[scribus] Concept of layers

Thu Jan 9 11:41:56 UTC 2014

When I started to read this thread, I thought what might be the reason 
to have layers if not to keep the user from accidentially clicking the 
wrong frame? At least this is what I have done with it so far. If you 
need the (major) frames clickable you can put them into one layer 
alltogether.

Martin's example with several languages all over one another was a good 
reason to make it different, though. And the options in 1.5 you describe 
seem to go into that direction.

There was one thing in this discussion about coloured frames. Currently 
the active frame is red, the others gray. If one would change this to 
coloured frames, what would be the colour when clicked? Maybe pale and 
full colour? Or would you like the line to become thicker? How do other 
programs handle this? I only know 3B2 (they had coloured frames) from 
long time ago, and I don't remember this detail.

I ask this because I don't like the little coloured squares too much as 
they exist now. Actually I have wished to have coloured frames ever so 
often. The reason for me is that I cannot always make out which little 
square belongs to which frame. But I could also imagine an option in the 
defaults how to show it.

Rolf

Am 08.01.2014 22:44, schrieb Andreas Winkler:
> Hi Martin,
>
> many thanks for your thoughtful reply. Just a short time after posting
> my initial message I've discovered that in 1.5.0svn there is an
> additional 'enable select' checkbox for each layer. Together with the
> lock checkbox, the possible combinations seem to do the following:
>
> lock unchecked, enable select unchecked: just objects on the current
> layer are select- and editable (single-layer mode)
> lock unchecked, enable select checked: the objects from the
> corresponding layer can be always selected and unchecked (multi-layer
> mode)
> lock checked, enable select checked or unchecked: the objects from the
> corresponding layer can not be select nor edited in any case
>
> I think that this is a very reasonable approach which provides quite a
> lot of flexibility. Do you agree?
>
> Best regards
> Andreas
>
> On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 8:58 PM, ZASKE Martin <zm at revue-gugu.org> wrote:
>> Hi Andreas,
>>
>> thank you for sharing about your perspective on layers. Coming from
>> Corel for many years, I have often muttered ... things about the need to
>> switch layers all the time in Scribus. We need many layers not least for
>> multi-language documents. I have not found a way to assign
>> keyboard-shortcuts to my most-used layers.
>>
>> In CorelDraw the user can decide (with just a click) whether he will
>> work multi-layer or one-layer. I actually mostly work in just one layer
>> because it makes selecting more straight-forward in complex documents.
>> But having the multi-layer option is a most useful feature.
>>
>> Locking in Corel is also separate from "activation" and having an extra
>> locking feature is useful for certain users (and will not hinder any
>> other users). In a team-setting the "lock" can also mean that somebody
>> has indeed completed the work on a certain layer (for example all the
>> illustrations or all the headlines are done and checked).
>>
>> I recently discovered the colours of layers (together with outline mode)
>> as a useful way to tell on what layer my team-mates have "hidden" or
>> misplaced certain items (normally we got guidelines what goes where).
>> (In Corel I can click it in multi-layer mode and the status bar will
>> tell me where it is.) I am not sure that I would like items to show
>> their bounding boxes according to layer colour. Normally I know where I
>> am working. And some colours are working ok in outline mode, but would
>> not be so helpful for normal selection purposes. I would be curious what
>> other users think.
>>
>>
>> So if this discussion should evolve into a feature request, I would
>> plead for a "choice of mono-layer and multi-layer" where the multi-layer
>> is defined by active and lock toggles.
>>
>>
>> Andreas, I found a way to select multi layer (for certain wholesale copy
>> and paste needs) by using the Document-Outline window rather than the
>> mouse in the main window. That way I can select entire "lumps" of things
>> that belong together and copy them elsewhere. When pasting, they all end
>> up on a single layer. But I can always beam items upwards or downwards.
>> At least each item is in its proper location.
>>
>> fwiw
>>
>> Martin
>>
>>
>>
>> On 08.01.2014 18:36, Andreas Winkler wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> my understanding of layers is that all objects from all layers should
>>> always be select- and editable regardless of what layer is selected,
>>> unless the corresponding layer isn't locked. Also, the bounding boxes
>>> of selected objects should have the color of their layer.
>>>
>>> Scribus allows to select and edit only objects from the currently
>>> selected layer. If this is intended and not a bug, my question is why
>>> there is a checkbox to lock a layer? I would be enough just not to
>>> select the layers I want to be locked.
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>> Andreas
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> ZASKE Martin
>> responsable GʊGʊ
>> BP 50 - Bassila - Bénin
>> tel GʊGʊ 66.66.11.11
>> tel pers 97.44.62.95
>>
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