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GIMP 2.8 Will Sport a Redesigned UI

Posted by kdawson on from the rethinking-it dept.

ceswiedler writes "Ars Technica's Ryan Paul previews the upcoming release of the GIMP. It will include a single-window mode where the user can dock toolbar windows and switch between images via tabs. There are other improvements as well, including docking support in multi-window mode and improvements to the text tool." To get this early preview, Paul compiled version 2.7.1 from the active development branch, along with its dependencies.

11 of 401 comments (clear)

  1. Smartest workflow move ....ever! by MindPrison · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm glad they're doing this.

    It makes it much easier to work on the images, instead of having to "mishap-click" on every single window, and having to click on the related window in order to get back into the image editor again. WAAAAY overdue, but finally here - good job guys!

    --
    What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
    1. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by Lord+Lode · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, the makers of a painting program should not say "use window manager X or Y". The makers of a painting program should ensure that their program works in a reasonable way on the system the user has.

      User-friendlyness, you know?

    2. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by Scutter · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So now they're screwing up a totally fine UI and degenerate into the train wreck that's Photoshop. Nice.

      I agree! How dare they give you the option to have a single-window mode that's turned off by default! Jerks!

      --

      "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    3. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by WWWWolf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, the makers of a painting program should not say "use window manager X or Y".

      They're not really saying "use window manager X or Y". They were saying "use any window manager you want as long as it supports feature X or Y" - a far more reasonable request.

      Having simple pieces that all take responsibility of their own area is the *nix way; if managing windows is hard, that's not the application's fault, it's the window manager's fault. Why fix one application when you can fix all of the applications at once?

      Now they're saying "since so many of you refuse to use a window manager that works, we're doing a workaround..." and then add, "but you could - you know - save time by using the current version with a window manager that's not broken. Just saying."

    4. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by IntlHarvester · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Focus-follows-mouse made no sense back in the old days with Solaris work stations. It still makes no sense.

      It made sense for the stereotypical bearded Unix guy with nothing but 8 different XTerms open on his gigantic Sun monitor. None of his software used a mouse for input, so why not use it as an enhanced 2-dimensional task switcher?

      --
      Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
    5. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you think Photoshop is "luddite" compared to GIMP, you are truly a deluded soul. According to the review, you couldn't even type text directly onto an image until this new build. Do you realize how basic a feature that is? That doesn't suggest a program that's way ahead of Photoshop to me--it suggests a program that's way behind.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    6. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They were saying "use any window manager you want as long as it supports feature X or Y" - a far more reasonable request.

      What if feature X or Y drives the user fricking insane?

      The first time I used a Unix workstation 20 years ago, I was appalled by the focus-follows-mouse misfeature. It turns moving your mouse into navigating a minefield. Luckily, more sane desktop environments have been developed in the decades since.

      I will never, ever enable focus-follows mouse. Nor will the vast majority of the population. I would switch to Microsoft Windows rather than suffer such abuse from a window manager. So the request is *not* reasonable.

    7. Re:Smartest workflow move ....ever! by GooberToo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I was appalled by the focus-follows-mouse misfeature.

      Oddly, what you're calling a misfeature is what many would call click-to-focus. Click to focus needless requires extra clicking. Now do keep in mind there is a difference between raise on focus and focus follows mouse. I hate raise on focus but focus follows mouse is extremely superior to click-to-focus. Why? Because click-to-focus needlessly forces you to waste screen real estate when referencing one screen and inputting on another. This is even more so as you continue to add more and more references screens.

      Like many technology related issues, many times is a case of what's different is bad or ugly. You were likely taught to use a computer with click-to-focus and therefore anything which is not that is bad. But once you get used to it, the click-to-focus style of using interfaces, assuming the interface is designed to work with it (*cough* no windows *cough*), anything else sucks and sucks badly.

      So if you enjoy needlessly clicking for the sake of needlessly clicking, then by all means continue to use click-to-focus. But for those of us that enjoy fewer clicks and higher efficiency of interface, you'll not want to go back to the insanity which is click-to-focus.

      I guess if you're one of those users who maximizes every window and never multi-tasks, then there is nothing wrong with click-to-focus. But if not, you need to give it a try for a week or two and you'll be wondering what the heck you were thinking. Of course, this assumes you're not using Windows, which is specifically designed to break focus follows mouse behavior. There, its usable but IMO, a wash because of Windows' UI behaviors.

  2. Re:I really hate the GIMP UI changes. by Ivan+Stepaniuk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The fact that you use focus-follows-mouse notes that you have a very special taste regarding GUI. Photoshop changed too, more or less in the same direction (less little windows floating all over)

    --
    My other signature is a car
  3. Who cares about UI, but 16 bit per color... by tapanitarvainen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Me, I don't care much about the UI - I'll get used to whatever way it goes. The significant change, to me, is left at the very end of the article: GEGL and proper high-bit-depth color support it brings.

  4. Forget the UI, change the name by Culture20 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, this is *that* post. Just trying to keep it fresh in your mind. I use the GNU Image Manipulation Program all the time, and internally, I call it GIMP, and amongst friends in the know, I call it GIMP, but amongst people who are new to FOSS, I usually make an effort to use the full name. Every once in a while, I forget, and most people associate GIMP or "The GIMP" with Pulp Fiction these days, or worse, they've never seen Pulp Fiction because they would be offended by it, but they still know "The GIMP" through cultural allusions to that character, and thus are offended by any reference to GIMP.

    Hell, I'd even take GIMPY (the GNU Image Manipulation Program for You), since that evokes a different, albeit still negative, emotional response.

    The best suggestion I've heard is just drop GNU or make GNU separate from the acronym: IMP, GNU IMP.