Bug 288614 - Tags filter and Taggin sidebar are too similar, easy to mistake
Summary: Tags filter and Taggin sidebar are too similar, easy to mistake
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: digikam
Classification: Applications
Component: Tags-Engine (show other bugs)
Version: 2.4.0
Platform: Unlisted Binaries Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Digikam Developers
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2011-12-09 23:46 UTC by Michal Thoma
Modified: 2017-08-04 21:06 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed In: 4.3.0
Sentry Crash Report:


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Description Michal Thoma 2011-12-09 23:46:56 UTC
Version:           2.4.0 (using KDE 4.7.2) 
OS:                Linux

In recent time I several times made mistake - I did select a couple of photographs and wanted to assing a tag to them, so I checked the tag name in sidebar and... accidentally found I click on Tag filtering. My selection was lost and I had to repeat. Happened to me couple of times already.

Of course it's the case of dumb user, though the Tag Filter and Tagging sidebar are too similar and when user's attention is focused on the photographs, it's easy to mistake.

It would be nice to make it more visually different.

Reproducible: Always


Actual Results:  
 

Expected Results:
Comment 1 caulier.gilles 2011-12-10 09:23:07 UTC
The tags three cannot be different as well, but we can do something in sidebar to bring the difference between assignment and filtering. For ex, an icon on the top of filters view can be add. What do you think about ?

Gilles Caulier
Comment 2 Michal Thoma 2011-12-10 22:47:29 UTC
I think icon on the top of sidebar wouldn't make big difference.

If the appearance of checkboxes can't be altered I think the look of the tag icons right to checkboxes can. For example if small plus (like 6x6px) is visible in the bottom right of the icon on filtering tab, it will definitely ring the bell, that this is not assigning but filtering.

(Well maybe it would be good to rethink the appearance of the tag icons from scratch. Right now there is 20x20 "tag-like" icon with barely readable 15x15 album thumbnail inside. If we set the thumbnail for album why we don't have just 20x20 square thumb of image? Maybe I should start another issue on this.)

Another idea, quite arguable though. Filtering tab should be moved to the left side. It is some logic behind - on the left side we will have tools which changes what images we see. And on the right side, we will have tools to work with this images.

Any other ideas?
Comment 3 Olivier Kes 2012-01-18 15:47:06 UTC
I made the same mistake a few times (and my wife as well).

I think it was easier when the filtering options were in the bottom of the screen, but if it was moved to a tab on the right, there must be a reason. I would still prefer to have it on the bottom.
Comment 4 caulier.gilles 2012-01-18 16:09:17 UTC
Filter options have been moved on a tab to host more options, and more in the future...

hosting filter option on the bottom is very limited...

Gilles Caulier
Comment 5 Olivier Kes 2012-01-18 16:24:25 UTC
Except maybe if it uses some kind of popup panel...

I wouldn't say it's the optimal solution, but the side panel isn't either (mainly because of the confusion mentioned by Michal, and the necessity to switch panel more frequently (today I had to find pictures with the same names with certain tags, and apply other tags to them. I had to filter for the tags for, look at the name, filter by name and unselect the tag, switch to the tagging panel, tag the picture, and switch back to the filtering panel, and this a few times).

Again, I find the right panel quite convenient most of the time, but it does have some drawbacks.
Comment 6 Michal Thoma 2012-01-18 20:43:48 UTC
I'm making this mistake again and again and the necessity to switch the panel often as Olivier says is issue as well. It's not only mistake with tags but labels and rating filter/setting is easz to confuse too.

I feel  that the filter tab should be put on the left panel in the principle left side: navigation, browsing, filtering and right: obtaining information about images, tagging, manipulating.

Maybe the tag filter can be also integrated with tag browser or completely override it - seems bit luxory to have two ways how to navigate through tags and the standard browser which can display only one tag in time is not really big deal. Having filter tag instead would be able to do the same and even more.
Comment 7 Niels 2013-03-26 14:20:11 UTC
I agree:
- The Filter tab should be in the left pane, which holds the other selection tools.
- It should replace the current Tags tab.

A general solution would be to let the user could configure the left and right panes as if they were tool bars.

Thanks!
Comment 8 caulier.gilles 2014-08-30 17:10:30 UTC
Since few time, Filter tab have been improved and include now more options which become very different than Captions/Tags tab, where Tags view have been moved in a separate session now.

So for me this entry is fixed.

Gilles Caulier
Comment 9 Michal Thoma 2014-08-30 17:27:04 UTC
Sorry, but still Caption/Tag tab and filter tab looks extremely similar and are very easy to mistake. I'm very regular and advanced user of Digikam but this happens to me virtually all the time. It's very frustrating because usually it leads to some unwanted effect (like that I lost selection of files, which sometimes took quite a effort to make or even worse instead of deselect/select some tag, I remove/add tag on great number of images). In some cases this can be much worse then crash.

There should be some logical position for tools - on the left pane we can have tools which affect what images are displayed (search, album browser, filters etc.) and on the right side tools which displays or alters image properties and metadata. This would make a lot of sense. And still I believe it's true that Tag browser on the left pane is just filter tab with limited functions.

I'm working on 4.1, I don't know if it's vastly better in newer versions.