A full-time job for the Spacebar

BogdanOancea · Post by **BogdanOancea** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:33 pm

Here's something more for a better, faster workflow – a "full-time job" for the Spacebar.

Hitting SPACEBAR in the viewports brings up the Toolbox, which is very convenient, thank you very much. On the other hand, when you press the SPACEBAR while the cursor hovers over the Buttons Panel, nothing useful happens. Just think that when it comes to extending one of the viewports into fullscreen mode, we have to resort to that cumbersome CTRL+UPARROW combination. Wouldn't it be great to make the Buttons Panel slide up and down (appear or hide ultra-fast) when hitting SPACEBAR? Only the header of the Buttons panel would remain visible, so that we can place the cursor over it and hit the SPACEBAR again to make it appear (or simply click on it).

thanks for Blender

Bogdan

joeri · Post by **joeri** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:14 pm

What happens to right sided button windows?

BogdanOancea · Post by **BogdanOancea** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 3:35 pm

If other people dock their Buttons window to the right, after hitting Spacebar, it would retract to the right, with only 1 cm(approx.) of it remaining visible, in order to be able to place the cursor on it again when needed.

Or else somebody change that CTRL-UP ARROW shortcut...

Bogdan

joeri · Post by **joeri** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:28 pm

So what happens if I have 3 windows open?

But I think I get your point. I'd discribe that as:
When hitting the spacebar if the mouse cursor is above a header will make that window full screen. If the window is fullscreen already then it will be restored to previous setting. (No need to show the header of a window you are not using).

There used to be a split/fullscreen icon on the headerbar... It's gone now.

mzungu · Post by **mzungu** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:01 pm

Does anyone out there use Windows and have the "Start" bar set to autohide? I personally love this. When I want to switch apps or open files or execute programs, I just move my mouse down (or left/right/top as preferred) over the small 1-2px wide band at the bottom of the screen and whoops, up pops the start bar. (Actually, alt-tab is much faster for switching apps, or ctrl-tab for switching documents within an MDI app... but I digress...) But could the buttons panel work like that as an option, maybe? Just move your mouse over to the left side of the screen, and out pops/slides the panel... or maybe mouse-over a small icon in the corner of the header of any non-buttons window panel...?

Actually, I find the Ctrl-Up useable when I want to work that way. The return of the icon in the header would be nice, tho.

mongrol · Post by **mongrol** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 10:45 pm

I would much prefer the space bar to fullscreen the current viewport a bit like maya. CTRL+UP means I need to take my hand off the mouse, the result of this is I almost never do any work in anything other than the multiple pane views. I agree the toolbox is handy but a waste of a very handy keypress. Maya has it about right. Tap to toggle fullscreen and hold for a second for the toolbox. Thoughts?

BogdanOancea · Post by **BogdanOancea** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 11:01 am

In 2004 I had for a while the Maya 5 Personal Learning Edition (I wanted to, well, learn Maya), until I discovered there is a free and powerful 3D program called Blender, downloaded it (2.33a) and started coming to gripes
with its idiosincracies. With all due respect, I gave up Maya, but I remember the way the Spacebar behaves in Maya, and I agree with Mongrol. That is the best and most convenient way to do it. Only if the veteran Blender programmers would agree and implement that...

Bogdan

poutsa · Post by **poutsa** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:34 pm

Why not use the left Strg + the button with the (<>) symbols next to it to Maximize the Window!???

This Button (><) has no Config. (not used) i think so!
the same to minimize the Window!

Billy

matt_e · Post by **matt_e** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 3:46 pm

BogdanOancea wrote:Or else somebody change that CTRL-UP ARROW shortcut...

I changed it in my own build to Shift Spacebar a while ago, and it's worked beautifully. It's far better when I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard - I'd never use it otherwise.

-efbie- · Post by **-efbie-** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 6:03 pm

can you try to commit it ? I'm sure everyone will find this shortcut much more practical !

ElBarto · Post by **ElBarto** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 12:36 am

What i'm missing is that space would always show the menu like in 3d view. This would fasten up working withthe uv imeage editor.

mongrol · Post by **mongrol** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:21 am

broken wrote:
BogdanOancea wrote:Or else somebody change that CTRL-UP ARROW shortcut...
I changed it in my own build to Shift Spacebar a while ago, and it's worked beautifully. It's far better when I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard - I'd never use it otherwise.

How do you access the tool menu? I'm sure a patch wouldn't be accepted unless there's an alternative for the present functionality? Does yours access the toolmenu after a pause?

matt_e · Post by **matt_e** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 12:30 pm

broken wrote:Shift Spacebar

Spacebar on its own brings up the toolbox as usual. And yeah, I can commit it to tuhopuu for people to try. I have CVS access, no patch required.

mongrol · Post by **mongrol** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:17 pm

That would be fantastic if you could commit. Even better if it got sucked into BF.

theeth · Post by **theeth** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:33 pm

broken wrote:
BogdanOancea wrote:Or else somebody change that CTRL-UP ARROW shortcut...
I changed it in my own build to Shift Spacebar a while ago, and it's worked beautifully. It's far better when I don't have to take my hands off the keyboard - I'd never use it otherwise.

Personnally, I'd go with Ctrl-Spacebar instead of Shift, since Ctrl is usually easier to hit (not that it matters really).

Martin