Subject: [Gimp-gui] Curve-bend plugin as an on-canvas tool

From: Joseph Bupe <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 09:23:34 +0200

The curve-bend plugin is quiet versatile for image manipulation, e.g. when
placing labels on a curved surface, and the Free curve type option to make
some drooping effects on images etc.

My request is that we have this plugin as an on-canvas tool, with options
for bending the top, lower, left, right and inner parts of an image.

I am aware of a similar tool in photoshop called "warp tool".

Thanx.

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From: Jehan <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2015 13:23:16 +0100

Hi,

On 2015-11-02 08:23, Joseph Bupe wrote:
> The curve-bend plugin is quiet versatile for image manipulation, e.g.
> when placing labels on a curved surface, and the Free curve type
> option to make some drooping effects on images etc.
> 
> My request is that we have this plugin as an on-canvas tool, with
> options for bending the top, lower, left, right and inner parts of an
> image.
> 

We already have a "warp transform tool" in GIMP 2.9. Have you tried it? 
Is it what you are refering about?
It is an on-canvas tool, and works pretty well. It does a lot more than 
just bending corners. It is basically more like a brush which "warps" 
pixels in the direction you stroke (instead of drawing anything).

Probably you should have a look at the development version.

Jehan

> Thanx.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> gimp-gui-list mailing list
> [email-masked]
> https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gimp-gui-list

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From: Alexandre Prokoudine <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 15:28:15 +0300

2 нояб. 2015 г. 15:25 пользователь "Jehan" написал:

> We already have a "warp transform tool" in GIMP 2.9.

It does a completely different thing.

Alex

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From: Elle Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 07:39:56 -0500

On 11/02/2015 02:23 AM, Joseph Bupe wrote:
> when placing labels on a curved surface, and the Free curve type option
> to make some drooping effects on images etc.
>
> options for bending the top, lower, left, right and inner parts of an image.
>

I'm confused about where the line is - what the difference is - between 
discussions of the GUI and discussions regarding new/existing/modified 
editing algorithms. This is not the first instance on the Gimp-gui list 
where I've been puzzling over the difference, but it's a good example.

Also, what does "on-canvas" mean?

Elle

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From: Alexandre Prokoudine <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 15:41:49 +0300

> Also, what does "on-canvas" mean?

With old plugins, all interaction happens in a plugin's window.  Compare it
to any tool like brush or crop that works directly on canvas.

Alex

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From: Jehan <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2015 14:39:08 +0100

Hi,

On 2015-11-02 13:39, Elle Stone wrote:
>> option
> I'm confused about where the line is - what the difference is -
> between discussions of the GUI and discussions regarding
> new/existing/modified editing algorithms. This is not the first
> instance on the Gimp-gui list where I've been puzzling over the
> difference, but it's a good example.

That's still a GUI discussion when it involves user interaction. For 
instance, if we want a new tool (case here), the interaction should be 
clearly specified (what the tool allows, what happens when you click on 
some widgets, whatever…). This would prevent us to experience too much 
of cases where we end up with tools utterly broken in the dev version.

Now this is not only about dropping ideas and leaving either (not saying 
this is the case here), which has no interest in the context of this 
mailing list and which will leave nowhere.

Jehan

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From: Elle Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 09:02:05 -0500

> of cases where we end up with tools utterly broken in the dev version.

Thanks! It makes a lot of sense that a proposed new tool should also be 
discussed in the context of how users would actually use the tool.

On 11/02/2015 07:41 AM, Alexandre Prokoudine wrote:
> With old plugins, all interaction happens in a plugin's window.  Compare
> it to any tool like brush or crop that works directly on canvas.

Thanks! that helps to clarify the term.

Elle

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From: Jehan <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2015 16:02:00 +0100

Hi,

> Thanks! that helps to clarify the term.

About this specific point, I believe that many of us want more features 
going "on-canvas" when possible.
In GIMP dev version, the filter are also previewed on-canvas (when 
implemented as GEGL operations). I already discussed that it would be 
very cool if import could end up with on-canvas preview as well at some 
point (especially useful with lossy formats, etc.). These are only 
passive canvas interaction, but I could imagine active interaction on 
the canvas too in the future, and no only for tools. :-)

Canvas interaction are often much more intuitive than through a dialog 
or a dock. And reproducing the image inside the dialog/dock is often 
more of a workaround than a solution in my opinion (though in some 
cases, it may have its good points).

Jehan

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From: Elle Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 13:36:43 -0500

> cases, it may have its good points).

Could you give some examples of "on canvas" tools and "not on canvas" 
tools from GIMP 2.9? And maybe an example or two of a tool that is 
currently not on canvas, that would be a good candidate for being "on 
canvas"? I don't think I really understand the difference. Is drawing a 
gradient an "on canvas" tool?

Elle

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From: Ofnuts <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 22:02:57 +0100

On 02/11/15 19:36, Elle Stone wrote:
> canvas"? I don't think I really understand the difference. Is drawing 
> a gradient an "on canvas" tool?
>
> Elle

"Filter>Distorts>Curve bend" is not on-canvas. You see the preview on a 
small version of your picture, and the effect is applied to the real 
drawable after you strike "OK". Not the exact distortion required? Too 
bad, Ctrl-Z and redo from scratch.

The "Cage" tool does something similar, but it's on-canvas: you see the 
effect directly on the actual drawable. You can drag until you get a 
match with something on another layer, and get the position just right 
in one interaction.

I believe this is the main difference between Tools and Plugins. 
Allowing plug-ins to be fully-fledged Tools would be a truly nice thing 
(or having an interface for "pluggable" tools).

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From: Jehan <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2015 23:03:52 +0100

Hi,

> a gradient an "on canvas" tool?

All tools are already on-canvas.

Until now, all filters were *not* on canvas, which was often annoying 
(having to test, cancel, test, cancel; or some filter could have its own 
preview window, more or less useful but in all case less featured than 
the canvas). Now since 2.9, we are able to have on-canvas preview for 
filters (GEGL ops), and we will likely soon have even partial previews 
(like part of the canvas previewing the operation side by side to 
non-filtered image. Mitch has a work-in-progress on the topic). We could 
even imagine have more on-canvas interaction. For instance what if a 
filter requires a rectangle source? Instead of having coordinate fields, 
allowing the user to drag a rectangle with the mouse on the canvas could 
be more intuitive.

That's all what on-canvas mean: allowing to work directly on the main 
canvas.

Jehan

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From: Elle Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2015 17:58:57 -0500

On 11/02/2015 05:03 PM, Jehan wrote:
> the canvas).

OK, now I understand. You mean the little preview windows that would 
open up in GIMP 2.6 for doing a Gaussian blur and such. And maybe some 
operations didn't even have that much of a preview.

I wouldn't want to go back to preview windows, but they were fast. 
Sometimes in GIMP 2.9 I'll make a selection to see what will happen, 
before turning the operation loose on the whole image.