Allow choosing the feature type before drawing

[quincylvania]

Issue

Currently, there is a single workflow for adding a new feature:

1. Choose a geometry type (Point, Line, or Area)
2. Draw the geometry for the generic feature
3. Search for and select a feature type

There are a number of downsides to this approach. For one, new users often stumble over figuring out what geometry works with the type of feature they want to add. Also, this workflow forces use of the sidebar after every single addition, making fullscreen editing difficult and potential mobile editing untenable.

Further, iD could be more proactive if it knew what feature the user was drawing, and for example could:

• Instantly flag or preventing preset-specific validation errors (like waterway-railway connections)
• Automatically add appropriate tags to junction nodes (like railway-highway level crossings)
• Provide drawing instructions specific to the feature (like tracing cliffs with the base to the right)

Solution

I propose adding an additional (not replacement) workflow:

1. Search for and select a feature type
2. Choose a compatible geometry type (Point, Line, or Area)
3. Draw the geometry

I mocked-up a possible UI:

With #5873, favorite presets would appear like this, allowing one-click selection of both the preset and geometry type.

The default favorites would be the generic geometry types. These buttons would work identically to the current ones.

#5839 is a prerequisite issue, since we'll need the line icons to be more flexible.

[tordans]

This is a very interesting idea. Worth evaluating, IMO!

A few unfinished thoughts:

• a. You are switching the base pattern "form => where => what" to "what => form => where". That might be great. It might feel weird. Is it just me being used to the first pattern? Or is the first pattern something I know from other places (Indesign?…) so it feels more natural? Maybe this is a big enough change to try doing some user testing with new and advanced users?
• b. Could the "form"-select (img) solve the old questions where to choose the "square building" drawing tool? There could be a 4th form-choise which is "square area".
• c. I like the favorite preset idea (img) but fear that I would miss the generic geometry types button. How could I access them even with favorites?
• d. Should the favorite be "what + form" or just "what"? (Or maybe both?) If its only "what" the favorite-button could open the "form" dropdown instead. In case of a "swing" on a playground I use point vs. line in a per case decision. So "what + form" where a hurdle. But I cannot think about more relevant cases than "swing" ATM. So probably "what + form" is great.
• e. I really dislike the interaction of "draw an area">"press S for square">remember that the focus is in the search ATM, so "s" is a search, not "square">then reset the search, add the building preset, press "s" for square again. This UI would solve that issue, since after drawing I can use "s" for square without issue. That's a plus :).
• f. What do I see when I click in the search box without typing? (Also via shortcut.) This could be a list of the last 10 items I used in this session. Which would solve (c).

[quincylvania]

@tordans Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! Some responses:

• a. In my mind, the "what" and the "form" go hand-in-hand and it'd be more natural to pick them both at once. We would likely have a test period before release to get feedback, like we're doing right now with validation.
• b. Interesting idea. But besides a square tool for areas, we may also want a square tool for lines and a circular tool for both. So I think these tools should probably live elsewhere.
• c. The generic geometry buttons would themselves be "favorites" of the generic presets, so they would live alongside your other favorites. You could mix generic and specialized favorites at once.
• d. Combining the geometry and the preset into a single favorite makes it more useful as a shortcut. If you wanted to use two geometry types then you could just favorite both.
• e. Agreed.
• f. You would probably see the same list you see now when searching presets, possibly with a greater emphasis on recent searches.

[slhh]

@quincylvania

In my mind, the "what" and the "form" go hand-in-hand and it'd be more natural to pick them both at once.

We can easily support this, and make the workflow a bit more efficient:
Allow to skip the separate geometry selection step by clicking an icon of the allowed
geometries in the preset list.

Your proposed workflow seems to be less efficient than the current one:

• One additional click is required:
  • To put the focus into the search field if you want to use a text based search.
  • To do an empty search if you want to pick the preset from the categories. Maybe its just the same click in the search field, but one click is required anyway.
• List of search results are longer, because they aren't filtered based on geometry. This might need scolling or more levels of categories.

The new workflow could potentially be extended to support features like routes, turn restrictions, or public transport stops which require relations and/or multiple elements. As a first step, maybe, searching for such features can show mapping instructions only.

A third "form => what => where" workflow would achieve some of the benefits of the proposed workflow, but be as efficient at the current workflow. I think we should support this workflow for the * generic geometry buttons., we do only need to make the preset selection available in the sidebar as soon as a generic geometry button is pressed.