Alternative user interface

[Timo K Suoranta <tksuoran cc helsinki fi>]

I still have not found a decent diagram drawing software for GNU/Linux
with the user interface I want. Dia appears to have the features, but I do
not like the user interface. So I would like to contribute to Dia: design
and implement an alternative user interface. Ideally this alternative user
interface and the normal one could be toggled.

My idea for the diagram editing software user interface is also based on
context sensitive menus, but slightly different from Dia and Gimp. The
basic idea is the move current context sensitive menus elsewhere, and move
the shape palette into the context sensitive RMB menu. This would speed up
the initial creation of the diagram. I strongly dislike the need to
drag shapes from palette.

For example, when I right click on empty space on diagram, I want to get
context sensitive palette of shapes, directly, not in any submenu, and
nothing else than that palette. When I right click on handle, I want to
get palette of suitable connectors. Left click would still be select, left
drag for move etc. I actually don't like the middle button, because it is
too stiff on my mouse at work, and I have none at home..

I would also like to have simpler == faster ways to delete and duplicate
shapes. My vision goes along shift-drag from existing shape == duplicate
with interactive placing, shift-click/drag from empty space on diagram ==
paste with interactive, control-click == cut.

I have not checked much of the Dia mailing list archives, so I do not
know if these ideas are already being planned or not. Anyway I really want
these. I have good C/C++ experience, but little gtk/gnome experience.
Thoughts?


-- Timo Suoranta -- tksuoran@cc.helsinki.fi --