Kdenlive/UI Review

During UI review with newcoming video editor and UI designers, we highligted several UI issues. We gathered these issues by topic

Finding functions without even looking for it

• Toolbar standard actions are not so pertinent : New/Open & Copy/Paste not often used (see kate: no toolbar)
  • Designer note: (toolbars) add space in the layout even if not so useful...
  • rather offer to navigate between project steps: import clips, add transitions & effects, export (Première: changes layout, eg popping the color grade panel or the export panel)

→ What we plan to do:

Rework toolbar and tool placement - remove uncommon actions and emphasize most useful tools. For example, main toolbar could contain following actions: Save/Undo&Redo/Add Clip/Add Effect/Add Transition/Export

For newbies: common habits of any software

• Beginner layout : make timeline larger ; don't use tabs? ("Combine Classes of functions in combined views")
• Import ? (not in toolbar, nor file menu, but Project / Add clip)
• Drop transition from a list?!
• Effects => preview. beginners need some help (experts will like filter); Pan & Zoom should stand out
• Publish : Render => "File / Export" (render is sometimes "calculate effects") + should stand out in toolbar (cleaning the latter)
• Render widget should only show codec & presets + start(queue), all other options hidden. Preview quality à la HandBrake?
• Direct send to youtube etc?
• Merge Effect Stack & Transition settings

→ What we plan to do:

Workflow: find a more intuitive way to add transitons (similar workflow to effects)

Export widget (previously called Render Widget) should by default propose a list of 3-4 most commonly used formats with only 1-2 adjustable params, advanced settings not displayed by default

Make Effect Stack & Transition Settings use the same "Settings" widget - showing transition or effects depending on the item selected in timeline

Add image preview to effects (Should be easy to write a script generating thumbnails)

Reorganize effects categories - maybe by default separate audio from video tracks

For users of competings apps: habits in the video field

• Usual layout : effects list behind project bin ; effects stack behind Clip monitor or on Timeline side
• Start playing project clip in monitor: Double click? Space bar OK
• In/out zone OK, but then a shortcut to queue on timeline + pbm to put at 0 time !!
• Resize : roll edit tool (move touching clips ends simultaneously) or resize one end + delete gap
• Transition on track (ctrl-T) ?
• Adding titles: hard to find, should appear in project toolbar

→ What we plan to do:

Implement same track transition

Make title clip creation easier to find

Making the workflow smooth and efficient

• Zoom
  • factor too sensitive? Linear not most effective (frame / clip / project)
  • should keep center on playhead (except fit all)
• Thumbnails allover timeline clips?
• Video scrubbing on bin thumbs hover !?

Removing visual glitches

Proper sizes on any screen dimension

• Monitor & Timeline toolbar tiny on highDPI (tools should be on top or on the left side rather than bottom, which is for status?)
• Balancing panels sizes (=> sidebars?)
• Splitter to adapt timeline height hard to see & catch

Having everything properly aligned

• Always display tabs as titles => better alignment between panels, drag tabs
• Align texts in project bin table (should filename be a different field from description? could be the default description)
• Indent effects stack top line to lower sections

Informative feedback for tools state and possibilities

• Timeline: use more informative cursors
  • resize: green blinking arrow uggly + shows only 1 direction => use splitter cursor (2 directions)
  • over clip : 4 direction or hand cursor (ready to move)
  • Point for fade too small => rather use hover icons in corners (à la Dolphin)
• Ctrl+Wheel (zoom) & other mouse shortcuts: should be noticed in status bar when pressing special keys?
• Track labels ("Video" and "Audio") give wrong info (both are generic... except for split audio !)

• Bin properties surprizing, how to close?
  • add a info icon in prj toolbar (hover icons on thumbnails? no if we add scrubbing)
• Project search/filter => Label (HIG) ?

• Effects stack: header could be more informative
  • "effects for [source]" is the same for all cuts => add track & timecode

• Effects list
  • Click on group name should expand
  • Right click should popup context menu with "add to current clip", "bookmark"

Centralizing Customization

• Wizard => more frigtening than helping
  • check install? => popup in case of important miss
  • default profile? => rather always adapting to clips! (keep raw material quality) + add project bin action "Adapt profile to this source"
  • in case of profile overriding (project close yo your target) & export settings, give more explanations (eg FrameRate by country?)
• Get Hot New Stuff: not in download menu but in Settings

Adapting UI for touch

• Getting leaptap controller from Shotcut
• Achieving precise actions with taps ? 1st tap to focus area, then...