P: Floating panels/toolbars

Dorin,

I assume you haven't worked with multiple monitors. If photoshop didn't have floating panels, my bet is that it would have never become what it is today. And YES, definitely from the Mac "ecosphere," the system that has been the choice for graphics and creative professionals for..hmmm...over 20 years now!!!

..and how did you even get to this thread? It's 8 months old!!!

Where's the "–1" button here?

In my opinion, floating panels is one of the worst aspects of UI design ever. (Something from the Mac ecosphere?) With floating panels, I always have sense of living in a room that have not been cleaned up for some time. The impression of flexibility that floating UI elements gives, is false, in my opinion.

Rob, I couldn't agree with you more on the multi-monitor functionality, and I too rarely use that mode. I don't want to be forced to look left and right, I just want my tools over there, that's it!

I voted for this, but *NOT* because I want to be able to float them like other Adobe apps, but because I want to be able to work on the image full screen in one monitor, and dedicate the other monitor to the panels, and other such supporting stuff. Note: once an entire monitor is available to support image dev, there is less of a space constraint for that other stuff.

So to the spirit of the request, I say yes: One should be able to use 3 monitors and partition each monitor according to fancy.

Summary:
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I like Lightroom's overall UI design *better* than most Adobe Apps, but more flexibility to support multi-monitor configurations would be welcome.

PS - I bought a 2nd monitor just for Lightroom, but I rarely use Lightroom in multi-monitor mode, since it really doesn't help that much. Multi-monitor support seems like it was a rush job to me. I don't think Adobe spent much time figuring out how to re-write Lightroom to best take advantage of additional monitors - I think it would be worthwhile for them to do so at some point.

Thanks John. I'll take a look as soon as I have a chance. I really appreciate it.

Makes perfect sense Lee. I think I'd be just as happy with that to be honest. Thanks for your feedback.

I linked to it in my first comment, Freddy!

While I might point you to these design ideas, such things are never set in stone and you aren't the first one to ask for movable panels. So just ask!

He posted the video above (vimeo).

I too think a fully-configurable workspace is unlikely, but I'm wondering if a more modest request might be a little more acceptable, namely to make a new second-monitor option to go with the ones that are already there that would just place the existing four panels on the second monitor leaving the main monitor for the image only. The reason I think this might be doable is that it's already possible to do this in Lightroom to some extent by dragging the main window to your second monitor, putting the Loupe view up on the main (now second) monitor and using the Develop module and its panels on the second monitor while watching the first monitor. Did that make any sense?

I don't know if I watched the video. I've had lightroom since the original beta, but I'd love to see the video if you can direct me to it, I'd appreciate it.

It's true that Solo Mode does help a bit, but I'd still love the ability to make my own workspace. But I guess based on your responses here, and others I've received elsewhere, I think my dream will remain just that, a dream. Oh well.

For starters, did you watch that video? He uses words like "efficiency", "streamlined", or the concept of "rooms". You'd also have to look up some of the things Jeff Schewe has said about the inside story and design philosophy.

Remember too that those programs are much more substantial in scale than Lightroom, and with much more diverse user groups. By comparison with them, Lightroom is more like a glorified dialog box!

I never liked the scrolling either, so I work in Solo Mode (it's a right click on the panel header), but while I would certainly move one or two panels such as Camera Calibration I just don't feel the need to start creating my own workspaces in Lightroom.

John