Bug 122587 - Moving Objects to a Different Layer
Summary: Moving Objects to a Different Layer
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Draw (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
Inherited From OOo
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: Layers
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2019-01-08 23:52 UTC by DACBARBOS
Modified: 2023-11-17 21:45 UTC (History)
5 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Set layer of object(s) demo (813.49 KB, video/x-matroska)
2023-11-17 21:45 UTC, Jim Raykowski
Details

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Description DACBARBOS 2019-01-08 23:52:40 UTC
Description:
If UX is short for user experience then please hear my humble request for enhancement. The right side (docked) bar is a common UI element present in many similar GUIs. Working with it should be easy and intuitive. Well, my intuition got a direct hit when I realised there's no Layer section in the Properties side bar. This is really bad for UX. I know how to do this according to /help/en-US/text/simpress/guide/layer_move.html While that procedure is simple enough, it's not intuitive.

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Create layer L1 and L2 (visible, unlocked)
2.Draw one object on each layer (anything)
3.Select first object on L1 - open Properties side bar (to change obj layer)

Actual Results:
There is no Layer section in the Properties side bar as one would expect.

Expected Results:
Find a Layer section along with existing Character, Paragraph, Area, Shadow, Line, Position and Size.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No



Additional Info:
I've seen this on latest macOS but is not a bug or some OS related thing.
Comment 1 Regina Henschel 2019-01-09 00:31:04 UTC
valid enhancement request.
Comment 2 V Stuart Foote 2019-01-09 02:35:59 UTC
Handling layers for objects from the overcrowded Properties deck would not be the best UX for working with layers in Draw/Impress, IMHO.

bug 56498 and bug 90244 suggest that rather than a content panel in the Properties deck, handling layers merits its own Deck--or additional controls for a panel resident in the Navigator's deck?
Comment 3 Regina Henschel 2019-01-09 11:08:01 UTC
Or having a context menu item "move to layer ...". It needs indeed discussion, _how_ to improve the UI. But I think, we agree, that improvement of the UI is necessary.
Comment 4 Stéphane Guillou (stragu) 2023-08-28 10:36:55 UTC
Current workarounds for moving layers:
- long-click then drag-and-drop to other layer tab
- cut, change layer, paste

I agree that another "move layer" action should be available elsewhere, in part to make it available without a mouse/trackpad. I could imagine it being in the context menu, but the idea of a "layer view" of the Navigator is appealing (splitting objects by layer instead of page/slide).
Comment 5 Heiko Tietze 2023-08-29 08:36:53 UTC
I would add layers to the Navigator so it looks like

v Page 1
  > Layer 1
    v Group 1
      Shape 1 (Rectangle)
      Shape 2 (Circle)
    > Group 2
  > Layer 2 
> Page 2

with drag 'n drop capabilities so you can move an object from one layer to another, see also bug 90244 "SIDEBAR: Enhancing Navigator in Draw". Question is whether this can be done with grouped objects (not the group itself) and if moving to a different page is possible.

Nevertheless, it would be nice to have alternative workflows. Could imagine a context menu entry "Move to" with sub menus offering the other layers on this page. Or as suggested on bug 56498 "Add Layer manager window / Enhance the Navigator" a dedicated sidebar deck / window for layer management.

What do you think, Jim?
Comment 6 Regina Henschel 2023-08-29 09:11:59 UTC
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #5)
> I would add layers to the Navigator so it looks like
> 
> v Page 1
>   > Layer 1
>     v Group 1
>       Shape 1 (Rectangle)
>       Shape 2 (Circle)
>     > Group 2
>   > Layer 2 
> > Page 2
> 
> with drag 'n drop capabilities so you can move an object from one layer to
> another, see also bug 90244 "SIDEBAR: Enhancing Navigator in Draw". Question
> is whether this can be done with grouped objects (not the group itself) and
> if moving to a different page is possible.

That does not work for groups, because a group can span objects of several layers. Example: You group a shape and a measure line belonging to that shape. Having them grouped allows to resize the shape and the measure line is automatically adapted.
Comment 7 Heiko Tietze 2023-08-30 07:48:18 UTC
(In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #6)
> ...a group can span objects of several layers.
Now I remember the discussion. Two solutions come in mind: sme fancy vertical tree where objects have an assignment to layers and groups:

          Shape 1
Layer 1 /         \ Group 1
        \ Shape 2 / 
Layer 2 - Shape 3 - Group 2
(I guess this has limitations, is not easy to understand, and requires quite some effort to implement)

Or a switch to show only one at a time:

(o) Layer ( ) Groups
 v Page 1
   v Layer 1
     Shape 1 (Rectangle)
     Shape 2 (Circle)
   > Layer 2 
 > Page 2
( ) Layer (o) Groups
 v Page 1
   v Group 1
     Shape 1 (Rectangle)
   v Group 2 
     Shape 2 (Circle)
 > Page 2
(Of course, we could also duplicate the objects and show both views in parallel underneath each other. But I think it bloats the tree too much.)

(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #5)
> Nevertheless, it would be nice to have alternative workflows.
Comment 8 Heiko Tietze 2023-09-27 07:08:25 UTC
(In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #3)
> Or having a context menu item "move to layer ...". 

This might be the easiest solution.
Comment 9 Jim Raykowski 2023-11-17 21:45:34 UTC
Created attachment 190894 [details]
Set layer of object(s) demo

(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #8)
> (In reply to Regina Henschel from comment #3)
> > Or having a context menu item "move to layer ...". 
> 
> This might be the easiest solution.
How about .uno:SetLayer for the command name, "Move to Layer..." for the context label, and "Open a dialog to change the layer of the object" for the tool tip?