitor display was more clear*, but also I like this new one too, so i'm for it, once used it will fit better.
wrench	Prefs	feedback	Wrench could be good, since it's used also by canon
check mark	Debug	feedback	this is not clear to me, what about an unhappy/broken camera?
"i"	Help	feedback	Agree to rename to "Info"
star	MyMenu	settled	Good how ti is now.

actual icon is more clear also because before that menu was called LiveV(iew) and so it has the same icon that canon use for LV, what about calling it Screen?

[stevefal]

wrench

Debug

feedback

Wrench could be good, since it's used also by canon, but i'll keep Prefs as name

Not sure what you mean by "keep Prefs as name".

[scrax]

Not sure what you mean by "keep Prefs as name".

Oh no, I'm already confusing them

Wrench for me means preferences, customization. So i see it good for Prefs

Unhappy camera for Debug instead of checkmark

edited previous post

[g3gg0]

Do you mean a histogram showing crushed blacks?

yes, else you would see mountains, but no histogram

[stevefal]

I've revised Prefs and Debug based on feedback.

Icon	Menu	Status	Note
mic	Audio	settled
+/-	Expo	settled
histogram	Overlay	feedback
movie camera	Movie	settled
camera front	Shoot	settled
focus indicators	Focus	settled
camera back	Display	settled	a1ex, please chime in if you feel strongly
wrench	Prefs	feedback
0s &1s	Debug	feedback
"i"	Help	feedback	I propose that this menu is renamed to "Info"
star	MyMenu	settled

@scraz regarding borders - I try to avoid borders for a few reasons: 1) symbol size - the border occupies space that can otherwise be used for a larger symbol; 2) redundancy - to the extent that symbols are bordered, the symbols become the only discriminating factor, at which point the borders are not helping; 3) uniqueness - borders give symbols the same silhouette, which makes them less differentiated; 4) visual simplicity - remember that when selected, the icon is bordered by the tab.

[scrax]

@scraz regarding borders - I try to avoid borders for a few reasons: 1) symbol size - the border occupies space that can otherwise be used for a larger symbol; 2) redundancy - to the extent that symbols are bordered, the symbols become the only discriminating factor, at which point the borders are not helping; 3) uniqueness - borders give symbols the same silhouette, which makes them less differentiated; 4) visual simplicity - remember that when selected, the icon is bordered by the tab.

You are right, for focus point border is not useful but the camera screen has it so the border is a part of the symbol, maybe border is not the correct word in that case, a thin screen edge around the overlay maybe?
Since overlay are drawn on screen I think it would help not  confusing the histogram with mountains.