Feature Request: Layers from Image ( "Linked Layers" )

[kevin-245]

I have been using GIMP for a few months now and there is a feature that
I have wanted to have and think about every time I open up GIMP.

 The feature is mainly for the possibility of having "templates". The
idea is that you can place a layer that is a link to a certain image, so
you can have 9 layers on top of each other and each one being an image.
The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
update itself.

 To give an example, let's say you have a template with different images
being buttons, menus and background/foreground. You have a window open
with all the different linked layers positioned to be how you want it on
your site or final look. Now, when you change one of the images, you can
see what the result will look like from looking at the window with the
template. Benefit being speed ( you don't have to look for the file or
any of the tedious crap ) and ease which are two things I like to think
GIMP excels over all competitors with.

 As far as the "linked layer" updating itself, that could be either
automatic when file changes or you could have a button that auto-updates
all layers. GIMP is pretty well written and fast, so I think it being
automatic would be fast enough...

-- I am new to mailing lists and I am not sure which mailing list I
should send a feature request to but this one said to talk about the
source code so I decided this one!! ( Hopefully I did everything right?
 >,< --
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[Omari Stephens-2]

kevin wrote:

> I have been using GIMP for a few months now and there is a feature that
> I have wanted to have and think about every time I open up GIMP.
>
>  The feature is mainly for the possibility of having "templates". The
> idea is that you can place a layer that is a link to a certain image, so
> you can have 9 layers on top of each other and each one being an image.
> The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
> you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
> update itself.
>
>  To give an example, let's say you have a template with different images
> being buttons, menus and background/foreground. You have a window open
> with all the different linked layers positioned to be how you want it on
> your site or final look. Now, when you change one of the images, you can
> see what the result will look like from looking at the window with the
> template. Benefit being speed ( you don't have to look for the file or
> any of the tedious crap ) and ease which are two things I like to think
> GIMP excels over all competitors with.

TBH, this sounds more like a vector editing feature than a raster editing
feature.  Have you tried inkscape?

--xsdg

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[RobA]

Not sure I understand your desired workflow. You say when you "change
an image" the layer updates.  How do you change an image?  Outside
gimp?  It would be very possible to script some of this... For
example, if the layer name were the full path to an image, a script
command to "reload the layer" would be fairly trivial.

Possibly modifying the "load image as layers" to store the full path
as a layer parasite so a "reload image layers" command could be
implemented easily.

-Rob A>

On 6/13/09, kevin <fmwyso@...> wrote:

> I have been using GIMP for a few months now and there is a feature that
> I have wanted to have and think about every time I open up GIMP.
>
>  The feature is mainly for the possibility of having "templates". The
> idea is that you can place a layer that is a link to a certain image, so
> you can have 9 layers on top of each other and each one being an image.
> The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
> you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
> update itself.
>
>  To give an example, let's say you have a template with different images
> being buttons, menus and background/foreground. You have a window open
> with all the different linked layers positioned to be how you want it on
> your site or final look. Now, when you change one of the images, you can
> see what the result will look like from looking at the window with the
> template. Benefit being speed ( you don't have to look for the file or
> any of the tedious crap ) and ease which are two things I like to think
> GIMP excels over all competitors with.
>
>  As far as the "linked layer" updating itself, that could be either
> automatic when file changes or you could have a button that auto-updates
> all layers. GIMP is pretty well written and fast, so I think it being
> automatic would be fast enough...
>
> -- I am new to mailing lists and I am not sure which mailing list I
> should send a feature request to but this one said to talk about the
> source code so I decided this one!! ( Hopefully I did everything right?
>  >,< --
> _______________________________________________
> Gimp-developer mailing list
> Gimp-developer@...
> https://lists.XCF.Berkeley.EDU/mailman/listinfo/gimp-developer
>

--
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[kevin-245]

Well I am glad to hear that it is relatively easy but unfortunately I
haven't gotten into scripting with gimp at all... Although, this is
definitely going to push me to learn it so I can get this feature ( and
various other reasons ). But, as a feature, I still think it would be a
helpful add especially for web developers to have a button that just
creates a linked layer for them quickly and easily.

 Thanks for your response and I am already looking at sites w/ tutorials
and reading up on this... I know several programming languages, so I am
hoping that will help me out while learning this scripting language >,<.

On 6/13/09, Rob Antonishen <rob.antonishen@...> wrote:

> Not sure I understand your desired workflow. You say when you "change
> an image" the layer updates.  How do you change an image?  Outside
> gimp?  It would be very possible to script some of this... For
> example, if the layer name were the full path to an image, a script
> command to "reload the layer" would be fairly trivial.
>
> Possibly modifying the "load image as layers" to store the full path
> as a layer parasite so a "reload image layers" command could be
> implemented easily.
>
> -Rob A>
>
> On 6/13/09, kevin <fmwyso@...> wrote:
>  
>> I have been using GIMP for a few months now and there is a feature that
>> I have wanted to have and think about every time I open up GIMP.
>>
>>  The feature is mainly for the possibility of having "templates". The
>> idea is that you can place a layer that is a link to a certain image, so
>> you can have 9 layers on top of each other and each one being an image.
>> The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
>> you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
>> update itself.
>>
>>  To give an example, let's say you have a template with different images
>> being buttons, menus and background/foreground. You have a window open
>> with all the different linked layers positioned to be how you want it on
>> your site or final look. Now, when you change one of the images, you can
>> see what the result will look like from looking at the window with the
>> template. Benefit being speed ( you don't have to look for the file or
>> any of the tedious crap ) and ease which are two things I like to think
>> GIMP excels over all competitors with.
>>
>>  As far as the "linked layer" updating itself, that could be either
>> automatic when file changes or you could have a button that auto-updates
>> all layers. GIMP is pretty well written and fast, so I think it being
>> automatic would be fast enough...
>>
>> -- I am new to mailing lists and I am not sure which mailing list I
>> should send a feature request to but this one said to talk about the
>> source code so I decided this one!! ( Hopefully I did everything right?
>>  >,< --
>> _______________________________________________
>> Gimp-developer mailing list
>> Gimp-developer@...
>> https://lists.XCF.Berkeley.EDU/mailman/listinfo/gimp-developer
>>
>>    

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[Alexandre Prokoudine]

On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 5:32 AM, kevin wrote:

> The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
> you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
> update itself.

Sounds like request for XCFv2/OpenRaste/whatever :)

Alexandre
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[Sparr]

On Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 9:32 PM, kevin<fmwyso@...> wrote:
>  The feature is mainly for the possibility of having "templates". The
> idea is that you can place a layer that is a link to a certain image, so
> you can have 9 layers on top of each other and each one being an image.
> The idea is that you no longer have to "Load image as layer" every time
> you change an image because the layer would be the image and would
> update itself.

My current workflow for this functionality is to edit my images in
GIMP and maintain the Template in Inkscape.  That sort of thing
belongs in a vector editor anyway, imho, and it already does the link
to image file thing that you are describing.
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[RobA]

OK-

Here is a file containing three scripts that all end up under the Layer menus.

Load a new File Linked Layer (loads up an image as a layer and sets
the layer name to "@FL@<full file path>".)
Reload All File Linked Layers (looks though all the layers for ones
where the name starts with the "@FL@" flag and reloads them.)
Reload File Linked Layer (reloads the active layer if it has the @FL@ flag.)

http://ffaat.pointclark.net/incoming/scripts/file_linked_layers.scm

Right now it doesn't transfer layer masks, blend modes, or opacity to
the newly loaded layers, but that could be added if necessary.

Hope that does what you want!

-Rob A>
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