Thanks for adding to that list.
Yup, I’ve noticed that extra click required on the second monitor before second monitor task start working in Blender. It’s one of those annoying extra clicks that shouldn’t be.
I also eye twitch on how the Mac’s hide Dock settings for Blender don’t work like DaVinci Resolve’s and almost every other app(Dock will still hide and appear with mouse while in Full Screen mode) when using Hide Dock settings in Mac. I’m team hide Dock all the way cause I love screen real estate and it actually works really well in Mac OS unlike the hide Taskbar setting in Windows and the crap shoot of when it wants to behave. Which is why no one in the Windows world uses it and apps don’t follow any universal guidelines for it.
Unfortunately for Mac users and Blender hide taskbar behavior was never thought about because it’s not a thing people use in Windows.
I still shutter to this day when I see a Mac user with the Dock locked on screen. Joking joking I know everyone has their own style, but still it gives me the willies.
Sounds good, but experience tells that only a small percentage of Blender’s GSoC projects are actually committed to Blender. But let’s hope this’ll make it.
I’m kinda surprised that there are no provisions to address the file navigation UI. Blender uses its own file navigation finder which can be both good and annoying. For instance I frequently throw stuff on my Desktop as an easy to find location that I can summon from the open file window by pressing Command-D. This is not possible in Blender, and neither is the ability to press the spacebar within the file window to get a full screen preview of the file (very handy when opening texture files, but also FBX and OBJ files).
I know, right? But if we at least get a couple of the UI task completed it will be cool. Unlike some of the past projects that needed to be 100% completed for the new task to even work and then the project gets abandoned. This feels a little more sane versus a junior programmer attempting to rewrite the entire cloth simulation backend during their summer break.
I have no idea how things like a proprietary file open dialog happen.
Maybe because of cross platform support (?)
But even if it is easier to write an own file manager, why reinvent the
wheel when it is easier to make a similar layout and functionality
like the onboard file managers already existing.
For file managers of these 3 OSs work reasonably similar and familiar.
OK, I had problems with Finder when switching from Win to Mac
until I found my Finder workflow. But when I try Explorer again
(from 2018 - now) I get annoyed by certain details. Not so much
in Linux. But Blender File Manager in comparison is really strange
and hindering if you use more than one disk or even external or
server drives. I do not see any surplus value.
And if you make things different than standard, it has to be noticeably
much better.
I find it interesting that “industry standards” did need so long to be
offered or even allowed in Blender.
First, because it’s cross-platform. Secondly, when you have your own file dialog you run less risk of things breaking if Apple or Microsoft changes something with a system upgrade.
(And with Linux, which seems to have no standards about anything whatsoever, the answer is obvious.)
The GSOC dev Jonas Holzman who’ll work on the Mac UI had a good tip for me when working with 2 windows: use Autoraise (open source) to have window focus follow the mouse. You can set it to “Blender only” (exclude Blender, then invert selection). This allows the window under the mouse to receive keyboard input as you move the cursor across multiple monitors without clicking.
Nice! I didn’t know about that one. There are so many little hidden gems of light weight apps that improve your daily life for MacOS out there.
One I was using for a bit was MOS it’s an app that replicates Apple’s legendary inertia scrolling for other mice (sort of ). You can do the same and invert apps and websites that need it or leave it set for all for those who don’t own a Logitech MX3. The MX3 doesn’t replicate Apple’s inertia scrolling perfect but it’s the closest thing I’ve found if you need a three button mouse. And for all the others MOS works well enough. You will need to fiddle with the setting though.
Yes! I have a Logi with MOS too. And I’m running BetterTouchTool to reconfigure the Logi buttons on the side to Blender shortcuts. I hate the Logi driver: found a series of 9 500Mb downloads in system settings (all stored versions) and saw the driver app using a ton of ram in the background. Deinstalled it.
Wow, I’d forgotten about that OSX inertia scrolling. Holy frack, was that terrible. Now remembering that I yelled across the office “How the hell do I turn this off!?”
Yeah, and it’s great. It works like all the devices worked, before inertia scroll came along. The scroll goes exactly as far as I drag, and no further. It stops, when I stop. Not stopping at some random point after I told it to stop.
Well, I use 3DConnexion devices (Space Navigator/Enterprise/CADMouse)
just because I want drivers that allow specific customization for each App.
And Mac support is so sub par vs Windows.
On Mac it is pretty OK with Wacom and from the past I had similar experience
with Logitech drivers, I just didn’t like their hardware experience at that time.
Therefore I already tried to order a Logitech Mx? for Mac Mouse.
(which was unfortunately cancelled after 4 months because it never arrived
because of missing USB C adapters and cables)
Do Logitech drivers really not work as expected on Mac ?
For 3D Connexion, the 3D Bubble works ok for Blender.
But on Mac, Blender does not recognize any button assignments.
No Macros but also no simple “keystroke” actions.
I like natural scrolling on iOS, or magic mouse or even Wacom Pen.
On the other hand, everything else that needs its own specific driver
ever offered to mimic natural macOS scrolling was terrible.
I mean what does it help if a Logitech mouse offers a hardware option
to unlock the scroll grid, when the result is still a fixed 3 row action
addition like on Windows …
Because Windows always had that clunky old fashioned system
of scroll wheel action being based on text rows, where you could
only choose between how many of rows one scroll click travels.
First iPhone natural scrolling,
by controlling the scroll speed by finger movement, letting velocity
cease out slowly and bouncing at the ends was just another league
of GUI/UX. Or pinch to zoom, …
As it feels so familiar. And so much more comfortable if you need
to travel over large distances.
It is so superior in 98% of usage, except for dragging and zooming
in 3D or CAD Apps. As there a linear behavior is preferred.
(Which CAD user did not set mouser cursor speed to max but deactivated
cursor acceleration to end to his snap point fast but in a controlled manner)
But that does not count in nearly all other tasks like scrolling through
a website.
I always wonder how of how many CAD users working with their magic mouse
or touch pad though.
I really enjoy using magic mouse or my touch pad for any tasks beside
CAD and 3D.
On my CADMouse I have a similar offer that also allows to scroll from
the bottom of a long web site back to the top by fast scrolling - but it is
not reliable as it will lag and go on when you already scrolled to the
opposite direction to stop.
I know everyone has their own style, but still it gives me the willies. 
But let’s hope this’ll make it. 
). You can do the same and invert apps and websites that need it or leave it set for all for those who don’t own a Logitech MX3. The MX3 doesn’t replicate Apple’s inertia scrolling perfect but it’s the closest thing I’ve found if you need a three button mouse. And for all the others MOS works well enough. You will need to fiddle with the setting though.