Improving the GUI

[bomastudio]

I know that visually improved GUI is unnecessary/useless but I think that a best graphically GUI could increase interest in Elmer by the new users. Do you think that it is possibile to propose a GUI reordered in a new layout (obviously without change the functionality)?

[raback]

Hi

Some of the structure of ElmerGUI directly reflects the structure of the command file i.e. the Model menu. This will definately not be changed. Overall, personally I don't find much problems in the overall layout, but I would change some annoying conventions, and add some new features. Hopefully we get a small project for this soon.

Would there be some C++/Qt enthusiasts out there, ElmerGUI might not be that overwhelming. It is just ~15,000 lines of code.

-Peter

[mzenker]

Hi Peter,

since there seems to be an ElmerGUI upgrade project in sight - how about generating a thread where users can add their wishes?

Just a thought...

Matthias

[mzenker]

Dear Elmer team,

below, I have collected some items for the ElmerGUI wishlist, and also some bugs - I might add new items from time to time by editing this post.
All bugs and suggestions refer to Elmer Rev. 5817 under Windows XP.
Of course other people might have other wishes, but IMHO mplementing/fixing as many as possible of those listed here would be a real improvement for the usability of ElmerGUI, and for Elmer altogether...
Comments and additions welcome!

Matthias

----------------------------------------------

Bugs

• ElmerGrid plugin: there is still a difference in functionality between commandline and ElmerGUI, e.g. when remeshing a problematic mesh with -autoclean: commandline gives better results than GUI
  -> why not use same code base as commandline ElmerGrid in the GUI?
• boundary selection by doubleclick doesn't work in 3D (Windows version)
• body selection by doubleclick in 3D often works only for one body, the other ones cannot be selected (Windows version)
• too much text in log window leads to GUI crash => simulation crashes also (Windows version). Possible fix if the editor window itself cannot use a larger buffer: allow for redirection of output in a text file, and/or for an alternative editor like Notepad++.
• solver settings are screwed when "load project" is used more than once in a session. User has to restart ElmerGUI before each project load.
• removal of boundary conditions or materials (if not last one in list?) leads sometimes to unstable state: boundary conditions / materials cannot be removed any more, boundary condition box will not close. User has to save the project and restart ElmerGUI before continuing to work.
• after removal of a body force, the removed body force is still written in the sif file. Workaround: save project, restart ElmerGUI.

New features

• import old projects: projects with different solvers than actually loaded should be imported without crash. If solvers are not found only a warning should be generated. Basically, the functionality of my scilab script (see viewtopic.php?f=4&t=847#p6621) could be integrated into ElmerGUI
• introduce a bodies and boundaries list (similar to ElmerFront):
  - items should be selectable, and the selection should reflect in the geometry/mesh viewer
  - the properties (name, material, equation, BC etc.) should be accessible through the list
• use names from mesh.names for body/boundary names in the GUI
• ElmerGrid and ElmerGUI: support $PhysicalNames tag in gmsh .msh format, write mesh.names if present
• make Models->Setup editable in xml
• make solver settings -> general editable in xml (or add ALL possible settings for "Execute Solver")
• hide matrix equation related tabs if "no matrix equation" keyword is present in solver xml
• improve geometry handling with the mouse, especially zooming. See gmsh and ParaView for examples. The menu on the right mouse button is not needed IMHO (except for view->full screen, see below).
• allow for more than one egmaterials database, so that the user can combine his/her self-defined materials with those coming with the distribution without having to merge at each new version. See also viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1865
• Implement keyboard shortcut to revert from Ctrl-L (view->full screen) or let Ctrl-L toggle between normal and full screen view
• Display file name of mesh file (the <geometryinputfile> tag in egprojects.xml) in Model->Summary, and also as comment in the generated sif file

[mzenker]

Hi,

any news regarding a possible ElmerGUI improvement project?

Matthias