Trent wrote: "What advantages do *you* think this design has over the current one? Presumably you prefer it?"
Yes, I prefer it. It could provide what Bryce has called "interface flexibility" and make room for additional features.
A few ideas that I had that were not shown in the image:
1) Each collapsible/detachable compartment could also be stretched horizontally or vertically and docked to the outer regions of the document window, either perpendicular or parallel to any document window border. (Giving Inkscape a lot of flexibility and users a lot of room for customization.)
2) The number of compartments and their contents could be altered by the user through an addition in the "Options" menu. Or maybe tools and tool options could be dragged from one compartment to another and/or removed/added through a context menu that appears when a person right clicks on an icon. (?)
Actually, almost none of the icons are in their absolute best position. This was just for example (notice multiple icons). Were it to actually be implemented, a more-capable-and-knowledgeable-about-UI-layout-than-me programmer would certainly arrange them as they saw fit. (I'm not a programmer.)
How would you include tool buttons for additional features in the current interface? (There's not much room.)
This type of layout - in the hands of skilled programmers - could provide the answer.
Just some ideas, that's all...
- Joshua / Jiaxiang
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