Some time ago I switched the "add mode" on by default when you go to Pen or Pencil tools. This makes it easier to continue the selected path, but if you just want to draw a new path, this may be annoying because it insists on creating a subpath of selected path. So now I changed that behavior so that:
o When you start drawing outside of the end markers of the selected path, that path is deselected and you are drawing a new path (not a new subpath of the selected path as before). To continue the selected path, you have to start drawing from one of the end markers.
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path and arrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
Note that this means you can't create unconnected subpaths simply by drawing anymore; you'll have to draw paths separately and then Combine them. I think this is OK, but if this is a problem for someone, please let me know.
After these changes, I think it is now safe to turn the "add mode" always on, i.e. remove the possibility to turn it off by pressing "a". Again, if anyone disagrees, just blow the whistle.
(Bryce, sorry to trouble you, but could you please again forward this to the devel list if you don't see it coming through there after some time)
On Tue, 2005-04-26 at 18:36 -0300, bulia byak wrote:
Some time ago I switched the "add mode" on by default when you go to Pen or Pencil tools. This makes it easier to continue the selected path, but if you just want to draw a new path, this may be annoying because it insists on creating a subpath of selected path. So now I changed that behavior so that:
o When you start drawing outside of the end markers of theselected path, that path is deselected and you are drawing a new path (not a new subpath of the selected path as before). To continue the selected path, you have to start drawing from one of the end markers.
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path andarrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
Note that this means you can't create unconnected subpaths simply by drawing anymore; you'll have to draw paths separately and then Combine them. I think this is OK, but if this is a problem for someone, please let me know.
After these changes, I think it is now safe to turn the "add mode" always on, i.e. remove the possibility to turn it off by pressing "a". Again, if anyone disagrees, just blow the whistle.
Ahhh, even though I haven't tried it yet, it is the behaviour, I was hoping for.
Thanx a lot!!
David
On Tue, Apr 26, 2005 at 06:36:07PM -0300, bulia byak wrote:
Some time ago I switched the "add mode" on by default when you go to Pen or Pencil tools. This makes it easier to continue the selected path, but if you just want to draw a new path, this may be annoying because it insists on creating a subpath of selected path. So now I changed that behavior so that:
o When you start drawing outside of the end markers of theselected path, that path is deselected and you are drawing a new path (not a new subpath of the selected path as before).
Thank you. CVS behaviour of defaulting to add mode was very annoying until this.
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path andarrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
This seems to be true of 0.41 as well, both add and non-add modes.
Note that this means you can't create unconnected subpaths simply by drawing anymore; you'll have to draw paths separately and then Combine them. I think this is OK, but if this is a problem for someone, please let me know.
Another regression/change relative to 0.41 is that now one can only append to a subpath by _starting_ within a marker, not by starting outside of markers and finishing within a marker.
In this case, `Combine' isn't enough: `Combine' would combine the two paths into a single path (of multiple subpaths), but you'd need to use the node tool and one of the green arrow buttons to merge to a single subpath.
I don't know if this is a problem for anyone (indeed, it can be an advantage in some cases), I merely draw attention to the change so that others can decide.
After these changes, I think it is now safe to turn the "add mode" always on, i.e. remove the possibility to turn it off by pressing "a". Again, if anyone disagrees, just blow the whistle.
To assist in making the decision, I'll just identify a few things I can think of where disabling subpath-merging could be useful, so others can decide how common/useful these are:
Disabling merging two lines to a single *subpath* can be useful for the difference it makes to cap vs bevel (with thick stroking), or the difference it makes to whether a marker (arrowhead etc.) is shown.
Disabling merging two lines to a single *path object* can be useful to allow using different styles between the two lines. E.g. the pseudo-3D borders drawn by window managers and the borders around table cells drawn by graphical web browsers require using different darknesses for the four boundary lines, yet the lines must join up.
Another difference made by whether or not things are in a single *path object* is which marker (arrowhead) is used on the endpoints: whether start/end markers are used or whether intermediate markers are used. (Start/end markers are only for start/end of the whole path, intermediate markers are used for start/end of a subpath.)
Another advantage of having 0.41-style add mode is that more markers are available for merging to a single subpath.
Suggests that there's more than one toggle to consider:
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line doesn't meet any end-points.
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line does meet an existing end-point.
- Toggle whether to merge subpaths to a single subpath when the new line meets an existing endpoint.
I'll let others decide how useful these are. I'm happy so long as the default is that new lines that don't meet existing endpoints be a new path object (which is satisfied both by 0.41 and by current CVS, and no doubt by many other possible choices).
pjrm.
On 4/27/05, Peter Moulder <Peter.Moulder@...38...> wrote:
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path andarrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
This seems to be true of 0.41 as well, both add and non-add modes.
In 0.41 this worked in Pencil but not in Pen, now works in both.
Besides this could not "work in non-add mode" because there are no markers at all then :)
Another regression/change relative to 0.41 is that now one can only append to a subpath by _starting_ within a marker, not by starting outside of markers and finishing within a marker.
Yes. I don't think this is much of a problem, but if you can invent a simple way to overcome this (without introducing other problems or too much interface complexity) it would be nice.
Hmm, I think I just invented it myself: make the deselection conditional on Shift pressed when you do the first click. Makes a lot of sense because Shift+click in selector is very similar in semantics: do what simple click does but without deselecting. I'll implement it now.
After these changes, I think it is now safe to turn the "add mode" always on, i.e. remove the possibility to turn it off by pressing "a". Again, if anyone disagrees, just blow the whistle.
To assist in making the decision, I'll just identify a few things I can think of where disabling subpath-merging could be useful, so others can decide how common/useful these are:
To any of these there's a simple solution: just press Esc (deselect) and draw - no more merging.
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line doesn't meet any end-points.
As I wrote above: Shift+drag - draw a new subpath to the selected path
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line does meet an existing end-point.
I don't understand how this is different from the previous point, but anyway, Shift will fix it.
- Toggle whether to merge subpaths to a single subpath when the new line meets an existing endpoint.
Pressing Esc is good enough for this.
On Wed, Apr 27, 2005 at 09:52:04PM -0300, bulia byak wrote:
On 4/27/05, Peter Moulder <Peter.Moulder@...38...> wrote:
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path andarrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
This seems to be true of 0.41 as well, both add and non-add modes.
In 0.41 this worked in Pencil but not in Pen, now works in both.
Besides this could not "work in non-add mode" because there are no markers at all then :)
For me, it works both for pen and pencil, both in add and non-add mode. For me, there is indeed a marker drawn on the newly-drawn line even in non-add mode, allowing closing the shape. I've checked the XML editor that there is a `z' at the end, that it isn't just snapping to the same point.
$ inkscape --version Inkscape 0.41 (Feb 10 2005)
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line doesn't meet any end-points.
As I wrote above: Shift+drag - draw a new subpath to the selected path
- Toggle whether to add a newly-drawn line to the current path object when the new line does meet an existing end-point.
I don't understand how this is different from the previous point, but anyway, Shift will fix it.
The distinction is where you want the new line to meet an existing line in same path without merging to a single subpath. My understanding of the shift proposal is that it won't allow this variation.
This distinction affects linecap/linejoin choice, and affects whether intermediate markers (if enabled) are drawn.
pjrm.
On 4/27/05, Peter Moulder <Peter.Moulder@...38...> wrote:
o When you start drawing from one end marker of a path andarrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
For me, it works both for pen and pencil, both in add and non-add mode. For me, there is indeed a marker drawn on the newly-drawn line even in non-add mode, allowing closing the shape.
This is different. Read the announcement carefully. It tells about starting from _existing_ selected path and going to the other end of it, whereas you're speaking about closing the new path on itself (which indeed worked before).
I don't understand how this is different from the previous point, but anyway, Shift will fix it.
The distinction is where you want the new line to meet an existing line in same path without merging to a single subpath. My understanding of the shift proposal is that it won't allow this variation.
This distinction affects linecap/linejoin choice, and affects whether intermediate markers (if enabled) are drawn.
Oh this is too far-fetched imho. What you are describing - subpaths which meet but not join - is something which (1) is rarely needed if at all, (2) is easy to do with node tool if you need it, and (3) does not do anything that simple separate paths would be unable to do.
On 4/27/05, bulia byak <buliabyak@...400...> wrote:
Hmm, I think I just invented it myself: make the deselection conditional on Shift pressed when you do the first click. Makes a lot of sense because Shift+click in selector is very similar in semantics: do what simple click does but without deselecting. I'll implement it now.
Done, and 'add mode' is eliminated. Here's the complete new release note:
o What was previously called the "add mode" is now always on in Pen and Pencil tools, i.e. the selected path always displays the end markers. This makes it easy to continue or close the selected path. The 'a' key to toggle the add more is removed.
o If you start drawing outside the end markers of the selected path then, unless Shift was pressed, that path is deselected and you are drawing a new path (not a new subpath of the selected path as before). To add to the selected path, you have to start drawing either from one of its end markers to continue it, or in arbitrary place but with Shift pressed to create a new unconnected subpath.
o If you start drawing from one end marker of a path and arrive at the other end marker, the path gets closed automatically (the markers disappear).
Brilliant! I haven't been able to try these changes yet, but as described they're exactly what I was hoping for! Three cheers.
-Kevin Wixson
participants (4)
-
bulia byak -
David Christian Berg -
Kevin Wixson -
Peter Moulder