Michael,

>> It would be FAR, FAR better if they were wide and low instead of tall and narrow
>> (as they are now).

>How would you expect the wide and low buttons to look? It is difficult to make wide and >low, and also incorporate both an icon and text.

I really don't see the point in having an icon AND text. You could have text OR an icon and save substantial space. The attached image shows one possible way the MoI icons could be modified. It maximizes the most useful area of the viewport, which is the center. (When people draw on a sheet of paper, they tend to draw in the middle of the paper -- not in the corners!)

In truth, my version of the icons might be a few pixels too small -- but they give you a basic idea of an alternate design. You could, of course, also just use icons and no text at all (this might, in fact, be the best way to go).

I've also included a screencap of a Lightwave 3D viewport. It uses tiny icons tucked into a title bar that GETS THEM OUT OF THE WAY OF THE USER. The icons are very small, but most people tend to use the keyboard for those functions, anyway. However, since part of your goal is to minimize keyboard usage, your icons might need to be a bit bigger -- but not as HUGE as they are now.


>re: Adobe Illustrator

>I'm always amazed that they don't overhaul Illustrator to a greater extent.

>In future versions I do want to explore adding more 2D illustration functionality to MoI, >such as strokes and fills. But that is going to be a ways off.

I really do think MoI is great for 2D drawing. The reason I mention it is that programming 2D graphics -- as opposed to 3D -- HAS to be a whole lot easier and faster. If you added a few essential features (like background image, color fills and color blends, curve blends, and line weights), you could quickly have a commercial application that is ready to sell and PRODUCE AN INCOME STREAM for you.

I think there's a place in the market for a vector drawing program that is BOTH less expensive and more useful than Illustrator. With MoI 3D, it appears that you may still be looking at a fairly substantial development period before it's ready to ship. It's just something to consider... :>)

Regards,

Johnny