Re: [Gimp-developer] Blend Tool UI

[peter sikking <peter mmiworks net>]

Michael Henning wrote:

> I'd like to make some incremental improvements to the blend tool. On
> IRC, Alexandre suggested to get the UI team involved, so I'm looking
> for feedback/advice from the UI team.

let’s see how I can help you.

> Here are my general plans:
>
> * I'd like to make the blend tool generally more interactive. By
> this, I mean that after the user has created a gradient, they will be
> presented with handles that they can use to modify the endpoints of
> the gradient before committing their changes.

good plan. combine it with updating the colours of the
endpoints to make it truly adjustable to get it _right_

hint: please do not make the endpoint handles small;
think generous (more tens of pixels than single digits) and
also show where the exact endpoint is in the centre of the handle
(say, with a cross to aim).

> * I'd also like to add a live preview to the blend tool so users can
> preview the gradient and experiment with different options, before
> committing their changes.

yes, vital for making the previous point work.

please make commit an implicit thing (moving on to another
tool, starting another gradient) combined with explicit
(e.g. <return>) as a backup. see handling of committing
selections in the rectangular selection tool.

> * I'm also planning to add undo support within the tool.

I hope you mean: step-by-step undo while not committed,
after a commit undo the whole committed gradient.

again: vital, to make other points above _really_ work.
both for the interactive part and as a form of non-committing

> * The general consensus within the dev team seems to be that the
> shapebursts (all of the gradient types currently marked "shaped")
> should be moved out of the blend tool. They would likely be moved into
> either a menu item, or (maybe?) within the fill tool.

as far as my thoughts go: there will be more working
with (vector) shapes in the future, and modifying those
shapes with a gradient fill (by the gradient tool)
could be the way to handle that.

    --ps

        founder + principal interaction architect
            man + machine interface works

        http://blog.mmiworks.net: on interaction architecture