Is this a good idea?

[Mario]

The File Window Search Bar has quite a number (of useful) options, which are presented in a standard menu:



As you can see, the new menus in IMatch 2025 make this look slick and it is easy to tell which options are enabled.
I like this.

What I not really like is that, in order to change two or more options, you have to open the menu two or more times. This is just how menus in Windows work.

Since the Smart Menu in the Viewer (<S> keyboard shortcut) is used often and by many users, I wondered if I can use a similar smart menu for the File Window Search Bar.

Since IMatch now has ribbons and menus of my own making, I can do that.
Here is what my smart menu experiment looks like:



It opens when you click the loupe/magnifier icon. You see all available options (including the new user-defined tag sets in IMatch 2025) and you can change any number of options without the menu closing automatically. You close it when done by clicking the X, pressing <ESC> or clicking somewhere outside the menu.

Questions:

1. Do you like this?
2. Do you see a usability improvement or do you prefer the standard menu?
3. How often do you change Search Bar options?

Let me know what you think. I could finish the implementation and roll it out with IMatch 2025.

[rolandgifford]

You close it when done by clicking the X, pressing <ESC> or clicking somewhere outside the menu.

For me, having to do this is possibly more of an irritant than having the menu close each time I (un)select a single option and having to re-open the menu if I want to change more than one.

I generally think of ESC as closing without applying the change.

[Jingo]

I personally like the dropdown look better since that is what "I'm used to".. but that doesn't mean I don't like the ribbon bar.  

[axel.hennig]

I like the "concept" of the ribbon bar, but I also agree with Jingo, i.e. the dropdown looks "more familiar".

In the drop-down it is easier to figure out what is ticked and what not.

Not sure if this is understandable: In the ribbon you have to deal with a 2-dimensional logic, horizontal and vertical (maybe even with three dimensions, when also the colour counts), and within the drop-down you just have to deal with one dimension (vertical) -> a little bit easier.

[Mees Dekker]

Same here: drop down is easier.

[axel.hennig]

A little bit picky, but: Upper / lower case

• "Frequently used tags" vs "AI Tags" vs "Mario's Tag Set" vs "Edit user-defined tag sets" (red arrows)
• If "Attributes" is in upper-case I would suggest to write "metadata" also in upper-case (yellow arrow)

[ubacher]

I am for the drop down menu. Fits to the down arrow one clicks.

[Mario]

The command names have not changed for IMatch 2025
I'm no native English speaker and I'm always thankful for corrections. That being said:

"Mario's Tag Set" is a user-defined name, you can name your personal tag sets in any way you like.

"AI Tags" is a common term that refers to standard AI tags and trait tags available in IMatch 2025. I write it that way also in the help.

"Attributes" refers to data stored in IMatch Attribute Sets and IMatch Attributes. I (almost always, unless I forget) spell them with a capital "A", to differentiate them from other file attributes like size or dimensions.

Not sure about the "Search everywhere in metadata". I could change it to "Search everywhere in Metadata", but that looks wrong to me?

[mastodon]

For me the new ribbon like menu is far more easer to handle (no close at every click) and better understandable, what is active. "I'm used to" is a big force, but this is a handy move.

[Mario]

So the first consensus is to keep the normal menu (first image)?
Currently the smart menu for the Search Bar is just a mockup, so little work is lost when I don't implement it.

[mopperle]

While the new ribbon version looks interesting, I would also prefer the "old" dropdown., as I do not change the search criteria too often.

[thrinn]

I personally like the dropdown better.

I don't change the different where-to-search options often, so having to open the menu multiple times is acceptable to me.

In the viewer the Quick menu looks "cleaner" than your mockup here because the tiles have all the same size.

[Mario]

In the viewer the Quick menu looks "cleaner" than your mockup here because the tiles have all the same size.

Harder to do in this menu, since there are user-named elements, names vary quite a lot per language etc.

Just a mockup/experiment.

If people have no issues with the normal menu as it is now (just in the new 2025 design) I don't change it.

As I always say: "If in doubt, ask the users!"

[frankdarwin]

It looks as if the old version is preferred.
But isn't it possible (with little effort) to implement both versions and leave the decision to the user?
For example, through a setting in the preferences?
I would like this flexibility.

Frank

[Mario]

It looks as if the old version is preferred.
But isn't it possible (with little effort) to implement both versions and leave the decision to the user?
For example, through a setting in the preferences?
I would like this flexibility.

Frank

The new "smart" menu variant shown in the screen shot is currently a mockup - basically an image.
Implementing this would take maybe a day of work ( or three ), which is why I thought I'd run the idea here in the community before I put in the work and then users don't like it.

Long-time users are always reluctant to changes in the UI, unless there are very good reasons. I understand this.
Which is why the new ribbons and menus in IMatch look slick but don't re-arrange commands or button positions.

Adding this menu as an option, as you suggest, is doable. But again, if nobody will use it (and less than 50 users is "nobody"), I won't spend the time. Besides, IMatch has too many options already - users tell me that often

[ben]

Whatever solution it will be, it would be important that I can clear recognize what is selected and what isn't.  In your screenshot I couldn't tell if "frequently used.." is selected in addition to all the other tags.
Personally I like the menu more but can cope with the smart menu as well.
Could you keep the "menu" solution open until I click elsewhere?

[Mario]

Could you keep the "menu" solution open until I click elsewhere?

No. Windows closes the menu in that case automatically (not in my control).

In your screenshot I couldn't tell if "frequently used.." is selected in addition to all the other tags.

It has no check mark in front, so it is not checked. Same for the menu.
The check marks I draw in the 2025 menus are much better visible than the orangy checkmarks the user interface toolkit uses.

Keep in mind:

Checking/Enabling "frequently used" tags unchecks all the other tag groups (since "frequently" it includes them all).
If you check a tag group, the "frequently used" group is automatically unchecked.
No change in behavior there between 2023 and 2025.

[graham1]

I add my vote to keep the old version. 

[afengler]

I also prefer the standard menu. I do not change the search parameters very often...

[sinus]

Until now the results are clear 

Of course the choosable entries in the first image are ordered (from a point of design) nice, perfect in rows and so on.

In the second image the rectangles are not good structured, I am sure, this makes for a first impression also a difference.
If I am look at both like they are, I would choose clearly the first image, because of the better structured design.
But of course I am sure, IF you would take the second possibility, then you would create it a bit better. 

But because I have to click for every change, I would like the second option. 

[Mario]

Thanks to all who have already commented!

I found this very interesting. I was unsure myself if this would be a good change or not. So I've made a mock-up and asked the user base.

Based on your feedback, I've decided to stick to the classic (actually new and really slick) menu for the Search Bar.

Maybe, when I have time next year, I will improve and implement the smart menu and let interested users try it via the "experimental feature" switch.

As a small "reward", here is an overview of all the icons I have drawn in Affinity Designer for IMatch 2025 (over 200):



Some icons used for faces:



Yes. This was a lot of work. But IMatch 2025 looks so slick and it's ll vector now, no bitmaps anymore.

[Jingo]

Thx Mario... I like the new ribbon bar and icons so much that I haven't updated beyond the update that removed this experimental feature - even though I am anxiously awaiting several fixes you have made in the viewer!  Your new ribbon/icons are really great and kudos to the amount of effort it took to design, draw and implement them!

[Mario]

Thx Mario... I like the new ribbon bar and icons so much that I haven't updated beyond the update that removed this experimental feature - even though I am anxiously awaiting several fixes you have made in the viewer!  Your new ribbon/icons are really great and kudos to the amount of effort it took to design, draw and implement them!

Thanks, very kind of you.
I've improved and fine-tuned everything for the 2025 release.

I work a lot with IMatch 2025 currently, to test things, to find rough spots, possible performance issues. And occasionally, I come up with a better icon idea for a command. Currently this is still easy to change.

The worst part in all of this was that I had to re-do more than 200 screen shots, since the old screen shots showed the old toolbars and menus. And, some of the screen shots were still from Windows XP

That's product stability for you - add new stuff, don't break old stuff.

[Darius1968]

Definitely, a +1 from me, about your proposed change! 

[graham1]

A belated vote for the classic version.  

Graham