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Improve UI for moving interface tools with ctrl-click

I've recently been delving into using the interface tools and there are a couple of glaring issues for me as a developer/designer, all having to do with the UI, ironically (yes, I used that correctly!) with the interface tools. The irony here is that the interface tools utilise a poor user interface.

 

Firstly, I finished this video to ensure I was indeed doing things correctly, and I was.

 

The UI for designer's interface tools is incredibly sluggish. In order to rearrange tools, each time you create a new one, you have to push the up arrow for each tool and you have to traverse the groupings.

This will take forever. I counted 36 clicks.This will take forever. I counted 36 clicks.

 

Instead of this, I suggest two changes to the interface designer.

 

  1. 1. Allow a control-click in the interface designer layout view so that multiple elements can be selected and they can traverse the groupings and be moved together. When one has, say 4 elements in 2 nested groupings, that is a lot of clicks to get your new element to the top. Having to do it with its radio-button partner: pretty much infuriating.
  2. ONE at a time, children. No control-clicking. That would lead to pandemonium?ONE at a time, children. No control-clicking. That would lead to pandemonium?Allow control-click in the tree view as well. The fact that we can only click one item at a time and move it one slot at a time is incredibly time consuming. It seems a no-brainer to at least allow a control-click here.
    • Bonus: Include the ability to jump to the top and/or pop out a level with left/right arrows in the tree interface. 

I know not everyone is building macros/apps and dealing with this, so I have little faith that this will jump to the top of your queue. But this is a painful part of the UI. I don't know if your UX designers could easily fix this or if it is more pain on your end than the pain you're giving me, but I just want to say: This hurts. 35 clicks every time I add a new element with no option to 'move to top' like you (wonderfully) do in the select tool is a big drag on my time (hint: maybe add that sort of functionality too; the select tool manages this stuff so well!). Which is supposedly valuable. In theory. But it certainly doesn't feel that way when I've spent 10 minutes clicking an up arrow (and yes, my UI is slow. And I may be exaggerating, but not by much!). 

Thank you for your continued improvement!

 

-Çædric Justice
Alteryx Developer
Cambia Healthcare

 

6 Comments
FláviaB
Alteryx Community Team
Alteryx Community Team

*This is a feedback for a user from the Portuguese Community who had come to the same idea*

@sayuri  Aqui está a mesma sugestão que você nos encaminhou. Para acompanhar o andamento dessa ideia, você pode se inscrever aqui nesse post para receber notificações das atualizações de status.

gabrielvilella
14 - Magnetar

I couldn't stress enough how bad is this interface designer. I have lost so many hours already clicking multiple times those arrows...

thedr9wningman
8 - Asteroid

@gabrielvilella There is a definite irony in that the interface UI is the worst UI in the product, no?

Dynamomo
11 - Bolide

We definitely need more options for moving interface pieces around more quickly.  Like the user at the beginning said, he had to click 30 times to move interface tools up.  I am in the same boat.  every time I add an interface tool, it drops to the bottom of the UI and I have to click a gazillion times to get it up to where I need it.   This a horrible experience.  Please improve this with Right+Click like in the select tool or something that at least allows you to pop items to the top.

Thanks

CameronSteele
6 - Meteoroid

The whole app building interface really needs a refresh at this point but agreed that this is the most painful part of designing apps. 

AlteryxCommunityTeam
Alteryx Community Team
Alteryx Community Team
Status changed to: Accepting Votes