[Gimp-developer] Proposal new default layout starting 2.6

[Alexia Death]

On Saturday 23 August 2008 13:19:35 Sven Neumann wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Sat, 2008-08-23 at 11:18 +0300, Alexia Death wrote:
> > In my opinion this layout(thin toolbox, one large dock) is preferable to
> > first time users. It has familiarity. They wont feel lost when GIMP loads
> > for the first time.
>
> For a new GIMP user it is crucial that the tool-options are always fully
> visible and your proposed setup does not meet this simple criterion.
Tool options can be locked in place as the top of the dock set and 
that criterion is filled. Toolbox locked tool options do not serve that purpose 
any better. That little bit you save in scrolling if you dock your tool 
options under toolbox is in my opinion hardly worth the space a second full-
width docker takes from the space reserved for the primary objective, working 
on your image.

I think I need to state that my image was not an "exactly like this" proposal. 
There are altogether three points it tries to make. First, the image window 
needs to be incorporated into the default layout. Second, two dock sets take 
too much space(literally, on a smaller screen with two docks they can take up 
2/3 of the screen.) and third, a bit of familiarity for the first time 
users(separate, 2 line toolbox) can not hurt. Yes, tool options need to be 
visible by default and so does layers dialog, I agree... But that is secondary 
to the generic layout.