Switching between weather models now takes 3 clicks
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@zlatokoza Thank you for the feedback. I will note both suggestions.
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@Suty Thank you for noticing this. The latest update info is important that now in this latest iteration of the model switcher is not shown anymore.
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@Suty I see that "solid" solution now, however I would call it "floaty", because forecast now float over switcher up and down.
Why are you guys afraid of reverting to the switcher that was month ago, and instead multiply issues by removing forecast update time? -
I just checked for the latest version of browser app 47.1.1.
What is fixed: The selected model is not automatically changed anymore when switching e.g. to wind mode. That's good.
The interface for model selection, that was introduced now, is not a good solution at all. Now, when intending to switch the model, a new "footer-bar" pops up, eating up valuable vertical screen size. At the same time, the standard footer-bar as well as the new footer (select model) are used only by half. The rest is simply empty horizontal space (see screenshot).
It would easily be possible, to add the different models to the standard footer bar. No screen space wasted anymore.
Surprise, this is as it was before (which was very good).The browser app is used on devices that usually have a horizontal screen. For phones there are apps. So why waste vertical space while not using unused horizontal space?
Please, dare go back to how it was before introducing the popup menu. There is no shame in going back to something that was good before. Try to accept, that not everything needs to be changed every few months just to change something and make things "better"...
Also, the new footer-bar that allows to select models closes automatically after a few seconds. This is a no go. Let the user decide when he is done comparing models and don't assume, that the user does not need this anymore. Please, seriously.
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@Ftjwinfs
Can you imagine that not all users have a large screen?
The UI must also be suitable to the screen size of laptop, and even worse, tablets.
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@idefix37 I am on a laptop...
On tablets you can use the dedicated mobile app.
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@Ftjwinfs
Mobile app does not offer the same features as the browser version. -
I disliked the popup - it blocked the panel, blocked some of the layer I was looking at, and I had to click it closed...so I like the fact that they made this change so quickly.
I like your note about the empty space on the right side of the main footer - is it possible to tuck all the models there somehow? Just have them there, automatically display or not depending on your location on the map. That way no one has to click anything expect the model they want to look at. I'm curious what the limitation is around implementing that - seems like the ideal solution.
If they can't do that, maybe they can decrease the padding a bit around the new bar - there is definitely some empty space there - maybe Windy can tidy that up a bit? Save some space?I do agree with the timing - maybe increase the timer too. I like that it closes automatically - so I don't have to click again....but I don't like that it closes so quickly.
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You asked "is it possible to tuck all the models there somehow?"
Of course that is possible ;)
See below a screenshot from July this year ;)
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@Ftjwinfs This is not a proper example, since when you check the central Europe, we offer much more models there. The eastern part of Austria offers 9 models now.
Also, we wanted to offer this popup menu with upcoming intentions, that can be understood in the future.
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@Suty said in Switching between weather models now takes 3 clicks:
@Ftjwinfs This is not a proper example, since when you check the central Europe, we offer much more models there. The eastern part of Austria offers 9 models now.
Ok, that's true.
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Could you discuss at Windy, to not close the model-selection panel automatically after a few seconds?
As a user I either want to see that panel to quickly select different models and study their forecast or I want to hide that panel. I do not benefit in any way from an auto-hide mechanism with a time-out that I cannot configure.
The current auto-hide "feature" is a true pain. Let me explain: Lets say, I want to study forecasts, open the panel, select a certain model. Then, I look at the map and after a few seconds the panel closes by itself. The closing also means, that the entire forecast table spontaneously moves in vertical direction, which is extremely distracting when studying the table data.
Then, after half a minute or so I want to see the map data for a different model and have to repeat the above all over again instead of just clicking on a different model.In conclusion: The interaction with the UI is not good at all in this respect. Any automatic things are a bad thing in my opinion. Please realize, that each user has a different time-span for which he needs to have the model-panel open.
Please disable the auto-hide "feature" or at least make it configurable to let the user decide if the model-panel should hide by itself or not.
As an alternative: Please discuss, if it is an option, to move the model-selection panel to the right side below the layer-section symbols.
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A quick addition to my last post:
Since I almost exclusively use Windy to check wind-forecasts in wind-mode, I missed, that you already have a perfectly fine way to switch between weather models.
As long as the user does not uses wind mode, there is a dialog at the right side of the screen that allows to quickly change the weather model (see screenshot). This is perfectly fine, there is no need to have a different approach to change weather-models in wind mode, just reuse the existing approach that is shown in standard mode at the right side of the screen.
In only kindly ask you here as well: Also the "standard" dialog shown in the screenshot needs to be extended to show additional models. When extended, also this dialog closes automatically after a few seconds. Please (please) deactivate this automatic behavior or make the timeout a user-option.
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@Ftjwinfs I will forward this thread to our colleagues, so they can consider this behavior change. However, I can't promise anything at the moment.
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@Suty Thank you
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Any news on this issue?
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@Koss5 "Windy should fire ..." This is a bit harsh, but I can see a general issue here: It looks like the UI designers are operating the code as if it is visiting a toy shop: "Oh I like this one", "No look at this, even better".
You can do that in early stages of development, but people are now using the product at a large scale. You cannot just change the UX every few days, or move functionality around all the time - it pisses people off. Look at Debian: One big update every 2 years. In between, mostly bug fixes, polishing, etc.
Of course you can still do stuff. But you've got to be a bit more cautious. This was one of those 'not so well thought out' things. It has a serious impact on UX. It may look slick, but it's all about how it's actually used.
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@Ftjwinfs RIght now, there are no changes planned for this mode switcher. I am sorry about it.
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@Suty Thank you.
Really, really sad, that the developers apparently cannot unterstand our constructive feedback.
Would it be possible that you share what the reasons were to implement (and keep) the current approach?
