Proposal for image 'handles' dragging behaviour
Current situation:
1) When an image in a score is in edit mode, it shows 2 draggable 'handles' at the middle of the bottom and right edges.
2) If the "Lock Aspect Ratio" (in the image properties displayed in the Inspector) is NOT checked, each handle can be dragged independently, changing 1 size of the image without affecting the other.
3) If the "Lock Aspect Ratio" is checked, dragging either handle changes both the width and the height of the image so to keep the current image aspect ratio (i.e. ratio between width and height).
Proposal:
1) Add another draggable handle, for instance in the bottom right corner.
2) Dragging this handle will change both image sizes keeping the current aspect ratio (regadless the status of the "Lock Aspect Ratio" box).
3) Dragging either the bottom or side handle will change the corresponding size without affecting the other (again regardless the status of the "Lock Aspect Ratio" box).
(The whole thing is more complex to describe in words than to use in practice and it is rather customary in image editing programs like Inkscape).
In practice:
1) The "Lock Aspect Ratio" box in the Inspector for images will only affect the Inspector controls and not how handles are dragged in edit mode.
2) Both a ratio-constrained and a non-ratio-constrained size change could be achieve by handle dragging without the need to switch to the Inspector and set things there.
Comments? In favor? Against?
Thanks,
M.
P.S.: this proposal stemmed from a discussion on the musescore dev mailing list about image Inspector details; the thread can be viewed here .
Comments
As an afterthought, I realized things could be implemented the other way around:
Proposal B:
1) Add another draggable handle, for instance in the bottom right corner (same as above).
2) This handle could be dragged freely in all directions, to achieve any size or aspect ratio (regardless the status of the "Lock Aspect Ratio" box).
3) Dragging either the bottom or side handle will change both sizes keeping the current aspect ratio (again regardless the status of the "Lock Aspect Ratio" box).
Against what I stated above, there does not seem to be a standard or common way: for instance, neither GIMP nor Inkscape implements neither possibility exactly. Inkscape relies on pressing Ctrl or Shift while dragging (modifiers); so we are probably rather free to choose. I would prefer to avoid modifiers as they are hard to remember (particularly for a task like image editing which is relatively marginal in a musical notation program) and, instead, specialize each handle.
Any thought or comment?
M.
P.S.: I looked at the relevant code and implementing either proposal looks relatively simple, once a consensus is reached.