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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0016999ScribusUsabilitypublic2024-02-14 17:09
Reporterpmjdebruijn Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeveritytweakReproducibilityalways
Status newResolutionopen 
Product Version1.6.0.svn 
Summary0016999: Baseline Grid too distracting
DescriptionCurrently when enabling the baseline grid, two problems emerge:

(1) The default lightGray used for the Baseline Grid, is too distinct from the white page, resulting in a very "busy" workfield.
(2) The renderStackOrder has the Baseline Grid on top the the Content Object, which severely impact the legibility of rendered text.

The (trivial) attached patch changes:

(a) the lightGray color too a much lighter whitesmoke color.
(b) moves the Baseline Grid down the renderStackOrder below Content Objects and the Margins.
TagsNo tags attached.
PatchYes

Activities

pmjdebruijn

2023-08-14 16:34

reporter  

appprefs-baselinegrid.patch (954 bytes)   
diff -Nurpd a/scribus/prefsmanager.cpp b/scribus/prefsmanager.cpp
--- a/scribus/prefsmanager.cpp	2023-08-14 16:25:41.000000000 +0200
+++ b/scribus/prefsmanager.cpp	2023-08-14 18:14:48.212740269 +0200
@@ -197,9 +197,9 @@ void PrefsManager::initDefaults()
 	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.majorGridColor = QColor(Qt::green);
 	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.marginColor = QColor(Qt::blue);
 	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.guideColor = QColor(Qt::darkBlue);
-	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.baselineGridColor = QColor(Qt::lightGray);
+	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.baselineGridColor = QColorConstants::Svg::whitesmoke;
 	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.renderStackOrder.clear();
-	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.renderStackOrder << 2 << 0 << 4 << 1 << 3;
+	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.renderStackOrder << 2 << 1 << 0 << 4 << 3; // (3) Guides, (4) Content Objects, (0) Margins, (1) Baseline Grid, (2) Grid
 	appPrefs.guidesPrefs.gridType = 0;
 	appPrefs.typoPrefs.valueSuperScript = 33;
 	appPrefs.typoPrefs.scalingSuperScript = 66;
appprefs-baselinegrid.patch (954 bytes)   

jghali

2023-08-14 23:07

administrator   ~0050313

a) While I agree that lightGray is a bit too visible, I think that QColorConstants::Svg::whitesmoke is hardly visible, I would prefer something a bit more noticeable
b) This would hide the baseline grid in case text frame has a color background, so I am opposed to that change

pmjdebruijn

2024-01-05 12:31

reporter   ~0050815

I've been working with whitesmoke for a while, and to me it seems fine really.

Though maybe QColorConstants::Svg::gainsboro (#dcdcdc) could be an alternative?

pmjdebruijn

2024-01-05 12:42

reporter   ~0050816

wrt (b), the render order change...

While I see your point, I guess this should be the real question.

1) leave the render order as-is, and always have poorly legible text because of it, and never have missing grid because of background colors
2) change the render order, and always have legible text, and sometimes have missing grid due to background colors

To me (2) seems like the least worst... as the common case black text on white renders well, and the lesser common case, colored background renders suboptimal
As (1) renders the common case black text on white poorly (as it does now), and the lesser common case, well enough

However, maybe something like applying the baseline grid, with a multiply layer mode could offer a better tradeoff? as that would not disturb black text even if rendered over top of it, but it would still leave colored background with visible lines.

ale

2024-01-05 14:33

manager   ~0050817

personally, as long as i can't snap to the baseline grid, i don't really need to see the lines.
seeing them gives me a good feeling, but they can be as light as you want to make them...


just tried with the baseline grid on top of the grid (second from bottom and with f5f5f5 (should be whitesmoke) and it looks ok on both the laptop and external monitor.

i think that pmjdebruijn is probably right with his sugesstion...

pmjdebruijn

2024-01-05 15:01

reporter   ~0050821

The main benefit I see in having baseline grid (barely) visible, is that you can easily spot when you've forgotten to enable baseline grid snapping for some particular element.

pmjdebruijn

2024-01-06 09:45

reporter   ~0050840

Another point is, that with the baseline grid on top, you also get lines across artwork inserted into a document, which isn't great either.

ale

2024-01-28 17:36

manager   ~0050944

@jghali can you refer to a system where the lines are not visible enough with whitesmoke?

on my rather crappy laptop monitor they were ok.

pmjdebruijn

2024-02-14 17:09

reporter   ~0050983

Similarly here, it's visible enough on anything I own.

@jghali: would you please reconsider merging this trivial patch?

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2023-08-14 16:34 pmjdebruijn New Issue
2023-08-14 16:34 pmjdebruijn File Added: appprefs-baselinegrid.patch
2023-08-14 23:07 jghali Note Added: 0050313
2024-01-05 12:31 pmjdebruijn Note Added: 0050815
2024-01-05 12:42 pmjdebruijn Note Added: 0050816
2024-01-05 14:33 ale Note Added: 0050817
2024-01-05 15:01 pmjdebruijn Note Added: 0050821
2024-01-06 09:45 pmjdebruijn Note Added: 0050840
2024-01-28 17:36 ale Note Added: 0050944
2024-02-14 17:09 pmjdebruijn Note Added: 0050983