Layers/Groups Window

[Wren42-users]

I just spent a little time using Adobe Illustrator, and I was pleasantly
surprised to see that Inkscape is really not far behind this product in the
ways that matter to me. Congratulations! It's awesome to see something free
and opensource that measures up to fancy commercial software from Adobe :)
 I <3 Inkscape.

Anyway, there was one relatively simple feature of Illustrator that I think
would be a huge improvement for Inkscape: A layers/groups window. The
purpose of this would be to show a list of all the objects/groups in the
image and which layers they are in. Imagine the layer window you might see
in the Gimp or Photoshop, with grouping. You can drag one layer above
another, drag an object from one layer to another, quickly select one
object in a group, or choose unambiguously between two objects that
completely overlap each other.

I don't think this would be terribly difficult to implement, and it would
make a lot of common tasks which are currently a little tricky in Inkscape
easier to do.

[Prokoudine (prokoudine)]

Originator: NO

So, you basically want existing Layers dialog to include groups?

[Tomasu (tomasu)]

Originator: NO

As far as I know that's how the extant Layer Dialog in inkscape works.

I don't really use layers, I only use object groups, but as far as I can
tell this is already implemented...

And I agree and even go a little further and say that while Illustrator is
more streamlined, I feel inkscape is more powerful. All we gotta do is
refine this baby

[Bug Importer (bug-importer)]

this feature would be really powerful.

if i got it, the grouping ( folding ) of layers is needed. like in
photoshop:
http://www.pluggin.se/products/indesign/indesign_images/LayerGroups/lgid_sc_mac.png

this one of few features i miss in inkscape

[Tincatibo (tincatibo)]

Originator: NO

I was actually thinking as well that inkscape lacks this kind of feature
that improves greatly productivity and ease of use on complexed documents.

I think what you suggest (and I would suggest too) is window like the
Object manager of Corel Draw:
- provides a tree of leyers and groups
- provides small description of paths or shapes in group
- allows easy selection, easy grouping (multiple selection)
- allows naming of objects (would be changing like the id in inkscape)
- lock/unlock, hide/unhide, printable/non printable flags for each layer
(lock, hide could be extended to each object)

example: http://www.tanches-volantes.fr/download/object-manager.jpg

Actually, I'm using the xml editor on a second screen to skip this lack in
inkscape, but it's not that convenient.

Corel provided a view manager as well.. Allow to save the selected view
(center, zoom) and to switch rapidly from one to the other.. But that'd be
another request.

[SeanJM (sjm)]

The groups window. I feel it would be more powerful to be able to toggle this dialog directly by highlighting the group in question. I dont like the idea of accessing it through the layers window because it will cost me to much time to navigate in that window. It is shorter and more efficient to work directly on the object you are trying to access.

[Pablo Trabajos (pajarico)]

I like your idea SeanJM. The thumbnail of group 3 (the warning sign) could show the thumbnails of the objects inside besides itself.

What happens when you click on expand subgroup?

[SeanJM (sjm)]

Check the attachment.

The UI itself is a quicky and unrefined, but it's the concept that counts!

Thanks.

[i22yb (israel.b)]

I disagree with SeanJM, Layers/Groups/Items should all be on one easily accessible tree structure where items can be drug around both in and out of groups and layers. I've used Illustrator to lay out newspaper ads before with lots of photos and text and the tree structure is invaluable for finding specific text blurbs and making sure things are stacked in the right order. I would switch to Inkscape in a heartbeat for this task if it had a similar tree structure, it's a vast productivity improvement!

[skorasaurus (skoraw)]

It's just boggling my mind that there is no visual way to see what groups current exist.

This would be a great help in my workflow and wish it would be implemented.

[insaner (insaner)]

you can sort of view them with the xml editor.. but yes, i want groups to be able to be manipulated the way layers are, too!

[Jeff B (4-sd)]

I'd like to chime in and request this feature as well. It's very handy to see the different groups in the Layers window and be able to manipulate them. I use this quite often in Illustrator.

Jeff

[Jonathan Hofinger (jhofinger)]

This feature has been relased quite a while ago. In 0.92.4, there is an "Objects" dialog, which shows the tree structure of the document, including, Layers, groups and objects. Clicking an object selects it, you can switch groups between being a group and a layer, you can drag objects from one group to another and so on.

Please feel free to file new bugs about the issues you're seeing at http://inkscape.org/report.

Closed by: https://gitlab.com/jhofinger