Knutux has made excellent progress with the clipPath/Mask UI patch (nice couple options in prefs to make it more robust too). However, there are two issues left that are related, but we couldn't figure out the best solution.
Note that this is in comparison to both Xara & Illustrator as reference.
1) In Inkscape, currently you can not edit a clippath on canvas (presumably because it's located in defs). I wouldn't imagine this wouldn't be too painful to change, but the aspect of residing in defs brings up the other major difference/problem.
2) In Xara or Illustrator when you clip objects, they're "grouped" together (clipped objects and the clipping path/mask). It doesn't seem like this is easily achieved because of the structure of SVG and defs preceding regular items in the doc.
The more complicated of the two issues would be number 2. We kicked around a couple ideas, but neither seemed like the optimal solution so I figure I would ask for advice here.
The ideas were having the clipping object in defs be a clone of a "normal" object on canvas. That original object can then be grouped and the clone/clippath would follow a move of the original, and it would theoretically also take care of the editing aspect too.
And the other potential solution we thought of was having the clipPath (or mask) in defs just have a link to an object on canvas. Again, that object could then be grouped and would take care of the editing aspect too.
To me, neither method seems clean and each would potentially introduce it's own set of issues.
Bulia or Mental, do you have any suggestions?
-Josh