WF5 & Drawing Ribbon Interface

[paulgress]

I really didn't like the new Ribbon Interface in the drawing functionality until I happened to "right-click" in its background and found a pop-up menu that listed "Minimize the Ribbon". After clicking this, it only takes a minimal amount of space, just like tabs, but when you click on it, it expands to the full Ribbon until you select something then it again minimizes.

This is good, now WF5 Drawing is usable to me, now with only with a small annoyance. How can I get it to behave this way by default? I searched through all the config.pro options and found nothing.

Hopefully maybe a hidden config.pro option?

Anyboby?


Edited by: radelectronics

 

[dr_gallup]

Cool tip. I'm not using WF5 yet but everyone has complained about the ridiculous interface using up way too much screen space.

 

[mgnt8]

That is A LOT better

 

[DVSUPS]

That is true of all MS products that use the ribbon interface. You can hide it in word and excel, etc, too. It is part of the packaged functionality for the function as provided with the MS developer kit.


BTW, I didn't like the ribbon interface either until I started using it and then the functionality that it provides with such quick access is awesome. As usual that applies to the MS products, as well as, all the other products that use the developer kit for it (office, SW, etc). Perhaps the same will be for you guys you just need to realize that someone "move your cheese" and the new location ismuch closer(!).

 

[kwyjibo100]

Also, the drawing ribbon uses the standard MS ribbon keyboard shortcut method. Press ALT and a letter will appear under each tab and for each pull-down menu item:



Press that letter and you then go into that tab (or menu) and there are more keyboard shortcuts for each of the icons on the ribbon.



I learned that one after reading an article about using Office 2007 ( [url]http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2009/06/making-the-most-of-the- microsoft-office-2007-ribbon/[/url]))

 

[paulgress]

Well this shortcut method makes it to other platforms because it works here, I'm using Solaris, well Opensolaris to be exact. It had to have been programmed in. Maybe to support Mapkeys. I can't see any other reason for this.

Edited by: radelectronics

 

[zpaolo]

I still don't like it...

I mean, you can minimize it, very good, but in that way what's the REAL difference between a standard menu system with icons and "smart menus" (like in Office 2003), and the minimized ribbon? I'll tell you: the ribbon is MODAL, if you are not in the right "label" the right mouse button context menu will not show all the options, and the ribbon is DAMN SLOW, at least on my machine it takes SECONDS to switch from a label to the other, especially when minimized.

Paolo

 

[dr_gallup]

That is true of all MS products that use the ribbon interface. You can hide it in word and excel, etc, too. It is part of the packaged functionality for the function as provided with the MS developer kit.

I'm sure PTC had to write their own code for this so they could have multi-platform support. So don't expect every function to work exactly like MS. Unless MS happened to write this code in something platform independent like Java (like that would ever happen!).

 

[mgnt8]

I was never big on hotkeys in the first place. Just more things to memorize. I'll take the icons instead. I'd rather spend my time thinking about the design instead of trying to remember which keys to hit. I'm sure not going to spend all day waiting for the combinations of letters to pop up.

I think the concept of having the icons grouped together instead of having separate icons and menu picks is sound. But like Paolo said, it's too clunky & slow (along with everything else in WF 5).

 

[dr_gallup]

I like letters better than inscrutable squiggles.