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List:       koffice-devel
Subject:    Re: Future (KIllustrator, Karbon)
From:       Cristian Tibirna <tibirna () kde ! org>
Date:       2001-06-08 2:15:52
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On Thursday 07 June 2001 09:32, Lenny wrote:
> After finishing my degree i had a bit time again to work on karbon. In
> these screen-stots
> http://www.kudling.de/kde/karbon1.png
> http://www.kudling.de/kde/karbon2.png
> you can see proof-of-concept-implementation (meaning: it works but
> isn't optimized at all) of 2 (out of hundrets of) issues which i don't
> like about KIllustrator:
> a) dont scale handels while zooming

Excellent. This is definitely needed. The way it is now done in killustrator 
isn't proper

> b) ellipses and rectangles and stars and any-shape-you-can-think-of... are
> just paths and not special in any way.

This is one *opinionated* way of seeing things. KIllustrator's (and Corel's 
for that matter) is another. Nobody will be able to say which is better. But 
I'm sure *both* are useful and *can* be accomodated in the same program. 
Like, e.g.  Corel has a feature that lets the designer to convert a circle 
(defined by Corel's usual center-and-ray structure) into a path, exactly how 
you depict it in your screenshot. KIllustrator attempts to offer this too, 
but right now, turning a circle into a path requires 30 seconds on a rather 
fast machine, blocks KIllu's GUI for the mean time and it ends into a huge 
number of nodes plastered on the circle.

The center-and-ray structure has a nice advantage when you want to simply 
open the circle (transform it into an arc or a sector). The path structure 
has the obvious advantage of fine editing possibilities.

But I doubt that these two modes are exclusive, I'd say they're complementary.

> I think now it's the right time (before i start to implement a gui and
> all these nasty algorithms) to think about this:
> should we merge karbon and killustrator or should we go seperate ways?

And here it comes what I had in mind when I was elaborating too much 
here-above: I believe karbon and killustrator should be merged. killustrator 
has the user base and the rather large feature selection, karbon has your 
very nice and new code and the potential to bring to the reunited app a 
devoted maintainer. Which would be great for KOffice in general.

> The core-question is: "is KIllustrator meant to be a basic vector app or
> an app with advanced features which i _need_?"

The features _you_ need aren't exclusive to what _people_ need :-) So, as 
long as the reuniting of the apps will result in something better, with which 
even more people will find their needs fulfilled, I don't see what would be 
the argument in going the split way.

> I would be more than happy to put my energy into KIllustrator, but i won't
> if certain dogmas/implementation are not wished to be changed.

The key word is *collaboration* I believe that it was already proven in our 
community, that no dogma/idea/religious belief is closed for discussion as 
long as we remain reasonable and good-willing and focused.

Lenny, thanks a lot for your great efforts and I hope you will decide for the 
best.

CT
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