[tom]

Ernesto, you just need to be more into science of computer graphics like a lot of us who are there for a quarter century and you must admit, we all cannot be dumb at all. Take your time and try to get the idea. Seriously...
On the other hand, greying out a lonely layer and adding more intuitive complexity for sake of comfort can't help you. Because, you could also complain about the pressibility of the buttons on your TV remote while the TV set is off.
-edit: This is my second TV example. Must make sense... lol

[Polyxo]

On the other hand, greying out a lonely layer and adding more intuitive complexity for sake of comfort can't help you. Because, you could also complain about the pressibility of the buttons on your TV remote while the TV set is off.
-edit: This is my second TV example. Must make sense... lol

This for me doesn't fly.
If (what's rare) there is some possible advantage of computer-interfaces over physical UI's one should by all means use them.

[tom]

On the other hand, greying out a lonely layer and adding more intuitive complexity for sake of comfort can't help you. Because, you could also complain about the pressibility of the buttons on your TV remote while the TV set is off.
-edit: This is my second TV example. Must make sense... lol

This for me doesn't fly.
If (what's rare) there is some possible advantage of computer-interfaces over physical UI's one should by all means use them.

http://jamesthecellist.blogspot.com/201 ... wagen.html
For this reason, everything was much more reliable and durable in the past. Adding more complexity just because it's possible is a poor idea.

[hatts]

Fwiw... contrary to what Mihai says Photoshop by default indeed works the way Ernesto proposes.
On creation of a new document the background-layer does not offer blending

This comparison doesn't work. Photoshop takes a different approach to starting a new document. The PS "background layer" has no equivalent in MXED. MXED starts you off with a standard layer, not a special locked layer. Adding a second layer in PS doesn't suddenly unlock the blending abilities of the background layer; it's doomed to be a handicapped pseudo-layer until you change it.

As a sidenote, if you start a new document in PS, and set "background contents" to Transparent, you will indeed get a layer setup identical to MXED.

[Polyxo]

For this reason, everything was much more reliable and durable in the past. Adding more complexity just because it's possible is a poor idea.

Greying out currrently irrelevant items may cause more complexity on the programming side.
It certainly does not add complexity for the user, in contrast.
Photoshop works that way (Menus) - Solidworks not only greys out Menu/Treee-Items it even fades inadequate toolbars
for chosen commands. Everyone here is busy telling E. that his thought is rubbish while the same underlying concept is established
for years in Software which gets sold in million seats. Leaving programming effort aside I have not yet heard a proper argument why showing editable Blend-Modes on single layers makes sense.

[Polyxo]

This comparison doesn't work. Photoshop takes a different approach to starting a new document. The PS "background layer" has no equivalent in MXED. MXED starts you off with a standard layer, not a special locked layer. Adding a second layer in PS doesn't suddenly unlock the blending abilities of the background layer; it's doomed to be a handicapped pseudo-layer until you change it.

I would not have brought the Photoshop example in the first place too - but only reacted on this example.
One can clearly say that there's no Blend-Modes available in any new PS-document with just a single layer.

[tom]

Greying out currrently irrelevant items may cause more complexity on the programming side.
It certainly does not add complexity for the user, in contrast.

Actually, we have no problem with greying out and there are many examples (such as abbe, nd etc greyed out in certain cases) in Maxwell Studio/Mxed already. You cannot compare it to PS because, what it creates initially is a background, not a layer. PS has good reasons to have a specialized background layer and we don't. Maxwell layers are just "layers", and we don't serve the bottom layer as something special. It's simple, clear and very straightforward. Opposite would definitely be bloating the intuition level.

[Polyxo]

Greying out currrently irrelevant items may cause more complexity on the programming side.
It certainly does not add complexity for the user, in contrast.

Actually, we have no problem with greying out and there are many examples (such as abbe, nd etc greyed out in certain cases) in Maxwell Studio/Mxed already. You cannot compare it to PS because, what it creates initially is a background, not a layer. PS has good reasons to have a specialized background layer and we don't. Maxwell layers are just "layers", and we don't serve the bottom layer as something special. It's simple, clear and very straightforward. Opposite would definitely be bloating the intuition level.

As I said in my initial post - I personally do not see this as an important issue either.
Leaving PS away, I still would consider not getting offered (disfunctional) Blending-Options in a single layer scenario clearer.

While even Ernesto himself seems to agree that his Email-Flood can be tiring - I think it contains valuable feedback from
a non-expert-perspective. I at least have seen much much more ignorant users in other Software-Forums, virtually consuming
several Support-People just for reading out loud the Help-File for them.
E. thinks quite a bit himself, creates graphics, he is a paying customer -one should treat him with respect.
The tone in this forum has been quite nasty in the last months, also towards another formerly active contributor.
Really not cool.

[eric nixon]

I think youll find the problem is actually people spammming a technical site like its facebook or youtube, the problem exists everywhere online. This site is pretty much unmoderated, so sometimes people need to tell people to shut-up, thats the flip-side. Its generally the people who never post renders and are quite longwinded,.., and have dodgy handles like sad-case, bog-roll or poly-toxic... there are many reasons these type of on-line personas have time to be pro-griefers.. I'll stop there.

There is a flaw in the greying out issue of mxed, that is the lack of greying out of bsdf strength when a weightmap is active.. Its easy to forget how confusing that is for new users.

[tom]

The tone in this forum has been quite nasty in the last months, also towards another formerly active contributor. Really not cool.

Could you point this thread, please?

P.S. Keeping in mind paying a software does not mean one is free to devalue developers technical choices and showcase an emotional masturbation. If the developer understands and confirms hundreds of bugs for years, the one should try to understand some technical facts as well. Respect has a bidirectional nature.

Btw, some of you guys don't know I've been on Adobe forums for once in my entire lifetime and banned by Sir Cox for reporting 2 serious bugs with proofs. In this perspective, Maxwell Forum is way kind enough.

There is a flaw in the greying out issue of mxed, that is the lack of greying out of bsdf strength when a weightmap is active.. Its easy to forget how confusing that is for new users.

Now, this is a good example of making a suggestion which serves a purpose. Thanks, Eric!

[Polyxo]

Could you point this thread, please?

Here you are. Yeah, the thread has been closed recently.
But it still contains super aggressive statements towards a single member.
It's especially two members here, who intelligently and funnily act with absurd agression and some utterly misplaced Forum Cop-Mentality.
Due to either lacking command of English of some M~R employees or some silent agreement they can be as mean as they wish to.

Btw, some of you guys don't know I've been on Adobe forums for once in my entire lifetime and banned by Sir Cox for reporting 2 serious bugs with proofs. In this perspective, Maxwell Forum is way kind enough.

Cox really behaved like a fool in this thread but the Adobe forum can not seriously serve as a benchmark for service-quality.
I by the way wrote him a private mail afterwards, that this sort of behaviour is inacceptable.

There is a flaw in the greying out issue of mxed, that is the lack of greying out of bsdf strength when a weightmap is active.. Its easy to forget how confusing that is for new users.

Now, this is a good example of making a suggestion which serves a purpose. Thanks, Eric!

Fwiw, that's not what I meant.

[hatts]

Personally I think the tone of this forum is for the most part outstanding. Note that the mods do try to respond to every single post, even if the question is completely inane, or the answer is on page one of the help docs.

Conversation is going to get a bit feisty now and then, I see that as very natural. Maybe I've lived in NYC too long.

Many of us are still Maxwell noobs but we don't blanket the forum with fifteen new topics in a week. Nor do we post 1000 word questions with 1500x1500 px images attached. Nor do we come across a new hurdle and immediately declare that it's a UI design failure. It's just about being a more thoughtful user, and treading a bit more lightly.

[Half Life]

Forum etiquette is different everywhere, and largely it is just a matter of feeling out what the "lay of the land" is before posting... things have changed here lately, but the only constant in life is change -- so we have to adapt or die.

For the record, I always pay attention when a user complains of confusion, since this is something that I try to incorporate into my tutorials (whether I am doing them for Next Limit, Allegorithmic, or VTC)... I would assume that the majority of Next Limit developers also pay attention as well -- and on that that point I have found Tom and JDs posts to all be polite, informative, precise, and accurate. If only all posters (and Maxwell "experts") could be so professional and helpful this would be a wonderful place indeed.

If I did have any criticism of Ernesto's recent posts it would be:

1) These are several years too late -- most of the other users have figured this stuff out long ago, and don't really care about 1.x vs 2.x issues anymore.
2) Many of these threads could have been posts to your existing threads instead of endlessly making new threads for similar issues/thoughts.

Otherwise, it's all good stuff -- the forum has really died off since the bullies took over anyway...

Best,
Jason.