Is there a Preference to display Inspector's y property values as "Cartesian y coordinates"?

• Oct 21, 2020 - 05:26

It’s understood that the y-axis for screen coordinates is the inverse of y-axis on the Cartesian plane.

For example in MuseScore’s inspector (with an object selected such as a staff text object) we can see that:

  • clicking the property control Up Arrow increases the object’s y value
    and moves the object Downward on the screen.

  • clicking the property control Down Arrow decreases the object’s y value
    and moves the object Upward on the screen.

Fair enough. And this is perfectly logical to a developer (or an app designer) because they likely think in such terms daily.

But I’m wondering if MuseScore has a preference that switches this so:

selectedObject.y = -Inspector.selectedObject.y

In other words, in longhand:

  • clicking the up arrow still increments the Inspector’s value positively ... but MuseScore sets

    selectedObject.y = -Inspector.selectedObject.y

  • clicking the up arrow still lncrements the value negatively, but MuseScore sets

    selectedObject.y = -Inspector.selectedObject.y

My rational is that the average user probably thinks:

     a. in terms of the Cartesian plane
     b. expects an up increment to move an object upwards
     c. expects a down increment to move an object downwards

If there is no such preference, please consider this a request.

Thanks!

scorster

Comments

• Oct 21, 2020 - 09:08

I hope this is one those small minor things that gets addressed in MS4. It makes more sense to me to do this when practically the whole UI is changing anyway, to minimize the confusion for those that now finally were accustomed to it within the current UI.

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• Oct 31, 2020 - 07:33

I, too, prefer up to always mean up.

Here's a Tantacrul moment... try this:
1. Open a score and click on a whole measure rest, then press the keyboard up arrow a few times and observe the rest.
2. Next, click anywhere in the Y offset box in the Inspector, then press the (same) keyboard up arrow a few times and observe the rest.

Reminds me of the story about some graphics software devs that got moved from the first floor to new offices on the 5th floor of a 10 story building. Upon leaving at quitting time some took the elevator and wound up on the roof.

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• Oct 31, 2020 - 15:59

This is great. Thanks a lot, and thanks for referencing it in my original post. :)

I definitely support making this change. I too still make this "error?" at times.

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• Oct 31, 2020 - 17:05

Yes to this. Clicking an up arrow should move something up.

While we are changing things, perhaps we could consider changing labelling and layout. How about this:

Label the spin box to adjust the vertical position "vertical offset" with the up arrow labelled "up" and the down arrow labelled "down"

Label the spin box to adjust the horizontal position "horizontal offset".

Layout the horizontal offset spin box with arrows to the left and right of the value box (rather than above and below as we now have them) and labelled "left" and "right".

Perhaps this would make things more intuitive for users who are less mathematically inclined.

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