As a user, I want to access node help from within editor, so that I can recall node idea quickly

[nkrkv]

There should be help available for nodes available on node choice stage as well as when a node already placed.

Node’s help page should contain an overall description, each pin type info and description, pre-render of the node. The info should be fetched from node metadata.

See vvvv help pages for inspiration.

Acceptance criteria

• I can select a node on canvas and select “Help” via menu or keyboard shortcut (h) and will be presented with a sidebar containing node help page.
• I can click an “info” button next to node type label while choosing node type to be inserted to get the same help before insertion.
• The help article contains a link to the same page on site (UTM’ed with campaign=docs, medium=helpbar)
• Switching selection on the patch board updates contents of the help sidebar
• Switching selection in the Project Browser updates contents of the help sidebar
• A node miniature is zoomed out 2×, 4×, etc if it doesn’t fit width

[nkrkv]

Inline help drafts (lacks pins’ description):

[daphee]

I'm wondering where a short description of the inputs and outputs would be added in these mockups. One option would be to have a "Inputs" and "Outputs" section on the lower half, below the "Make some tequila" in this case, similar to how the online reference is structured.

Another option would be to add the descriptions to the pre-render, below the type of a pin.

Also I think the popups should be draggable - you should be able to move them to the side and work on your program while glancing at the reference from time to time.

In the same way some users may prefer to have the documentation open in a new tab in the editor, especially when they are working on big programs where the canvas might be full of nodes.

[nkrkv]

I'm wondering where a short description of the inputs and outputs would be added in these mockups

Yes. Our designer tries to add them right next to type label.

Also I think the popups should be draggable

Maybe, but questionable. Anyway, this is an additional effort we should postpone to get the basic functionality faster.

[nkrkv]

Here is updated node inline help:

The width of the popup is the width of the node plus a fixed px value. Initial suggestion is 250px, maybe should adjust to something in range [230px, 300px]. Live testing would show.

Note, in this update the node type moved to the bottom.

[nkrkv]

Mockup of the trigger button:

It is shown only on a hovered and selected nodes.