GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 491072
GUI changes to Fonts tab
Last modified: 2007-11-10 11:50:41 UTC
The Fonts tab in Appearance preferences tool suffers (IMHO) two major issues: * if you want to use a font in all supported places (applications, desktop, documents, windows titlebar) you have to select it 4 times * The Rendering section and Details dialog are really unuseful So, here is my proposal and mochup for a improved Fonts tab. ## Proposed Changes ## In order to allow users to specify a single font for all non monospace supported places, it could be really useful add checkboxes for desktop, documents, and window title font selector. Only when the checkbox is checked, the desktop will use the specified "custom" font for related place. Otherwise, will use the "applications" font The Rendering section and Details sub-dialog, instead, could be merged removing stuff not useful for GUI people: the resolution selector and the subpixel order controls. For all detail, see attached glade and screenshot. ## What's Missing ## There are 2 items removed in proposed mochup that could be useful. The fist one is all font previews. I replaced all radioboxes for rendering, hinting and smoothing with a single combobox for each setting. Maybe we could provide and install some 22x22 (ore 32x32) PNGs with a pre-rendered and zoomed preview and use as icon for items in popup menus for comboboxes. The second item removed that could be useful is the "go to fonts://" button.
Created attachment 98029 [details] The mochup screenshot showing how page could appear Note that: 1. Titles for sections are really bad 2. When the checkboxes for additional fonts are unchecked, the related font chooser buttons should be grayed, but should also show current font 3. Same for Smoothing and Hinting combobox: should be available only when Preset combobox is "None", but have to alwais show current value 4. When the window title checkbox is unchecked (i.e. when window title font is based on applications font), the font for window titles should be font for applications + bold.
Created attachment 98031 [details] The GLADE file with suggested UI Here is the GLADE file used to create previous image. Open in glade to check all comboboxes values and tooltips for various controls.
I forgot to mention: please note that the policy "set applications-font and let other supported places use it" is really useful if you need to setup a font in your theme (i.e. in index.theme). This is what some a11y themes do (for example LargePrint), but due to limitations in supported extra key (we are currently able to recognize only ApplicationFont, DesktopFont and MonospaceFont keys in index.theme files) users will need to perform additional tasks to setup the environment. Allowing the policy, you could write in you theme something like: [X-GNOME-Metatheme] ApplicationFont=sans 18 MonospaceFont=monospace 18 UseApplicationFontEverywhere=true In order to use "Sans 18" in window titles and documents too.
Other forgotten notes: * I don't think that resolution selector could be useful in UI. Resolution should be keeped in sync with X. If you need to change it, use gconftool or gconf-editor * Same for subpixel order, with the difference that average users don't know what this value is for and how to set it. If you need to change it, use gconftool or gconf-editor * a currently missing but maybe useful setting for fonts is the "turn off smoothing for fonts smaller than XX points". I don't know if this is suitable for GUI[1] but could be good to have it at least in GConf. [1] Mac OS show it in Apperance capplet see http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X_Tiger/System_Preferences/Appearance
Note that we already have bug 160547. This should better go there and continue the discussion instead of starting anew with a new bug. Please move over to the other bug. That said, I don't like the new dialog for several reasons (that's not to say I like the old one, though...): * first impression: very confusing. It find it very hard to grok what the custom stuff is supposed to do just from looking at the screenshot. The preset setting is not clear, either, though I can guess what it does because I know the old dialog. * removing the previews is a bad idea IMO. Now you have to try all possible combinations to find out what works best. I don't understand what you meant about using pre-rendered previews. How's that supposed to work? Since the look depends on the font used, I don't see how you could pre-render anything. * I'm not sure if (possibly) having to change five different fonts is reason enough to add a system with two defaults and additional overrides. * and finally, I have no clue which (if any) of the dropped options are important. (That is neither a reason for nor against this new version, of course.) Someone with more fonts know-how is going to have to make that call.
Created attachment 98063 [details] Rendering previews in combobox menu > removing the previews is a bad idea IMO. Now you have to try all > possible combinations to find out what works best. I don't understand > what you meant about using pre-rendered previews. How's that supposed > to work? Since the look depends on the font used, I don't see how > you could pre-render anything. If I'm right, currenlty previews are not based on choosen font, so I think they are just a hint about how rendering could/should work. So, if they aren't a real previews ("live" update), we can simply provide some images to show the major differences between each value and how settings will work, just like in this attached GIMP mochup. The "a" character showed near each value, is grabbed from current Fonts capplet and zoomed (200%) to show details (you can see colors in subpixel, and different antialiasing between best shape and best contrast). Besides, if users really want to know how exacly settings will work (what's the difference between best shape and best contrast?), they should read the inline help (that, of course, we have to write).
(In reply to comment #5) > Note that we already have bug 160547. This should better go there and continue > the discussion instead of starting anew with a new bug. Please move over to the > other bug. I was sure it was obsolete, 'cause referred to old (pre-merge) capplet. > * first impression: very confusing. It find it very hard to grok what the > custom stuff is supposed to do just from looking at the screenshot. There are meagniful tooltips for each checkbox :-) > The preset > setting is not clear, either, though I can guess what it does because I know > the old dialog. Maybe could need better label then a simple "Preset"... Note also that in real usage Smoothing and Hinting combos should be grayed if you are using a preset, or also hidden (if I'm right GNOME HIG allow you to use a combo, Preset here, to show or hide other controls). > * I'm not sure if (possibly) having to change five different fonts is reason > enough to add a system with two defaults and additional overrides. I think that using the same font "everywhere" is more common than using different fonts for each available place. This was the reason to split buttons and provide checkboxes. There are two reason to use the Fonts capplet: * you want to use a new "base" font, for example either switching from Bitstream Vera to Liberation, or increase the size 'cause you have some vision problems * you are a customization addicted and you want to perform a fine tuning of your desktop, for example using the cool calligraphic font you downloaded for desktop items, growing the size of window titles and use MS fonts for applications. The proposed (and of course perfectible) design likes to provide the best UI for both. > * and finally, I have no clue which (if any) of the dropped options are > important. (That is neither a reason for nor against this new version, of > course.) Someone with more fonts know-how is going to have to make that call. > Me too :-/ Knowing want is really needed and wanted could be really helpful.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 160547 ***