I use tiled clones extensively in my work, and it just feels too fundamental a tool to be kept over in the edit menu, so I agree with that suggestion.  It could use at least a default keyboard shortcut to invoke it!

I personally disagree somewhat about the reclassification into three tabs, as the tabs as they exist now correspond precisely to the various fundamental linear transformations (but where's skew?).  I've always appreciated the precision they afford me this way.  If you'll allow me to augment Valerie's suggestion about the create tiled clones, I would like to see two changes:  First, that the scaling values the user enters should be more mathematically intuitive.  For instance, downscaling should be achieved by entering a percentage 0 < p < 100, not a percentage p<0, as it stands now.  This follows from the mathematical definition of size change percentage:  PercentSize = (SizeTransformed/SizeOriginal) * 100, which will never be negative.  This always catches me, because I think "Well, I want every clone to be 95% as large as the original," and Inkscape then proceeds to enlarge each clone by 195%!  Secondly, when creating tiled clones the first clone always overlays the original, and that always gets in my way of adjusting the original.  Why does it do that?

I have to believe there are reasons for Inkscape operating as it does in regard to these two suggestions, but I don't know them.  Of course I can and do still make use of the tools as they are in Inkscape; they aren't broken or buggy and this isn't urgent.

Thanks,
Mike


On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 7:33 AM, Valerie <valerie_vk@...36...> wrote:
Congratulations on another terrific release! I hope you’re all taking a well-deserved break.

In the meantime, I wanted to discuss whether it’s possible to rework the Tiled Clones interface, mainly to address the following issues:
- Location: Tiled Clones is too powerful a tool to be hidden in Edit. Proposal: move Tiled Clones to Object, and have it open a dialogue like Fill, Align etc rather than a floating box (Ctrl + Shift + C).
- The interface: the current interface is very powerful, but it feels like staring down a math/geometry class. :P Separating Tiles and Rotate and adding a preview area using simple examples would be nice.
- “How do I make it rotate around This point?” Have the option to select an on-screen guideline, like how it works with filters and LPEs. For rotations, you select an angled line.

Now, I’m assuming that most uses of tiled clones would fall into a few major categories:
- Tiles: including simple symmetry and various tiles options.
- Radial Clone: flowers, laces, round borders, clocks, gears...
- Objects Along Path: Like Pattern Upon Path, except for objects. Example: a line of trees bordering a curving river and fading into the background.

So, long-story short, my proposal for more user-friendly Tiled Clones interface:

http://a.imagehost.org/view/0611/Tiles
http://a.imagehost.org/view/0362/Radial

Options that I’ve missed will of course have to be added back in. Thoughts?




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