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LMB/RMB scrolling

Started by jamespetts, March 04, 2014, 01:47:46 AM

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jamespetts

I rather like the new feature in the most recent builds where a click and hold on the left mouse button can scroll in the same way as the right mouse button: this enhances usability, I think.

However, I think that there is much to be said for making something of the distinction between RMB and LMB scrolling. Currently, by default, the map moves in the same direction as the mouse is moved unless "scroll inverse" is selected. This is identical for RMB and LMB scrolling. My preference has always been for "scroll inverse" to be enabled, as I find it more intuitive, in effect, to grab the map by a point and move it around as if I were pushing it around by hand (and Newton's third law of motion means that this would be an inverse movement). Evidently, other people prefer the current arrangement, hence it being the default. Might I suggest that the RMB and the LMB each scroll in the opposite direction to each other? This would allow users to use both types of scrolling or alternate between them. This would, I suspect, make things more friendly for new users, who might not know to go to the "display" menu to alter the way in which the map scrolls.

Also, given that it is now possible to tell between a a click and release and a click and hold (and this mechanism works very well, I find), I also wonder whether there is something to be said for adding a new function to a click and release of the RMB - perhaps acting as if one had clicked on the tile in question with the inspection tool no matter what tool is actually selected? Indeed, in principle, this could make the idea of a separate selection tool redundant, although I suspect that we would do well to keep it for systems that do not have the equivalent of two mouse buttons, such as Macintosh computers and (especially) touchscreen devices.
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Ters

Right-clicking for query no matter what does sounds really useful. The only drawback is that it is not exactly normal/expected behaviour for that mouse button, but the behaviour is harmless enough if people inadvertently trigger it. I can't think of anything else Simutrans can use right-clicking in the map for, besides perhaps centering the clicked tile, unless that button also gets forwarded to the active tool.

jamespetts

An interesting idea about centring the map - perhaps the middle mouse button could get that? I do not think that that button is used at all currently. The idea of the right mouse button being clicked for the query tool is loosely based on the idea of a right mouse button context menu, which is standard behaviour in Windows and other operating systems based on Windows in design.
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prissi

The introduction was rather for the more common thumb devices (like tablets) which only have left mouse buttons (and only dragging and no hovering).

isidoro

@james:  I also prefer scroll inverse.  In fact, I'm used to it.  The first time I've seen the one used by default in ST, is in ST itself and felt awkward to me.

jamespetts

Prissi - that makes sense, and the implementation seems sound for that use case, too. However, there is still room for being a little more creative with the right and middle mouse buttons for systems that have these available.

Isidoro - indeed. I wonder how many other users feel the same. Perhaps a poll is in order...?
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ӔO

I think it would be nice if this were user configurable.
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jamespetts

If you mean the scroll direction, it always has been (display>scroll inverse), but this is not obvious to new (or indeed possibly even experienced) users, so it is important to have the best default.
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