Inkscape Wiki - User contributions [en]

SpecInputButtonCustomisation

2008-05-17T15:52:26Z

Tremby: /* Rationale */

Launchpad Entry:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/inkscape/+spec/mouse-button-customisation

== Summary ==
mouse buttons and other input buttons (tablet buttons for instance) should be remappable. actions assignable should include their existing functions (primary action, "push" page and context menu) plus secondary action (what you currently get with a shift-click), tertiary action (control-click), possibly other sub-actions currently accessed via keyboard modifiers and zoom while button is held. obviously others would think of more possible mappings.

== Rationale ==

=== preamble ===
i'm a long time Xara user. before that, i was a user of Artworks. Artworks was (and is) Xara's predecessor, and is for Risc OS. Risc OS machines have always had three-button mice, the left called "select", the middle called "menu" and the right called "adjust".

select was the standard clicking button -- it would select things or perform actions, exactly as left-click generally works in other OSs.

menu would always bring up the application menu, instead of applications having menu bars across the top.

adjust was to perform a similar action to select, but in a different way. sometimes this would be opposite (adjust on a scroll button would scroll in the opposite direction, for instance).

in Artworks, for example, adjust adds or removes from the current selection when the selection tool is active, resizes in a different way when resize handles are dragged and so on. in short, it performs the functions that Xara and Inkscape would perform with a shift-click.

the Xara developers thoughtfully included an option to remap the mouse buttons. to be precise, the left and right mouse buttons can each be remapped to any of normal click, shift-click, alt-click, control-click, context menu, toggle full screen, zoom or push. i can't see why toggle full screen is useful, but i can see use cases for the rest of them.

setting the right click to shift-click therefore makes controlling Xara much more similar to controlling Artworks. this is a setting i jumped on right away when starting to use Xara, since i was frustrated that right clicking things didn't add them to the selection, that right clicking a colour didn't set it as the outline colour and so on -- this was behaviour i was very used to.

=== context menus are not useful to everyone ===

i'm one user who hates context menus. i'll explain.

to perform an action with a context menu you must first click to get the menu, then read the items and find the one you want (since often they'll move around or disappear based on context), then aim at it and finally click again. this is incredibly inefficient.

using a keyboard shortcut requires much less cognitive activity since you have the tactile feedback of the keys and the muscle memory putting your fingers in the right place subconsciously. not to mention you don't need to look once you get good. for the most common tasks a single click is even better, for instance the existing push operation (dragging the middle button), using a tool or setting a colour.

context menus are obviously useful for newer users (it would not be immediately obvious, for instance, that right clicking a colour would set it as the outline colour), but in most cases they don't offer anything the menus across the top of the screen doesn't.

the only exceptions i've seen in Inkscape so far are the context menus of colours (though there are only two options -- these could easily be left and right click) and the fill and stroke colour boxes at the bottom of the screen (in this case there could be a dropdown (up) menu button for these useful actions instead of relying on a context menu).

in short, it makes much more sense to me to use a mouse button for the second-most common tasks, which are currently accessed by shift-clicking, than to have a menu pop up which i almost never use, and whose actions can be performed more easily with keyboard commands, or the main application menus.

i'm sure that many (most?) users used to keyboard commands would find the same.

i realise and agree that it's good to have interface uniformity throughout an operating system and so for Linux and Windows users it is natural to get a menu when the right mouse button is pressed, but this isn't the case for all OSs (Macs only have one button).

so wouldn't it make sense to allow the users to set up which action each button performs?

it would increase accessibility for people used to different actions (like me) and at the same time allow everyone to choose what suits their workflow best.

== Design ==

i know that Jon Cruz is currently [[http://codewideopen.blogspot.com/2008/03/tablet-test-area.html| developing a module]] which will ease setting up graphics tablets and the actions each of their buttons performs. i'm not clear on the details regarding mouse buttons, though, as his blog entry doesn't mention them. it sounds as if it would be the perfect input device setup module though, if it could be extended to also allow the mouse buttons to be configured.

=== mappable actions ===
*primary action (current left click)
*secondary action (current shift-primary action)
*tertiary action (control-primary action)
*"push" page while held (current middle click)
*zoom while held, centreing on mouse position
*context menu (current right click)
*possibly other sub-actions currently accessed via keyboard modifiers

== TODO ==

== Discussion ==

SpecInputButtonCustomisation

2008-05-17T15:50:57Z

Tremby: /* Design */ mappable actions

Launchpad Entry:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/inkscape/+spec/mouse-button-customisation

== Summary ==
mouse buttons and other input buttons (tablet buttons for instance) should be remappable. actions assignable should include their existing functions (primary action, "push" page and context menu) plus secondary action (what you currently get with a shift-click), tertiary action (control-click), possibly other sub-actions currently accessed via keyboard modifiers and zoom while button is held. obviously others would think of more possible mappings.

== Rationale ==

a preamble to set the scene:

i'm a long time Xara user. before that, i was a user of Artworks. Artworks was (and is) Xara's predecessor, and is for Risc OS. Risc OS machines have always had three-button mice, the left called "select", the middle called "menu" and the right called "adjust".

select was the standard clicking button -- it would select things or perform actions, exactly as left-click generally works in other OSs.

menu would always bring up the application menu, instead of applications having menu bars across the top.

adjust was to perform a similar action to select, but in a different way. sometimes this would be opposite (adjust on a scroll button would scroll in the opposite direction, for instance).

in Artworks, for example, adjust adds or removes from the current selection when the selection tool is active, resizes in a different way when resize handles are dragged and so on. in short, it performs the functions that Xara and Inkscape would perform with a shift-click.

the Xara developers thoughtfully included an option to remap the mouse buttons. to be precise, the left and right mouse buttons can each be remapped to any of normal click, shift-click, alt-click, control-click, context menu, toggle full screen, zoom or push. i can't see why toggle full screen is useful, but i can see use cases for the rest of them.

setting the right click to shift-click therefore makes controlling Xara much more similar to controlling Artworks. this is a setting i jumped on right away when starting to use Xara, since i was frustrated that right clicking things didn't add them to the selection, that right clicking a colour didn't set it as the outline colour and so on -- this was behaviour i was very used to.

now, onwards...

i'm one user who hates context menus. i'll explain.

to perform an action with a context menu you must first click to get the menu, then read the items and find the one you want (since often they'll move around or disappear based on context), then aim at it and finally click again. this is incredibly inefficient.

using a keyboard shortcut requires much less cognitive activity since you have the tactile feedback of the keys and the muscle memory putting your fingers in the right place subconsciously. not to mention you don't need to look once you get good. for the most common tasks a single click is even better, for instance the existing push operation (dragging the middle button), using a tool or setting a colour.

context menus are obviously useful for newer users (it would not be immediately obvious, for instance, that right clicking a colour would set it as the outline colour), but in most cases they don't offer anything the menus across the top of the screen doesn't.

the only exceptions i've seen in Inkscape so far are the context menus of colours (though there are only two options -- these could easily be left and right click) and the fill and stroke colour boxes at the bottom of the screen (in this case there could be a dropdown (up) menu button for these useful actions instead of relying on a context menu).

in short, it makes much more sense to me to use a mouse button for the second-most common tasks, which are currently accessed by shift-clicking, than to have a menu pop up which i almost never use, and whose actions can be performed more easily with keyboard commands, or the main application menus.

i'm sure that many (most?) users used to keyboard commands would find the same.

i realise and agree that it's good to have interface uniformity throughout an operating system and so for Linux and Windows users it is natural to get a menu when the right mouse button is pressed, but this isn't the case for all OSs (Macs only have one button).

so wouldn't it make sense to allow the users to set up which action each button performs?

it would increase accessibility for people used to different actions (like me) and at the same time allow everyone to choose what suits their workflow best.

== Design ==

i know that Jon Cruz is currently [[http://codewideopen.blogspot.com/2008/03/tablet-test-area.html| developing a module]] which will ease setting up graphics tablets and the actions each of their buttons performs. i'm not clear on the details regarding mouse buttons, though, as his blog entry doesn't mention them. it sounds as if it would be the perfect input device setup module though, if it could be extended to also allow the mouse buttons to be configured.

=== mappable actions ===
*primary action (current left click)
*secondary action (current shift-primary action)
*tertiary action (control-primary action)
*"push" page while held (current middle click)
*zoom while held, centreing on mouse position
*context menu (current right click)
*possibly other sub-actions currently accessed via keyboard modifiers

== TODO ==

== Discussion ==

SpecInputButtonCustomisation

2008-05-17T15:41:04Z

Tremby: New page: Launchpad Entry: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/inkscape/+spec/mouse-button-customisation == Summary == mouse buttons and other input buttons (tablet buttons for instance) should be rem...

Launchpad Entry:
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/inkscape/+spec/mouse-button-customisation

== Summary ==
mouse buttons and other input buttons (tablet buttons for instance) should be remappable. actions assignable should include their existing functions (primary action, "push" page and context menu) plus secondary action (what you currently get with a shift-click), tertiary action (control-click), possibly other sub-actions currently accessed via keyboard modifiers and zoom while button is held. obviously others would think of more possible mappings.

== Rationale ==

a preamble to set the scene:

i'm a long time Xara user. before that, i was a user of Artworks. Artworks was (and is) Xara's predecessor, and is for Risc OS. Risc OS machines have always had three-button mice, the left called "select", the middle called "menu" and the right called "adjust".

select was the standard clicking button -- it would select things or perform actions, exactly as left-click generally works in other OSs.

menu would always bring up the application menu, instead of applications having menu bars across the top.

adjust was to perform a similar action to select, but in a different way. sometimes this would be opposite (adjust on a scroll button would scroll in the opposite direction, for instance).

in Artworks, for example, adjust adds or removes from the current selection when the selection tool is active, resizes in a different way when resize handles are dragged and so on. in short, it performs the functions that Xara and Inkscape would perform with a shift-click.

the Xara developers thoughtfully included an option to remap the mouse buttons. to be precise, the left and right mouse buttons can each be remapped to any of normal click, shift-click, alt-click, control-click, context menu, toggle full screen, zoom or push. i can't see why toggle full screen is useful, but i can see use cases for the rest of them.

setting the right click to shift-click therefore makes controlling Xara much more similar to controlling Artworks. this is a setting i jumped on right away when starting to use Xara, since i was frustrated that right clicking things didn't add them to the selection, that right clicking a colour didn't set it as the outline colour and so on -- this was behaviour i was very used to.

now, onwards...

i'm one user who hates context menus. i'll explain.

to perform an action with a context menu you must first click to get the menu, then read the items and find the one you want (since often they'll move around or disappear based on context), then aim at it and finally click again. this is incredibly inefficient.

using a keyboard shortcut requires much less cognitive activity since you have the tactile feedback of the keys and the muscle memory putting your fingers in the right place subconsciously. not to mention you don't need to look once you get good. for the most common tasks a single click is even better, for instance the existing push operation (dragging the middle button), using a tool or setting a colour.

context menus are obviously useful for newer users (it would not be immediately obvious, for instance, that right clicking a colour would set it as the outline colour), but in most cases they don't offer anything the menus across the top of the screen doesn't.

the only exceptions i've seen in Inkscape so far are the context menus of colours (though there are only two options -- these could easily be left and right click) and the fill and stroke colour boxes at the bottom of the screen (in this case there could be a dropdown (up) menu button for these useful actions instead of relying on a context menu).

in short, it makes much more sense to me to use a mouse button for the second-most common tasks, which are currently accessed by shift-clicking, than to have a menu pop up which i almost never use, and whose actions can be performed more easily with keyboard commands, or the main application menus.

i'm sure that many (most?) users used to keyboard commands would find the same.

i realise and agree that it's good to have interface uniformity throughout an operating system and so for Linux and Windows users it is natural to get a menu when the right mouse button is pressed, but this isn't the case for all OSs (Macs only have one button).

so wouldn't it make sense to allow the users to set up which action each button performs?

it would increase accessibility for people used to different actions (like me) and at the same time allow everyone to choose what suits their workflow best.

== Design ==
=== User Interface ===

i know that Jon Cruz is currently [[http://codewideopen.blogspot.com/2008/03/tablet-test-area.html| developing a module]] which will ease setting up graphics tablets and the actions each of their buttons performs. i'm not clear on the details regarding mouse buttons, though, as his blog entry doesn't mention them. it sounds as if it would be the perfect input device setup module though, if it could be extended to also allow the mouse buttons to be configured.

=== Back End ===

=== More ideas ===

== TODO ==

== Discussion ==

Xara X

2008-05-17T15:04:03Z

Tremby:

= Features in Common =
*In brief: both are multi-platform and are protected by the GPL. Inkscape is free software; so is [http://xaraxtreme.org/ Xara Xtreme] (currently only partially, as the renderer part of Xara is still closed and binary-only).

= Inkscape Advantages =

=== Fundamental ===
* completely free and open source (Xara Ltd. refuses to open-source its renderer library)
* open, text-based, XML-based standardized format (the [http://www.xara.com/support/docs/webformat/spec/ Xar File Format] is a published standard too, but not XML, and not widely adopted)
* scriptable (rich command line)
* extendable (perl/python extensions)
* more localisations
* ports for OSX and other Unixes, apart from Windows and Linux; all ports have the same functionality (Xara's Linux port is stagnating, only Windows version is being developed)

=== Features ===
* live XML tree editor
* gaussian blur (not the same as feathering; blurs everything, can be squeezed and rotated)
* live clones (copies that are linked to the original and update when it's changed)
* clone tiler (can be used for two-dimensional object scattering with randomization and coloring)
* tile tracing (tracing anything by a pattern of clones)
* unclumping (two-dimensional, incremental equidistant distribution of objects)
* randomizing object positions
* paint bucket tool to fill any bounded area with a path
* 3D box tool
* tweak tool to push, inset, outset, roughen paths and to paint/jitter colors
* live path effects
* OCAL integration [Xara can download stuff from its own site only]
* touch selection
* baseline snapping, alignment, distribution
* find dialog (find any object by type, style, id, etc)
* export and conversion from command line, including batch export with GUI and commandline [Xara has batch export via GUI only, using Names gallery]
* persistent per-object export hints (filename, resolution)
* command line query options to examine objects in a drawing
* command line access to verbs (commands) to automate tasks
* hierarchical layers, "enter group" command making it a temporary layer
* pattern fills from arbitrary objects; stock vector patterns
* gradients/patterns on stroke as well as fill
* gradient handles can be multiple-selected, selected by marquee, Alt+dragged to smoothly shape, copy/paste styled; gradient can be simplified to remove extra handles
* transform/not transform switch for patterns and gradients
* switch to preserve rounded rect corners in transforms
* scale/rotate/skew any number of objects separately, each around its own center
* numeric skew (both axes; by angle, %, displacement)
* editing transform matrix
* persistent per-object rotation centers
* pasting of size, width, height
* simplify-like deletion of nodes
* node sculpting
* symmetric nodes
* different star/polygon rounding (both Xara's and Inkscape's approaches have their advantages)
* randomized stars
* spirals
* easy segment and arc from ellipse
* the ability to combine color and transparency in a gradient
* linked offsets and text-on-path remain freely transformable
* convenient calligraphy pen (sensitive to tablet pressure/tilt, speed and direction, with tremor/wiggle)
* guided drawing, tracing background in calligraphic
* flowing text into arbitrary shapes, chaining, exclusion
* one-command removal of kerns from text
* rotating characters in text (including text on path)
* whiteboard (interactive collaborative drawing across the net)
* connector tool for diagrams
* automatic diagram layout
* removing overlaps
* extension effects for paths: randomize, add nodes, swirl, fractal, function plotter and many others
* extension effects for colors (inverse, more saturation, replace etc) and text (sentence case, randomize case, replace etc)
* smoother and more powerful bitmap tracer
* icon preview
* masks separate from fill
* vector import of PDF and CS AI (Xara either fails or imports by rasterization)

=== convenience ===
* overall, '''times''' more keyboard shortcuts than in xara
* a large part of all keys are configurable (including Xara emulation option) '''[how?]'''
* keys for canvas scrolling (with acceleration)
* keys for scaling and rotating (including pixel-size)
* keys for scaling and rotating (including pixel-size) of nodes, including scale/rotate of node groups
* keys for letterspacing, linespacing, kerning in text (including pixel-size)
* nodes can be moved with snapping along the adjacent straight line segments or their Bezier controls
* more snapping options
* gradient handles can merge and unmerge
* history of zooms (Xara has a single "previous zoom")
* zooming by single key (+/-, without ctrl)
* any kind of zooming (including area) without tool switching
* "bounding box" per-object selection hints
* cursor changes over selectable objects
* node tool optionally highlights mouseovered paths
* more precision in editable numeric fields

= Xara advantages =

* fast renderer
* blends [Inkscape has limited path+style blending via Interpolate extension]
* envelopes, including curvilinear and perspective [Inkscape has non-interactive analog via Envelope and Perspective extensions; also non-perspective destructive distortions can be made via node sculpting or tweak tool]
* linked colors
* Pantone colors
* Photoshop plugins[[/Live]] effects
* editing "clipview" clippath without unclipping (click the keyhole icon at the top left of the clipview)
* integrated Picture Editor for embedded bitmaps
* can node-edit more than one path at a time
* brushes along path can be used for object scattering with randomization [Inkscape's pattern-along-path LPE has no randomization]
* variable stroke width, with selectable profiles or taken from pressure sensitivity [Inkscape can do this via pattern-along-path LPE]
* dynamic drop shadows [can be emulated in Inkscape via clones+blur or by a single composite filter]
* feathering objects' edges (not the same as blurring - only inward from edge, like a blurred transparency mask) [can be emulated in Inkscape via clone+blur+mask]
* more gradient types (conic, 4-point etc) [a limitation of the SVG specification, only linear and radial are defined]
* bevel tool (outer/inner; join types; size; light angle and elevation; flat/rounded/chiseled etc types (15 in total)) [some of this can be done in Inkscape via filters]
* "nav bar" tool for buttons (hidden in Xtreme)
* quick transparency gradients separate from fill [to some extent, can be emulated by SVG masks]
* gradient profiles [SVG limitation, in Inkscape can be approximated by multistage gradients]
* rainbow/alt-rainbow gradient options
* different star/polygon rounding (both Xara's and Inkscape's approaches have their advantages)
* fractal fill (two preset types, no parameters) [Inkscape has turbulence filter]
* more input and output formats (including Flash; but not yet SVG)
* non-AA display mode (note: anti-aliasing is _not_ a significant factor in the speed of Inkscape)
* linked stretching (autoscaling objects), e.g. stretching button to fit the text

==3.2 features:==
* Integrates with external photo editors
* MS Word copy/paste
* RTF, raw photo import
** RTF import can be done via GTK APIs. Raw photo import should use dcraw, or code derived from dcraw.
* PDF-X export
* XPS import/export
** This a royalty-free XML-based PDF replacement format from Microsoft. There is FOSS support for it, i.e. in Okular for KDE4.
* Multipage
* Text tool: paragraph spacing, snapping to pixel grid, soft hyphens, smart quotes
* PSD import/export
** Would require reverse-engineering Photoshop, as there is no published specification
* Flash animations
* Color separations
** This means producing copies of the original image, each one containing one of the channels. This should probably be postponed after the Cairo move.

= Per-feature comparison: =

== Rectangle tool: ==
Xara:
* Corner curves must be the same on each side of a corner, but then stretch if the object is resized. The curvature units aren't either percentages or pixels...?
* Can create with rotation ("Radius creation" and "Diameter creation" options)
* Can edit centre X/Y numerically
* Can convert to ellipse by doubleclicking center

Inkscape:
* Preview as-you-draw
* Corner radii only in absolute units
* A switch to preserve corner radii in scaling

== Rotation centers: ==
Xara:
* BAD: looks like once you move a center of an object, ALL objects will use the same center!
* BAD: does not survive save/reload - all objects are reset to geometric centers. (In other words, the center seems to be the property of the Selector tool, not of objects!)
* with Ctrl, center snaps to corners/midsides

Inkscape:
* Each object has its own center; if you want to rotate multiple objects around one center, just select them all (taking the object with the center first)
* Centers persist through save/reload
* Centers snap to edges and corners/midsides

== Bitmap tracer: ==
Xara:
* BAD: all parameters are set in some relative values in the range 1..100, except for "number of passes" which does not correspond to anything quantifiable. There's no way I could find to set explicitly the number of colors.
* BAD: as a result, tracing a simple line art such as a two-color logo is nearly impossible. Xara almost always creates a bunch of dirt at the fringes due to antialiasing, and shapes get distorted a lot. The Monochrome option seems to be broken.
* BAD: for photos, there's no stacking option, so full-color traces come out very untidy. The shapes are also more distorted than in Inkscape. If you try to make them less distorted, they start getting pixelated.

== Pen/shape editor tool: ==
Xara:
* with the pen tool you can drag curve and nodes (with snapping and closing) while the tool is active but, strangely, not node handles. with the shape editor tool the handles can be moved and new points also added
Inkscape:
* live preview of the next segment (exists in Xara when clicking/holding and dragging with the shape editor tool)
* you can create hor/vert straight line segments with Ctrl (the same in Xara but only with the shape editor tool)
* length/angle display in statusbar (again, in Xara only with the shape editor tool)
* you can easily create disconnected subpaths (starting with Shift)

== Path simplification: ==
Xara:
* slider for the just-drawn freehand line (only), to refit both ways (looser or tighter) while it's still selected
* interactive 0-100% slider in Node tool, looser only but remembers setting while you have the same nodes selected lets you de-simplify back
* works on selected nodes (actually, ONLY works on selected nodes)
Inkscape:
* Ctrl+L works in any tool, smoothing incrementally with acceleration
* has wider range and works more gradually
* works on multiple objects, and on whole object without node selection

= Screenshots =

[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots.asp Screenshots on the Xara site] Page mirror: [http://web.archive.org/*/http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots.asp Web Archive]

[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots/brushes.jpg Screenshot showing Xara Brushes]

[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots/Gallery.jpg Screenshot showing Xara Clipart Gallery]

[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots/55Chevy(outlines).jpg Screenshot of Xara depicting a Chevrolet Automobile]
[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/screenshots/55Chevy(outlines).jpg Screenshot of Xara Wireframe View of Chevrolet Automobile]

= Links =

[http://www.xara.com/products/xarax/ official site]

[http://www.xaraxone.com/ community site of artists]

[http://xaraxtreme.org open source Xara Xtreme]

[http://www.xara.com/support/docs/webformat/spec/ Xar File Format]

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xara_X Xara at Wikipedia]

[http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=26337 A relevant thread on Talkgraphics]

[http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=26742 Another relevant thread on Talkgraphics]

[http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=31719 Yet another relevant thread on Talkgraphics]