Yeah, sometimes there're some very basic in the forum, since NSMBe became to a big project, and we now have more members, should we make some instruction? For example, add node is a question that is basic and common. Also the Reggie-like tile placing is convienient, but some new users may not find the way to use it.

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NSMB6: Beta Testers Wanted!!!

The problem is that, even if we made a documentation/help file/whatever, people will still NOT READ IT. People will still come here asking how can they make the camera scroll up or how can they delete objects.

The right direction to go is to make the editor itself easier to use.
For example, adding a delete button in the toolbar is a super-obvious way to get anyone to be able to delete objects even if they don't get to figure out the "Del" keyboard shortcut.

So to make the editor usable we should go and remove most of these non-obvious tricky keyboard shortcuts. Control/Alt/Shift clicking needs to die too. (Now it's used only in the object editor I think).

Yeah. Well, but seeing how editing is right now, I can't think how Control/Shift/Alt can improve edition speed (aside from control+drag to clone).

About the statusbar thing. Yeah, it's a nice idea. That, or a label somewhere so we don't waste vertical screen space (very valuable on netbooks and such). The problem is that people DONT READ. You have no idea to what extent people don't read. They don't read, NOTHING. Even if it's in front of their eyes.

Yeah.
And people get the rules shown in their face when creating a new thread in the NSMB hacking section, and still ignore them

Anyways, back on topic.

We need to make a list of everything that's unintuitive in NSMBe, and find a way to make it more intuitive.
"Unintuitive" would be anything that is not obvious just from looking at the screen. Control/Alt/Shift clicks. Other keyboard shortcuts, idk what else.

I'll start:
- Delete objects.
Problem: Only keyboard shortcut (Del).
Solution: Add a button in the toolbar.

- Add path nodes.
Problem: Control+drag on an existing node is VERY unintuitive.
Solution: I'm not sure. Maybe right-click on a path line creates a new node in the line. But then what about paths that only have one node? Or should paths be forced to have minimum two nodes?

- Tileset object editor
Problem: Control-click deletes a tile. Control+click on a line number deletes the entire line. Shift-click toggles vertical repeating. Alt-click toggles horizontal repeating. And there's no way to set the control byte to 4 other than manually (needed for slopes).
Solution:
Turn the control byte into 3 checkboxes. X/Y repeat and Bottom part of slope.
Maybe improve the way these bits are visualized in the tiles.
Add Delete tile and Delete row buttons.

I'm sure there are more but I can't think of them right now.

EDIT:
- Camera scrolling.
Problem: Everybody has no idea on how to make the camera scroll vertically.
Solution: Change the number box in the view settings to a checkbox that reads "Allow camera to scroll vertically". I just can't see the use of the other values. Everyone uses either 0 or 255.

I would keep the CTRL + Drag. It really makes edition faster.

For paths too. Keep the CTRL + Drag. A function should only be ADDED to create new nodes to a path. The CTRL+Drag thing should not be replaced.
Probably like that: While a node of a path is focused, you can right click on any place and the next node from the focused one gets created on the place of the clicking position.


Better Solution: When creating a view, the "Camera stick to bottom length" should be 15 by default. If you already know what it does, you can still edit it later.

But then people will say: "why does the camera scroll up?".

Nope they would not. It is normally that a view should scroll up. If they don't like the view to scroll up, they can
1) Change the view settings
2) Change the view height
3) Delete anything in the 16x16 block they don't want to scroll in

Seriously, have you ever heard of someone asking, why the view does not scroll up?