Difference between revisions of "Save + export specification"
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After any other type of image file, it is officially imported, and the following shall be different: | After any other type of image file, it is officially imported, and the following shall be different: | ||
| − | * | + | * the title of the image window shall be set to “Untitled (imported from <filename>)-X.Y etc, etc.” where the <filename> is the name of the imported file; further opening of other files into this document (even GIMP files) shall not change the title or its status; |
| − | * | + | * the Save back’ menu item shall have its label set to “Save back to <filename>” na dshall be made sensitive; |
| − | * the document shall be treated as an | + | * the document shall be treated as if a new, untitled file; |
| + | * it shall be possible to Revert to this state. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===saving files=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Save, ‘Save as’ and ‘Save a copy’ shall only save to (compressed) GIMP formats, which shall be the only available format choices in the Save dialog. Only Save and ‘Save as’ shall change the saved-status of the document, or replace the Untitled status to associated with an actual file. | ||
Revision as of 21:11, 5 March 2009
Contents
intro
This specification defines a clear separation between saving and export, based on version 2.6.
This change tries to achieve some specific goals:
- simplify and clarify the user model: what you see on the canvas is always GIMP content;
- enforce that what is on the canvas is only safe when saved as an xcf file, (or its compressed variants);
- give primary support for a high-end workflow where the work is saved in xcf, and when it is time for ‘delivery’, it is exported to the required format;
- give secondary support to workflows where the input and output are the same non-xcf file; the reason for this is not the often touted ‘prosumer photo jpeg–to–jpeg’ workflow, because of GIMP product vision there is no need for optimising this. A much better reason for optimising are situations where high-end GIMP users have to do some quick touch-ups on graphic files for mates or clients, and send them back.
The basic strategy that follows from the points above is: GIMP opens and saves GIMP files and imports/exports the rest. We make however one optimisation: fold Import back into Open, so everything stays (almost) the same there. Furthermore for the secondary workflow a ‘Save back’ menu item is added.
Currently (v2.6) the Save section of the file menu looks like this:
Two new menu items shall be introduced: Export and ‘Save back’. To avoid too long (== too slow to scan) menu sections, this section shall be split in two:
- Save
- Save as…
- Save a copy…
- Revert…
- <menu separator>
- Export…
- Save back
- Save as template…
The sensitivity of the Export command shall track that of the Save command. The ‘Save back’ command shall be insensitive by default.
keyboard shortcuts
The existing shortcuts in the FIle menu stay as-is. Finding them for the 2 new items is tricky, because the obvious candidates are taken. <ctrl>(-<shift>)-E would hve been perfect for Export, <ctrl>-<shift>-S for ‘Save back’.
(no) changes in actions
opening files
It is not the goal of this spec to overhaul the file Open dialog, it and other means of opening files shall remain unchanged. What matters is what happens after a file is opened.
opening a GIMP-type file
After opening a (compressed) xcf file everything works as it does today.
opening a non-GIMP-type file
After any other type of image file, it is officially imported, and the following shall be different:
- the title of the image window shall be set to “Untitled (imported from <filename>)-X.Y etc, etc.” where the <filename> is the name of the imported file; further opening of other files into this document (even GIMP files) shall not change the title or its status;
- the Save back’ menu item shall have its label set to “Save back to <filename>” na dshall be made sensitive;
- the document shall be treated as if a new, untitled file;
- it shall be possible to Revert to this state.
saving files
Save, ‘Save as’ and ‘Save a copy’ shall only save to (compressed) GIMP formats, which shall be the only available format choices in the Save dialog. Only Save and ‘Save as’ shall change the saved-status of the document, or replace the Untitled status to associated with an actual file.
