Color Ramp Handles

Hi guys,
I posted some mockups on Git https://developer.blender.org/D289 to see if there is a space to discuss some changes on new handles, but zero reaction. I just don’t know if it’s because thread is closed (abandoned) or no one is interested in.
(I saw status of git thread when I was posting it, but I just didn’t want to open new one for that.)

Anyway, I really appreciate “solid color strip” at the bottom of gradient, but … new handles … hmm
I’m not sure if I ever had a problem to see or grab them before …
I was pretty amazed from simplicity of “old” handles :slight_smile:
So I’m really sorry for this change.

Anyway if there was a conclusion for that, I want to ask - what about circle shape for handles?

Current “color houses” are quite complicated element.
Don’t you think that circle shape can do the same job and it is more convenient?
Thanks for your opinion.
(Or can you navigate me, where to post on git correctly?)




Note: When solid colors are represented in handles I’m not sure if a solid color strip at bottom is needed …

Yeah I really like your idea, with circles seems to be more easy to pick than the implementation right now (which by the way sometimes are hard to pick :()

I think the largest problem with picking the handles is they overhang the bottom of the gradient bar, but the hitbox for the handle doesn’t.

the circles do look nice, I think it’s an improvement over the little houses. I especially like the colored circles.

I wrote the first patch for adding handles and there was a lot of discussion about having the pointy hats much like other software. I’ve also added an additional patch to tweak the handles as they are currently slightly too tall for my liking, the tweak also addresses the hit box but you’ll need to read the original D289 thread. Btw, you can still click in the middle of the ramp to select the stops. I’ll try and add another patch to use circles over the next few days. Like most UI stuff there are always strong opinions.

Thanks for comments.

@SterlingRoth: Now I see :slight_smile: I thought it was my hands :slight_smile:
From this fact it seems to me like campbellbarton triangles better match to these conditions (catch area, simplicity, coherency).
D289#18

@Charlie: thanks for your attention.
If circle is used together with line (as before) - looks like a pin and it’s a pointed too (for me).

Thanks for patch (if you will find a time) it would be handy to see if it works or not.

Also I will try to learn how to apply a patch, to see campbells triangle patch in action. It seems like it would be easier to display antialiased small triangle than circle.

Thank you again.

I support this proposal! I would like to suggest that, in addition to left-clicking and dragging, color camp handles be right-click selectable and movable with the G and S keys, like everything else in Blender’s UI.

@Charlie: any succes on the patch :slight_smile: thanks for more info

The index and position sliders are really helpful, but perhaps only because the actual ramp is so damn useless.

Personally, I don’t care what the handles look like. Rectangles, circles, triangles, or nothing at all. The problem for me is that they’re so damn hard to select. I don’t know why or if it’s any different from how it was before, but I’m always accidentally dragging the node around or selecting/dragging the wrong one.

The whole point of handles are so that you have something to grab onto, but just take a look at the actual click-able area on the handle to select it:

In other words, it’s not even a selection handle at all, and I don’t really see the point of it. Sure we can click inside the ramp, but isn’t that what we could always do?

Yes, I’m venting my frustration. I know our devs work hard, don’t take it personally.

Yeah, that’s what @SterlingRoth mentioned and that’s why I asked used rather campbell’s triangles that are placed inside of a strip.

Functionality is as before, so handles are more like markers, just to better visualized where stoppers are placed for now.
Charlie wrote something about tweaked patch that handles this hitbox issue (if I understood it right).
I dont know if it’s a complicated to code.

Ad shape - I tried to find something that fits into ramp and is less impacting to the strip (like before- simple line, just a bit better visible on transparent), but it always become a mess or useless. Hmmm …
So, here is a mockup of triangles that more fits to icons around (+,- ect.) (it doesn’t cover problems on sides where triangles partly overlap catch area.)
This reminds me aother fact that any handle like this overlap into free space -border of panel.



… circles seems to me easier to read, maybe …

As I wrote already I love simplicity of previous (2.69) handle line style.
The only one thing that is maybe true is visibility of handles on almost transparent gradient (with checker behind).

If you read the original D289 thread then you will see that I’ve mentioned about the hit zone. I’ve just got my build setup again so will look at another patch.

Alternative with circle handles, based on feedback from vklidu. Diff file uploaded to D289 thread.


@Charlie: thank you very much for patch. I really appreciate you found a time. I will try functionality later.
(I’ll be out of technology for a week now, sorry).

One idea more to think about:


  • Since there is a solid color strip, color inside of handle is not probably needed.
    It means that shape can consist only from one stroke color and fill color, that is a benefit - simplified handle and easier to see even in small.
  • To highlight active will be always hard to see just by brighter color … so what about one line more at the bottom of a shape?



(I tried also highlight active by different shape, but in small size looks circle and tris the same. Or I tried switch black&white colors for active, but even active meaning was clear, visually it was less dominant in some cases. So one line under triangle seems as the best for now.)