Re: [Gimp-gui] Tool Options - proposal to new ordering of features

[Jehan <jehan girinstud io>]

Hi,

On 2015-11-08 18:32, Ofnuts wrote:
> On 08/11/15 18:13, Jehan wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > On 2015-11-07 01:15, Americo Gobbo wrote:
> > > The ordering approach is only to Paintbrush and Pencil tool. They are
> > > the most utilized on my flows to paint.
> >
> > The problem with this proposition is that — as you say yourself — 
> > these are adapted to your own workflow. I'm sure we can find dozens of 
> > workflows where people would say they want this or that option at the 
> > top of the dock. And in the end, we won't be able to find a consensus.
> >
> > Moreover there is also the force of habits. This is not a good reason 
> > to not change things, don't misunderstand, but it becomes one if there 
> > is no good reason to change them (like absence of consensus), 
> > especially when the proposition is to change so much.
> >
> > I feel that the right proposition would not be a reorder, but rather 
> > either update the GUI for everyone to create one own's order, or a 
> > completely different GUI if anyone had a great proposition some day 
> > for a better tool option's GUI.
> >
> > Now I may be wrong.
> > But I just really feel this proposal is too closely related to your 
> > personal workflow.
>
> I wonder how much of this really stems from the crowded Tool options
> dialog, which make all of  us want our favorite settings in the top
> third/quarter. When these settings show up on the canvas, space will
> no longer be a problem.

Is there a proposition here? I know there have been a few propositions 
of options on the canvas (wheel menu, or other special kind of menus 
appearing in some ways), and these are interesting. Is it something of 
the sort or different you are refering to?

> Also let's not overcustomize things. This also has its drawbacks,
> because you can no longer explain things to other people (or
> understand their explanations if you are at the other end) because
> your respective UIs have become too different.

I agree (let's not overcustomize) but not for the same reason. I find it 
a little silly to use the need of "explaining things" as a reason to not 
allow people to improve their tools to suit their needs, hence be more 
efficient in one own's workflow. Not everyone's intent is to put videos 
on the web. Some people just want to use the tool and be efficient with 
it. Slowing them down because otherwise they can't (hypothetically) show 
to others is not right.
And if you need to show someone something once in a while, and really 
your completely customized GIMP were to be a problem, you can always 
temporarily reset your settings. That's not a problem at all.

But I still agree that we should be careful with over-customization 
since it can make things more complicated in the end (as I often said, 
for me, we have far too much in our preferences dialog).

The way I foresee would be at some point in some (likely distant) 
future, we could have a powerful API allowing people to update the UI. 
And when this happens, maybe it would allow to reorder options or other 
things. Then users would just have to download a plugin (because if the 
API allows it, there will be someone making a plugin to change the UI).

Jehan