Suggestion : simplistic menu

[Nick]

Actually Marshall, custom user controls can go a LONG way towards a GUI. Ex: If I spent the next 2 months figuring out how to manipulate the samples provided in some controls I have purchased, I could do graphical interfaces like this in VB6 - look familiar? (but you wouldn't believe how complicated it gets, and that just isn't on the agenda right now)

[Nick]

^^ the above being said, here's what I have for a simple interface so far. It won't be graphical yet, but the upper (16+) themes/skins from the interface slider bar in Config will apply to it (the classic skins may not apply.)

My question now is, what else do we need here? I'm thinking NOTHING else, as the Go Advanced option at the top would bring up the existing UI. I don't want to start adding more stuff and end up with what is already there in the now-'advanced' UI.

[Marshall]

That looks great Nick!

What's the whole window look like? Scroll bar at the bottom? Anything else going on in it?

[Nick]

I hope you're talking about what I have done, not the Word look-alike

That IS the entire window in the red square. No scroll bar, no status bar (neither are necessary nor should they be IMO) Here's another pic with a light theme and I added Last Maintenance date (if available) to the button text:

another note: finally adding the ability to disable the fix internet button also (both UIs,) so you could actually have a simplistic menu with as little as ONE button: Maintenance!

(also I have NO plans to add logos to the simple UI, this is pretty much it. Thoughts?

[Marshall]

It looks great.

I would still like to see some kind of advertisement however.

Simplifying the menu will make it easier for customers to use, but what about our opportunity to attract them to a new product, or free service to get them in the door, or us out to their office?
Having your software on their system gives you an easy "in" on marketing to them, the same way as having them on your email marketing list, mailer campaign, or follow up list for phone calls.

As far as the GUI, and what I was talking about on that topic. I was only trying to reference the differences between products. Comparing something like the GUI in the pic below, and what can be achieved by VB6 are two separate things (This is strictly my opinion, which I based off of a previous conversation a long time ago when I had asked if you could revamp the gui in d7 to be more modern).

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Presentation matters to customers. To us not so much when we are just looking at the technical aspect of getting the job done.
It also signifies that your moving with the advances in technology, and the market at large. If we stuck with old DOS prompts to perform all functions of our day to day from emailing to script execution and reading reports, we'd soon be out of a job.

If I'm wrong, and you can achieve something more than the "plain" look we currently have, then I would really love to see a new dSS and d7. It reflects well on my business when I use your products to have them looking crisp and sharp, and stomping the snot out of the problems at hand. We all know they stomp the problems better than pretty much any alternatives to date. There is a bit left to be wanted however when it comes to looks, and ease of use.

[Nick]

On more modern UI, eventually I will get there. It's just not on the agenda this year. Like I said it really would take months for me at my current pace to master a more modern looking UI, but yes I can achieve something similar to your pic, though I'm not sure I would want to I don't like it personally, and would probably go for something a little more modern-MS looking (NOT Metro modern, I mean like Office modern) - because it will blend in better with the OS and not stick out so badly. Maybe that's just my opinion, but either way when I DO go for modern UI, skins will likely not be possible (def. not the ugly classic ones) and there will be one choice in UI appearance, not 20.

It looks great.

I would still like to see some kind of advertisement however.

I don't see a(n easy) way to put an existing logo in there, so I don't think I'm gonna try. Since they can range in size from the ones pictured, I just can't see a method to really get it to work nicely.

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That being said, something in the way of a splash screen could be worked in on a delay of a few seconds before app launch (or during update checks, etc. when enabled) - I actually already plan to implement an optional splash screen to run at every login of Windows, like "protected by... " or whatever you want to say, and a graphic for example. Actually the plan is to just make it a local webpage or PNG file that you would include so there would be absolutely ZERO design aspect on my end. The issue with that is getting something that can run without triggering any active anti-virus software. so that is a topic for another thread...

[Marshall]

Right!

I had a feeling I was on the same page still when it came to what you could reasonably do with the gui. Sometimes you amaze me though because I'll mention something I would like to see implemented, and on day 1 you say it's impossible can't do it, and then a few days or weeks later bam it's been implemented and I didn't even know it was in the pipeline. Those days are like getting a mini vacation/Christmas.

If you can't work something in right now, I would leave it as is. I'm going to suggest that because you have voiced how busy you are a lot, and redesigning the gui isn't an option right now, totally get that. So why go through all the hassle to do something somewhat ok. Just wait till you can roll out the "Awesome" feature, and use what we have now. The minimalist menu will help every single one of my customers I know that for a fact. I think it's a great start.

[Nick]

Awesome. I don't see as how I can add anything else to the simple UI (or should add to it) so I'm going to go ahead and release this in the next few minutes, it will be version 3.2

[Marshall]

Will it require any config changes?

*Enable Minimalist UI: Check

[Nick]

yes, on the skins / interface page you must check to enable the simple UI.

Wouldn't want to roll it out *without* a config change and have some ppl get upset!