GUI/front panel: how big is to big?

philter5 · 21 Mar 2011

i think it´s a good way to export in different sizes and let the user choose between small or big GUI.

lithium · 21 Mar 2011

So is a Gui bigger then 640x480 to big?

aliasant · 21 Mar 2011

The size doesnt really matter as long as you dont make it bigger then the users screen what ever size that might be. Try to stay under 1024 * 768.

What matter is the layout and function. Not to many options at the same time and it needs to be clear what button does what to what.

Thats the hard part ( read "impossible")

trogluddite · 21 Mar 2011

Too big is definitely better than too small!

Good judgement in the use of colours and fonts is the key to saving space IMHO, you can get away with making things much smaller if you get that right. That's one of the reasons I think a lot of 'photo-realistic' GUI's go too far - the fake reflections and shadows can really confuse your vision and make things hard to see - it's never quite 'real' because real life isn't divided into pixels. I sometimes even design GUI bitmaps right down at the pixel level, so that I can make things (text especially) smaller without anti-aliasing blurring them to oblivion. Knowing a bit of colour theory is also handy - the brain always wants to see 'cool' colours as background (especially blue - "the sky"), and will always be attracted/distracted by 'hot' colours - so save those lurid reds and yellows for the really important stuff like 'Panic Now' indicators! And never-ever-ever-ever put red writing on a green background - unless you are particularly fond of acid-flashback style 'ghost-trails'!

My particular pet hate is 100000pixel diameter knobs with a 0.000001pixel pointer dot and a 1/1000 point font for the label (that's usually deep in 'shadow' beneath the knob) - and please don't waste my screenspace with 'glow in the dark' tubes and rackmounting ears! (Ah, I feel so much better after that little rant! 😉 )

aliasant · 21 Mar 2011

Lol Trog.

I agree with everything Trog said.

Try not to use more the 3 colors. 1 main color for the back and one for text + the third for everything else. Maybe cheange 1 or 2 of those to greys for a gentler gui that doesnt tire your eyes. K.I.S.S Thats a good one to follow. Keep It Simple Stupid 🙂

Acrobat · 23 Mar 2011

lithium wrote: I've been making plugins for a while and like making big interfaces. But I have wondered what seems like a good pixel size.

If horizontal and vertical sizes are very different, that can be useful, because a plugin is often a floating window and that means you'll find yourself picking it with your mouse to move in a place where it let you see and reach various functions of the sequencer window behind it. Read it: if it is a vertical or horizontal strip that's easier, like in my Acrobatics effects series. 😉

CoreStyler · 23 Mar 2011

it's possible in SM to enarge the whole synth? For example. synth is 500x200 but at the bottom there is the layer controls button that opens and enlarge the whole synth. so the wrapper in the host enlarge for example to 500x300. The resize when close. For example what is present in Albino 3 RP

trogluddite · 23 Mar 2011

CoreStyler wrote: t's possible in SM to enarge the whole synth?

AFAIK, the GUI window size is fixed when you export the VST. It' would be a nice feature though, to have an extra small "quick edit" screen or to make a sample/patch browser "fold out" from the edges etc.

Disco_Steve · 23 Mar 2011

yea don't go to big, I prefer the old Voxengo plugs because they had a smaller GUI because I could see stuff on the sequencer. now I have to move it out of the way the hole time, I know that most people have bigger screens now, but I can not fit a bigger one on my desk! (19 inch screen, small house!) so go wide screen, long and thin, that would be my recommendation, and no more than 2*3rds in any on length of a screen so that I can see the track level meters move etc while using it so for my screen which has resolution 1440*900 , the largest GUI size for my personal preferences would be about 1024*600, that sort of size ish. most people have 21 inch screen now, so a bit bigger than that is probably fine.

hope that is helpful.

Steve

trogluddite · 24 Mar 2011

Disco_Steve wrote: most people have 21 inch screen now, so a bit bigger than that is probably fine.

Don't forget laptop users though - a 15" screen is the most common one that I see. Especially when using a laptop as part of a live set, you may need several plugins/meters on screen at once to avoid too much chimping during your set.

For stuff that is likely to be tinkered with during a live set, the clarity of the controls can be extra important too, as the musicians might be bouncing around the stage some distance from the screen. Ableton Live is a good example of that, the GUI is not at all flashy - the knobs are just a curve and a line - but the information you need is dead easy to read when you're in a hurry.

rl · 24 Mar 2011

With netbooks becoming more powerful for audio and the rise of tablets (even with standard windows installed), smaller screen-size (7" to 10") and resolution (1024x600 and below) seems to becomes fashionable again. Add to that the rise of capacitive touchscreens, which need bigger controls on not so big screens and novel UI concepts.

jjs · 18 Jun 2011

CoreStyler wrote: it's possible in SM to enarge the whole synth? For example. synth is 500x200 but at the bottom there is the layer controls button that opens and enlarge the whole synth. so the wrapper in the host enlarge for example to 500x300. The resize when close. For example what is present in Albino 3 RP

If you use something like this: (got the idea from dsprobotics forum, but this is caputered from my own project)

then the user can click on full screen and after that pushing q for example like in the picture then it zooms to maximum display

test it, it works good.

regards, jjs

infuzion · 19 Jun 2011

Disco_Steve wrote: ...I know that most people have bigger screens now, but I can not fit a bigger one on my desk! (19 inch screen, small house!) so go wide screen...

You can wall-mount flat screens... unless your room is so small your walls are smaller than 22 inches 😉

I would say go no larger than 90% then a netbook screen; 900x550 or so.

trogluddite · 19 Jun 2011

infuzion wrote: You can wall-mount flat screens...

One of those wall-mount brackets on hinged 'arms' has been my favoured solution for a long time. Not only do you get more desk space, but the articulated arm means that you can easily move the monitor backwards and forwards (varying the distance is better for your eyes as you are not constantly focused at the same distance), and you can angle your screen for a better view if you have to ,say ,use a MIDI keyboard or mixer that is off to one side of the room.