Just to start: I'm using the latest autobuild which is already quite old. I'm not 100% that what I say still applies, but it seems like it does.
As I understand it, the difference is, _where_ in the XML the opacity is set. Master creates an <alpha> tag, while the other just sets the alpha-value for the colour. Point is: as a user, I don't really care. I cannot help thinking, that "Master opacity" should _always_ set the opacity of the whole object. No matter what is selected. That said the current behaviour is really strange... when selecting a gradient stop and changing its opacity in the alpha-channel, that jumps back to 255 and the master opacity is adjusted instead. Some redesign of the fill and Stroke dialogue is needed. Unfortunately I don't yet have the real solution.
I think That maybe we should have the colour chooser as well in the gradient "tab" of the dialogue and call it Stop colour... which would kind of mean reintegrating the old gradient dialogue.... however, this part of the fill and stroke is a little like that anyways. Talking about this part of the Fill&Stroke, I would also put the radial and linear into the same top level and have a option menu next to the Repeat drop down.
Anyways, that is not the real problem we're talking about. To really achieve everything one might want, the gradient and the pattern fill would need an extra "gradient/pattern opacity" slider, respectively. That slider would adjust the overall opacity of the gradient or pattern. We could also have an overall fill (respectively stroke) opacity for this actually. Well, this approach still doesn't allow me to select multiple stops, though and change their opacity... However, I consider this a problem of the A-slider, kind of. I mean it the dialogue doesn't allow me to change the blue-value of a number of selected stops at the same time, either. It's kin of the same, don't you think?
Well, sorry, for this potpourri of thoughts... I hope it'll help to find some solution.
Take care!
David
On Sat, 2007-10-20 at 22:35 -0700, microUgly wrote:
bulia byak wrote:
But these properties are generally less intuitive and less convenient, and it is recommended to use master opacity wherever possible instead.
As a user and someone who is unfamiliar with the SVG standard, I've always associated the "Master Opacity" with controlling the overall opacity of an object (I'm pretty sure that was its only function in 0.45?). So it's confusing, now, to have to understand that Master Opacity now controls the Opacity of the object and the opacity of colour stops, but not the opacity of solid fills where you should use Alpha.