BS-JD-505 - First-hour usability polish pass #36

New Issue

Rbanh · 2026-06-06T01:49:10-04:00

Rbanh commented

2026-06-06 01:49:10 -04:00

Summary

Make the first hour in the editor feel guided: starter scene, tooltips, shortcut help, empty-state actions, and recovery messages.

Why

Once the editor has broader tools, first-run UX needs to help users discover safe workflows quickly.

Implementation notes

Add starter scene or guided sandbox path.
Add contextual tooltips and shortcut/help entry points.
Improve empty states for asset browser, hierarchy, material browser, and launcher.
Improve recovery messages for missing assets, invalid scenes, and failed tools.

Acceptance criteria

New user can open editor and find a starter workflow without external notes.
Empty states offer useful actions rather than blank panels.
Shortcut/help affordances are discoverable.
Common failures explain cause and next recovery step.

Tests/docs

Manual first-hour QA checklist and docs update. Update README and docs/editor UX notes.

## Summary Make the first hour in the editor feel guided: starter scene, tooltips, shortcut help, empty-state actions, and recovery messages. ## Why Once the editor has broader tools, first-run UX needs to help users discover safe workflows quickly. ## Implementation notes - Add starter scene or guided sandbox path. - Add contextual tooltips and shortcut/help entry points. - Improve empty states for asset browser, hierarchy, material browser, and launcher. - Improve recovery messages for missing assets, invalid scenes, and failed tools. ## Acceptance criteria - [ ] New user can open editor and find a starter workflow without external notes. - [ ] Empty states offer useful actions rather than blank panels. - [ ] Shortcut/help affordances are discoverable. - [ ] Common failures explain cause and next recovery step. ## Tests/docs Manual first-hour QA checklist and docs update. Update README and docs/editor UX notes.

Rbanh added this to the M5 - Regression, docs, and first-hour UX milestone 2026-06-06 01:49:10 -04:00

Rbanh added the

labels 2026-06-06 01:49:10 -04:00

Rbanh referenced this issue

2026-06-06 01:49:27 -04:00

BS-JD-ROADMAP - Jackdaw-inspired editor production roadmap #1

Rbanh commented

2026-07-10 04:06:54 -04:00

Local UI/UX pass in progress (2026-07-10)

The current uncommitted pass advances first-hour clarity without copying Unity:

near-black Blacksite shell replaces the lighter gray cast;
compact Blacksite toolbar mark and amber signal line establish tool identity;
primary tool/selection and secondary/toggle roles remain semantically distinct;
asset drags gain a pointer-following payload/action card, viewport placement reticle, corner brackets, and accepted boundary;
hierarchy drags gain full-row targets and explicit attach/reorder/root/blocked feedback;
empty selection and multi-selection inspector states are explicit;
the visual language and controls documentation are updated.

Remaining for #36: final live visual/interaction QA, starter/empty-state actions beyond current panels, recovery messaging tied to #39, and a second-person first-hour checklist.

## Local UI/UX pass in progress (2026-07-10) The current uncommitted pass advances first-hour clarity without copying Unity: - near-black Blacksite shell replaces the lighter gray cast; - compact Blacksite toolbar mark and amber signal line establish tool identity; - primary tool/selection and secondary/toggle roles remain semantically distinct; - asset drags gain a pointer-following payload/action card, viewport placement reticle, corner brackets, and accepted boundary; - hierarchy drags gain full-row targets and explicit attach/reorder/root/blocked feedback; - empty selection and multi-selection inspector states are explicit; - the visual language and controls documentation are updated. Remaining for #36: final live visual/interaction QA, starter/empty-state actions beyond current panels, recovery messaging tied to #39, and a second-person first-hour checklist.

Rbanh commented

2026-07-10 04:35:17 -04:00

Live visual QA update

Verified in the running 3426x1384 editor window:

the near-black shell and compact Blacksite toolbar identity read distinctly darker than the previous graphite pass;
cyan persistent toggles remain visually separate from amber primary tools/actions;
the asset drag pointer card identifies the Cube payload and Place in scene action;
the viewport shows the amber accepted boundary, corner treatment, and placement reticle while dragging;
releasing outside the viewport cancels without placing or dirtying additional scene content.

The current pass is ready for user visual signoff after final repository checks.

## Live visual QA update Verified in the running 3426x1384 editor window: - the near-black shell and compact Blacksite toolbar identity read distinctly darker than the previous graphite pass; - cyan persistent toggles remain visually separate from amber primary tools/actions; - the asset drag pointer card identifies the Cube payload and Place in scene action; - the viewport shows the amber accepted boundary, corner treatment, and placement reticle while dragging; - releasing outside the viewport cancels without placing or dirtying additional scene content. The current pass is ready for user visual signoff after final repository checks.

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Reference: Falling-Metal-Interactive/Blacksite#36