+10 for objects remembering their alignments.
A few nifty related features which could help replace/improve/obsolete the connector tool (in conjunction with the above):
a) Path endpoints (or perhaps any nodes at all) could be aligned & remembered to other objects the same way as objects can
b) Endpoints/nodes could have their position relative to a given object remembered (so you can attach a connector node to a particular corner or feature on the object, and the path transforms appropriately when said object is moved)
c) Add 2 align/distribute options: "Align to closest bounding box edge" and "Align to closest object boundary (outer path)"
I guess you'd still need some auto-avoid logic to make paths avoid objects. That could probably be another align/distribute option.
- Bryan
On Sat, Jun 11, 2011 at 22:18, Jasper van de Gronde
<th.v.d.gronde@...1761....528...> wrote:
On 2011-06-10 19:20, Josh Andler wrote:
> It would be really nice if someone would look into some of the issues
> with the connector tool, especially since they keep adding up and
> rarely get redued. It seems that at this point it is unmaintained and
> unfinished, which to me puts it in the same category as the our
> disabled technical/lpe tool. Meaning that if it doesn't see love by
> the time we're wrapping up 0.50 (or whatever that version will be), I
> personally feel that it should be disabled at that point and will
> request a vote. I know people have used it, it's cruft is in their
> documents, but if it's not going to be given a serious go, it makes no
> sense to have it. Just wanting to bring the issue up with plenty of
> notice.
it's limited to a connector tool. In my opinion it would be much more
useful to instead have a tool that allows one to specify certain
relations between points/objects. By being able to "remember" the
alignments applied by the align and distribute dialog for example.
Although I think it might make sense to go beyond that by also
"remembering" offsets and perhaps even boolean ops.
Such a tool would make it easier to create diagrams while also helping
in many other situations and would therefore be more likely to be
maintained. And although it won't cover all connector related
functionality, at the very least it should make it easier to implement
the connector tool and reduce its need for maintenance.
--
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Bryan Hoyt, Web Development Manager -- Brush Technology
Ph: +64 3 741 1204 Mobile: +64 21 238 7955
Web: brush.co.nz