Darkelve
September 18th, 2011, 06:12 PM
Hi all,
I tend to think a lot about desktop environments, operating systems and how they could be improved... I'm weird like that!
Recently I thought up something that might be promising. I worked out some concepts in GIMP, they are in the attachments. Take a look at them before reading the rest!
The basic idea is that, on the desktop, or in the File lens, you can drag a file to the top of the screen and a bar with contextual actions slides down. From there, you can drop the file on the action and it is executed.
Advantages I think this approach has:
- big targetable area makes it easy to aim
- contextual actions can change depending on the need at hand (like right-click)-
- no file manager or program has to be open to execute the task
- this could also be done from within lenses
- tasks could be chained into 'workflows': small steps where the entire screen could be used to complete the 'chain'
One advantageis that the top of the screen is very easy to aim at, and someone could very quickly launch the corresponding program. Because, the default program is not always the one you want. For example, when you're in web development, a HTML file can be opened in Firefox, or opened in Gedit, or uploaded to an FTP server.
In a sense, this duplicates the functionality of the right-click menu in a file manager. With the exception that (I think) it would be easier to aim AND a file manager or program won't have to be open.
For example, you could also launch it from within a lens: let's say 'Move' is an action. Then you could -from the file lens- grab a file and drop it on the 'Move' action in the contextual bar. Then a new lens could be opened with the necessary functions. In this way, the entire screen is available for the task at hand.
In the same way, you could set up Workflows, making use of lenses: drag an AVI file to the 'convert' icon and it could be added to DEVEDE for conversion. After, in a new lens/lens view the file can be burnt to DVD.
mmmm... I rant too much. But I'm curious as to what other people think?
I tend to think a lot about desktop environments, operating systems and how they could be improved... I'm weird like that!
Recently I thought up something that might be promising. I worked out some concepts in GIMP, they are in the attachments. Take a look at them before reading the rest!
The basic idea is that, on the desktop, or in the File lens, you can drag a file to the top of the screen and a bar with contextual actions slides down. From there, you can drop the file on the action and it is executed.
Advantages I think this approach has:
- big targetable area makes it easy to aim
- contextual actions can change depending on the need at hand (like right-click)-
- no file manager or program has to be open to execute the task
- this could also be done from within lenses
- tasks could be chained into 'workflows': small steps where the entire screen could be used to complete the 'chain'
One advantageis that the top of the screen is very easy to aim at, and someone could very quickly launch the corresponding program. Because, the default program is not always the one you want. For example, when you're in web development, a HTML file can be opened in Firefox, or opened in Gedit, or uploaded to an FTP server.
In a sense, this duplicates the functionality of the right-click menu in a file manager. With the exception that (I think) it would be easier to aim AND a file manager or program won't have to be open.
For example, you could also launch it from within a lens: let's say 'Move' is an action. Then you could -from the file lens- grab a file and drop it on the 'Move' action in the contextual bar. Then a new lens could be opened with the necessary functions. In this way, the entire screen is available for the task at hand.
In the same way, you could set up Workflows, making use of lenses: drag an AVI file to the 'convert' icon and it could be added to DEVEDE for conversion. After, in a new lens/lens view the file can be burnt to DVD.
mmmm... I rant too much. But I'm curious as to what other people think?