Re: [Usability] GIMP - CSDI and Toolbox - gnome HiG and window manager issue?

[Thorsten Wilms <t_w_ freenet de>]

On Sun, Jun 13, 2004 at 10:42:03PM -0400, Steve Hall wrote:
> 
> Too many exposed tools and options is one of the first indications
> that the UI is broken. Basically there is no design, everything is
> just sort of plopped around because the designer doesn't know what to
> do with everything. Simplicity managed out of complex forces indicates
> great expertice in the manager.

I use Photoshop and GIMP on a quite professional level 
(but no print jobs ...).

The level of organization is comparable to PS. You have to actualy 
use each of them to get it, both are not exactly inviting for noobs.
Knowing PS well can actualy stand in the way of getting used to the 
GIMP.

GIMP is a complex beast, and it has to be. For efficient use it's 
important to have fast access to various tools (and options).


Now do I understand it right, that some people think GIMP should 
change to SDI, with the main toolbar in each document window?

I often need to work on several images, having them all open at once. 
Duplicating the tools would be a tremendous waste of space.

One especialy nice feature is the ability to open more than one view 
of a image (use it for overview/detail work). Would make tools in 
document windows look realy stupid.

There's no way around having the app itself represented independent 
from document windows. Couldn't stand reloading GIMP all the time, 
because there was no document window left. Since there's no Mac like 
menubar, the  toolbox is the best option, and I consider it to be 
less confusing than the Mac way.

For being document centric it's sufficient to have the menu in 
document windows, with file handling and window/document specific 
options. Toolbox and palettes should be seen as just ... well 
tools to edit the image documents. Idealy there would be no 
eog as we know it, but the main image viewer would be identical 
to a GIMP image window. GIMP would have to be loadable module-wise, 
to allow smooth interaction. The same model could be applied 
to vector grahics and sound files. 


---
Thorsten Wilms