RE: Unit selection input

["Maiorana, Jason" <jmaiorana idirect net>]

> > I would say so! Dia is slowly moving towards a point where it can be
used
> > for more cartography. If there where things like shapes (curved+line
> > segments) with holes,

> Bezierlines can do shapes (kinda), but not holes per se.

I had mentioned this before, but unifying all the primitive shapes into
a single shape class which is a set of contours with filling/winding
rules
(contour is a set of line and bezier/ or quadratic curves) would allow
maximum flexibility with shape definition, but would require a revamped
interface, and add overhead to the simpler shapes which dont need it.

Thats moving toward a unification of vector illustration being with
diagramming, and Im aware that diagramming is dia's focus, though I
think that
the two are inherently similar.

> > Alpha support, more layering control, a built-in sheet editor, and
text
> > along contours would make it near perfect.
> Layering control -- what in particular would you want more?  Sheet
editor -- 
> a cool thing that's been mentioned before, but nobody's done.  Text
along contours
> is very difficult unless we get the freetype stuff going (and even
then,
> I'm not sure).

well, the new XFree renderer is getting lots of attention, and windows
has
integrated alpha in their latest GDI- so it may come for free. I'm not
sure if xft is up to par for getting rotated glyphs+ metrics, but it
seems
to be according to its docs.

thanks for the chat, this is one of my favorite topics.
My ideal diagram app would be some combination of sodipodi, dia,
the xft entension, and some advanced glyph metrics extension.

thx,