[Libreoffice-bugs] [Bug 48622] New: Line thickness specification - too many choices, nonintuitive

[bugzilla-daemon at freedesktop.org]

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=48622

             Bug #: 48622
           Summary: Line thickness specification - too many choices,
                    nonintuitive
    Classification: Unclassified
           Product: LibreOffice
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: Other
        OS/Version: All
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: medium
         Component: UI
        AssignedTo: libreoffice-bugs at lists.freedesktop.org
        ReportedBy: msramek22 at gmail.com


If a line/frame/cell border thickness is to be specified, a user has too many
options: he/she should directly specify numerical value of the thickness.

>From the usability point of view there are several issues:

- It is likely that most users just need only a couple of options (thin,
medium, thick - or eventually 5 levels)
- If several thicknesses are used, one should remember the values 
- the value is expressed in the measurement unit, specified in Tools/Options...
If one wants a thin (medium, thick) line, which value is appropriate? 0,5mm?
0.01 inch? I do not know
- if one opens such file in different LO with different unit settings, he/she
gets different numbers
- stepping of the numerical field is not fine enough (1mm steps)
- we have two different widgets for that - one for graphical objects (lines...)
and one for borders of frames and cells. They are not consistent:
    *If the same value is specified there, the actual thickness of lines and
frames is different (try a 0.5pt line and cell border in calc - the daily LO3.6
was used)
    *Thin line has 0pt, thin border 0.05pt
    *Increment in line setting is 1(pt), in borders 0.25

So, a mess. I know about a company, which switched to LO - unintuitive setting
of border thickness in Calc is the most hated feature among many users there.

Perhaps, just simple change in UI of both widgets would improve the situation
significantly. 
1. Instead of the numeric field alone, give the user a possibility to choose
from "thin", "medium", "thick" line and add a "more" button, which would open
the numeric field for setting arbitrary dimensions. 
2. In Calc, extend the "Borders" options (which currently offers 3x4
combinations of thin borders) to 5x12 offers of thin, medium, thick, double...
lines with all 12 combinations.

I believe this is not that much work. 
Milos

-- 
Configure bugmail: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email
------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
You are the assignee for the bug.