[Gimp-developer] Enhancement Request for GIMP: Clone layers

[Miguel Lopez <reptillia39 live com>]

Hi GIMP developers,

Complying with the wishes of developers - " An enhancement request should never be filed without prior 
discussion on the gimp-developer mailing list<https://www.gimp.org/mail_lists.html>."

That being said, I wonder if GIMP would benefit from clone layers found in Krita. Clone layers enables 
automated editing by simply copy and pasting. Like literally, you don't need to copy and paste or change 
layers manually, and you can do some quick operations without the need for scripting for some tasks. Like 
say, if you can use group as a clone layer, you can literally use a clone layer of a group into different 
group with different layers overlay, and automate your editing.

In the long run, when GIMP 3.x comes, this may introduce issue such as massive slowdowns as if you were to 
clone a group with filter layers on it, this would severely slow down editing at the benefit of enabling 
automated editing which save time in the long run.Also, there does seem to be a issue of loop to be 
considered.

To explain further:

-

1. Let's say a GIMP document has this setup.

            - Group Layer A

                --> Paint Layer

2. Okay, now let's say we want to make a clone layer of "Group Layer A". It becomes:

        -Instanced Layer of Group Layer A

        -Group Layer A

        --> Paint Layer

3. Now, let's move on to moving the instanced layer into Group Layer A

        -Group Layer A

            --> Instanced Layer of Group Layer A

            --> Paint Layer

-

You see the problem here?

Thank you for reading,

Miguel Lopez