Submitted by carloscadu on 2019/06/07 14:21
Hi,
 
The "hyper-highlighting" suggestion is about a set of improvements over the current highlighting modes and dedicated colors in InfoQube formatting toolbar, for both Grid and Document Pane. 
 
a) Modes
 
Mode 1 (Select and Click):
This is the default mode InfoQube operates.
1) Selected item or text
2) Click in the formatting toolbar the color you want to highlight the text
3) Repeat the process (1) and (2) for keeping highlighting.
 
Mode 2 (Continuous highlighting):
Usage on grid items and document pane for continuously highlighting multiple parts of text since the highlight tool would stay ON until the user decides to turn it off. 
1) Before selecting text, firstly select the highlight tool in the formatting toolbar.
2) The default pointer becomes a highlighter pointer.
3) Highlight as many text parts as you want without having to click the highlight tool again (distraction free, since your focus is on the content/text, and not on going forward/backward from selected text to the highlight tool as happens with method 1).
4) To stop highlighting, click the highlight tool again, or press Esc.
 
This screencast illustrates the usage of the two methods: http://bit.ly/2KzDA7S
 
 
b) Hyper-highlighting toolbar and options 
 
b.1) It is essentially an expansion of the formatting toolbar for both Grid and Document Pane, including four independent highlighters (currently there is just one yellow highlighter in InfoQube).
 
 
 
 
b.2) Considering the highlighters would have only default colors (no possibility for the user to customize them), I would suggest the following four colors, giving some examples of how they could be used:
 
Yellow (Usage example: general content emphasis) 
IQ: &H0099FFFF&
RGB: 255, 255, 153
HEX: #FFFF99
 
Blue (Usage example: concepts, definitions, core content emphasis) 
Powder (Default InfoQube color)
IQ: &H00F5DEB3&
RGB: 179, 222, 245
HEX: #B3DEF5
 
Red (Usage example: content to be explored, worked, corrected, or learned in depth) 
Red (Default InfoQube color)
IQ: &H00AAAAFF&
RGB: 255, 170, 170
HEX: #FFAAAA
 
Green (Usage example: previously red content already mastered, i.e. red highlighting is aimed to become green) 
Moss (Default InfoQube color)
IQ: &H00A1F4BB&
RGB: 187, 244, 161
HEX: #BBF4A1
 
These four colors have hues commonly used by other apps (see below), also with a balanced saturation which doesn't strike the eyes. Except for the yellow, all the other colors are default IQ ones already. 
 
Just Read (Web)      Diigo (Web)  
 
Liner (Web)     Citavi (Reference Manager) 
 
MS Word     PDF-XChange Editor      
 
 
b.3) Options customization
 
This would be the ideal hyper-highlighting setup (instead of b.2 discussed previously).
The user could set any color for highlighting on the grid and the document pane, for instance through Options>Highlighting setup.
 
 
 
What do IQ users think about the hyper-highlighting suggestion?
 
Cheers,
Carlos 

Comments

I like the ideas a lot.
 
A minor point re the colour choices -- I like all except the red which is quite a dark colour and makes text more difficult to read. Maybe a lighter colour -- the one on top here, a lighter version, is listed as 13421823 under Itemcolor
 

carloscadu

2019/06/07 15:13

Permalink

[quote=Tom]
I like all except the red which is quite a dark colour and makes text more difficult to read. Maybe a lighter colour -- the one on top here, a lighter version, is listed as 13421823 under Itemcolor
 
[/quote]
 
The lighter red is indeed better. I'm with you Tom.
 
Also, if a possible implementation considers "(b.3) Options customization", the user would have freedom to choose whatever color he/she likes, not being limited to yellow/red/blue/green. 
 
But going "(b.2) only default colors", I do think yellow/red/blue/green are handy and meaningful colors (in compliance with other apps as well), sure if using the right shades of the colors (I do prefer the light ones).

Great suggestions. 
 
I've said before that my wish list is topped by ways to improve how InfoQube displays info.  Any improvement in this area would be greatly appreciated.  I've suggested several features available in Excel (eg setting background color for individual cells) but never was able to stir any interest.  Your explanation is far superior to mine so maybe you can get something going.  
 
I know of course that Pierre already has plenty to do but I think it's fair to express personal preferences.  He can work those into his plan as he says fit.
 
Wayne