On Thu, 13 Apr 2006, bulia byak wrote:
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 11:13:10 -0400 From: bulia byak <buliabyak@...400...> To: Inkscape-Devel inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net, Inkscape Users List inkscape-user@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: [Inkscape-devel] NEW: Xara keyboard shortcuts
Thanks to Mental's work, we now have shortcuts configurable by editing a simple XML file. I changed the format of that file, commented and categorized the shortcuts, and also listed there all Inkscape verbs that don't have shortcuts, so that it's easier for the user to bind them to keys. Also there's much work ahead to convert as much non-verb commands as possible to verbs, so that they can be configurable as well.
I also added an alternative keymap that emulates the keyboard of Xara X/Xara Xtreme/Xara LX. Since Inkscape has considerably more shortcuts than Xara, those keys that are not used by Xara retain their Inkscape bindings, thus making it easier for users to migrate from Inkscape to Xara or back. Of course, some of Xara's keys are not enabled because Inkscape does not yet have corresponding tools or commands.
The files in share/keys are:
inkscape.xml - Inkscape bindings
default.xml - initially this is a copy of inkscape.xml, but you can overwrite it with any other profile;
This is a slightly confusing naming scheme. I will try to explain, this default very quickly becomes different from the hardcoded default which developers have written in the code and what is really holds is the current user settings. Perhaps this could be adjusted, unless of course I'm needlessly overcomplicating and the situation is simpler than I think (and it probably is if I understand your later comment correctly).
Also I would like to humbly suggest a set like sodipodi.xml or classic.xml which would for future reference freeze the keybindings Inkscape has now and has long had and many users seem to be quite happy with.
That way future users can have the old the old keybinding they like from Sodipodi up until now and the developers can objectively decide what the best default keybindings should be without pissing off existing users already comfortable with the keybindings such as they are.
Later, Inkscape installer and/or preferences dialog will need to be enabled to switch keymaps without the user having to copy files (coding help welcome, as always).
(And maybe export them to some kind of readable text or html list format if some enterprising soul hasn't already hacked together scripts to do that)
You can also customize some of your keybindings without overwriting the main default.xml. If your profile directory (~/.inkscape on Linux) contains a keys subdirectory with a default.xml file, the keybindings from that file will overlay (i.e. add to, and override in case of a conflict) the default bindings. This file may list just a few keybindings that you want to change; the format of your own default.xml is the same as that of the main default.xml.
Oh, right I think is see now the system defaults and user defaults are seperated so my earlier comment is moot.
Thanks for all the work, now I'd better get started on a keyset in the style of Macromedia Freehand or Adobe Illustrator (I had a list lying around somewhere, the tricky part will be matching corresponding features).
Thanks agian.
Sincerely
Alan Horkan
Inkscape http://inkscape.org Abiword http://www.abisource.com Open Clip Art http://OpenClipArt.org
Alan's Diary http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/