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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0003555ScribusGeneralpublic2006-05-08 17:06
Reportermkoren Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeverityfeatureReproducibilityN/A
Status closedResolutionduplicate 
PlatformanyOSanyOS Versionany
Product Version1.3 
Summary0003555: set default properties/styles by layer
DescriptionSometimes it could be useful to set a default set of text properties or text style, for example, on a per-layer basis, if only certain kinds of objects are being placed on a given layer. Line styles and colors too. There could be a button in the layers panel that would bring up a properties panel or style editor interface for the selected layer, and another icon by each layer indicating if special defaults have been set for it (otherwise the document defaults would apply).

Likewise there could be options in the properties panel for each object to use the defaults from the layer or document (i.e., tracking them if they are later changed). This could be an option for "layer default", etc. where a style can normally be set or checkboxes "use {layer,document} default". ("Properties by layer" options are common in CAD programs.)

If options can be set as by layer or not individually, this is a sort of style inheritance from the current layer.

Being able to lock a layer default setting so that all objects on that layer use it could also be useful sometimes--e.g. to enforce that everything on one layer is the same color (although having an object's properties altered by moving it to a different layer and back wouldn't be so good, so this would have to be done carefully).
Additional Informationrelated to 0003554
TagsNo tags attached.
Patch

Relationships

duplicate of 0003708 feedback group-level inheritance of defaults and style definitions 
related to 0003554 acknowledged support all properties settings in application and document defaults 
related to 0003578 feedback compound object styles 
child of 0003838 acknowledged Metabug: Scribus layers 

Activities

mkoren

2006-04-07 00:07

reporter   ~0009680

if 0003578 is implemented then by-block properties would be another option.

mhanski

2006-04-20 21:02

developer   ~0010202

Reminder sent to: christoph_s, louisdesjardins, PLucAuclair

What do you think of it?

christoph_s

2006-04-20 21:12

administrator   ~0010204

One way I think this could be made usable would be a layer style, a kind of meta style, that would allow the definition of the behaviour of objects on a layer. But the number of styles options would be _huge_, This might become a stripped "documents settings" dialog. I wonder if that's worth the efforts.

mhanski. would you mind adding tsoots to the monitoring list? I'm curious what he thinks.

louisdesjardins

2006-04-20 21:13

developer   ~0010205

Last edited: 2006-04-20 21:36

I would like to have a specific case or real-life scenario for the use of this.

Just checked with my production people to see wether they make any use of layer capabilities in our actual DTP apps. Answer is no. We never use this feature. And we hardly see anyone using them from the files we receive from all over the place. So I guess we'd really need input from people with a real need for this.

PLucAuclair

2006-04-20 22:37

reporter   ~0010217

While it *could* be useful, I'd have to see how other programs deal with this first. I personally never use layers though in layout software, so it's a bit awkward to comment anything of the sort.

As long as there is a way to set it either as a starting point *or* as an override I see this as more or less useless.

I'd rather see object styles rather than this right now, and I'd keep if for an implementation later.

christoph_s

2006-04-20 22:48

administrator   ~0010218

PLucAuclair, personally I use layers a lot. They are useful for documents that contain lots of graphics and not so much text. I use layout software in these cases, because it provides better text control than drawing applications. But I never felt that something like layer styles were necessary. If the production of more text based documents like books or magazines would require extensive use of layers, _then_ it would be useful. But that isn't the case and for products like presentation tables it's simply not necessary, because the objects need a more "individual" approach. So, implementing this feature would mean a lot of overhead for both developers and users.

mkoren, can you provide an example for a requirement of this feature in real world production?

mhanski

2006-04-21 12:29

developer   ~0010229

Reminder sent to: plinnell

peter, judging by the opinions of our experts, it seems to be a "won't fix", or would you rather have it acknowledged for later implementation?

mkoren

2006-04-22 04:32

reporter   ~0010294

Hmm, like I said, this, along with properties by block (group), is used all the time in CAD (another sort of layout environment) to keep a consistent style for a large number of related objects. I'm not a DTP professional, but like christoph I often like to use scribus rather than drawing (or CAD) programs when I need to combine both text and graphical elements in a design due to the better text handling.

An example of where I would like this is for making detailed charts with lots of small text boxes that I want to have the same colors, line styles, etc (screenshot attached of an unfinished one, which I'm also going to use for my relative placement feature request :). I have them all on one layer, and there will be separate layers for arrows, background fields, and other elements which may also share colors, etc. As you can see, even using styles it's not trivial keeping these items synchronized since it's not obvious if they all have the right style.

Of course I can select all and apply a set of properties to a whole layer that way, but why have to redo it everytime I add a new element or want to change a setting?

As to implementation, I don't think it would be all that difficult. Christoph, I'm not thinking of a whole new kind of syle, just a new place to apply existing settings. As I said in 0003554, the current interface would be simplified if the same properties can be set in document settings as in object properties, using the same dialogs. Layers and object blocks would just be another point where the defaults could be changed. The syles inheritance engine could surely handle this easily internally.

Um, I'll add some more comments tomorrow about how this relates to a few of my other favorite feature ideas; please don't close it yet. :)

2006-04-22 04:33

 

structured_chart.png (51,098 bytes)   
structured_chart.png (51,098 bytes)   

mkoren

2006-04-27 04:48

reporter   ~0010528

This request would now be subsumed by my new request 0003708. See usage cases listed there. As described there, it could be implemented through the existing styles inheritance framework using the already-existing properties and styles editors to define the settings.

mhanski

2006-05-08 10:46

developer   ~0011092

mkoren: resolving this one as a dupe, since you've submitted the subsumming 0003708

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2006-04-04 20:59 mkoren New Issue
2006-04-04 23:08 cbradney Relationship added related to 0003554
2006-04-07 00:07 mkoren Note Added: 0009680
2006-04-20 21:00 mhanski Relationship added related to 0003578
2006-04-20 21:00 mhanski Product Version 1.3.3 => 1.3
2006-04-20 21:02 mhanski Note Added: 0010202
2006-04-20 21:12 christoph_s Note Added: 0010204
2006-04-20 21:13 louisdesjardins Note Added: 0010205
2006-04-20 21:30 mhanski Status new => feedback
2006-04-20 21:35 louisdesjardins Note Edited: 0010205
2006-04-20 21:36 louisdesjardins Note Edited: 0010205
2006-04-20 22:37 PLucAuclair Note Added: 0010217
2006-04-20 22:48 christoph_s Note Added: 0010218
2006-04-21 12:29 mhanski Note Added: 0010229
2006-04-22 04:32 mkoren Note Added: 0010294
2006-04-22 04:33 mkoren File Added: structured_chart.png
2006-04-27 04:48 mkoren Note Added: 0010528
2006-05-08 10:44 mhanski Relationship added duplicate of 0003708
2006-05-08 10:46 mhanski Note Added: 0011092
2006-05-08 10:46 mhanski Status feedback => resolved
2006-05-08 10:46 mhanski Resolution open => duplicate
2006-05-08 17:06 mhanski Status resolved => closed
2006-05-18 22:43 christoph_s Relationship added child of 0003838