New icons for Blender 2.8

General Forums Blender Development Discussion
752

@ jendrzych Pushpin and needle pin icon has the same meaning for me.
My suggestion here was only shape simplification for pin icon in that time.
To use pin icon for fake user I tried to suggest a years back :slight_smile:

@ William I feel OK with using it for FAKE USER - icon tells precisely what happens - data are pinned.
I don’t have a problem to use the same icon in more cases, they are used in some CONTEXT, so user gets the point.

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In the same way is already used image icon

  • for image itself
  • for image view
  • for image filtering
    etc … user understands them because of context.

If pushpin icon is used in 2.8 in another meaning I would suggest to change rather these.

(BTW the “follow context” icon in properties editor – I never found this function useful, probably I don’t know how to use it :slight_smile:

753

The trouble is that the context is the same. There will be two pushpin buttons right next to each in the Image Editor with different meanings.

754

Paperclip? It symbolises attachment, but a fake user is like attaching it into the blend file.

Lets come back to safety pin…
image

(top left version is 14 pix square)
Though a safety-pin and push pin have the same meaning they look very different.
We use two different cameras in the properties panel for render properties and camera properties - to me this would be less bad.

1 Like
755

  1. Face Map
    facemaps_1

  2. Shape Key
    shape%20keys_1

  3. Copy / paste
    copy-paste_1

  4. Fake User (keep data): off and on. BTW, a 0 users Data name could be red coloured, for warning.
    fake%20user_1

  5. Orphaned Data
    orphaned%20data

  6. Node icon
    node_1

5 Likes
756

Looks great! Small notes:

  • Face maps aren’t triangles - the old icon was misleading, so I don’t think we should continue with that
  • Shape keys: First one is hard to see. Second one is easier to see, although it’s a pun-icon still. Actually visualising shape keys is hard though.
  • Node: I think we should use both the outline and filled versions for ‘node’ and ‘node selected’

BTW, I’ve gone through all of Blender’s code to add the new icons to all the correct places - when you update the last few icons I will submit a patch to the other devs for inclusion.

1 Like
757

Shape keys - let’s stick to this for now. We’ll investigate it later.
No triangles in Face Maps? It has to be redesigned then.

758

I mean, a face map can have triangles, but they are not by definition triangles. By default, faces are usually quads, so displaying triangles is a bit confusing.

It could also be the exact same icon, but rather than two triangles, it’s just a square face. KISS :slight_smile:

759

You’ve described a “face select” from Edit Mode.
EDIT:
I made another proposal for Face Map, which is visually consistent with Vertex Group:
facemaps_2

2 Likes
760

Looks good I think.

761

Regarding F-icon and Orphaned Data - I made three icons, but I think only two of them shall be used:

  1. broken filled heart - Orphaned Data and not active Fake User (possibly red colour coded for warning)
  2. linear, full opacity heart - active Fake User.

I realize that the rule will be reversed (selection / active = filled polygons vs. not selected / inactive = linear with 40% opacity), but this is all to underline the threat of data loss.

The Shape Keys - maybe the stamp will be a good symbol?

762

Why would a stamp be an icon for shape key?

A shape key is an alternate position for the vertices of a mesh. Something that says ‘shape’ or ‘alternate shape’. The ‘key’ part is, in fact, mostly a misnomer. Other apps call the ‘blend shapes’ which is frankly a better name.

1 Like
763

Easy-peasy. I just have to find simple visual representation of topological identity :nerd_face:

764

I would also say that you are a bit too categorical here - dismissing a floppy disk as a icon for save. Multiple examples have been given - like the magnifying glass for zoom - for old tech being used as a universal symbol.

And your own sketch for updated viewport controls are showing a analog movie camera - how often is that used these days ?

1 Like
765

Three ideas for ‘shape key’:

A vertex is moved:
shapekey_idea_3

The Cube is modified:
shapekey_idea_2

Stored vertex positions:
shapekey_idea_1

We also will need an icon for Onion Skinning.

Currently is uses the ghost, but that is weak:
00

Maybe we could use a line that fades out forwards and backwards in time, like so:
onion_skinning

766

Onion Skinning - two state view restriction icons on the left and common GUI button icon on the right:
onion%20skinning_1

1 Like
767

Shape Key (several variations):
shape%20keys_2
My favourite is first on the left, but what do You think?

1 Like
768

I tweaked a bit Armature related icons - previous try in upper row and the latest in the lower:
armature%20and%20pose_1

  1. Pose mode
  2. Armature Object
  3. Armature Object Data
  4. Pose Data

I don’t know what are the last two icons for (T12 and X18 in the icon sheet).

2 Likes
769

T12 is OUTLINER_DATA_POSE
X18 is POSE_DATA

So they really have the same meaning.

770

Would these by any chance be feasible for fake user and orphaned data?
image
For some reason, Heart icon to me feels like I want to “favorite” that data block, so that it for example shows first in the search or something.

771

You could argue that marking something as Fake User is favouriting it - in a way. But, yes, it’s slightly whimsical and not truly accurate. The safe is still a more correct icon I think - if it’s at all possible to make one that small.