gradients being auto-removed among other problems

[insaner]

using r11729,

-when i switch between two gradients being applied, if one isnt being used by another object, it gets automatically removed. this makes it impossible to properly work with gradients (they keep disappearing on me while i switch from one to the other). suv suggested i use swatches instead, but trying to use a swatch as a rounded gradient doesnt work nicely.

this used to all work fine in 0.48.3, (the gradient editor was amazing for all this, and was a joy to use). i know there is a checkbox to use the old editor, but i figure the old editor is deprecated, and most new users will not know to go and use a checkbox to get a working gradient editor. plus, i can see the potential for the new gradient editor bar to be quite useful.

which brings me to another point:
- adding stops is greyed out in the new gradient editing bar.. so i can no longer edit my gradients to have more than the two default stops. not sure if i can even edit the stops that are there from old gradients

also, if unused gradients are going to be auto-removed, and the new system is going to forcibly be swatch-based, can we at least allow for old files being edited in the new inkscape to /not/ lose all those hard-earned gradients? some backwards compatible way of course, in case someone goes back to edit the file in an old (eg, 0.48) version

[su_v (suv-lp)]

> - adding stops is greyed out in the new gradient editing bar.. so i
> can no longer edit my gradients to have more than the two
> default stops.

You can add gradient stops directly on-canvas (since 0.46 [1]), or using the controls bar buttons (you have to select a stop first, to indicate after which one the new stop will be inserted).

> not sure if i can even edit the stops that are there from old gradients

Select the gradient stop on-canvas, or use the dropdown list of gradient stops on the tool controls bar.

[1] <http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php/Release_notes/0.46#Gradient_Tool>
<http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Attributes-Fill-Stroke.html#Attributes-Gradients-Define-Onscreen>

[su_v (suv-lp)]

> if unused gradients are going to be auto-removed

This is not a new feature in trunk - the same happens in current stable too:
1) launch Inkscape 0.48.3.1
2) draw a rectangle
3) swicth fill to linear gradient
4) duplicate gradient
-> check the dropdown list: there is only one gradient there (the original one is no longer referenced and garbage-collected).

[insaner (insaner)]

ohh.. sorry i guess i meant 0.48.2, you are right that this happens in 0.48.3, i forgot that i had done most my editing in 0.48.2, and only upgraded to 0.48.3 a day or so before i started using the dev versions from bzr..

i tried doing the control bar add stop, but it doesnt work properly.

i start by creating a rectangle, click on the round gradient, and then the "edit gradient" box, and though a default stop is selected, the add stop button is greyed out. i select the other stop and the add stop button is enabled, but when i click it, nothing happens.. no matter how many times i click it (the delete stop does work, which deletes the entire gradient). then i select the other stop again (the one that had been selected to start with) and now i can add stops.. the stop selection box now says "multiple stops".. but clicking on this dropdown shows the stops under the text entry

at this point i decide to try clicking the gradient handles on canvas (as per suv's suggestion).
 when i select the outer points (the circles) i cant add stops, but if i select the inner one (the square), then i can. however, i can delete stops by selecting the circles and clicking the delete stop button.

-also, i noticed that while editing the gradient, the stroke and fill box switches the depressed button to the solid fill button for some reason, and i have to click the round gradient button twice to have it be selected (should i fill a separate bug for that?)

hope this info helps.

the auto-remove gradients is still a usability problem in my opinion. a possible solution could be to overlap the function of swatches with gradients. as in, duplicating a gradient makes it a swatch that can be used as a gradient.. or that swatches can be selected as gradients (without having to click the swatch button, /then/ the round gradient to make it round.. rather have my swatch listed in my selectable gradients list.. and let me edit my swatches from there) -- sorry if this comment makes it obvious that i dont know how to use swatches.. but i only just recently started really using inkscape in the first place.. so these are all issues newbies would run into..

[su_v (suv-lp)]

> ohh.. sorry i guess i meant 0.48.2, you are right that this happens in
> 0.48.3, i forgot that i had done most my editing in 0.48.2, and only
> upgraded to 0.48.3 a day or so before i started using the dev versions
> from bzr..

There is no difference between 0.48.2 and 0.48.3.1 with regard to garbage-collection of unreferenced gradients either. This is not a new feature (nor was it introduced in a bug-fix release.

[su_v (suv-lp)]

TBH I'm at loss how to proceed with this report: it touches (too) many separate issues…

- Garbage-collection of unreferenced gradients:
(not a new feature in trunk - I haven't yet been able to come across situations where garbage collection of unreferenced gradients is consistently more aggressive than current stable versions)
- Gradient tool / managing stops:
(stops can only be added _after_ the current stop, there is no feedback if the user tries to add a stop after the end stop)
- Gradient manager / Fill & Stroke:
(it's too easy to accidentally click on a different gradient in the list, have it unintentionally assigned to the current selection and thus possibly loose the old gradient due to getting garbage-collected immediately)
- Custom gradient swatches:
(switching gradient type is difficult and not remembered when changing to a different gradient swatch (in 0.48 and trunk). This definitely needs to go into a separate report if not already mentioned in bug #594443)
- Gradients on <text> objects:
(possibly some of the issues with gradient tool and gradient stop selection are related to gradients on text objects - the reporter only mentions it in passing)
- …

Anyone from the bug team able to help me out here how to proceed with this report?

[insaner (insaner)]

hmm.. then im not sure, because i do remember just doing "duplicate" on gradients, and then doing duplicate again, where no object was using that gradient, and all gradients remained.. and ive only used these three versions 0.48.2, 0.48.3, and r11729

let me know if i can help clarify anything here.. i am usually hesitant to want to open up too many bugs if they are this closely related because they could potentially be fixed while fixing the others.. so i wouldnt want one to fall through the cracks and never get solved.. but yeah, having too many issues in a single bug is also bad practice.

[su_v (suv-lp)]

> - Gradient manager / Fill & Stroke:
> (it's too easy to accidentally click on a different gradient in the
> list, have it unintentionally assigned to the current selection and
> thus possibly loose the old gradient due to getting garbage-collected
> immediately)

Filed as separate report:
Bug #1067808 “Focus issues with new gradient (and swatch) manager in Fill&Stroke (trunk)”

[Beluga (buovjaga)]

Bug #1067808 was fixed. Are the other issues happening with 0.91 or 0.92?