I've noticed that Pd has some very basic user interface flaws, both on Mac and Linux.

Mac: There is no way to quickly cycle through open windows. Command-~ is the standard way to do that on a Mac. Instead, you have to go to the "Window" menu and select which window you want. Very cumbersome. Also, if a patch was built on a computer with a screen larger than yours, the patch opens up with no way to find the lower right hand corner resize handle because it's off the screen somewhere, and you're kind of stuck not being able to really use the patch. The full screen/zoom button in the title bar has no effect, when it should really collapse the window size down so it fits on your screen. Also, the color picking boxes do not show their colors on Mac - they just appear as a grid of generic gray buttons and you have to guess.

Linux: When you close a patch, a box pops up and asks you if you're sure, but it seems to be attached to the main Pd window and usually gets hidden under a bunch of other windows, and you have to do a bunch of extra clicking around just to close the window you wanted to close.

Both (I think): Pressing tab in a dialog box, like the properties for an element, does not move you to the next field. It is a real pain to have to select each new box with the mouse instead of just pushing tab.

Any others?

Wow. Are you using vanilla? I am.

I'm using 40.3 extended on OSX10.5.2

You're right. Scroll wheel works. Trackpad 2-finger scrolling does not work!

Also, to move a window that is not focused, you should be able to just click on its title bar and drag it. Instead, you have to click on its title bar once to focus it (dragging has no effect), and then click again to drag it.

i'm a mac-addicted, osx.4 user.
do F9 F10 F11 work in leopard as in tiger? Usually i use those (exp F10- same program windows)

That does work indeed. Good idea - that never occured to me. I never really got into exposé. Command-~ is much easier for me - you usually know in advance how many times you'll have to press it, and you don't have to hunt around on the screen for the window you want.

By the way, the "Window" menu in Pd is totally useless. It seems to decide on its own whims when to list windows and when not. I don't think I've ever seen it list the window for an open subpatch or abstraction I was trying to find. Totally useless.

The oversized window problem is kind of weird. I think that, each time you open an abstraction, it grows in size just a little bit... until it gets so big that you can't see the title bar any more - and therefore can't move or resize it. See the attachment.

Does anyone (please) have a way to fix this? Even if it means going into the file with a text editor?

Thanks!

http://www.pdpatchrepo.info/hurleur/Picture_22.png

Still having problems cycling windows. Command-~ only partially works in Pd-extended 0.40.3. It lets you cycle through open windows till you get to the main Pd window. Then it stops and will not cycle. Also, only main patch windows (not subpatches or open abtractions) show up in the Window menu, so there are just some windows you cannot get to at all unless you use Exposé or drag everything out of the way. Very frustrating. I guess I'm old school for always forgetting that Exposé exists.

The Window menu is only meant to display the root windows of projects (and not their included abstractions sub patches) which is really handy if you have two or more open projects and a ton of abstractions.

My wish list for gui imrpovements, is that it becomes a little more visible when you are in edit or play mode. Something like max msp's dotted grid in the background is perfect but otherwise maybe a change in the title bar is enough i.e. EDIT: awesome_patch.pd

also, (this requires some thought) pre-colouring objects, would be amazing. like say, all delay/time-related function objects a certain colour. float/integer/variable e.t.c. another colour. table/array-related objects a certain colour. subpatch/abstraction objects e.t.c.