[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    *BIG* Krayon commit ready for you
From:       John Califf <jcaliff () compuzone ! net>
Date:       2000-11-17 15:36:31
[Download RAW message or body]

Things are getting better and better, and went much more quickly than I
thought.  So, I made the big commit early this morning.  There are no
problems with tiles.  Tiles are just fine and easily translate to
continuous scanlines.  The methods were there all along, just not well
documented, or I was too dense to notice.
 
Please check out what is now in cvs koffice/kimageshop/ and will be in
the snapshopts tomorrow.  This is a KILLER app for kde.  How can I say
that at this early stage, with so much still to do?  Just check it out
and see for yourself.  If has that feel, and will assuredly knock G***
off its perch and be something like Deluxe Paint was for Amiga years
ago.  A tool that artists and desigers will love to use.  Even though
there is really only one drawing tool so far, don't be fooled.  It's
subtle - praise due to the original authors.   Just by messing around
with layers, opacity and so forth you can alredy do some neat things,
without having to read a 300 page book or download a 25 meg. version of
a book.
 
Here are some things you can do right now:
 
*load and save in native .kis format fully 32 bit with layers and
channels
 
*import any image format supported by Qt, including indexed, and work on
it in Krayon.  note- you must first open a native image, like a blank
canvas, and then import into it right now.  You can't immediately open
in a foreign format but that will be easy to add later.
 
*open or add or create any number of images for a single document each
of which has any number of layers.  The current image you save becomes
the "document" in koffice jargon.  Yes you can do that.  There are tabs
like a tabbed notebook that let you switch among images.
 
*export to any image format supported by Qt.  Only currently visible
layers are exported, as in G***, I think.
 
*use some simple tools like brushes and eraser.
 
*split view, magnify, etc., with each view at different zoom.  Nice
scrolling. Rulers.
 
*reposition layers in an intuitive way. Hide, show and merge layers,
etc.  Use the layers tab on sidepanel - right click for detail menu. 
You can hide/show sidepanel to make more room or access sidebar
gimmicks.
 
*nice color selectors - grayscale or RGB(A).  Provision is made for a
number of different color modes using channels but these are not
all implemented yet - just RGB(A) and Gray.
 
*select area.  (Cut, copy and paste is not usable yet, but is
coming).
 
*note: there are no templates yet.  You always open new or open an
existing .kis image when the template splash comes up, for now.  You can
open any size image, but each image you open subsequently can be a
different size, as you choose, in the tabbed view.
 
Of course many things are incomplete, but I've tried to disable menu
items for things that are not ready and I've provided some message boxes
as pseudo help to point to other things.  Amazingly, this app is stable
and not easy to crash.  I'd say it's more stable than the mature koffice
apps right now.  Of course it will get unstable during transitional
phases when new things are added.  There are also a few glitches with
display and gui but don't be too hard on them.  You might occasionally
need to click on the image to refresh, etc.  Or just touch a scroll bar
to refresh.
 
This a very different app from what it was after my last commit a month
ago.  It should draw people. I need help, especially with
documentation.  There is no good reason now why this app can't be
compiled by default in KOffice by late December, with the help of just a
few people on some things.  As features are added, it will get better
and better, but is already useful if you are creative and experimental
in spirit.

I'm very sleepy now and will make an announcement at dot.kde.org,
probably on Sunday, and put some nice screenshots and blurbs up on my
home page. The screenshots are impressive.  I can be diplomatic enough
without supervision.  Why did I say otherwise?
 
Installing:
 
You will have to compile and install separately from the rest of KOffice
for now. After doing the normal configure for koffice, the kimageshop or
krayon makefiles should be generated, but are not compiled by default
from the top directory.  Cd to kimageshop, make and make install.
That's it.  It should show up with other Koffice apps in kicker menu.

There have been problems lately with all koffice apps in that mimetypes
aren't getting registered.  I've posted a solution to this problem
numerous times, and David Faure can help.  It's a common code/ksycoca
problem.  It may be fixed by now, but someone can help if the app won't
start for this reason. I've not had the problem on my box lately, but
others have.

Tomorrow I will update everything from cvs on my own box and test some
more just to make sure that it compiles and runs from the cvs version,
and if it doesn't, will fix it quickly. Don't flame me too hard for
being human or being personal.
 
One keeps repeating the same old mistakes for ages, but nobody is alone
in that.
 
John
 
>> Visit http://master.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]