Freakin' Ribbon Bar

I've been trying to get a Prius started for over 15 minutes. As I bake in the Hertz parking lot in LA, I am trying every possible sequence of brake, ignition something I've never seen on a car: an on switch. Damn car won't budge. When did the turn-the-key-to-start approach go away?

A similar degree of frustration occurred when hunting for the print command in the latest MS Word. The venerable Dr. Joel Orr couldn't find it either, I learn at the COFES session entitled "the Future of the Interface." At least I'm not a total dummy.

After a round of comments, it appears the packed attendees are divided on this issue. On one side, veteran users of software think their software is easy enough to use. One power user seems to be on the verge of saying that if you can't use [MCAD software, name withheld], perhaps you have no business trying. This provokes another user to say, "When I hear someone defending their hard-to-use software, I just want to punch them in the mouth." OMG. Did I hear that correctly!

Example: SolidWorks had changed its interface considerably in version 2008. Its detractors called its use of the ribbon bar a blind allegiance to Microsoft. SolidWorks countered by citing user studies from its [very hardworking and well meaning] usability team. Much virtual ink was spilled on this but, in the end, there was no choice. SolidWorks had burned the bridges. No "classic" menu option was offered. Move forward, SolidWorks was saying to its users. Like parents forcing vegetables down the throats of babies. We know what's good for you.

Eventually, it seems that even the most vocal critics tire and become silent. Bluster from isolated pockets of resistance is no match for the collective might of software vendors who keep rolling forward, changing this and that, often under the flag of ease-of-use. I want to yell "but I already knew how to use it! It was easy to use" But lately I've noticed no one else is complaining. Already too many users who I thought were on my side have sympathetically offered "I didn't like the ribbon bar at first, either, but you know after a while, it's really not so bad."

Comments

[Jay B Zallan]

2 years of development for something that affects Revit's abilities exactly zero percent. If only ADSK spent those dollars fixing all the known issues and actually updated the zeros and ones (the actual outdated programming) then perhaps we'd not bitch about the interface, which (once we get used to it) will be just as meaningless as the previous windows 1999 look.

[Ryan71]

I guess I am in the minority. I really like the Ribbon bar technology that is in NX6. Yes commands got moved around but they are more organized now. I also like the fact that Siemens included the ribbon bar and a full screen graphics display with another form of ribbon bar that includes an option to pop the full text menu out or pop up toolbars! I can't forget to mention that any menu or resource box that is open becomes transparent if you aren't using them until you move your cursor over them.

And yes, I do have to agree with some of the complaints about the MS products and their choices of organization. But the ribbon bar in general is quite nice once you get used to it. That's the key here. You have to learn something new and we all know that we usually don't like changes, even in our beloved CAD world.

[Umesh]

Let me divert the discussion to a superset problem.
" The Software vendors keep adding features which are not relevant to users, but, they feel are relevant to their bussiness growth. "
I think, this depicts present scenario fairly accurate. Being a software developer I have witnessed this for couple of products.

[Kevin Quigley]

I totally agree with the punch comment! There is no excuse for hard to use software - none, zero, nada! Vendors like to explain away complexity by blinding us with "oh but its such a complex thing" or the old classic" the kernel doesn't handle that".

Nobody has got the ideal interface for 3D design yet. Nobody ever will either as there are too many complex issues and conflicts to deal with (parametric vs direct editing, nurbs vs mesh data etc etc).

The fact that some systems succeed in spite of a poor interface is down to many factors - cost, market penetration, functionality. An example would be Rhino - poor interface, but very popular.

I think the only way an ideal interface will develop is by breaking software down into more managable functions. I just want to create a wireframe 3D curve network, then I want to surface it, then I want to start tweaking the forms, then I want to overlay a 3D scan etc etc. These are all different tasks and should have different interface features IMHO. Not many CAD companies do that though....

[RobiNZ]

Ok, try finding Page orientation in Word 2003 after using 2007 for a while (I use both).

Hint: It's not under the Format Menu where all the other page/para/text/layout related options are. It's File > Page Format. That might make sense if it was a file setting but page formats apply to the current section not the whole file.

In 2007 it's Page Format(Tab) > Page Layout (Section) > Orientation.

Another, in 2003 I want to track changes in the document. Is it under File? No, Edit, No? ?, ah it's under Tools.

In 2007 it's Review (Tab) > Tracking (Section) > Track Changes.

Being used to the old UI doesnt mean its better? However, bad arrangement of a ribbon UI is just as bad as messed up menus & toolbars.

[Matt Lombard]

No, I still can't stand the ribbon. I have a brand new license of Office 2007, but I'm using a license from 2000 instead.

At least in SW you can turn off the CommandManager, which is the SW equivalent.

[Geoff Briggs]

People are complaining. Autodesk just foisted the wibbun on Revit users, also with no classic option. As someone who has used both (although the ribbon for only a few days) I can confidently say that they spent two years redesigning that part of the UI that needed it the least while ignoring those parts that are most aggravating (project browser, properties dbx), meanwhile neglecting the hundreds of workflow related user request that have accumulated. Check out the Revit section of the AUGI forums and judge reaction.