On Thursday 26 August 2010 20:52:03 Thomas Pfeiffer wrote:
> > That is not really the case. The tool is used to manipulate a
> > gradient/pattern. The docker is used to selected a predefined
> > patterns/gradient/color. So It you just want to select a different
> > predefined gradient this is something which can be done in the docker.
> 
> This is why I originally favored the docker. But we should not separate
> choosing and manipulating a gradient/pattern.

Both the gradient tool and the pattern too have a specialized tool option 
docker for their handling.

> > > The original decision to have tools for gradient and pattern but not
> > > for color (as is the case now) actually precisely follows the mantra
> > > "Only use tools for on-canvas manipulation"). However for the user,
> > > the relation between color, gradient and pattern is obviously more
> > > prominent than the distinction between doing and not doing on-canvas
> > > manipulation and thus users are looking for a way to change colors in
> > > the same place as they found tools to change gradient and background.
> > 
> > From my experience most people find first the docker to change the
> > gradient or a color. It mostly takes them some time to find out how to
> > manipulate a gradient or a pattern.
> 
> So, new suggestion:
> - If the user clicks the Whatever-Tool (we should at least find a working
> title soon), the "styles" docker is automatically displayed.

How about a styles tool as working title.

> - The docker can also be displayed manually.
> - We can decide application by application if we display the docker by
> default or not, depending on how often it is used in that application.
> - When the user clicks "gradient" or "pattern" in the docker, the tool is
> automatically activated and the user can modify the gradient or pattern.
> When the user hits "Esc", selection mode is activated.
> 
> Would that be technically possible?
> This would allow users to choose their preferred method. I normally would
> not recommend this as it doesn't help the separation of tools and dockers,
> but in this case since both typical docker actions (selecting a
> color/gradient/pattern and typical tool actions (manipulating the
> gradient/pattern) are involved, we might have to accept a compromise.

I like the idea as it enables both types of working. 

I thing it would be good to combine the two tools. There are some points which 
I think should be discussed before starting to work on the topic:

- Would the tool either work on a gradient or pattern depending on what is 
used on a shape?
- What whould happen if there is a gradient forground and a pattern background 
would it be possible to edit both at the same time?
- How would you handle the different tool options that are shown when the 
gradient tool/pattern tool is selected?

> The only critical point usability-wise I see here is the third one, but I
> suppose changing the tool back to selection on Escape should ease it. This,
> by the way, is something I strongly recommend as general behavior: Hitting
> Escape should generally change back to the selection tool (or whatever the
> default tool for an application is) so that users who accidentally find
> themselves in the wrong "mode" can easily return to a "save haven".

That is already implemented like that.

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