On 09/10/2018 01:01 PM, ale rimoldi wrote: > buond?! > > i've finally managed to solve an issue that has been buggin for a > very long time. > > TLDR: > > - i've added a new tab to "item > duplicate > multiple duplicate" to > duplicate an item on the following pages (all, even, odd, ranges; > with text links). > > - this tab should replace the "insert > frames" dialog. > > - this tab should replace the "automatic text frames" in the "file > > new" dialog. > > You can try the feature by checking out (or applying the resulting > patch) my "insert-frames" branch: > > https://github.com/aoloe/scribus/tree/insert-frames > > https://github.com/scribusproject/scribus/compare/master...aoloe:insert-frames.diff > > > > now, some details. > > the genesis of this feature is related to the master page > items not being editable in the "real" pages. > one can use the guides and the scrapbook, and it's mostly fine. but it > would be nice to have some more automatism. > and -- as many of you already know -- i really don't like the automatic > text frames (at least not in the way they are provided by scribus). > > i think that none of you has ever used the "insert > frames" dialog... > personally, i haven't, but i at sometimes i started planning to add a > button that takes the current selection as a template for the frame(s) > to be created. > i did create a local branch and started modifying the dialog. > but, wait... "item > duplicate > multiple duplicate" does almost the > same thing and it might be way easier! > > i haven't renamed the branch, but i've restarted my work from scratch > and added a "By Page" tab to the "Multiple Duplicate" dialog. > > https://imagebin.ca/v/4FENK8tSMgUM > > looks simple? > the hardest part was: reducing it to the minimal interface that > makes it easy to use! > > the features: > > - you can duplicate the selected items on the following (odd / even) > pages > - you can duplicate them on a set of pages (as an example 1-4) > - if you check the "Link text frames" check box, the first text frame > found in the selection will be linked to the first text frame found > in the duplicated items (creating a chain through all the pages > concerned) > - if the text frame is already in a chain, the last frame in the > chain is used for linking to the first in the chain among the > duplicated items (harder to explain than to do...). > > i won't spent many words, to explain why this should replace the > "insert > frames" dialog. but if somebody needs an explanation i can > take the time. > really, if this patch gets accepted, the "insert > frames" should be > removed. > > and should it also replace the automatic text frames? in my eyes: yes! > > here is a screencast showing how easily the auto text frame workflow > can be replaced by the multiple duplication: > > https://my.mixtape.moe/kzzslw.webm > > but why would like to remove the automatic frames from scribus, we can > keep both...? > > - because automatic frames are not flexible. once you have set them in > the new > file dialog, you cannot change the option without > recreating the whole file. > it would require some serious work to make the automatic frames to be > flexible enough to be really useful (and avoid that people keep on > asking how they can do this and that with the automatic frames). > > - because there is some cryptic code scattered over multiple places in > the code to allow the automatic frames: the new code for the multiple > duplicate by page is a friendly function with 70 lines of code. > > - because learning about the multiple duplication gives you skills in a > tool you can use for several tasks. > the automatic text frames, are a feature that is hard to find (and > setup; well, it's not THAT hard... but it's not trivial either to > get right) and that you can use only for one single goal. > > - because adding the needed flexibility to the auto text frames, will > probably require a UI (and a code) that is way more complex than > what we can achieve with the multiple duplication. > > > the scribus UI is already way too complex. the same is valid for the > code. > if there is a chance to simplify one or both of them, i really think we > should take it! > > > and now? > > i'd love it, if other people could try out the feature and give > feedback. > in the near future, i'd like to upload the patch to the bug tracker (and > create a second patch to remove the two deprecated commands).
This is something like what I ended up with by making the copyObject() and pasteObject() commands: https://wiki.scribus.net/canvas/CopyObject()_and_pasteObject() Greg
