Export arrow points the wrong way #58167

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Lin Fo · 2018-11-29T19:46:11+01:00

Lin Fo commented

2018-11-29 19:46:11 +01:00

System Information
Operating system: Windows 7
Graphics card: Geforce GTX 780ti

Date: 2018-11-129 15:57
Hash: 26d5a3625e
Branch: blender2.8

Export glyph points back in when it should point out

Go to File>Export and notice the arrow points the wrong way

**System Information** Operating system: Windows 7 Graphics card: Geforce GTX 780ti Date: 2018-11-129 15:57 Hash: 26d5a3625ed Branch: blender2.8 Export glyph points back in when it should point out ![Export arrow Blender.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5758637/Export_arrow_Blender.png) Go to File>Export and notice the arrow points the wrong way

Lin Fo commented

2018-11-29 19:46:11 +01:00

Added subscriber: @LindaForrest

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2018-11-29 22:40:56 +01:00

Added subscribers: @jendrzych, @brecht

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2018-11-29 22:40:56 +01:00

Changed status from 'Open' to: 'Archived'

Brecht Van Lommel closed this issue

2018-11-29 22:40:56 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel self-assigned this 2018-11-29 22:40:56 +01:00

Brecht Van Lommel commented

2018-11-29 22:40:56 +01:00

I imagine this is intentional, so that export goes the opposite direction of import. To me it still looks like it points "out".

Maybe our icon designer @jendrzych will consider changing the design. I don't think this qualifies as a bug to handle in the tracker though, but rather a different idea of what the right design is.

I imagine this is intentional, so that export goes the opposite direction of import. To me it still looks like it points "out". Maybe our icon designer @jendrzych will consider changing the design. I don't think this qualifies as a bug to handle in the tracker though, but rather a different idea of what the right design is.

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-11-30 08:53:07 +01:00

Well - that was intentional. The design assumes that we are staying in a specific space - inside a given file / workspace. Importing then is bringing sth in (from out of blender-specific space), while exporting is dispatching it out (to a foreign environment).
Design is very synthetic and uses the assumption that the user reads from left to right, which is not obvious. A possible improvement would be to add an anchor point that specifies "from" and "to".

Well - that was intentional. The design assumes that we are staying in a specific space - inside a given file / workspace. Importing then is bringing sth in (from out of blender-specific space), while exporting is dispatching it out (to a foreign environment). Design is very synthetic and uses the assumption that the user reads from left to right, which is not obvious. A possible improvement would be to add an anchor point that specifies "from" and "to".

Lin Fo commented

2018-11-30 14:25:59 +01:00

So logically, on the theory of reading left to right, you have in left and out left when it should be in left, out right.

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-11-30 14:44:02 +01:00

@Lin Fo - nope. Now "in" comes from left to right, while "out" goes from right to left.
Anyway, will try to make different design.

@Lin Fo - nope. Now "in" comes from left to right, while "out" goes from right to left. Anyway, will try to make different design.

Duarte Farrajota Ramos commented

2018-11-30 17:08:17 +01:00

Added subscriber: @DuarteRamos

Duarte Farrajota Ramos commented

2018-11-30 17:08:17 +01:00

I really don't see what the issue is here, current icons are perfectly fine.
Either way it is quite irrelevant, direction is completely arbitrary.
I don't think there is any convention for this, both would be explicit as long as it follows some logic.

If this causes confusion perhaps something along these lines (please excuse crude mockup), once again directions could be flipped.
{F5769614 size="full"}

Also included a possible alternative for the save icon.

BTW congrats to @jendrzych for the fantastic work on the icons. Some still need some tweaking, but overall it is fantastic work. Goes a long way in modernizing the appearance of Blender

I really don't see what the issue is here, current icons are perfectly fine. Either way it is quite irrelevant, direction is completely arbitrary. I don't think there is any convention for this, both would be explicit as long as it follows some logic. If this causes confusion perhaps something along these lines (please excuse crude mockup), once again directions could be flipped. {[F5769614](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5769614/BlenderMockup_ExportIcons.png) size="full"} Also included a possible alternative for the save icon. BTW congrats to @jendrzych for the fantastic work on the icons. Some still need some tweaking, but overall it is fantastic work. Goes a long way in modernizing the appearance of Blender

Gaia Clary commented

2018-11-30 17:09:13 +01:00

Added subscriber: @GaiaClary

Gaia Clary commented

2018-11-30 17:09:13 +01:00

I also stumbled over this particular topic a few days ago.

Maybe the idea left-in right-out comes from a timeline/workflow analogy ...

Also think of some everyday icons... like Arrival/Departure or upload/download etc...

Just my 2 cents :)

I also stumbled over this particular topic a few days ago. Maybe the idea left-in right-out comes from a timeline/workflow analogy ... ![io.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5769513/io.png) Also think of some everyday icons... like Arrival/Departure or upload/download etc... Just my 2 cents :)

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-12-02 18:04:14 +01:00

I still prefer simplicity of current design, though.

![import-export_1.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5791555/import-export_1.png) I still prefer simplicity of current design, though.

Duarte Farrajota Ramos commented

2018-12-03 03:24:20 +01:00

In #58167#565630, @jendrzych wrote:
I still prefer simplicity of current design, though.

Agree, but those are also quite acceptable. I'd go with either the left most or the right most family

> In #58167#565630, @jendrzych wrote: > I still prefer simplicity of current design, though. Agree, but those are also quite acceptable. I'd go with either the left most or the right most family

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-12-07 12:35:34 +01:00

Some more doodles:

I'll go with first from the left, since its the most common set of symbols used for import/export.

Some more doodles: ![import-export_2.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5869533/import-export_2.png) I'll go with first from the left, since its the most common set of symbols used for import/export.

Duarte Farrajota Ramos commented

2018-12-07 18:43:02 +01:00

All these look great, I particularly like the first and third set
The straight up and down arrows may look like download/upload or save icons though, so I think the third set with "Bent Arrows" would be the way to go.

All these look great, I particularly like the first and third set The straight up and down arrows may look like download/upload or save icons though, so I think the third set with "Bent Arrows" would be the way to go.

Gaia Clary commented

2018-12-07 19:05:22 +01:00

Thumbs up from me for the third one as well:)

For my perception it goes nicely with "coming in" from the left and "going out" to the right which is what i believe is a very common way to look at it. Well, at least i am used to look at things like this.

Thumbs up from me for the third one as well:) For my perception it goes nicely with "coming in" from the left and "going out" to the right which is what i believe is a very common way to look at it. Well, at least i am used to look at things like this.

Lin Fo commented

2018-12-07 19:18:14 +01:00

I think the third one is perfect :)

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-12-07 20:48:34 +01:00

Well - third one seems to be ok, but after a while I find it tad too busy. The first one still is the best one, with vertical symmetry, similar silhouette and clearly underlined in/out depiction. If You don't like it, the second best is fourth then (by my mind, of course).

Gaia Clary commented

2018-12-07 22:10:39 +01:00

I fiddled a bit with your proposal... from those i like the second from the left best. However, if none of those alternatives work for you, then i'd go with your favorite (top/down arrows)

I fiddled a bit with your proposal... ![arrows.png](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F5875115/arrows.png) from those i like the second from the left best. However, if none of those alternatives work for you, then i'd go with your favorite (top/down arrows)

Lin Fo commented

2018-12-08 00:55:04 +01:00

@ Andrzej -If you swapped the 1st vertical arrows to Down on the Left and Up on the Right, then I think it's more understandable.
Import/Down/In, Export/Up/Out

@ Andrzej -If you swapped the 1st vertical arrows to Down on the Left and Up on the Right, then I think it's more understandable. Import/Down/In, Export/Up/Out

Andrzej Ambroz commented

2018-12-08 12:32:44 +01:00

Import/Down/In, Export/Up/Out - of course it is designed like that! I was so focused on making sketches and so fixed with the in/down - out/up concept, that I didn't notice the fact that icons are flipped. Sorry for confusion.

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Export arrow points the wrong way #58167