Re: Modifying properties of several objects at the same time

[Lars Clausen <lrclause cs uiuc edu>]

On 10 Oct 2003, Daniele Pighin wrote:
> Hallo guys,
>
> I was wondering whether it was possible to introduce a way to be able to
> modify several objects' properties at the very same time, as it would be
> very useful and time saving, especially for large diagrams.
>
> I guess this could be done without excessive tweaks to the interface:
>
> method 1 - XFig like - have a toggle-button (say "apply properties") that
> would trigger a state in which any clicked object would be applied the
> stroke, colors and arrows style currently defined in the application
> window, as well as tool specific options (e.g., text properties for text
> objects, and so on).
>
> method 2 - like method 1, but menu oriented: with an item in the context
> menu of any object.
>
> method 3 - popup oriented: when selecting several objects and then
> clicking on "properties", present a popup with the appropriate widgets to
> edit any property which is common to all selected objects. All of these
> widget would initially be disabled (each would be enabled by an
> appropriate checkbox): when enabling one or more fields, editing and
> applying, all of the selected objects would have the corresponding
> property changed.
>
> method 3: style-copy oriented: allow for the properties of an object
> (style) to be copied and applyed to another object, or a set of objects:
> all properties common to the destination and source objects would be set
> to the appropriate value, inherited from the source object.
>
> method 4: on-the-fly: when having several objects selected end editing
> some property in the main application window, change the object state of
> any object for which that change makes sense.
>
> Is any of these feasable?

Some variation of methods 3, 3 or 4 would certainly be feasible.  I'd
prefer that the property widgets have some 'multiple values' look to them,
and any setting of those overrules the differences.  It requires tweaking
the properties widgets to allow that, and figuring out how to make the
property system only apply those that are changed, not copy everything from
one object to the all (which is what happens right now).  However, nobody
seem to have stepped forward to do this yet.

-Lars

-- 
Lars Clausen (http://shasta.cs.uiuc.edu/~lrclause)| HÃrdgrim of Numenor
"I do not agree with a word that you say, but I   |----------------------------
will defend to the death your right to say it."   | Where are we going, and
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