Hi,
I have been trying to speed paint in Krita, and the Alpha version is really fast. Precision for brushes is great.
Altho I find myself making too many clicks which I think cud be avoided.
So I have put together a list of Ui and other features which might improve speed and some functionality.

Krita cud use two dialogs

* Change Brush Tip Dialog

This one is basically the same as selecting brush tip from Predefined Brushes but with bigger preview size and also is a seperate window. So If I select a preset with the settings that I want, then I can quickly change just the tip without going into the Brush Settings window.

* Small Brush Settings Dialog


This one collects all the useful settings about brushes in one window. At least the precision slider shud be global, which applies to all brushes. Dont know if the other settings need to be global, kinda defeats the point of 'Presets'.
Also very useful radio buttons for Wash and BuildUp are important as these features are hiddesn in the Brush settings window currently, takes a while to find them. Some brush engines dont have these options and maybe when the Smudge brush is selected the same window can show, Dulling and Smear, for the Duplicate brush two options and so forth.


* View menu cud show these options


* Bigger colors boxes, right now the ones are too small.


* The icons have too much space between them. I cant switch to smaller icons to save space. Layer window, Toolbars, and Statusbar can have smaller sizes. Statusbar can surely be cut to half size.

Other changes cud be useful

* To change brush size B+Drag instead Shift+Drag and Shift+Draw temporarily draws straight lines.
* Right Click popup shud be configurable to Show Presets, Show BrushTip Only or Show Small Brush Settings.
* Specific Color Selector shud remember last selected settings. I have to change to Lab everytime.
* Flip Image Vertically
* Navigator Preview
* Tabbed Files instead of new Krita instance
* Lock docked windows
* Loading of brush groups, so I can append or replace a group, like Photoshop. I havent tried to tag brushes yet, dont know if that is better.
* Guides and please allow to draw them outside image area in the padding zone. Very useful when plotting perspective lines.
* Photoshop has a feature where it updates brush stroke in full detail only on release. Increases speed on big files a lot. Cant remember what its called.
* Convert Layer to Normal (from MyPaint)
* Shortcuts for Wash and BuildUp toggle, To move Layers Up/Down in layers window,

Hope this helps.

Hi,

Good review. A bit a big block , but I can understand.
I read it all, and agree on most ( I also see you came from Photoshop )
Here is my comments, as I speedpaint also .

(edit : I tryed to 'quote' and comment each one of your point. It might be really long. And also the forum CSS style don't really help. 'Quote' block spacing are really not well made, it's hard to see what I reply to what.... bleee.... )

* Change Brush Tip Dialog
http://s20.postimage.org/wk46i37wd/brush_Tip.png

Yes, a docker for changing the bitmap brushmask would help for sure during speedpainting.
For the moment, I workaround here with creating many preset using bitmap brushmask ( http://www.davidrevoy.com/article123/krita-brushkit-v2 )

* Small Brush Settings Dialog
http://s20.postimage.org/dqidl39od/brush_Settings.png

Good idea. I had same request last month with a 'rotation' wheel using this widget.

the precision slider shud be global

I agree, and the option should be in the same area than the 'assistant' or 'line smoothing'.
Brushing large area at a start of a painting with precision to 1 or 2 would make sens, while finishing with precision 5.

* View menu cud show these options
http://s20.postimage.org/5dha45zuh/view_Menu.png

True, I understand user would might want to hide or activate those GUI part from the 'View' menu.

* Bigger colors boxes, right now the ones are too small.
http://s20.postimage.org/ypyhclbct/color_Box.png

Yes, a better 'active' color feedback would be nice.
I also added today this bug/wish : https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=316983 , to got a global color-picker from here.
( this picture tell more about it : http://bugsfiles.kde.org/attachment.cgi?id=78178 )

* The icons have too much space between them. Statusbar can surely be cut to half size.
http://s20.postimage.org/5c7caqy0t/layer_Icons.png

Yep, GUI dead space is really a topic I also think. This concern many docker, and mainly vertical space, more rare on 16:9 or 16:10 display.
For ex : I like the way the 'advanced color selector' is compact, and make all the button/option behind a modal preferences windows ( after clicking the top-left wrench icon ) . I wish for exemple that preset docker had similar way : all tag management + import ressources + GHNS and option on a separate 'preset docker option' windows, and only usefull thumbnails while working.

* To change brush size B+Drag instead Shift+Drag and Shift+Draw temporarily draws straight lines.

The shift key to brush size is one of the particularity of Krita against other standard. It's true the line tool/action is on shift on ALL other apps ( from Ps, Mypaint, Gimp, etc... )

* Right Click popup shud be configurable to Show Presets, Show BrushTip Only or Show Small Brush Settings.

'Show brushtip' is aprobably not the right behavior if brushtip refer to bitmap brushmask.
If the effect wanted is a similar design as in Photoshop , showing a list of 'preset' might be a better option.
I agree with the fact a mini 'brush setting' combined with would look good.
on other thinking :
Who use anyway the right-click for color changer ( in the middle of the circle ) ? its way too little. Maybe reducing the history color to lines would let the color selector more space.

* Specific Color Selector shud remember last selected settings. I have to change to Lab everytime.

Agree.

* Flip Image Vertically

True, I add the issue while wanting to check this. I workaround with rotating to 180° , then mirror.

* Navigator Preview

A "bird overview" of the current canvas is my n°1 request of the moment.
But only as a preview. I don't think navigating using a docker like this is a good habit.

* Tabbed Files instead of new Krita instance

I agree on it, but I don't think it might happen one day. The full design of Krita is made this way.
I also dislike that the ressources are not shared on the windows. When I have 5 artworks opened, I can't fix them using the same new brush I just made.
I have to save it as a preset , close them all , reopen , and for each instance select the right color, and right preset. On a multipage project as the one I made here
http://www.davidrevoy.com/article161/le ... eron-rouge it was really really annoying. Same for the various storyboard I made.
A workaround solution still in dev about it is the 'flipbook'.

* Lock docked windows

why not, but having the 'save workspace' make me not really mind to mess up my docker disposition.

* Loading of brush groups, so I can append or replace a group, like Photoshop. I havent tried to tag brushes yet, dont know if that is better.

I think tagged ressources are better than having a ressource manager where you append large set of bitmap brushmask.
But the current way is difficult ( and it is for all ressources in Krita ) : Tag words are invisible , so you have to remember the tag keyword you entered, and you have to enter tag by hand, witch is a lot of work.
My old 2011 wish request confirmed is here https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=287743 to solve that.
if a list would allow you to switch from : 'tree' group , to 'texture' group, to 'rocks' group ; I think it would be faster than import/export bitmap ressources.

* Guides and please allow to draw them outside image area in the padding zone. Very useful when plotting perspective lines.

I use connected ruler assistant for that. Works quite well to find vanishing point : connected lines can be moved together.
http://wstaw.org/m/2013/03/18/2013-03-1 ... hot_07.jpg
Then I trace with the line tool my grid on a layer from the point.

* Convert Layer to Normal (from MyPaint)

yes, I also like this trick for layer with a blending mode.
The workaround for the moment is to select opaque of the layer with the blending mode ; hide the layer, Ctrl+Shift+C then Ctrl+V to copy the layer stack, then merge down the layer with blending mode on the background layer newly created.

* Shortcuts for Wash and BuildUp toggle

Can't see the point of this one. For my opinion ; BuildUp is a bit outdated since the Wash method for Pixel Brush got 'Flow'.

* Shortcuts to move Layers Up/Down in layers window

Agree. Page up / and Page Down select the layers . I would suggest Shift+PageUp , and Shift+PageDown for moving them.




To conclude:
Too many features request at once is probably hard to motivate development team.
Just reading the full page is probably a long exercice few of us will do.
Filling bug-report as 'wish' on the case by case might be a better way to get the items on a sort of To-Do list, and also keep them on the stat. Because as it is now, on a forum thread, it might be forgotten in 1 or 2 month. Filling all as bug items might feel a bit long and complicated to do ; but it's nothing compare to all the time developpers invest in it. https://bugs.kde.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=krita

Anyway, thanks a lot for the feedback !

(I will try to make this reply short.)
I know this forum feels limited. I cant find a quick way to go back to Krita main-forum from, lets say Krita Gallery. But I like the look and feel, its clean. Minimalist is also probably good.
Photoshop gets many things right, I think. Some time back I read a post from John Nack (adobe product manager). about minmizing clicks in an interface. He mentioned that out of all the settings programmers can code only a few useful ones show up in the brush dynamics dialog.
http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/

Krita is under active dev. which is great and progressive changes are really good. While using it for some time I felt some things cud be dug out of the settings window and also some shortcuts wud speed things up so much.
So just thot I shud throw this out there and if theres enuf requests for similar stuff then it wud get implemented.

Deevad wrote:I agree, and the option should be in the same area than the 'assistant' or 'line smoothing'.
Brushing large area at a start of a painting with precision to 1 or 2 would make sens, while finishing with precision 5.

* So true.

Deevad wrote:I also added today this bug/wish : https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=316983 , to got a global color-picker from here.

* I think a dialog like this showed up in one Krita version I had installed. I think from the regular repos, not backports.

Deevad wrote:Yep, GUI dead space is really a topic I also think. This concern many docker, and mainly vertical space, more rare on 16:9 or 16:10 display.

* I agree completely, I hope they add options for smaller icons and some Big brush previews soon. A docker settings window is also a good idea.

Deevad wrote:Who use anyway the right-click for color changer ( in the middle of the circle ) ? its way too little. Maybe reducing the history color to lines would let the color selector more space.

* Exactly, who uses that small selector. Its never used by me.

Deevad wrote:if a list would allow you to switch from : 'tree' group , to 'texture' group, to 'rocks' group ; I think it would be faster than import/export bitmap ressources.

* You are right Tagging is better, it works sweetly in Gimp.

Deevad wrote:I use connected ruler assistant for that. Works quite well to find vanishing point : connected lines can be moved together.

* Wow, I did not know about this at all. Thanks solves a big thing.

Deevad wrote:The workaround for the moment is to select opaque of the layer with the blending mode ; hide the layer, Ctrl+Shift+C then Ctrl+V to copy the layer stack, then merge down the layer with blending mode on the background layer newly created.

* I will try that, I kept opening MyPaint for that one thing.

Deevad wrote:For my opinion ; BuildUp is a bit outdated since the Wash method for Pixel Brush got 'Flow'.

* i rarely switch as well, I think I might use it more frequently if it was quickly accessible. If its outdated, then no problem, Wash works great.

I will add the wishes as bugs, soon.
As far as the rest of the things you said I have similar thots.
Thanks for the detailed read and response.

* Change Brush Tip Dialog

I don't think that is the way to go. If you bring the brush tips to preset level, you would almost create a second preset category. There are some interaction problem as you don't have a 1:1 match between presets and tips. Krita by design doesn't even know if a brush uses a tip or not.

* Small Brush Settings Dialog

Doesn't really work. Only the autobrush settings are somewhat small enough to fit into a docker. Beside that it would mean a lot of extra work to keep small versions for all these widgets. Precision can't be a global setting as it doesn't apply to all the brushes.

* View menu cud show these options

There is the canvas-only action, which can be configured in the setting.

* Bigger colors boxes, right now the ones are too small.

Funny things is that it was actually supposed to be removed and only parked there until we find a replacement If you make it bigger like that, many people will think that it's broken (we already had it looking that way before).

* The icons have too much space between them. I cant switch to smaller icons to save space. Layer window, Toolbars, and Statusbar can have smaller sizes. Statusbar can surely be cut to half size.

Yeah, the statusbar used to be smaller not sure what cause the increase. I will check that. The toolbar and layer box buttons could be smaller, but you save almost no space by making them smaller. We could give it a shot though.

* To change brush size B+Drag instead Shift+Drag and Shift+Draw temporarily draws straight lines.

Shift for brush size is now pretty much standard in Krita. In the future there will be some configuration option for these shortcuts. Beside that the brush tool doesn't even have lines yet.

* Right Click popup shud be configurable to Show Presets, Show BrushTip Only or Show Small Brush Settings.

Unlikely to happen. The all the brushes are just plugins so the application itself doesn't even know about tips or setting. Could be solved, but I doubt it would be worth the effort.

* Specific Color Selector shud remember last selected settings. I have to change to Lab everytime.

Yep, currently is will default to the colorspace that you selected for the image.

* Flip Image Vertically

Yeah, funny that it didn't come up so far.

* Navigator Preview

Already planned for some time now.

* Tabbed Files instead of new Krita instance

Can't be done with the current system. That's part of a larger rewrite that's currently in the early stages.

* Lock docked windows

Could be added, but I would give that a low priority.

* Loading of brush groups, so I can append or replace a group, like Photoshop. I havent tried to tag brushes yet, dont know if that is better.

Might come with a better resource management. We just need someone to work on that

* Photoshop has a feature where it updates brush stroke in full detail only on release. Increases speed on big files a lot. Cant remember what its called.

The "Draw freehand path tool" does that.

Hi slangkamp

Thanks for clearing a lot of things.

About Change Brush Tip Dialog, I used the wrong words when I say ChangeBrush tip dialog I meant the Predefined Brushes Window that already exists. Sorry.
I see what you mean, it gets confusing in Gimp sometimes. Can we have bigger preview size options for the Predefined Brushes and also tagging like Gimp, if I make a folder in brushes folder, Gimp reads it as a tag after restart.

I only use the brushes that have the precision setting and the sketch brush.

I get it, Devs gotta have priorities.
Nice to know a lot of the things are already on the radar, so these features will emerge in time.

Sweet.

I must be the only one using the color selector inside the palette =(, it is small, but helps me get a close enough color quickly.

as for the thread proposition most of them are coming as a necessity as I progress in using the software.

I think bigger color boxes is needed. They could be a little overlapped as the ones in the gimp or photoshop. Probably making them bigger inside the toolbar is prone to look awkward. Currently I'm using "Art. color selection" docker to aid me in seeing the current fg and bg colors.

A "bird overview" of the current canvas is my n°1 request of the moment.
But only as a preview. I don't think navigating using a docker like this is a good habit.

+1 on this. Maybe we could have a shortcut like "fit to window" but something like "fit to 1/8 of window".
----------------

Convert Layer to Normal (from MyPaint)

That would be nice, @Deevad workaround somehow works, but not quite.

Great summary btw monkeyPlanet

With regards to forum navigation - you can find a show on hover breadcrumb at the bottom of the page.

Thanks ghevan, I am looking at your work, I like it.
For me the palette selector is too small and also not accurate, I have set Spacebar for Show Color Selector pop-up.
Art color Sel. is a good idea, I have scaled it really small and disabled the colour wheel. Works great as a color box.
Also for predefined brushes I am using desktop zoom in KDE. Bit weird but I am used to it now.

I think if more people support a certain UI brainstrom then it might get implemented. A UI brainstorm wiki or blog for Krita wud be a good idea.
No harm in letting users throw interface ideas. Not everything has to added in Krita only the supported ideas.
Also it will be in one place on the net.


Thanks a lot bcooksley
Found it. I kept looking for it at the top.

I wouldn't mind a ui brainstorm thread at all -- we'd have to have some basic rules, like one idea per post, and mockup or screenie included. We could even open a different section in the forum for it.

Well, it's a bit complicated. UI suggestions can range from the tiny (make x button bigger) to the enormous ("hey guys I think I've figured out a comprehensive UI for animation in Krita!" <- didn't happen yet but who knows?) to the theoritical "I want all strokes to be editable, can you do that?" ( <- if I remember, it actually could be possible, but perhaps not with existing engines?)

There could be pre-made thread for specific categories, like:
- Minor interface improvements
- Brush engines suggestions
- Resource management
- Color choosers
- Selections
- Guides/Assistants
- Vectors
- Text
- Animation
- Whatever

The advantage of this way of presenting things is that users will have to scroll through older suggestions from that category, but may pick up ideas from there and will not post redundant ideas. I'm not sure it's the best presentation though.

A different section in the forum wud be great. Also after looking at Mypaint and Gimp brainstorm blog/wiki I agree with valerievk to have pre-made thread for specific categories.The Gimp blog has a good rules section. I have put together a sample text ( pulled mostly from GImp and Mypaint blog/wik) altho I dont know Krita well enough to work on the categories.

This page is dedicated to main interface ideas for Krita. When you add your ideas, please focus on visual mock-ups and their discussion. Also check the Mypaint and GIMP UI brainstorm for inspiration.We will keep an eye on what you show us and broaden our horizons.

How to show support :
If you like an idea , look through the forum for the last post where the idea was supported and then make a post with
'previousNo' + 1 'ideaName' where 'previousNo' is the number from last supported post and you add 1 to it in your post.

For e.g.
8 Make Pop-corn docker
(from last post will become)

9 Make Pop-corn docker
(in your post)

This way the developers can keep a count of support for an idea and know which ones are required by users.

We have some rules :
* Have a short sensible name for your Idea
The name might get changed later but add one in your post so users can show support.
* One idea for one name
Keep your posts and ideas organized and make a new name for your suggestion. Look through the forum to see if that name has been used before.
* Use proper jargon
Like all software Krita has its names for features and windows. Be aware of them and explain clearly which feature goes where.
* Mock-ups , Screenshots or Sketches
Explain your idea in an image or two. Make sure any needed explanation is inside them. Your images should show your idea in a clear way, but they don’t have to be glossy and polished. Plain vector drawings or even scanned pencil sketches should also work. Be careful not to put copyrighted material in them.
* Type some text
Use some text to explain your idea. Keep it short, point out what is innovative.
* No links to blog posts
Please take some time to make a post here so all ideas at are one place on the net. Don't just link to a blog post where you explain you idea

Sounds good to me.