GUI changes seem wasteful despite being pretty...

[Al_H 1]

I just upgraded from 3.x to 4.3 and was sad to see that the GUI got worse in my opinion. I really appreciate Cura, and it's growth as an increasingly useful tool over time, so I am wondering if there are upsides I'm missing when I look at the 4.3 user interface.  I am glad I did not uninstall the 3.x version I was using, but it's a shame to give up other improvements to have a user interface that is less awkward to use. 

 

I really don't understand the extreme desire in any production product to prioritize form over function, but especially in the maker world. Can someone (anyone) explain the value of wasting space, with an uneasy contrasting purple bar no less, across the whole the top of the screen to accomplish what was done with a convenient drop down before? Or why the slice button can get lost behind a floating sidebar? Or, and probably most annoying, the settings font shrunk despite being able to fewer settings on the screen at any one time. 

 

It feels as though the user interface is shifting from a tool to a soft play toy, which is fine if efficiency and usability remains, but the changes feel awkward and not conducive to smooth work flow or user comfort. 

 

Thanks for any insight. 

 

Thanks!

 

[Smithy 445]

I can't give you backgrounds or explanations, but you get used to it. In the beginning it bothered me, but now it doesn't bother me at all. I don't spend much time in the slicer either and I don't care.

[ahoeben 805]

Try the Sidebar GUI plugin from the Marketplace. It is quite a labour of love, and in my opinion restores some semblance of sanity to the UI. The plugin will soon be available for Cura 4.4 too.

[Al_H 1]

On 11/17/2019 at 12:09 AM, ahoeben said:

Try the Sidebar GUI plugin from the Marketplace. It is quite a labour of love, and in my opinion restores some semblance of sanity to the UI. The plugin will soon be available for Cura 4.4 too.

 

As soon as I opened the new version I searched the issue and found your plugin and installed it.  It is much appreciated!!!

 

I still think the GUI should make sense from Ultimaker so thought I'd post here as well but am not going to hold my breath for them to make improvements anytime soon.