[Gimp-developer] roadmap items from the UI team...

[peter sikking]

GIMPsters,

I was away for a couple of days and I see that in the mean
more task were volunteered that have an UI impact:

* metadata stuff (jpeg dialog)
* iWarp tool (right-on Tor!)
* jitter and smudge

and something about text (layers), that is not so trivial in the UI btw,
text, svg and other vector stuff need their own stacking order within a
layer and if you want to avoid the question "are they above or in the
layer pixels", then they need their own layer type.

anyway, Sven also asked me to come up with UI items for the roadmap:

2.6

* make full use of cairo for the select/crop tools. out go the
   inverted lines, in come lightened/darkened planes;
* solve user request #1, part 1: one menu bar, keep window with
   menu bar open when no image is open, true floating inspectors,
   transparency where inspectors overlap the image (found a way
   how it can be faked);

(beyond?) 2.6

* solve user request #1, part 2: introduce one(!) single-window
   mode that users can opt for, it has to be done. dock and tear off
   inspectors + toolbox everywhere (single + multiple window modes);
* color-neutral toolbox icons that are quick to recognise and work with,
   this task is 50% interaction design, 50% graphic design;

really beyond 2.6

* geometry tools merge, this easy-move/rotate/shear/etc. then also goes
   into the selection-rect tools;
* unleash the power of GEGL, full access to undo/redo any manipulation
* layer dialog renovation;
* all plugins to heads-up displays (no dialog) with full image
   preview (where performance permits);
* blobs of paint palette

and there is lots and lots more to do...

     --ps

         founder + principal interaction architect
             man + machine interface works

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