I'm working on a technical drawing which is made up of a large number of objects, with a rather limited number of basic styles (this is common in engineering - drawings have layers with a different line style for each layer). So, I created a layer for each style: one layer for dashed lines, one layer for shapes with white fill and no stroke, etc. As it turned out, it was difficult to just draw all of the shapes of one style and then move to another, as they had to interact. So, as I was moving across the drawing and adding shapes, I had to continually set the style to match the current layer I was drawing in. What I really wanted was something like Photoshop's "layer style", Or layers in CAD drawings, where whatever you draw on a layer receives the same style.
I was able to do this using the XML editor by copying and pasting the style attributes of existing shapes into the layer nodes, and unsetting the fill and stroke for new shapes. Whatever I drew after that received the layer style.
Now my question is this: Is there a mechanism in place to do this without editing the XML? If not, do you think there should be? I think it would be useful.
On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 3:32 PM, Michael Grosberg wrote:
Now my question is this: Is there a mechanism in place to do this without editing the XML?
No
If not, do you think there should be?
Yes :)
Alexandre Prokoudine http://libregraphicsworld.org
On 24-6-2012 13:32, Michael Grosberg wrote:
I'm working on a technical drawing which is made up of a large number of objects, with a rather limited number of basic styles (this is common in engineering - drawings have layers with a different line style for each layer). So, I created a layer for each style: one layer for dashed lines, one layer for shapes with white fill and no stroke, etc. As it turned out, it was difficult to just draw all of the shapes of one style and then move to another, as they had to interact. So, as I was moving across the drawing and adding shapes, I had to continually set the style to match the current layer I was drawing in. What I really wanted was something like Photoshop's "layer style", Or layers in CAD drawings, where whatever you draw on a layer receives the same style.
I was able to do this using the XML editor by copying and pasting the style attributes of existing shapes into the layer nodes, and unsetting the fill and stroke for new shapes. Whatever I drew after that received the layer style.
Now my question is this: Is there a mechanism in place to do this without editing the XML? If not, do you think there should be? I think it would be useful.
I also think it would be very useful. Do you have a proposal for a UI? Perhaps adding "paste style" to the right-click menu in the layer dialog?
Regards, Johan
On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 4:04 PM, Johan Engelen wrote:
Do you have a proposal for a UI? Perhaps adding "paste style" to the right-click menu in the layer dialog?
This certainly won't suffice.
Right now blending options for layers are basically an SVG filter applied to a group. If you apply a "layer style", then change your mind about the current blending mode and change it, you replace the applied style with a new one that only has feBlend.
Alexandre Prokoudine http://libregraphicsworld.org
Johan Engelen <jbc.engelen@...360...> writes:
I also think it would be very useful. Do you have a proposal for a UI?
So I've been thinking about this for a day.
At first my idea was to do something like Photoshop's Layer Style UI: that would be a new dialog that would look like the stroke\fill dialog but perhaps with more tabs for selecting filters. It could be a way to create an interface that is familiar to users of Photoshop, i.e. professional graphic artists.
But I think there's a much simpler solution. if you could select the layer itself you could just edit it like any other object. You could select it in the layers dialog, using a key binding - I suggest Ctrl + click.
There will be a need to indicate a layer has a style, with another icon in the layers dialog.
The real problem I see is how to get the user to select "unset" for their shapes - otherwise the layer style won't apply.
On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 7:09 AM, Alexandre Prokoudine <alexandre.prokoudine@...400...> wrote:
Do you have a proposal for a UI? Perhaps adding "paste style" to the right-click menu in the layer dialog?
This certainly won't suffice.
Right now blending options for layers are basically an SVG filter applied to a group. If you apply a "layer style", then change your mind about the current blending mode and change it, you replace the applied style with a new one that only has feBlend.
How about a palette of saved styles? Drag an object to the palette, style is added to the palette. Select an object, click the style in palette, style is applied to the object. Interim solution to OP's problem would then be select all, click style for that layer. As for pairing a style and layer, I have no idea how to work that out UI-wise.
Just a thought... and it turns out to be not original ;) https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/170040
Chris
I had cobbled together a pair of extensions that turn groups into layers and the current layer into a group (attached). This will let you test out the practicality of defining a style on a layer..
-Rob A.
On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 1:51 PM, Michael Grosberg < grosberg.michael@...400...> wrote:
Johan Engelen <jbc.engelen@...360...> writes:
I also think it would be very useful. Do you have a proposal for a UI?
So I've been thinking about this for a day.
At first my idea was to do something like Photoshop's Layer Style UI: that would be a new dialog that would look like the stroke\fill dialog but perhaps with more tabs for selecting filters. It could be a way to create an interface that is familiar to users of Photoshop, i.e. professional graphic artists.
But I think there's a much simpler solution. if you could select the layer itself you could just edit it like any other object. You could select it in the layers dialog, using a key binding - I suggest Ctrl + click.
There will be a need to indicate a layer has a style, with another icon in the layers dialog.
The real problem I see is how to get the user to select "unset" for their shapes
- otherwise the layer style won't apply.
Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel
...which really isn;t necessary, as you can do the exact same thing by selecting the layer in the XML editor. Sorry to waste everyone's time...
-Rob A>
On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 at 10:58 AM, Rob Antonishen <rob.antonishen@...400...>wrote:
I had cobbled together a pair of extensions that turn groups into layers and the current layer into a group (attached). This will let you test out the practicality of defining a style on a layer..
-Rob A.
On Mon, Jun 25, 2012 at 1:51 PM, Michael Grosberg < grosberg.michael@...400...> wrote:
Johan Engelen <jbc.engelen@...360...> writes:
I also think it would be very useful. Do you have a proposal for a UI?
So I've been thinking about this for a day.
At first my idea was to do something like Photoshop's Layer Style UI: that would be a new dialog that would look like the stroke\fill dialog but perhaps with more tabs for selecting filters. It could be a way to create an interface that is familiar to users of Photoshop, i.e. professional graphic artists.
But I think there's a much simpler solution. if you could select the layer itself you could just edit it like any other object. You could select it in the layers dialog, using a key binding - I suggest Ctrl + click.
There will be a need to indicate a layer has a style, with another icon in the layers dialog.
The real problem I see is how to get the user to select "unset" for their shapes
- otherwise the layer style won't apply.
Live Security Virtual Conference Exclusive live event will cover all the ways today's security and threat landscape has changed and how IT managers can respond. Discussions will include endpoint security, mobile security and the latest in malware threats. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sfrnl04242012/114/50122263/ _______________________________________________ Inkscape-devel mailing list Inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/inkscape-devel
participants (5)
-
Alexandre Prokoudine -
Chris Mohler -
Johan Engelen -
Michael Grosberg -
Rob Antonishen