Slashdot Mirror
GIMP Core Mostly Ported to GEGL
A longstanding task for the GIMP has been porting the core graphics code from the ancient implementation (dating back to version 1.2) to GEGL. Progress has been hampered by the amount of code relying on details of the implementation of image data: tiles are directly accessed instead of linear buffers, and changing that detail would break the entire core and all plugins. A few weeks ago, two GIMP hackers got together to do some general hacking, and inadvertedly ported the core graphics code to GEGL. They work around the mismatch between GEGL buffers and GIMP tiles by implementing a storage backend for GEGL using the legacy GIMP tiles; to their surprise things Just Worked (tm), and their code branch will become the 2.9 development series once 2.8 is released. With this, 2.10 will finally feature higher bit depth images, additional color spaces (CMYK for one), and hardware accelerated image operations. There's still work to be done: to take advantage of the new features, plugins need to be ported to access GEGL buffers instead of GIMP tiles, but the conversion work is straightforward and current plugins will continue working as well as they do now in the meantime.
You have a pretty low UID; when's the last time you read up on GIMP development? 2002? I think most of the items you mentioned are being addressed right now in various ways.
Probably not to your satisfaction, though.
Being address and have been address are sometimes very distant things.
EA David Gardner -"... but the consumers have proven that actually what they want is fun."
My sentiments are somewhat similar to the poster above, although a bit less... aggravated.
This sounds like a "cool hack". Which, .. ya know.. is "cool" an all... but usually not a good idea for a major piece of software such as GIMP.
IFF what they're describing is some kind of transition phase, where it allows dual-mode backend sort of stuff, and a concrete plan of action to eventually port all existing (standard) plugins to the newer methods, and then DITCH the old way.... then great.
But otherwise, having heavily layered interface/mechanics conversion code, is a Really Really bad idea. The bigger the software, the worse idea it is. It would be better to just toss it all out and start from scratch, if this is going to be an indefinitely lived hack.
The user interface wasn't the problem. It was fixed in 2.0. A lot of what was hampering the gimp was the lack of support for larger bit depths and support for non-destructive editing.
The problem is not Features, but finding them.
This is what I often do in photo shop.
Take Basic Shape, Rotate it, Apply Color, Apply a Texture, Bevel, and Apply Shadow, Create a new layer and repeat.
I can do this stuff easier in HTML5 then in GIMP.
It isn't that this cannot be done in GIMP but it doesn't make it easy to do so.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
They fooled me with that a decade ago.
Nowadays, Gimp is a living reference for how the stubborn douchiness of programmers can make a project irrelevent, when it was once promising.
The user interface wasn't the problem. It was fixed in 2.0. A lot of what was hampering the gimp was the lack of support for larger bit depths and support for non-destructive editing.
Just loaded GIMP 2.6 - and I'll tell ya' it's not fixed. it's still a hairy mess to figure out. Though has been reported they are working on a new interface (one more Photoshop like); but I don't know the status or what version it was to come out in.
Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. - Elvis Presley (source: imdb.com)
But three things a man wishes to do but once in his lifetime come as naturally as the morning sun. This is the tao of GIMP.
While we are first at it, how is the 32/24-bit support for the images? I mean.... for so long, the 16-bit limitation has been a serious disadvantage.
Things GIMP needs to do:
1. 32-bit support for images
2. Buildt inn Normal Map plugin
3. Buildt inn direct X image support, patents be damned
4. Finally finish of the fight with the monster GEGL, how many years has it been? For a saga, a few months is ok, but not years.
I use GIMP all the time and love it, but the multi window interface still drives me insane. I have heard for ages they are working on single window tabbed version, but I will believe it when I see it.
Of course, you're the same guy who expected reasonable discussion after posting, in all caps, "2.10 IS NOT HIGHER THAN 2.9" to end your post.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
Which I assume you mean ``do things exactly like Photoshop''. That's what most people critical of the GIMP mean when they want something changed. (And, frankly, it's getting more than a little old.)
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
The original GIMP UI was a photoshop ripoff IIRC. "Too hard". The next UI was something windows-ish "too hard". Now idiots are trying to get gimp single windowed. (WTF? Lots of people have multi-monitor setups these days. And when was single window ever good since windows 3.1? )
I have a feeling most people who can't use GIMP probably can't use Photoshop either. (I've used both, and many other bitmap/photo editors besides, and really don't get what all the hubbub is about. )
Most people who are educated enough to read and write also have enough experience with their language to cope with the existence of homonyms, and not be compelled to associate a term only to one particular thing when the context is obviously referring to something else that only happens to share the same spelling.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
This is a problem that we have in Inkscape as well. I would say that in general, people are excited and motivated to add new functionality. The problem is that it's not nearly as satisfying when it comes to refining and bug fixing for most devs when it's all volunteer work.
ART on dA
This should be the only objective for 2.10 other than bug-fixing the single window interface which debuts in 2.8. They should get feedback on the UI, tweak a few things (not rework them) go full GEGL and get 2.10 out the door ASAP. The 2.8 is going to get a lot of people to look at it again, but when the features of GEGL are found to be missing they'll walk away AGAIN and it will be some time before they check in again. So let's not advertise 2.8 so much, but hurry with 2.10 and then make a push for people to switch.
No, it really isn't. I want a piece of software with a simpler interface that Photoshop. Not much more complex and a hell of a lot more ugly. Do better than Photoshop, that's what the people want.
I use GIMP all the time and love it, but the multi window interface still drives me insane.
The GIMP is designed to work well with quality window managers. I, for one am glad that they cater to people who understand that X11 provides the best GUI.
SJW n. One who posts facts.
Agreed. When Microsoft can figure out an easy way to handle spanning single windows across multiple monitors, then I wouldn't mind a single application window space. But, for now, I am very pleased I can move my tools to one monitor (and any reference sources) while I work on my main image on another monitor.
Single Window GUI (SDI) is terrible in photoshop.
Have you ever heard about window managers? What manages windows (not Microsoft Windows) for you?
Have you ever heard that you can attach multiple displays to your computer and that your working speed improves with it?
I can not find the slashdot article about multi-screen efficiency but http://www.multiplemonitors.org/index.php/multiple-monitor-solution/multi-advantages says it is 20-50% overall improvement and that is what I remember from slashdot discussion of different study as well.
At that point, you want just to have MDI = every image as own window and tools in own window. Then you can use window manager to actually manage your windows so you quickly find what you need and you can see all of them at glance, get them in full screen and tools pop-up only when needed by pressing a TAB. You can organize images to second screen or make a duplicates of images and place them to side by side to compare when you want to have a new try of something fancy without undoing everything if it isn't successful.
Since GIMP 2.3 development branch the UI has been very powerful and logical. Much better than in Adobe Photoshop what is illogical but works for those who have born with knowledge to use it. That is one reason why Adobe went and made a Adobe Lightroom for photographers because Adobe Photoshop was designed to totally different work than for photographers. And even Adobe has said that Photoshop UI is terrible and needs tweaking as now it is "one for all" what does not fit at all for everyone, but they need "one for one, everyone gets own". And now they are coming there with customization possibilities per user needs.
http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2007/11/photoshop_as_seen_through_johnny_cash.html http://slashdot.org/story/07/11/09/0226215/adobe-to-unclutter-photoshop-ui
So go and get yourself a good window manager (like KWin) so you can get functions like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktTNcj0fAM4 and virtual desktops and so on.