Comment 3 for bug 170703

> If it is an option in preferences, it doesn't make it
extremely messy unless you choose for it to be...

It's a very basic thing, and you should not normally make
basic things configurable. It WILL be a mess if only because
it will make documenting it much harder - way too many "If
you have this option set do this, otherwise do that" clauses.

> The scaling and rotating handles isn't at all what I'm
referencing either (that's a little more uniform and less
flexible than what I'm talking about). What I'm looking for
is much more precise control of the specific handles which
just doesn't exist currently.

You can control them with pixel precision now (with Alt).
What can be more precise than that?

> The ability to move node handles by arrow keys, just as you
can move gradient handles, would make our node controls
significantly more powerful.

Not really more powerful than now, and besides the
rotation/scaling metaphor makes much more sense for handles
than x/y moving.

> Also, the ability to use
alignment on the node handles (which would have to be pretty
basic of course) would also add much more control.

You can achieve alignment now, at least as well as you would
with arrow key movements.

> I just know that keyboard positioning is much more precise
than mouse positioning when not workin with the grid on.

Of course, that's why I added []<> keys for handles.

>An example of the level of precision I'm looking for is that
if I have two nodes, and take the inside handles (closer one
to the other node on the same path) and have the ability to
move the handles 3 arrow presses and 1 shift+arrow towards
each other and then 4 key presses downward. I know that the
respective handles will be precisely the same
distance/position in relation to their nodes. Unfotunately,
you can't achieve that with the current key commands for the
nodes because they rotate the whole node as well as
increase/decrease length of both node handles (when
applicable), not just the chosen handle.

No. You can rotate/scale either each handle separately, or
both, depending on which modifiers you use. Look it up in
the keys&mouse reference. In this specific case, you can
achieve the same symmetry by pressing e.g. ] twice and the >
three times on each node, with corresponding Ctrls (left or
right) for each one.

> I can ramble off many other benefits as well, but it's
something that other vector editors don't have and it adds a
level of precision and control that we'd be the first to
have.

Exactly, this is why I added the scale/rotate keys for
handles, and Inkscape is indeed the first to have it :)

> At the very least if we had some UI to numerically
modify the handle locations in relation to the "parent"
node, other than the XML editor, it would be a step in the
right direction.

This is true, and it has always been in my plans to add
numeric fields for nodes and handles to the node tool controls.