GUI for controller

I need to write a GUI for use with a motion controller.
As for the GUI talking to the controller that is easy and I have done it before. It will just be sending a few varables. I can open the program file and download the varables I need to the controller.

My question is for the GUI they need to que up 10 different programs and tell how many parts each to make. What is the best way to list the programs qued up and the qty? I will need to delete them from the que after they are done. I was looking at using a listview. Then just deleting item(0) after each run is done. What is this the best/easyest way to display them?

Also my program will be polling a few varables from the controller. If any of the varables are 1 then I will display a message. Example "Part A low", "Part A out" Pulling the varable again is something I have done. Just wondering what the best way to display the messages with an easy way to delete them after the issue is fixed.

From the sounds of what you describe, a listview would work just fine and would be about as simple as it gets... but you are asking about U.I. design, which has more to do with your user base than others on the forums I would think... you're asking the wrong people how to 'best' present information to your users. :)

Gather the requirements and desires of those who would use the application, then find and/or create the presentation that best meets those particular needs.

Hope that is helpful to you, best of luck!

Have a look at the Windows media player burn MP3 function. It is a pretty decent way to represent jobs, and although not perfect match can be adapted for your uses.

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Originally Posted by ron22

I need to write a GUI for use with a motion controller.
As for the GUI talking to the controller that is easy and I have done it before. It will just be sending a few varables. I can open the program file and download the varables I need to the controller.

My question is for the GUI they need to que up 10 different programs and tell how many parts each to make. What is the best way to list the programs qued up and the qty? I will need to delete them from the que after they are done. I was looking at using a listview. Then just deleting item(0) after each run is done. What is this the best/easyest way to display them?

Also my program will be polling a few varables from the controller. If any of the varables are 1 then I will display a message. Example "Part A low", "Part A out" Pulling the varable again is something I have done. Just wondering what the best way to display the messages with an easy way to delete them after the issue is fixed.

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Originally Posted by fcronin

but you are asking about U.I. design, which has more to do with your user base than others on the forums I would think... you're asking the wrong people how to 'best' present information to your users. :)

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Huh? Not all devs are incapable of creating user friendly UI's.

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Originally Posted by fcronin

Gather the requirements and desires of those who would use the application, then find and/or create the presentation that best meets those particular needs.

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If you feel that the dev is the wrong guy to design the UI, then he's probably the wrong guy to gather requirements (not that I believe any of that).

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Originally Posted by ron22

I need to write a GUI for use with a motion controller.
As for the GUI talking to the controller that is easy and I have done it before. It will just be sending a few varables. I can open the program file and download the varables I need to the controller.

My question is for the GUI they need to que up 10 different programs and tell how many parts each to make. What is the best way to list the programs qued up and the qty? I will need to delete them from the que after they are done. I was looking at using a listview. Then just deleting item(0) after each run is done. What is this the best/easyest way to display them?

Also my program will be polling a few varables from the controller. If any of the varables are 1 then I will display a message. Example "Part A low", "Part A out" Pulling the varable again is something I have done. Just wondering what the best way to display the messages with an easy way to delete them after the issue is fixed.

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If you took what I wrote as Arjay did, I apologize for not presenting my thoughts clearly enough... I believe you are fully capable of creating a U.I. are most developers... and as I said at the beginning of my reply, the listview is capable of doing what you described... my point was to make sure it is based on user input and not too many deveoper assumptions (which is one thing this place is full of) is all... perhaps it's better conveyed in this article...

Again, best of luck...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_interface_design

@Arjay: Creating a user friendly, mainstreamed/formal design is one thing - creating an artsy, slick (or even super-stylized, nonstandard, flashy), yet reasonably navigable UI design is another (well... for web pages mostly... but maybe for WPF apps to some extent), completely different thing that's usually done by people that have absolutely no clue about programming, but are excellent graphic designers.

Usually, but not always. Some of us have all kinds of skills :D
Note that these are the two extremes, and there is a gradient of possibilities between them.
I'm sure fcronin meant something along those lines.

P.S. WPF opens a world of possibilities, but, depending on the application type, you can over-design, and create something that feels inappropriate and inconsistent.

P.P.S. I believe that the OP is just asking what are the generic presentation options available. Talk to your clients, listen to their suggestions, present them yours, repeat until you both agree.

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Originally Posted by TheGreatCthulhu

@Arjay: Creating a user friendly, mainstreamed/formal design is one thing - creating an artsy, slick (or even super-stylized, nonstandard, flashy), yet reasonably navigable UI design is another (well... for web pages mostly... but maybe for WPF apps to some extent), completely different thing that's usually done by people that have absolutely no clue about programming, but are excellent graphic designers.

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Yep, and even with a glitzy UI, it still may end up as being unusable, so an experienced developer can help put some usability back into the thing.

On the other hand, there are some programmers that absolutely suck at UI work. I think those guys usually do device driver programming. :D

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Originally Posted by Arjay

Yep, and even with a glitzy UI, it still may end up as being unusable, so an experienced developer can help put some usability back into the thing.

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Yep.

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Originally Posted by Arjay

On the other hand, there are some programmers that absolutely suck at UI work. I think those guys usually do device driver programming. :D

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They are forgiven, as long as they do a good job with the drivers. :)

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Originally Posted by TheGreatCthulhu

They are forgiven, as long as they do a good job with the drivers. :)

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Yep, keep 'em working on drivers and away from the UI.....

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On the other hand, there are some programmers that absolutely suck at UI work. I think those guys usually do device driver programming.

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Or server-side developement. Or linux.

And that's if they write a UI at all.

Oooh I love 10,000 lines of xml config files and console apps.

Reminds me of when I started by University degree and was using text-only terminals hooked up to Sun workstations.

Darwen.