Sketch Tab and Sketch Constraints

[petrara]

I've been testing the new UI Preview and one thing surprised me: the Sketch Constraints. I was expecting to still find them inside the Sketch Palette, but they have been moved to the top toolbar. Now, for me this is quite confusing for several reasons:

1. WHY this change was needed? - I see no reason why the sketch constraints were not okay where they have been before.

2. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS of this change? - The Sketch Palette is still there, occupying the same amount of screen as before (yes, is few cm shorter, but nobody will draw under the Sketch Palette, nor will use that space for visualisation). So, there is no better screen layout, or gain.

3. DOES IT MAKE SENSE? - maybe from the point of having the tools in the toolbar it makes sense, but from the point of user and user experience, doesn't make much sense. Indeed, for the first time, a new user may be confused (where to find the constraints?), but that confusion will last only few moments until the sketch palette is observed.

Why do I think moving the Constraints on the top bar is a bad idea: Simply, the toolbar width is limited. Having a bit of everything on that toolbar, but not enough from anything it is going to be very counter-productive and even annoying. It is obvious one can't have ALL constraints on the toolbar, without expanding the drop list. Also, forcing the constraints on the toolbar, there is not enough room left for other tools that user might find most needed for quick access.
As said above, there has been no gain  by moving the constraints, as the Sketch Palette is still on the screen, still occupying fairly the same screen area, but being less useful now, Before it had a more complex purpose, so the trade-off between screen area taken and usability was better balanced. Now, the advantages are less, but the palette is still there.

Maybe it would be a wise idea to place the constraints back on the palette for a while, to see users response to it, compared to the toolbar. And based on the feedback, to decide what is best.

Perhaps someone from Autodesk would like to explain more about why the constrains should be on the toolbar, if there is a good reason for it and I don't see it yet? For sure such intervention would be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

[Phil.E]

The constraints were added to the toolbar because Sketch tools now occupy the entire width of the toolbar, and we wanted to make them into formal commands/tools. You can use shortcut keys now to fire constraints, and you can place them into the S - key toolbox. Also, you can pick which constraints are always visible now on the toolbar and leave the others on the dropdown menu.

Another reason for this is to separate behaviors out of the palette. Putting commands where commands go (toolbar) and what remains on the palette (with the exception of Look At) are all conditional toggles, not commands. 

[petrara]

Thank you for your reply.

I understand the reasons behind the decision was to "unify"... It makes sense from the point of view of an engineer without imagination, or an ape which tries to understand aesthetics.

But from the point of view of a designer, ux designer, ui designer, human interaction specialist, this decision makes no sense whatsoever.

The Sketch Pallete became a quasi-useless palette, with settings rarely changed, but still occupying considerable space on screen.

On the other hand, we have a cluttered toolbar now, with the solution: "you can use shortcuts". Well, I am using over 10 software applications. And my keyboard has only 101 keys (or so)... You can't expect me to memorize a full set of shortcuts ONLY for Fusion, because the UI/UX designers at Autodesk are underqualified, do you?

I'm not saying the Constrains in Sketch Palette are the best, but I am saying what you did now is infinitely worse. Why break something that works, just to make it "pretty", when isn't even pretty (those shortcut icons look horrible big, by the way).

Maybe this feature should be discussed in more detail before it becomes official.

Best wishes.

[Phil.E]

Thanks for the reply.

I wasn't suggesting that you use shortcuts, I was explaining that for all the users that requested constraints as shortcuts, this is now available, same with the shortcut toolbox.

I fully understand that you may not work like everyone else does, hopefully you understand that everyone else doesn't necessarily share your perspective either. As with all things in life, there are compromises that people make.  I hope you find a way to continue working as you prefer in Fusion, but I don't think the situation with the palette is going to change before this becomes "official".

[petrara]

You are assuming that everyone else works different than I do... Here you are wrong: at this moment, the vast majority of Fusion users are still using the constraints on the Sketch Palette, because they use the current default interface.

Very few switched to UI Preview. So, from this point of view, it might be a surprise to find out that I'm working like everyone else...

Also, your assumptions (that i'm the one different here and all other users will welcome a change like this, because...why? Did they ask for it?) and refusal to acknowledge that "it might be less of an advantage" to do this change is quite patronising.

Hopefully more users will understand that they will end up with a cluttered Sketch Toolbar along with a less useful Sketch Palette on their screen, with settings which are been rarely changed, yet one cannot afford to close the Sketch Palette, because sometimes it requires access to the options there.

So, good job Autodesk: patronising answers, not willing to poll UI changes and reluctance in accepting feedback!

[Phil.E]

Sorry, I don't want to argue with you but what you say is unfair. Here I am talking with you about your feedback, offering suggestions, and passing your words on to the entire UX team. Please don't make me the culprit here for bringing you news that is not satisfying. I'm trying my best.

The UI preview has been available for around a year. We've been taking feedback about it from hundreds of customers. We did hands on UI studies with customers. Heat mapping, full UX interrogations. We must have missed you, sorry.

[petrara]

We're not debating MY preferences here... so, missing or not missing me is beyond the point. What we are debating is if a change is actually beneficial or not. And it doesn't take much thinking to realize that there is still a rather big panel left on the screen with settings that are going to be needed at some point, but not often enough to justify the permanent presence of that rather large rectangle occupying the workspace.

Whilst I can understand the decision behind moving the constraints, it looks for me there is a lot of ego behind it and not enough objective thinking. Not sure if the responses you provided, @Phil.E are your personal position, or you represent the official position of Autodesk... 

Also, you mention the current UI preview has been around for about a year... I remember testing it before. Not sure if the sketch constraints have been moved back then or is a rather new change. But if it has been moved long time ago, the work done on icons is rather poor (besides the fact the padlock icon is of low resolution compared to the others, the style of the constraints icons is visually off, for some reason). So, this makes me think this is a rather recent decision, without too much investigation whether if we, the users will benefit of it.

As I said: - toolbar will get cramped with yet another set of icons, thus limiting the available room for sketch related icons, for example. I would understand this compromise if by doing it, the user would gain extra workspace by completely removing the Sketch Palette rectangle. But obviously, this did not happen. 

As a conclusion: based on the point made above, there is not practical benefit for the user by doing this.

Now, as I said and I will repeat: I am not condemning change. Please do so, impress us with GOOD changes, but for God's Sake don't be stubborn and defend your own stupidity. Because IT IS STUPID to break something that functions well, just because it doesn't fit with the rest. I wasn't aware Fusion 360 is competing in a fashion show...
If you consider that moving those constraints is so essential, why not finding a solution to move the Options in the Sketch Palette too, and therefore get rid of that screen bloatware (because this is what it just became: bloatware)?

You said there has been hands-on ui testing, customer feedback, etc: what I provided to you is just that: feedback based on facts. Take those facts, analyse them and maybe you will discover it is worth to reconsider some changes.

Thanks for being willing to listen.

[scotttidd]

Just adding that if you move or add the constraints to the "S" command they loose their names and just become an icon; so now I have to go read the constraints menu to figure out what each icon is.

I am not a fan of this kind of change.