New icons

[Dirk Hohndel]

I haven't seen any responses to this email, so let me be the first to chime in...

> On May 31, 2018, at 6:17 AM, Martin Měřinský <mermar at centrum.cz> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> I've been working on icons cleanup and got to the point, when it's
> usable. I would like to present you some screenshots.
> 
> Why I did that?
> 
> * Icons were in several formats, and several sizes. It made them
> diffucult to work on. Now all icons are scalable. Bitmap icons can be
> fine-tuned for several sizes (but SVG works just fine for me). Scalable
> icons are also usable for HiDPI displays.
> 
> * Filenames were mess. Now all filenames follow one naming scheme.
> 
> * Some Subsurface icons were arranged to a theme, some not. Now all of
> them are. It makes it possible to use your current theme icons and
> improve yout GUI integration (or switch icons theme).
> 
> * Number of icon files has decreased. Icons have been deduplicated and
> unused icons were removed.

All good things.

> For graphics: SVG files are using correct 96 DPI. "Plain SVG" format is
> used. It makes files small. And there are less binary files in the
> repo.

Also a good thing.

> What changed?
> 
> * While many icons have to be drawn from scratch (there weren't SVG), I
> tried to find better metaphors and improve icons readability. Please
> consider this a proposal. Once SVG icons are used, it would be much
> simpler to improve (redraw) icons. I'm open to suggestions.

I will admit that I feel many of the new icons aren't as nice as the old ones.
They feel "blocky" and "old" to me.
Obviously I'm not a graphic designer and I'll be the first to admit that I'd have
ZERO talent to do any better - but after coming back to this email and the
screen shots a few times... I'm not in love with the new look.

> * On several places, your GUI theme icons are used. I believe this is
> the way to go.
> 
> * I changed very slightly buttons order. I followed general rules:
>  * Related items close to each other.
>  * Most important and used items first.
>  * Ceiling options are somehow likely to be found up.
>  * Bottom options should be down (where one expects the bottom).
>  Proposed order is:
>  * Start with various ceilings.
>  * Gas related items and partial pressures.
>  * O2 limits us the most, then N2, He only TECs.
>  * Divers body related items. Both are rates.
>  * Depth limit related items are down (NDL is closely related to
> depth).
>  * Graph related options last.

I think that any change in order will be disruptive to users who have gotten
used to what we have. And I don't know that your logic of ordering is any
more valid than the one we have today.

Curious what others think.

> * If there is no graph to show. Scale background Subsurface logo.

I wish not all changes were in a single PR. This one, for example, has
nothing to do with the rest of the PR.

> * Filter show/hide icon changes according to the action it will
> perform.
> 
> I tested only Linux + Gnome. I hope MacOs and Windows would work as
> well. I didn't test mobile version, because I'm not using it. I tried
> not to break it.
> 
> Please, see attachement. Note these changes:
> ss1
> * New buttons icons.
> * Dive profile buttons order slightly changed.
> * Background logo scales.
> ss2
> * Preferences icons are used from GUI theme (except Units, Profile,
> Georeference).

DISLIKE - the mixing of UI theme icons with our icons creates a very
inconsistent look

> ss3
> * Instead of arguable quality photos, images.

That seems like a random, gratuitous change. I have no idea why one is 
considered better than the other.

> ss4
> * Filter visible. Clear and close buttons icons from GUI theme. New
> hide icon.

Again, I like the old icons much better

> ss5
> * Filter hidden. Show button icon changed.
> ss6
> * List add and remove icons from GUI theme.
> * New dive bookmark icon.
> * Map icons with greater difference between selected and non-selected
> locality.

I find the '-' icon completely unintuitive. I repeat: No, I don't want to mix our 
own icons and random UI theme icons.

> ss7
> * New icons for minimum, average and maximum value.

Those are signal strength icons for a cell phone connection, not min/max/avg
icons.
NAK on this change for sure (but actually, on quite a few of the others as well,
just this one I react the most strongly to)

I appreciate the effort and the enthusiasm. I don't want this to feel overly
negative (which is why I was hoping others would comment first), but as it
is I don't think this is the right direction for us.

/D