Ribbons...

[Kat]

Is it just me, or are ribbons really annoying to anyone else around here?

 

I guess I am just a traditionalist about my toolbars.

[ReMark]

You are not alone. There are a number of forum members who refuse to use the Ribbon at all or if they do use it they aren't necessarily happy about it. There was a recent thread about this very subject. A search will most likely turn it up.

[qball]

Autocad Classic Workspace

[Kat]

I use the classic layout as well. The ribbon takes up too much valuable screen real estate and looks infantile. I did find the other thread about this (different section that I usually go to).

 

I wonder if enough people made a stand against the ribbon if they will always keep the classic option available?

 

I am glad I am in good company about my views on this =D. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

[nestly]

I "try" to use the Ribbon whenever I can, hoping it's great benefit will reveal itself, but as it stands, it mostly only slows down my production.... and makes me grumpy.

[qball]

I have Properties and Dimension and Layer toolbars on as well as the ribbon in the second most collapsed state. I find for things that you do often it takes too long to expand or change the Ribbon menus. But it's okay for some things.

I remember a few years back a co-worker came back from a Cad seminar and he said that they were going to get rid of the command line. That better never happen. I'm a command liner. I can type the command faster than my eyes and mouse can find it on the screen.

[BlackBox]

First, I am no advocate FOR the Ribbon, I simply think often times people whine before they put in the effort to MAKE it work.

 

Is it just me, or are ribbons really annoying to anyone else around here?

 

No not really (once you customize to your liking)... Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome.

 

 

You are not alone. There are a number of forum members who refuse to use the Ribbon at all or if they do use it they aren't necessarily happy about it.

 

^^ Sissies; all of them. lmfao

 

There was a recent thread about this very subject. A search will most likely turn it up.

 

linky

 

The ribbon takes up too much valuable screen real estate and looks infantile. I did find the other thread about this (different section that I usually go to).

 

I use an extremely high resolution and have no issues... Admittedly, I am using dual monitors, etc.

 

Consider prompting your employer to upgrade you to dual 48" Widescreen monitors as a result of the 'new Ribbon mandate' justification!? LoL

 

I wonder if enough people made a stand against the ribbon if they will always keep the classic option available?

 

Not a chance... however, I DO feel strongly that we should demand that Autodesk make the Ribbon more complete, and functional (see my, and others' comments in linked thread above). There's a far cry between making an interface available to users, and forcing it down their throats... I am obviously in favor of the former.

 

I am glad I am in good company about my views on this =D. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

 

That is exactly the type of attitude that will allow others to capitalize on your laziness (generally speaking, I mean no offense, of course).

 

Give this a read:

 

CAD Management: Too Good for Your Own Good

[ReMark]

Back when the Ribbon was introduced I absolutely hated it. In a moment of sheer boredom, or maybe it was desperation, I created a custom Ribbon with 7 panels populated with the commands I used the most. I had one for 2D work and one for 3D work. After that it wasn't so bad.

[nestly]

I created a custom Ribbon with 7 panels populated with the commands I used the most. I had one for 2D work and one for 3D work. After that it wasn't so bad.

 

Yeah, customizing the Ribbon is the only thing that makes it tolerable at all, but here's a little comparison regarding efficiency.

My screen resolution is 1920 x 1200, and I run a Windows toolbar on left side, so my Ribbon is 1899 wide x 128 pixels high, totaling 233072 pixels of screen real estate. In the Ribbon, I can have a maximum of 74 tools available at any one time (not counting the Layers and Properties toolbars)

 

By contrast, in my "Classic" workspace, I have 228 tools always available (not counting the Layers and Properties toolbars) occupying a total screen area of 226182 pixels.

 

My bottom line is a workspace with toolbars allows around 4x as many of my favorite tools to be immediately available without any additional clicks or picks compared to the Ribbon, all the while leaving more space for actual drawing.

From an efficiency standpoint, this is a no-brainer for me.

 

[qball]

how can you measure the toolbars in pixel dimensions?

[nestly]

Capture the Desktop to the clipboard. Paste it into Paint or other graphics program.

[BlackBox]

how can you measure the toolbars in pixel dimensions?

 

Capture the Desktop to the clipboard. Paste it into Paint or other graphics program.

 

Other options, in case you need to do so programmatically:

 

http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=9441.msg132809#msg132809

 

If you've [installed a more advanced scripting engine than VBScript (i.e., AutoIT)], the following should work:

(setq aiCtrl (vlax-get-or-create-object "AutoItX3.Control"))
(vlax-Invoke aiCtrl 'MouseGetPosX)
(vlax-Invoke aiCtrl 'MouseGetPosY)

 

The only way that I can think of off hand is to load the OpenDCL runtime then you have access to

 

(dcl_GetMouseCoords)

 

Which will return a 2D point (even on duals)

 

linky

[SLW210]

Ribbons are what you put in your hair. At least I do.

[BlackBox]

... You never fail to throw in some sort of queer jeer. LoL

[rkent]

nestly,

 

The jury is still out as far as the Ribbon is concerned for me, but I am doing a great deal of customizing on it, getting rid of silly stuff like having line, pline, erase, etc. on there. I only leave the commands I don't use all the time and commands that are better suited for the Ribbon. I especially like the Contextual portion of the Ribbon. I still have menubar set to 1 and keep the Layer toolbar up so I don't have to go back and forth for that.

 

Now as far as your comparison, you are comparing a highly customized tool palette layout to the OOTB Ribbon. Now I ask you, is that really a legitimate comparison?

[Kat]

One thing I always loved about AutoCAD was how customizable it is. I think for the benefit of all of its users, it would be wise to keep the two options (Classic tool palettes & the Ribbon) open in the future. It allows people to set up the interface that works best for them. No two avid drafters have the same layout of their interface, it's one thing that makes AutoCAD more fun and productive.

 

I am not lazy nor am I a sissy for not switching over to an interface that I know isn't as effective for me as what I already use. I rarely use the toolbars anyway.

 

Why are there On/Off & Freeze/Unfreeze for layers? Because some people like one, some people like the other. The end product is the same. It would be wise to keep both.

[nestly]

nestly,

Now as far as your comparison, you are comparing a highly customized tool palette layout to the OOTB Ribbon. Now I ask you, is that really a legitimate comparison?

 

Yes, I do believe it's a fair comparison. If you look at my screencap, that Ribbon contains far more tools than the OOTB Ribbon. Layers and Properties are not controls I'm willing to give up, so 70 to 80 "other" tools is about the most that can be available/visible at any one time without making the Ribbon even bigger (taller). If you can get more than that on the Ribbon, I'd certainly be interested in seeing how you have yours arranged.

 

I would agree with your comments about the Contextual features of the Ribbon, but the gains realized in Contexual Ribbon tabs is not greater than my preference for having the tools I used most available with a single mouse click.

[DNK]

I like the ribbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haters gonna hate.

 

[BlackBox]

Haters gonna hate.

 

1+ .......

[BlackBox]

@ Nestly -

 

Have you tried undocking the ribbon, and anchoring it (left, or right)?

 

I know many users that do this, similar to the traditional SSM placement here (also anchored).

 

Just a thought.