[gimp-help/gimp-help-2-10] Revise and update toolbox/path and using/paths
- From: Jacob Boerema <jboerema src gnome org>
- To: commits-list gnome org
- Cc:
- Subject: [gimp-help/gimp-help-2-10] Revise and update toolbox/path and using/paths
- Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2022 20:47:13 +0000 (UTC)
commit b59085db55c4d99fbce7e41b7a0e40460b26b363
Author: Jacob Boerema <jgboerema gmail com>
Date: Mon Jul 11 16:46:25 2022 -0400
Revise and update toolbox/path and using/paths
(cherry picked from commit 8f81a9bbbd4de3c7f6cdbfde1423511dd09b1917)
src/toolbox/path.xml | 66 ++++++++++++----------
src/using/paths.xml | 153 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------
2 files changed, 126 insertions(+), 93 deletions(-)
---
diff --git a/src/toolbox/path.xml b/src/toolbox/path.xml
index 65e817501..0806243c4 100644
--- a/src/toolbox/path.xml
+++ b/src/toolbox/path.xml
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
<title>Paths</title>
<indexterm>
<primary>Tools</primary>
- <secondary>Path</secondary>
+ <secondary>Paths</secondary>
</indexterm>
<indexterm>
<primary>Paths</primary>
<secondary>Tool</secondary>
</indexterm>
<indexterm>
- <primary>Bézier's curve</primary>
+ <primary>Bézier curve</primary>
</indexterm>
<figure>
<title>Paths tool</title>
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
<para>
- In the image menu through
+ In the main menu through
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
<guisubmenu>Paths</guisubmenu>
- </menuchoice>,
+ </menuchoice>.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
@@ -58,12 +58,12 @@
<inlinegraphic
fileref="images/toolbox/stock-tool-path-22.png"/>
</guiicon>
- in Toolbox,
+ in the Toolbox.
</para>
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
- or by using the <keycap>B</keycap> keyboard shortcut.
+ By using the <keycap>B</keycap> keyboard shortcut.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@
force the handles to be symmetrical again.
</para>
</tip>
- <para>Several functions are available with this mode:</para>
+ <para>Several functions are available in Design mode:</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Inserting a new node</emphasis>:
When you press <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> and hover the mouse pointer
@@ -207,12 +207,12 @@
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Modifying handles</emphasis>: You have to Edit a node
- before. A handle appears. Drag it to bend the curve.
+ first. A handle appears. Drag it to bend the curve.
Pressing <keycap>Shift</keycap> toggles to symmetric handles.
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Modify segment</emphasis>: When the mouse pointer
- goes over a segment, it turns to a 4-arrows cross. Click and drag
+ moves over a segment, it turns to a 4-arrows cross. Click and drag
it to bend the segment. As soon as you move it, handles appear
at both ends of the segment. Pressing the <keycap>Shift</keycap>
key toggles to symmetric handles.
@@ -232,9 +232,9 @@
<para>
<guilabel>Edit</guilabel> performs functions which are not
available in <guilabel>Design</guilabel> mode. With this
- mode, you can work only on the existing path. Outside, the
- pointer is a small crossed circle (on the whole image if
- there is no path!) and you can do nothing.
+ mode, you can work only on the existing path. When the mouse
+ pointer is not on the path, the pointer changes to a small crossed
+ circle and you can not do any path editing.
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Add a segment between two nodes</emphasis>: Click
@@ -246,18 +246,18 @@
<para>
<emphasis>Remove a segment from a path</emphasis>: While pressing
<keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Ctrl</keycap></keycombo>
- key combination, point to a segment. Pointer turns to -.
- Click to delete the segment.
+ key combination, point to a segment. The mouse pointer turns to a
+ "-" sign. Click to delete the segment.
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Add a node to a path</emphasis>: point to a
- segment. Pointer turns to +. Click where you want to place
+ segment. Pointer turns to "+"". Click where you want to place
the new control point.
</para>
<para><emphasis>Remove a node</emphasis>: While pressing
<keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Ctrl</keycap></keycombo>
key combination, point to a node. Pointer turns
- to -. Click to delete the node.
+ to "-"". Click to delete the node.
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>Add a handle to a node</emphasis>: Point to a
@@ -270,12 +270,12 @@
<emphasis>Remove a handle from a node</emphasis>: While pressing
<keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Ctrl</keycap></keycombo>
key combination, point to a handle. The pointer
- doesn't turn to the expected - and remains a hand. Click
+ doesn't turn to the expected "-"" and remains a hand. Click
to delete the handle.
</para>
<caution>
<para>
- No warning before removing a node, a segment or a handle.
+ There is no warning before removing a node, segment or a handle.
</para>
</caution>
</listitem>
@@ -290,8 +290,8 @@
<para>
If you have several components, only the selected one is moved. If
you click and drag outside the path, all components are moved.
- Pressing <keycap>Shift</keycap>
- key toggles to move all components also.
+ Pressing the <keycap>Shift</keycap> key toggles between moving all
+ components and selected components only.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
@@ -311,10 +311,11 @@
This button allows creation of a selection that is based on
the path in its present state. This selection is marked with
the usual "marching ants". Note that the path is still present:
- current tool is still path tool and you can modify this path without
- modifying the selection that has become independent. If you
- change tool, the path becomes invisible, but it persists in
- Path Dialog and you can re-activate it.
+ the current tool is still the path tool and you can modify this
+ path without modifying the selection that has become independent.
+ If you change tools, the path becomes invisible, but it persists in
+ the <link linkend="gimp-path-dialog">Paths dialog</link> and you
+ can re-activate it.
</para>
<para>
If the path is not closed, GIMP will close it with a straight line.
@@ -322,20 +323,27 @@
<para>
As the help pop-up tells, pressing <keycap>Shift</keycap>
when clicking on the button will add the new selection to an
- eventually pre-existent. Pressing the <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> will
- subtract the selection from the pre-existent and the
+ already existing one. Pressing <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> will
+ subtract the selection from the pre-existing selection, and the
<keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><keycap>Ctrl</keycap></keycombo>
key combination will intersect the two selections.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term>Fill path</term>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ This lets you fill an enclosed path with a solid color or
+ pattern.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term>Stroke path</term>
<listitem>
<para>
- In previous versions, you could access to this command
- only by the Edit sub-menu in the Image Menu. Now you can
- access to it also via this button. See
+ See
<xref linkend="gimp-path-stroke"/> and
<xref linkend="gimp-using-paths"/>.
</para>
diff --git a/src/using/paths.xml b/src/using/paths.xml
index 0577cf319..fdddd1307 100644
--- a/src/using/paths.xml
+++ b/src/using/paths.xml
@@ -30,16 +30,17 @@
mechanism, look at the glossary
<link linkend="glossary-bezier-curve">Bézier-curve</link> or Wikipedia
<xref linkend="bibliography-online-wkpd-bezier"/>.
- The Paths tool is very powerful, allowing you to design sophisticated
- forms. To use the Paths tool in <acronym>GIMP</acronym>, you must first
- create a path, and then stroke the path.
+ The Paths tool is very powerful, allowing you to design complex shapes.
+ When designing a shape, you first use the
+ <link linkend="gimp-tool-path">Paths</link> tool in <acronym>GIMP</acronym>
+ to create a path. After that you usually stroke or fill the path.
</para>
<para>
In <acronym>GIMP</acronym>, the term <quote>Stroke path</quote> means to
apply a specific style to the path (color, width, pattern... ).
</para>
<para>
- A Path has two main purposes:
+ A path can be used in several ways:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
@@ -51,9 +52,16 @@
that is, painted on the image in a variety of ways.
</para>
</listitem>
+ <listitem>
+ <para>
+ A path can be <emphasis>filled</emphasis> with a color or pattern.
+ If the path is not closed, it will try to figure out the shape and then
+ fill it. However, this will not work if the path is a straight line.
+ </para>
+ </listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<figure>
- <title>Illustration of four different path creating</title>
+ <title>Illustration of four different paths</title>
<mediaobject>
<imageobject>
<imagedata fileref="images/using/path-examples.png" format="PNG"/>
@@ -82,7 +90,7 @@
Use
<menuchoice>
<guimenu>Tools</guimenu>
- <guimenuitem>Path</guimenuitem>
+ <guimenuitem>Paths</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
from the menu.
</para>
@@ -103,18 +111,35 @@
When the Paths tool is selected, the mouse cursor changes into a
crosshair with a curve by default. The actual shape depends on your
<link linkend="gimp-prefs-image-window">mouse pointer mode setting</link>.
- Left click in the image to create the first point on the path. Move
- the mouse to a new point and left click the mouse to create another
+ Make sure that the Paths <guilabel>Edit Mode</guilabel> in Tool Options
+ is set to <guilabel>Design</guilabel>.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ Left click in the image to create the first point of the path. Move
+ the mouse to a new point and left click to create another
point linked to the previous point. Although you can create as many
points as you desire, you only need two points to learn about Paths.
+ </para>
+ <para>
While adding points, the mouse cursor has a little <quote>+</quote>
next to the curve, which indicates that clicking will add a new
- point. When the mouse cursor is close to a line segment, the
+ point.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ When the mouse cursor is close to one of the path points, the
<quote>+</quote> changes into a cross with arrows; like the move tool.
+ You can then move the existing path point.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ To close your path, go with the mouse on top of the point you want to
+ connect to, and then Ctrl-click that point. When you are done designing
+ your path, you can click <keycode>Enter</keycode>. This will turn the
+ path into a Selection. You can also keep adding more points, or start
+ changing the curves of the path.
</para>
<para>
- Move the mouse cursor close to a line segment, left-click and drag
- the line segment. Two events occur.
+ To edit the curves of your path, move the mouse cursor close to a line
+ segment, left-click and drag the line segment. Two events occur.
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
@@ -122,21 +147,25 @@
</listitem>
<listitem>
<para>
- Each line segment has a start point and an end point that is
- clearly labeled. A <quote>direction line</quote> now
- projects from each end point for the line segment that was
- moved.
+ Each line segment has two start points and end points marked by
+ little square rectangles, these are called handles.
+ A <quote>direction line</quote> now projects from each start point
+ for the line segment that was moved. This direction line usually has
+ a different color than the lines of the path.
</para>
</listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<para>
The curved line segment leaves an end point in the same direction that
- the <quote>direction line</quote> leaves the end point. The length of
- the <quote>direction line</quote> controls how far the line segment
- projects along the <quote>direction line</quote> before curving toward
- the other end point. Each <quote>direction line</quote> has an empty
- square box (called a handle) on one end. Click and drag a handle to
- change the direction and length of a <quote>direction line</quote>.
+ the <quote>direction line</quote> leaves the start point. The length of
+ this line controls how far the line segment projects along the
+ <quote>direction line</quote> before curving towards the other path point.
+ </para>
+ <para>
+ The handle at the end of each <quote>direction line</quote> can be
+ dragged to change the direction and length of the curve. The handles
+ on the other end, where they connect to the path, can be used to move
+ the position of that path point.
</para>
<figure>
<title>Appearance of a path while it is manipulated</title>
@@ -147,7 +176,7 @@
</imageobject>
<caption>
<para>
- Appearance of a path while it is manipulated using the Path tool.
+ Appearance of a path while it is manipulated using the Paths tool.
</para>
</caption>
</mediaobject>
@@ -182,25 +211,24 @@
attached to it.
</para>
<para>
- Paths can be very complex. If you create them by hand using the Path
- tool, unless you are obsessive they probably won't contain more than a
- few dozen anchor points (often many fewer); but if you create them by
- transforming a selection into a path, or by transforming text into a
- path, the result can easily contain hundreds of anchor points, or even
- thousands.
+ Paths can be very complex. If you create them by hand using the
+ <link linkend="gimp-tool-path">Paths</link> tool, they probably won't
+ contain more than a few dozen anchor points and usually a less than that.
+ However, if you create them by transforming a selection into a path, or
+ by transforming text into a path, the result can easily contain hundreds
+ or even thousands of anchor points.
</para>
<para>
A path may contain multiple <emphasis>components</emphasis>. A
- <quote>component</quote>
- is a part of a path whose anchor points are all connected to each other
- by path segments. The ability to have multiple components in paths
- allows you to convert them into selections having multiple disconnected
- parts.
+ <quote>component</quote> is a part of a path whose anchor points are all
+ connected to each other by path segments. The ability to have multiple
+ components in paths allows you to convert them into selections having
+ multiple disconnected parts.
</para>
<para>
Each component of a path can be either <emphasis>open</emphasis> or
- <emphasis>closed</emphasis>: <quote>closed</quote>
- means that the last anchor point is connected to the first anchor point.
+ <emphasis>closed</emphasis>: <quote>closed</quote> means that the last
+ anchor point is connected to the first anchor point.
If you transform a path into a selection, any open components are
automatically converted into closed components by connecting the last
anchor point to the first anchor point with a straight line.
@@ -218,24 +246,21 @@
One nice thing about paths is that they use very few resources,
especially in comparison with images. Representing
a path in RAM requires storing only the coordinates of its anchors and
- handles: 1K of memory is enough to hold a complex path, but not
- enough to hold a small 20x20 pixel RGB layer. Therefore, it is
- possible to have literally hundreds of paths in an image without causing
- any significant stress to your system; the amount of stress that
- hundreds of paths might cause <emphasis>you</emphasis>, however,
- is another question. Even a path with thousands of segments
- consumes minimal resources in comparison to a typical layer or channel.
+ handles. Therefore, it is possible to have literally hundreds of paths in
+ an image without causing any significant stress to your system. Even a
+ path with thousands of segments consumes minimal resources in comparison
+ to a typical layer or channel.
</para>
<para>
Paths can be created and manipulated using the
- <link linkend="gimp-tool-path">Path tool</link>.
+ <link linkend="gimp-tool-path">Paths tool</link>.
</para>
</sect2>
<sect2 id="gimp-using-paths-and-selections">
<title>Paths and Selections</title>
<para>
- GIMP lets you transform the selection for an image into a path; it also
+ GIMP lets you transform the selection of an image into a path. It also
lets you transform paths into selections. For information about the
selection and how it works, see the
<link linkend="gimp-concepts-selection">Selection</link> section.
@@ -267,7 +292,8 @@
<para>
By default a Transform tool, when it is set to affect paths, acts on
only one path: the <emphasis>active path</emphasis>
- for the image, which is shown highlighted in the Paths dialog. You can
+ for the image, which is shown highlighted in the
+ <link linkend="gimp-path-dialog">Paths dialog</link>. You can
make a transformation affect more than one path, and possibly other
things as well, using the <quote>transform lock</quote> buttons in the
Paths dialog.
@@ -306,9 +332,10 @@
<guimenu>Edit</guimenu>
<guimenuitem>Stroke Path</guimenuitem>
</menuchoice>
- from the image menu or the Paths dialog right-click menu, or the
- <quote>Stroke Path</quote> button in the Tool Options dialog for the
- Path tool.
+ from the image menu or the
+ <link linkend="gimp-path-dialog">Paths dialog</link> right-click menu,
+ or the <quote>Stroke Path</quote> button in the Tool Options dialog for
+ the <link linkend="gimp-tool-path">Paths</link> tool.
</para>
<para>
Choosing <quote>Stroke Path</quote> by any of these means brings up a
@@ -366,10 +393,10 @@
</mediaobject>
</figure>
<para>
- A text item created using the Text tool can be transformed into a path
- using the <command>Path from Text</command> command in the
- the context menu of the Text tool. This can be useful for several
- purposes, including:
+ A text item created using the <link linkend="gimp-tool-text">Text</link>
+ tool can be transformed into a path using the
+ <command>Path from Text</command> command in the the context menu of the
+ Text tool. This can be useful for several purposes, including:
</para>
<itemizedlist>
<listitem>
@@ -403,22 +430,20 @@
</para>
<para>
Fortunately, paths are represented in <acronym>SVG</acronym> files in
- almost exactly the same way they are represented in GIMP. (Actually
- fortune has nothing to do with it: GIMP's path handling was rewritten
- for GIMP 2.0 with SVG paths in mind.) This compatibility makes it
- possible to store GIMP paths as <acronym>SVG</acronym> files without
- losing any information. You can access this capability in the Paths
- dialog.
+ almost exactly the same way they are represented in GIMP. This
+ compatibility makes it possible to store GIMP paths as
+ <acronym>SVG</acronym> files without losing any information. You can
+ access this capability in the
+ <link linkend="gimp-path-dialog">Paths dialog</link>.
</para>
<para>
It also means that GIMP can create paths from
<acronym>SVG</acronym> files saved in other programs, such as
- <application>Inkscape</application> or
- <application>Sodipodi</application>,
- two popular open-source vector graphics applications. This is nice
- because those programs have much more powerful path-manipulation tools
- than GIMP does. You can import a path from an <acronym>SVG</acronym>
- file using the Paths dialog.
+ <application>Inkscape</application>,
+ a popular open-source vector graphics application. This is nice
+ because dedicated vector editing programs have much more powerful
+ path-manipulation tools than GIMP does. You can import a path from an
+ <acronym>SVG</acronym> file using the Paths dialog.
</para>
<para>
The <acronym>SVG</acronym>
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