Not obvious that mid markers only draw at nodes

[Kierano]

Currently (version 0.45), mid markers only seem to draw at nodes. (I don't
recall this happening in previous versions.)

This has the effect that, when the line is a simple straight line (ie: only
2 nodes), mid markers get drawn at the end node. This means that now,
straight lines with mid markers cannot be drawn.

For now, the workaround to create a straight line with a mid marker is to
create an extra node midway along the line (and hope the line stays
straight). This is a problem for connectors, however, which get transformed
back into 2-node straight lines whenever the shapes they connect are
moved.

This also means that lines made up of multiple bezier curves end up with
many mid markers, when (as in my case) only one was desired, since these
were arrowheads.

Suggested solution:

Provide the option of choosing between having mid markers bound to nodes or
a single marker at the mid-point of the line.

If I recall, the mid-marker-in-middle-of-line functionality existed in
previous versions, so could probably be revived?

[Peter Moulder (pjrm)]

Originator: NO

Not a bug: Inkscape is merely providing an interface to SVG markers, and
the behaviour described seems to match what the SVG spec says of mid
markers: http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/painting.html#MarkerProperties

[Granted, the markers part of the SVG spec really sucks, rarely providing
what people want for arrowheads or mid markers.]

It's not true that straight lines with mid markers cannot be drawn: just
add a node to the middle of the line, e.g. by choosing Node tool and
clicking the plus button at the left of the node commands toolbar. The
newly-created node is placed half way between the two end nodes, which is
conveniently exactly where one would expect a mid marker to be placed.

If SVG mid markers don't do what you want, then try either using dashes
(perhaps two lines superimposed where one has a wider stroke width and is
dashed) or manually placing the adornments you want.

[Murray Cumming (murrayc)]

This bug should be reopened because obviously this should be made clearer in the UI, at least via a tooltip, and possibly by warning when specifying a mid-marker for a path that can't possibly show one. This must confuse most people. You can't just tell people to read the SVG spec.

I would like to reopen this bug and change the title of this bug to "Not obvious that mid markers only draw at nodes" but I can't see how to do either of those things.

[Murray Cumming (murrayc)]

I figured out how to reopen the bug but I can't retitle it.

[ScislaC (scislac)]

I have the tooltips in my current checkout and it will be added in an upcoming commit.

[ScislaC (scislac)]

Now in SVN