Scratch

SonicPopsDad · 2008-08-14 05:40:16

Example:

If I have a large script for 'on flag clicked'... calll that Script1 and another script for 'on receive game over', call it Script2 at the botton of the work area.

I detach almost all of Script1 and move it down and to the right, perhaps just to stop it running automatically for testing purposes.

It suddenly disappears from the screen... consternation and distress! My big script has gone!

Ah no, it actually decided to merge itself into Script2, even though that wasn't on the screen. Cue lots of scrolling and fiddling around to get back to where it was.

Could the drag-and-insert be changed to ignore any off-screen insertions?
I can't see any circumstances where that behaviour is welcomed, as the programmer has no control over what's happening. With complex scripts it can be very tricky to work out what blocks need to be pulled back out of Script2 and where to put it back into Script1!

cheers smile

(ps. and could there be an 'undo drag-move/insert option too?)

Paddle2See · 2008-08-14 05:45:48

Yes! I have done that one myself. As well as numerous cases of just accidentally merging script chunks into places where I didn't want them to go. What we really need is more working space in the script area. I would really like to see draggable boundaries on the script/stage/pallet areas so we could adjust them as needed. Or a full screen editting mode where the stage disappears and turns into more script workspace.

SonicPopsDad · 2008-08-14 06:17:48

Yes, very good ideas!

Bobby500 · 2008-08-14 06:27:41

I agree! I hate when those scripts merge.

JSO · 2008-08-14 08:48:07

Maybe it would be good to improve the interface...

What if we could temporarily "close" the stage (the sprite list should be resized, prehaps one sprite in each row, and the stage at the top?), so the script area would be bigger?

Draggable boundries would be so cool... Now I think of it, the interface of Windows Movie Maker looks like scratch: movie in the upper right corner (stage), ... Or rescaling the stage... Wow!

Sorry - I'm thinking out loud

Jens · 2008-08-15 05:24:12

Hmm.. I have also encountered various mishaps while dragging:

- scripts suddenly "merge" into on another (this topic)
- long lists of costumes/sounds are hard to sort manually
- the sprite library gets hard to sort if it has to be scrolled

I have come to the conclusion that the problem seems to be scrolling-related. Unlike in the Windows explorer (I don't know about Mac) dragging an object to the edge of a pane doesn't scroll the pane in that direction. Therefore I first have to "drop" the object in hand somewhere (where if hopefully won't harm anything), then I have to scroll the pane further, mindful to leave the temporarily dropped object visible, pick it up again and drag it a little further. This can be very awkward indeed.

I have been experimenting with two ways to tackle this:

(1) Collapsable Scripts
Each hat block would feature a hide/show toggle (the same as the old comment block). That way completed scripts could be collapsed/expanded as needed, taking up much less screen real estate in collapsed state.

(2) Scrolling while Dragging
Whenever an object is being dragged to the edge of a scrollable pane, after a while that pane starts scrolling into the direction of the edge.

What do you think?

JSO · 2008-08-15 05:55:58

Jens wrote:
(1) Collapsable Scripts
Each hat block would feature a hide/show toggle (the same as the old comment block). That way completed scripts could be collapsed/expanded as needed, taking up much less screen real estate in collapsed state.

(2) Scrolling while Dragging
Whenever an object is being dragged to the edge of a scrollable pane, after a while that pane starts scrolling into the direction of the edge.

What do you think?

As you said, the biggest problem is "dragging". Dragging is used for almost everything in Scratch. I think very little changes could help a lot.

For example: when you have multiple costumes the costumes pane keeps scrolling to the top. When you "move" a costume, when you edit one, when you delete one, ... What if it would just "reset" itself to it's "old scrolling position".

Collapsable scripts are nice, however they might cause problems, with the cleanup - when you open them, they will overlap with the script below, and you would have to click clean up again and again...

Scrolling while dragging would also cause some problems: If I drag a block to the left, how would the program determine if I want to delete it (drag it to the block palette) or just drag it to another script more on the left?

I would like features like
> select blocks by dragging a rectangle
> cut/copy/paste blocks (Jens, you have done an xml script export/import - is it possible to export that xml code to the clipboard?)
> "take out" option in the context menu

Scratch team ? big_smile

Jens · 2008-08-15 07:02:56

JSO wrote:
> cut/copy/paste blocks (Jens, you have done an xml script export/import - is it possible to export that xml code to the clipboard?)

There actually is a clipboard for scripts in Scratch, you know, it's just not that obvious. Here's my little "secret" how I use it:

(1) I duplicate the script or the part of the script which I want to put into the clipboard.

(2) Then I delete it.

(3) Now I scroll the scripts pane to the destination part, and

(4) Click on "Undo".

Voila! (but you probably already knew about this one...)
(BTW this also works for costumes, sounds, sprites...)

likegames · 2008-08-27 17:02:47

Jens wrote:
Hmm.. I have also encountered various mishaps while dragging:

- scripts suddenly "merge" into on another (this topic)
- long lists of costumes/sounds are hard to sort manually
- the sprite library gets hard to sort if it has to be scrolled

I have come to the conclusion that the problem seems to be scrolling-related. Unlike in the Windows explorer (I don't know about Mac) dragging an object to the edge of a pane doesn't scroll the pane in that direction. Therefore I first have to "drop" the object in hand somewhere (where if hopefully won't harm anything), then I have to scroll the pane further, mindful to leave the temporarily dropped object visible, pick it up again and drag it a little further. This can be very awkward indeed.

I have been experimenting with two ways to tackle this:

(1) Collapsable Scripts
Each hat block would feature a hide/show toggle (the same as the old comment block). That way completed scripts could be collapsed/expanded as needed, taking up much less screen real estate in collapsed state.

(2) Scrolling while Dragging
Whenever an object is being dragged to the edge of a scrollable pane, after a while that pane starts scrolling into the direction of the edge.

What do you think?

1. you can do that in the e-toys BUILT INTO squeak and would be cool

2. i don't think so

likegames · 2008-08-27 17:05:39

Jens wrote:
JSO wrote:
> cut/copy/paste blocks (Jens, you have done an xml script export/import - is it possible to export that xml code to the clipboard?)
There actually is a clipboard for scripts in Scratch, you know, it's just not that obvious. Here's my little "secret" how I use it:

(1) I duplicate the script or the part of the script which I want to put into the clipboard.

(2) Then I delete it.

(3) Now I scroll the scripts pane to the destination part, and

(4) Click on "Undo".

Voila! (but you probably already knew about this one...)
(BTW this also works for costumes, sounds, sprites...)

that's obvious

Scratch

archived forums

#1 2008-08-14 05:40:16

Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#2 2008-08-14 05:45:48

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#3 2008-08-14 06:17:48

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#4 2008-08-14 06:27:41

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#5 2008-08-14 08:48:07

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#6 2008-08-15 05:24:12

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

#7 2008-08-15 05:55:58

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

Jens wrote:

#8 2008-08-15 07:02:56

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

JSO wrote:

#9 2008-08-27 17:02:47

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

Jens wrote:

#10 2008-08-27 17:05:39

Re: Detaching large blocks can be inserted into off-screen blocks

Jens wrote:

JSO wrote:

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