Layers and Objects - Redesign

TLDR

Let's merge Layers and Object dialog + part of live paths effects dialog and filters, Live boolean groups operations into one single dialog. Working name for this dialog is Document manager

This dialog would store and organize :

• Pages/Artboards (this does not feature yet but is highly requested one)
  • Layers
    • Objects
      • Live path effects
      • Filters
      • Clipping masks
      • Masks masks
      • live boolean grupes

This dialog would be part of a bigger picture redesign of the Inkscape workflow. Another part of this would be to have second new dialog called ATTRIBUTES dialog

(WIP - SKETCH ATTRIBUTE dialog and Document manager )

we don't need to do this all at once we can split this into phases:

• Refractroing Objects (done)
• Merging layers + Objects
• Search
• Adding a new system for clipping mask, clipping grupes and masks
• Adding LPE
• Adding Filters
• Adding live boolean grupes
• Adding Pages
• Adding Guids
• Attribute dialog / Object properties ( WIP)
• Search in objects

How it will work

This dialog should replace layers and objects but also add Pages (if it's implemented one day). But also it should streamline using clipping masks and masks. Also, it would store applied LPE, filters. This should streamlined use and discoverability of these two powerful but very confusing features.

• you can see the hierarchy of all elements (Pages, layers, grupes, objects, LPE, filters, ceiling, masks, live booleans) in the document (SVG)
• every element has the corresponding icon and color of this icon is set by outline color of the element
• every icon element has a color corresponding to the outline color (you can change it but right-clicking on the element and selecting from preselected colors or adding custom )

• you can delete element by selecting and pressing delete or selecting and pressing trash icon in the top right corner
• You can reorder withdrawing and dropping or Buttons up down in the top right corner
• you can rename by double-clicking
• you can duplicate ctrl+d or right-clicking and selecting duplicate
• you can see visibility and locking buttons of the element on the hover

• visibility and locking will be shown just on the element if it's pressed

• when you press plus button you can add a layer , LPE or filter

I made one more design with 3 buttons

1. BUT don't want to see all this stuff all the time I just want to see X ... (Filters)

You are right! the top panel of dialog would have buttons witch would work as filters. you would see just items that are selected so in this example, I turned off the visibility (in Document manager not on canvas ) of objects and you can see just Artboards and layers.

2. How new masks and clip masks work

The new way of how to show masks and clip mask work. they would be added inside an object which you want to mask and in the document manager, it would show an arrow to top to indicate that it's masking this element. there will be also an icon of masking or clipping next to the masked clipped objects to indicate that this is the masked element. this approach will be cleaner and also alive easier editing of clipping masks (because it will be selectable in the document manager)

masking of a star with the path

Masking of the content of the group (rectangle and path) with another group of paths (triangles) notice that last rectangle does not get clipped even when it's in the same group but it's under clipping grupe

3. Filters and LPE

Just to be clear I am not trying to get rid of PLE or Filters dialog. I would just add it to the Document manager contextually to applied objects.

Filter

LPE

4. Live boolean grupes

This would be a way how to drastically improve LPE booLean operations. This needs a little bit more work and fleshing out how it would work but for now this is design. just add objects in to group set it as live bollen grupe and it works. You could set boolean operation for every element in this grupe. in this example all are union

4. Attribute dialog ?!!

We already almost have it but its not dialog right now but toolbar. We already hiding features into preferences and options for some tools because we cannot fit them into this bar. Also, there is a big problem for text tool with all options cannot fit there. My solution would it be to spit this toolbar and put it into new contextual dialog, and also add more contextual options. For example, if you select an object it will show you its size position stroke color stroke .

There have been small updated on this forn MVP product Object properties

5. Search in objects

v1

v2

6. Guids

Fore easier organization and editing it would be nice to have guids as an objects in layers

Why

currently, we have many different different ways to look at some objects in the SVG file. And none of them cover all your wants and needs it's also user friendly.

Layer dialog:

you can :)

• create and delete Layers
• reorder Layers
• rename layers
• choose in which layer there will be object be stored

You cannot :(

• see any objects in layer
• change Z position of any object
• select any object
• change the canvas outline color
• edit CSS / XML / SVG / filters /LPE

Object dialog:

• basically everything that layers but also for objects masks and clipping masks

status bar

you can :)

• create and delete Layers
• reorder Layers
• choose in which layer there will be object be stored

XML editor:

basically you can every single aspect of Svg but it's not a very user-friendly way to work. this cannot be changed that much because XML editor is literary raw data of the document

CSS and selections

can edit some attributes of objects and create selection sets

TLDR2: in music metaphor: layers are like triangle objects are like piano and XML editor is like organ

I would like to combine all good parts from these dialogs and get rid of all bad parts and create just a new awesome one.