A clear and easy to survey graphical user interface (= GUI) is crucial for day-to-day work.
Docking windows (= panels) in the X6 GUI, however, are missing a clear outline and segmentation entirely. The current CorelDRAW X6 Graphics Suite docking windows framework is cumbersome and quirky.
I'd like to suggest to employ a better docking window framework.
Let me first show a number of pesky issues in the current X6 docking window framework. Finally I will suggest an alternative docking window framework.
Alternative Docking Window Framework
Microsoft has created a docking window framework, called "WPF AvalonDock". This docking framework is vastly superior compared to the docking window framework currently employed by CorelDRAW X6 Graphics Suite.
Microsoft AvalonDock is very comfortable and it's available free of charge. I suggest Corel to incorporate this framework into CorelDRAW X7 Graphics Suite. It's available at avalondock.codeplex.com.
Utilizing this framework it will be easy for the user to rearrange, minimize and temporarily show panels on the fly.
Moreover, incorporating, extending and configuring the AvalonDock framework is easy. Corel may amend it to their needs with relative little effort.
Here's a small movie I made demonstrating the advantages of AvalonDock compared to Corel's docking window framework:
(... or follow this hyperlink.)
I agree to much of what you say here.
My way to get around many of these issues is to use the dockers floating. I assume you're aware of the ability to drag a docker out of the docker panel, to make it float.There are a couple of advantages:
You can resize to a suitable size for that particular dockerThey work independently of other dockersThey can be laid on top of each other...and most importantly; they can be opened and closed with shortcut keys. No need to have them opened when they're not needed and no need to go through the dialog to open.
Hi Ronny,
yes, I agree with you, switching docked tool windows to floating may be an option.
The keyboard shortcut feature incidentally also works for docking windows when they're in docked state.
I personally am not too much an admirer of floating docking windows because they tend to be in the way, e.g. when editing large images. The document's scrollbar doesn't take floating toolbar windows into account. The fun part of having tool windows docked is that they kind of extend the document windows frame, so they are following it wherever it is.
DrawMeIn said:The keyboard shortcut feature incidentally also works for docking windows when they're in docked state.
I absolutely agree with you DrawMeIn, Dockers need to be rewritten.Also, I think Dockers need to have ALL the same Width (except for example Object Manager that need to show a lot of things)but in general, to dock them efficiently a locked Width is important.Look what is unacceptable:
This one too: