Have an option to disable the inline rich content (WYSIWYG) editor toolbar in documents in RV&S

[nathanzheng]

We recently upgrade from Integrity 10.7 to Windchill RV&S (Integrity) 12.3. The inline rich content editor in document view is nice, but it can be very annoying sometimes. When the column for a rich content text field is narrow, it really blocks a lot of the real content. Plus, when you highlight a word (double click on it), another rich content editor toolbar shows up! There should be an option to disable the inline editor toolbar (and we can customize the viewset to show the editor options at top, not inside the table cell).

[twiatr]

Really agree with  nathanzheng, the in-cell editor is an actual loss of efficiency for our users. It's really disturbing to click on a word (to make a correction for example) and see all your document scroll to display the editor toolbar, totally loosing the focus on the word you were targeting. It was a good idea to enhance the rich tetx editor (to better manage list or embedde pictures for example), but not that way !

[BaluSri]

We are looking to upgrade from Integrity 11.2 to 12.4 and we have the same issue with the very annoying embedded rich-text editor taking up so much space. In a regular item edit view, that's fine, as the rich-text field is usually setup to span the full width of the window, but in a list view, it makes absolutely no sense. Need an urgent fix for this issue. 

[KartikOak]

Hello Everyone,

                                   Thanks for providing your inputs on the challenge you are facing working with the Rich Text Editor in the Swing UI, I assume here it is Document View that is being used.

Can you please help me understand what stops the user from dragging the column to use more space? Your input will help us find a way around the current user experience.

Thanks

Kartik

[BaluSri]

Hi Karthik,

We have 20+ fields in our column set. So, it is really cumbersome to drag the column for each RT field to edit it. In the List view (table view), we prefer to entirely get rid of it. In the Item Preview edit mode, we are fine with having the toolbar. 

I came across a couple of articles that talk about this. Are any of these feasible?

a) https://makitweb.com/dynamically-add-remove-tinymce-editor-with-jquery/

b) https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16033321/remove-menu-and-status-bars-in-tinymce-4 

[twiatr]

Hello,

In addition to BaluSri reply, here are 2 reasons why the inline editor has negative consequences on our user's work : 

1. Many of our users have laptop. Screen are too small to expand all richtext columns : This layout is just not possible in many cases.
2. But the most disturbing is the usage in document view  : In that case, when you click on a content you want to edit, all lower lines slide down : 
   1. Letting your mouse pointer at the wrong place regarding to the text you would like to edit
   2. Disturbing the user that focuses on a screen location when the content slide to another screen location
   3. Adding to that, the flat design of the editor toolbar is not very distinguishable from the text content itself. This add to the global confusion of that editor.

In the item view, the editor is less disturbing, because it doesn't let lower content to slide. 

A parameter allowing the editor to be enable in Document / Item view would be the best solution from my point of view. Or may be letting the text in place and displaying the toolbar in a floating window could be an acceptable workaround

Thank for your attention to this request

Thomas WIATR

[BaluSri]

The distraction-free editor may also be an option

TinyMCE 5: https://www.tiny.cloud/docs/demo/editor-dfree/

TinyMCE 4: https://www.tiny.cloud/docs-4x/demo/editor-dfree/ 

[BaluSri]

@VolkerEckardt  Do you have any field-developed object to disable the TinyMCE toolbar in the rich-text field? Please post if you could help in any way.

[KartikOak]

A sneak peek of what the Swing interface users can expect in Windchill RV&S 13.1 later this year. This setting will be extended to List & Item Edit View of the Swing UI too.

[twiatr]

Hello,

Thank you very much KartikOak to take this request into consideration.

This UI in "floating" mode seems to be less confusing for user than the original one ("wrap" mode in your screenshot).

But the principle of the incell editor by itself can be very disturbing. The two major concerns are :

• Unexpected scrolling of the content text
• Cursor location shifting : The cursor location in the text of the edited cell (wher the user has clicked) is not the same as cursor location when the editor has opened.

I personally experienced those inconvenience during our 12.4 migration tests, and our users have reported the same feeling.

==> Could we imagine a fourth option in the "RichText Editol Toolbar Mode" called "None", which will restore the previous text edition mode (using the main swingUI toolbar commands) ?

Thank you by advance for your help on that issue,

Thomas WIATR

[KartikOak]

Hi Thomas,

                         Good to hear that you are finding at least one option usable than the current default wrap mode. We will continue to check for more options but at a minimum, this is the initial step we are looking to bring into the product.

Thanks

Kartik

[BaluSri]

Hi @KartikOak,

As proposed by user @twiatr above, it would be great if you could include a "None" option for the Rich Text Editor Toolbar Mode. 

This would really help in a quick adoption/upgrade to this version (13.1 or greater), as our business users do not wish to see the toolbar when editing in a list view.

Thank you,

Balu Srinivas

[SM_10187717]

Hi @KartikOak,

I definetely agree with all the arguments of previous guys that new Rich Text Editor "in-cell design" is confusing, disturbing and unfriendly to the user. In our company we even think about using solely Excel import function to input data into Windchill RV&S so we don't need to interact with new Rich Text Editor.

I support the idea that in Table Content the previous concept of the toolbar for the rich text editor. While the new Rich Text Editor can be used in Item Preview window:

UPD: Dear all (@nathanzheng, @twiatr, @BaluSri)

Looks like I found one option that allows to use current Rich Text editor and does not confuse and disturb a user.

You need to perform the following settings in a View menu:

• select "Wrapping" in "Table Content" section;
• select "Editable" in "Item Preview"

After that you can't edit anything in Table view, but have an ability to edit in Item Oreview window. Further you can customize Item Preview window as you want using Administration client. For example, I made a dedicated tab with only essential requirements attributes: Category and Text. All secondary attributes I moved to another tab.

Such customization allows user easily navigate through specification in Outline and Table sections of the window, while providing convinient editing in Item preview section.

[KartikOak]

The implementation is in progress taking into consideration the aspects that have been posted here earlier.

Please see section - https://community.ptc.com/t5/Windchill-Systems-Software/Have-an-option-to-disable-the-inline-rich-co...

Do note that the need to have a consistent HTML editor (same for Swing & Refreshed Web) requires some special engineering to make it work in the Swing Architecture. While we took into consideration various possibilities, they come with some limitations. The "None" option is not part of the implementation plan for the upcoming Windchill RV&S 13.1 release where this feature will find a spot in the Swing Client.

Thanks

Kartik

[ddeupree]

What about future releases for the "none" option?  Or is this a final call that this has to be on? May be great for WEB UI, but not a thick client.

[KartikOak]

Hi David,

                     As I mentioned, we have fitted an HTML Editor in the Swing, it needs special controls. After 13.1 is released, we will take another look if "none" is an additional possibility from within the flavor of the editor that we have embedded.

Thanks

Kartik

[cdoyle]

If the TinyMCE editor widget cannot be configured to use the rich text controls in the ViewSet menu bar(s), then those options should be removed from the ViewSet Configure menu, and the corresponding icons removed from the ViewSet menu bar(s).  My customers who have upgraded to 12.x report that their users find it disconcerting and/or confusing that their ViewSets still show the "old" rich content editing icons, but they are greyed out.

[KartikOak]

Hello,

           As a follow-up to this issue, a none option is being introduced in the Windchill RV&S 13.2 client.

Thanks

Kartik

[KartikOak]

The Windchill RV&S 13.2 release has client fixes to resolve this issue with the additional inclusion of a None option.

[achirila]

Thank you @nathanzheng for your idea and @KartikOak for the confirmation!