I would like to have a way of displaying the 'depth' structure of many layered objects (and maybe Layers too).

What-if there was a 'Vista' function that could show all the objects like this:


Maybe Inkscape already has a function doing this? Then please forgive this newbie for asking

JimR

That would be really kewl

I don't know how Vista does it but this has been around on Linux for a bit longer and there you can choose a windows manager that uses advanced graphics card features that can do all sorts of crazy effects with your desktop and windows.

Inkscape is probably a bit far from it at the moment, the code is being refactored (cleaned up) so in the future it will be easier to introduce advanced features like multithreading and hardware acceleration etc.

I think the day will come, but not in the near future (for Inkscape).

undoubtedly this type of high-end, graphics card hungry eye candy blows people's socks off....
All i can say is....wouldn't it be a shame if "bottle necks" in the program prevented this type of thing from being possible at some future time..... (i hope not, but these things can happen i guess)

Display technology is going ahead great guns.... and for example all disney pixar's new movies are going to be in 3D...
What does that tell you?

I think inkscape should keep this type of stuff in the back of their minds as they code...
as the 3D thing will probably go mainstream quicker than any of us can imagine...
What a boon it would be to be the first vector app on the block to support this type of wiz bang display technology....

but to get back to your idea... i think it would be great (and i dont think anyone would really ague otherwise)...
But i get the feeling it would be a serious coding outlay (again im not an expert here either) when for the same amount of man hours 10 other things could perhaps be addressed?

Anyway i would love to see this type of thing too but i cant see display enhancements taking priority over new tools and functionality etc but then again it would be a shame if this stuff never happened...as this type of eye candy can help visualize things and makes allot of people more comfortable and happy with their software...
bring it on.....

JimR wrote:What-if there was a 'Vista' function that could show all the objects like this:

Do you mean as a way of visualising the hierarchy of objects within a drawing? And a way to select them? Not a bad idea. I don't think it needs some advanced graphics capabilities. Vista needed them because the contents of each window are live, so you can see videos playing, and even running 3D games. But for the most part, Inkscape will always be working with static objects. It simply needs to do an envelope distort on them.

Yes from a purely display perspective...
But once such things are in place further developments in the UI really bring such things into their own...
IE Special modes Utilizing transparencies on a display level to help visualize z order in 3D ETC...
And who knows what else...

David Hewitt wrote:IE Special modes Utilizing transparencies on a display level to help visualize z order in 3D ETC...

The kinds of the 3D effects that Inkscape might use for visualisations just don't need a GPU. Inkscape will have no use for bumpmapping, it won't need to render models containing millions of polygons with realtime lighting and shading. You would be surprised what sort of convincing 3D effects you can produce using very simple techniques.

And who knows what else...

That's it though. Why implements a 3D engine if nobody can think of a use for it?

There is allot of things in the world that are not real practical but are none the less popular...

I would say 3D is not so much a must from a technical perspective as from a PR perspective...
As you said (relatively) its not real hard to implement....So i would argue from the "why not" standpoint...

Simply for its WOW factor... the best type of publicity is word of mouth and this type of thing gets tongues wagging like nothing else....

Yeah it could be argued its a bit of a gimmick but a very powerful and useful one...for auxiliary reasons....