RE: Dialogs, Layers Dialog [Re: Dia ChangeLog report for Mon Jul

[erik coopman b-rail be]

hi all,

Little explanation why I use layers.  I'm using layers for two main reasons.
First, I'm working in a compagny where three different languages are used.  For
each diagram that i make, i need to translate more or less the text in the
three languages (depending on for which unit(s) the drawing is ment).  So I use
a layer for each language.  I'm here also intrested in a snap that pass through
layers, because now I'have troubles to keep the different strings in the right
place when I make changes.  However, I shouldn't know how it would be done
practically.

The second reason I use layers is also to model the behaviour of algorithmes .
Here I have a background with some basic elements that will be used in the
different steps. For every step in the algorithm, I draw a layer with the
different arrows relevant to the step.  Here I could use some feature to point
to an element in a layer below and mark it as invisible if the current layer is
active.  In this way I don't have to redraw the background in the current step
if I want to hide an arrow. But maybe this kind of use is a little bit far
stretched of the current scope of dia.

Netherless, keep up the good work!

Erik

-----Original Message-----
Message: 9
From: "TAZ Vukovic, Mirko" <mvukovic@taz.telusa.com>
To: "'dia-list@gnome.org'" <dia-list@gnome.org>
Subject: RE: Dialogs, Layers Dialog [Re: Dia ChangeLog report for Mon Jul
   7 07:23:02 2003 (UTC)]
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2003 17:21:56 -0500
Reply-To: dia-list@gnome.org

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I use layers to organize my diagrams and mainly control visibility of groups
of items.  I try to group related items in their own layer.  Layers help me
organize diagrams and thoughts.

My one wish is that snaps would be transparent across layers.  As an
example, in one application, I had a several objects in the ``base'' layer.
Over that layer I was drawing various diagrams (each on its own layer)
consisting mainly of arrows, pointing how the objects interacted under
various circumstances.  It would have been much easier if the arrows were
connected to the objects on the base layer, as from time to time, I had to
re-arrange those.

(Usual disclaimer applies: thanks for the great work.  Hopefully one day I
get to contribute something).

Mirko

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alan Horkan [mailto:horkana@maths.tcd.ie]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 2:04 PM
> To: dia-list@gnome.org
> Subject: Dialogs, Layers Dialog [Re: Dia ChangeLog report for Mon Jul 7
> 07:23:02 2003 (UTC)]
>
>
> > +     * app/menus.c: Patch from Hubert Figuiere: Adds help menu to
> > +     diagram menus (since they're at the top by default now).  Also
> > +     move the Properties... menu item from Dialogs to Objects.  Dialogs
> > +     menu should disappear at some point.
>
> I was thinking where the layers dialog should go and one of the things I
> considered was having a top level Layers menu and menu items for things
> like adding removing and moving up and down between layers.
>
> The more I thought about it and the more I looked at other programs the
> less of a good idea it seemed.
>
> I have a feeling that needing to use Layers is wholly or at least in part
> symptomatic of not doing grouping and object manipulation as well we could
> do.  I dont see any other Vector graphics programs that have Layers, it
> seems to be more a feature of Raster Graphics programs.
>
> Could people who use Layers in Dialogs please let my know why?
> Hopefully it will help me to figure out what problems there might be.
>
> Sincerely
>
> Alan Horkan.
>
>
>
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