I would argue that relying on fewer keys with secondary functions (such as Pie Menus via sticky keys) is actually a great idea… This is why:
The more unassigned keys there are, the smaller the keymap is… the more options you have with assigning your own keys. One of blender’s current issues is that an open key is almost impossible to find, thus resulting in odd 3-4 key combos and a lot of keyboard gymnastics. Not to mention conflicting keys when you reassign one to something else. With easy and open customization for quick hotkeys, they become entirely optional… just like using the UI’s buttons instead of a hotkey.
A large portion of CG artist rely on tablets and cintiqs… these work best with pie menus and the less key travel there is the more functional it can be…especially if you use a keypad or side buttons on such devices. (I would rather pie menus be nested, but beggers cant be choosers at this point).
Either way its the best of both worlds, and for those not using the entire keyboard or just dont know where stuff is, the pies are easier to discover and use right out of the box.
Thanks for including the ALT navigation, wouldn’t be able to try it properly without that.
Looks very good overall. Much of it makes a lot of sense, well organized.
I’m a fan of your rRMB addon, and also use your rTheme, appreciate all the work you’re putting into this.
I’m pretty sure I’ll cannibalize some of this setup once Stickies get into master.
This is my first test of Sticky Keys, love it so far. They work pretty well. I’m eagerly awaiting for this to get into master. For me personally, Pie Menus is the best thing that happened to blender, Stickies are going to be the next best thing after that.
Been out of the loop for a while, anyone know when stickies are going into master?
your keymap looks very promising. I really like your key assignments as they are in the picture from the first post, including ASD for transform and X for delete. At the moment it is just a feeling though, because I’m on Linux and don’t know how to test. From the look at github I guess for the moment it’s testable on Windows only, right?
In any case, thank you for your work, I’m looking forward to trying it out someday.
As said before, Stickeys produce a delay in the execution of Pie Menus (if not wait until the menu appears, it opens in the corner of the window). I think you can solve easily if Menus Pie remember the cursor position by pressing the key, not their position when running. This way you will have to wait to see the menu, but not to run it.
The problem and my solution there:
The delay is noticeable. It’s unusable. Don’t know why. Truth is, stickies are not new. They’ve been in many apps and they can recognize taps and a presses in micro seconds.
(Users need to test the build, not just make comments on this thread. Best way is to model something.)
If you meant stickies with pie menus in other apps, no, that’s not what I meant. I forgot the names of apps that recognize taps and presses. It may be Corel apps, which I no longer use long time ago. Sticky is a press as opposed to a simple tap. That’s what I was referring to. Don’t know why something like this is unusual to you.
Googled a bit, but the only app that uses similar stickies I found was Softimage, although they still work quite different: Tapping a key changes the tool, holding the key enables the tool temporarily until you release the key again (basically a modal behaviour). In Blender they would work like: Tapping a key triggers one operator (similar to changing the tool in Softimage), holding a key for a certain time calls a different operator.
Windows also has Sticky Keys, but they work completely different again.
So I still haven’t found any app that uses the same stickies as we do…
But anyway - I don’t get why you’re saying the delay makes it unusable? I mean, we’re talking about milliseconds here (default sticky keys timeout is set to 200ms in the testbuilds - 1/5 sec!). Not that I wouldn’t accept your opinion or so, I’m just wondering about this
Photoshop has sticky keys too, but they work similar to how you’re describing Softimage (eg, with brush selected, you can hold L to do a lasso select and when you let go, it switches back to brush). I don’t recall ever using anything else that had them though.
The Alt/Ctrl/Shift modifiers for navigation are not in this build. Which is not a good idea especially when sculpting using a stylus. I would hope they would be in the next test build. You can still use them though if you check the Emulate 3 button mouse in the Userpref, which is actually a workaround, and, imho, should be eliminated considering pointing devices with less than 3 buttons are no longer available… Why check the Emulate 3 button mouse when you’re already using a 3 button mouse? It makes no sense.
You’re confusing Emulate Numpad with Emulate 3 button mouse. One is for laptop users and the other is for people who are still using pointing devices made during the pre-Cambrian era.
If I may add a bit to the Emulate 3 button mouse topic: We know it’s there for people with pointing devices with no MMBs and scroll wheels. But then a lot of users who do still have to turn it on so they can access the Alt/Shift/Ctrl modifiers to navigate comfortably and accurately, like I do. Not to mention the impossibility of navigating without it when using a stylus/tablet. So in theory it should be on all the time since there’s no harm in leaving it on.
I was wondering why not make it a default, get rid of it entirely and hard code it. And since this is also about defaults, I would suggest that they leave those modifiers alone in conjunction with the LMB.
I’m also surprised users are comfortable pressing those buttons while dragging the pen. I’d rather add a modifier in my case. Right now, I’m perfectly comfortable with my LMB default configuration in Blender with the Emulate 3 button mouse on. So no problem, you can go ahead with you plans and if those options are no longer available, I can always switch back to 2.74…
I have MMB on one of the pen buttons, and am perfectly comfortable pressing the pen buttons (I know some users new to tablets have problems with the pen buttons, but it’s second nature to long time users). I also use a 3 button mouse but still always enable “emulate 3 button mouse”, since using Alt is a habit from my Maya days that I’ll have a hard time moving away from. I also dislike pressing the mouse scroll-wheel knob.
Haven’t tested this new keymap or read this thread through, but is Alt as a viewport manipulation modifier being removed? I hope not!
To each his own I guess. It’s about personal preference, not because one is superior. I’m not even new to tablets. I actually just dug up my old Graphire 2 sitting inside a worned out box in the basement with other disposable electronic items and stuff. I found that it still works perfectly using Bamboo drivers. What I’m new with is sculpting.
My LMB workflow, after a few days of tinkering with a couple of key remapping, is just fine and fast and very comfortable. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come up with something like the one shown below, which is just one among a couple of unfinished models I’ve been experimenting with.
