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Support trackpad gestures #68
Description
macOS has scroll and zoom gestures which are essential for usability on a trackpad (as right-dragging is tricky and there's no center button). This should be possible on Windows and Linux as well, at least on computers that have multitouch trackpads.
Wishlist: support new Apple/Mac pressure-sensitive Force Touch trackpad.
Reacted by Chance Snow, $name and 2gn
Activity
whitequark commentedon Oct 11, 2016
OS X docs: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/HandlingTouchEvents/HandlingTouchEvents.html
Windows docs: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/jennifer/2010/12/14/multitouch-part-2-support-for-gestures-in-windows-7/
GTK docs: lol
The Windows API is more or less the same as OS X one.
tpimh commentedon May 13, 2017
I think this is the GTK+ doc that you are missing: https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/GtkGesture.html
whitequark commentedon May 13, 2017
@tpimh It is a really bad doc.
ss0git commentedon Jul 14, 2017
Since my issue was closed I'll copy my suggestion here. It is more specific than what is proposed in this support ticket.
UX improvement - Switch to using Shift + "Two finger drag" (no click) on trackpads to Orbit around
Proposed change to switch from Shift + "Two finger click and drag" to Shift + "Two finger drag" (no click) on trackpads to Orbit around.
System information
SolveSpace version: 2.3
Operating system: OS X Sierra
Expected behavior
Orbiting around using Shift + "Two fingers drag on trackpad" (no click) should work better. Pushing down to click is very cumbersome. You want to spin around the model like spinning an earth globe in school, effortless.
Actual behavior
Shift + "Two fingers click and drag on trackpad" orbits around but not pushing down hard enough to click causes the app to Zoom.
To better see the change i made this table:
Current behaviour
Proposed behaviour
Possible incompatibility with
"Two fingers drag on trackpad" (mainly up and down) are used for Zooming (scrolling) now which is fine, but it might lead to a possible incompatibility.
To fix this we could use Shift as a separator. "Flick your fingers" to Zoom(scroll) (current functionality) and press Shift + "Flick your fingers" to Orbit.
Testing
I ran a couple of tests, for other reasons I have a setup that can produce or reverse the effect of any gestures and clicks, and the user experience will improve sensibly.
whitequark commentedon Jul 14, 2017
I would actually prefer use 2-finger "pinch" gesture for zoom, 3-finger "pan" gesture for translation, and 1-finger double-click plus drag gesture for rotation. Objections?
ss0git commentedon Jul 15, 2017
I'll do some testing here, with your setup, to see how it feels. My proposition was made with "mess with as little as possible" in mind. I tried using the app to model something as part of a real world project and it proved quite cumbersome to navigate after a while. Most projects are 75% moving around to get a better view.
d235j commentedon Jul 15, 2017
@whitequark why not stick with the Apple standards:
2-finger "pinch" for zoom
2-finger "pan" for translation
2-finger "rotate" for rotation
and some way to change axes.
The trackpad/software is smart enough to be able to differentiate between these gestures. Most other operating systems that support trackpad gestures have similar options.
whitequark commentedon Jul 15, 2017
@d235j Sure that works
ss0git commentedon Jul 15, 2017
@d235j There might be some use getting this down in some menu for user preferences or something. Have each user select the one they like.
That table I build for Pan, Zoom, Orbit could be pivoted and used for this purpose.
I'm a long time CAD user and there are many possibilities depending on what you want to achieve. Some people transition from other software packages, others appreciate uniformity with os but productivity is the main factor, spend 2-3 hours daily in a cad package and "ease of use" won't keep you company for long.
whitequark commentedon Jul 15, 2017
So far the majority of people have been satisfied with the default bindings. I think I'll first implement the OS-native gestures, and see how it goes from there.
damian0815 commentedon Oct 3, 2017
As a Mac user I'm not at all a fan on the pinch to zoom gesture, it always feels awkward.
My preference would be for the following:
"Two finger flick" (system scroll gesture) = zoom (as it is now)
Drag = select (as it is now)
Cmd-drag = pan
Alt-drag = orbit
d235j commentedon Oct 3, 2017
@damian0815 @whitequark as it seems some people prefer OS-native gestures and others prefer gestures/keyboard shortcuts that are in line with CAD software on other platforms, this will probably end up having to be a preference option.
ruevs commentedon Jan 24, 2022
#1107
#1093
#825
@tomsci @vespakoen @phkahler @d235j considering the above changes, what do you think, can we close this? I do not have a real Mac with a trackpad to test on.
vespakoen commentedon Jan 24, 2022
Trackpad support kindof broke in with the last changes done to support the magic mouse, I want to take a look at this for a while already but was busy with other stuff.
This issue should stay open for now at least
Thovthe commentedon Apr 15, 2022
You don't have to rely on gnome docs for touchpads anymore. libinput to the rescue!
Also the maintainer is an entertaining speaker
/watch?v=HllUoT_WE7Y.phkahler commentedon Jul 5, 2022
Last I checked on my old MB Air... in version 2.3 you could rotate with 2-finger drag and no click or keypress. Now you need a modifier key. So IMHO a slight step backward.
Nowhere near as bad as having to click-drag though.
ruevs commentedon Oct 4, 2022
#1218
#1274
cf4defc
@phkahler close?