Re: [Gimp-developer] Shape layers for GIMP?

[yahvuu <yahvuu gmail com>]

Am 08.09.2012 20:02, schrieb Jeremy Morton:
> [..] What's taking up the time is going through the following process:
> 
> 1. Delete previous applied "effects layers".
> 2. Modify path.
> 3. Convert path to selection.
> 4. Fill selection with colour.
> 5. Apply inner shadow to layer.
> 6. Apply inner glow to layer.
> 7. Apply gradient to layer.
> 8. [etc...]
> 
> With a shape layer, assuming it had been set up already with the desired effects, the above steps would change to the following:
> 
> 1. Modify path.

One of the most important features of future GIMP is to enable the user to "revisit the past". Citing [1]:
    "No matter if it was done five seconds or five months ago, one can recall 
    any previous operation applied to this layer and readjust it. "


My understanding is that you will be able to go back in the operations history and just modify the path. 
All consequences of this modification will be displayed live. No need to declare special "layer effects" 
or special "shape layers".


On a related note, what keeps me thinking is that the photoshop developers
  a) are painfully aware of the mess that the destructive-editing heritage left in the photoshop user interface [2]
  b) have a non-destructive back-end working under the hood
  c) and despite of that, seem to keep bloating the UI with ever-more kinds of special layers instead 
     of moving towards a clean non-destructive interface.

It seems that Adobe rather strongly favors to protect their existing user base's learning investments over
any rewards to be gained by a simpler, cleaner interface.

Not sure what to learn from that regarding GIMP UI development.


best regards,
yahvuu



[1] http://blog.mmiworks.net/2012/01/gimp-full-gegl-ahead.html
[2] interview with photoshop developers [in german]:
    http://www.heise.de/foto/artikel/Photoshop-quo-vadis-Die-Entwickler-im-Interview-227008.html