[Gimp-developer] 2.6 roadmapping, the UI part of it...

[Guillermo Espertino]

I agree what Peter Sikking wrote. It seems -to my user pov- that cairo 
migration is something that will provide new methods for addressing some 
maybe menor, but longstanding UI annoyances, and it's great putting that 
migration in the first place of the roadmap.
What I'd like to propose is a change in the UI for 2.6 (part of it is 
already possible with the current interface) to gain more screen space.

The first thing I make every time I have a fresh install of gimp is 
taking the tool options to the right docker, and made a minor 
reorganization of tabs. Then I can stretch the toolbox to a two-column 
layout so I gain a lot of screen space to work.
I'd like to propose at least that change as the default panels 
arrangement. It gains space, and it makes the interface more familiar 
for people who worked with other image manipulation packages. Plus, it's 
a totally reversible change, that users that like the current layout can 
roll back.

The other part of my idea is a possible solution of the behaviour of the 
application when there is no image open.
I developed the idea further in my blog, so I invite you to read it and 
tell me if this change is feasible.
http://www.blog.ohweb.com.ar/?p=59

What is not covered there, but certainly would be an interesting idea to 
develop, is adding to those changes an optional wrapper window for the 
opened documents. I wouldn't  use it, but it's the number one rant about 
gimp's interface.
Imo, it wouldn't have too much impact in the program usage (because it 
would be working just as the other way, but having a wrapper window for 
the opened documents) so it wouldn't be a problem for documentation, for 
instance.
Anyway, I'm one of the guys who think it's pretty useless so I won't 
mind if there is no gray background :-)

Of course I don't want to go over Peter and the UI team (this proposal 
was already sent to the UI brainstorming blog), so I propose this for 
discussion and I'd really like to know what do you think about it.