From what I have seen so far Krita getting more an more feature to work with vector graphics - what is main focus of another open sourced software - InkScape.
I was wondering what the idea behind making more and more vector related features?
And if the Krita is actually has core idea around which it adds features to the software.
It makes me worried a bit about the direction of making Krita “one size fits all solution” which is never a good idea.
I am just curious
So thanks in advance for anyone to reply.
The current vector tools are very limited and clunky, we discussed this in several topics. So far it’s not planned to make Krita another Inkscape but to at least improve the existing tools to some degree since vectors have a valid place in digital drawing and 2d animation. At least that’s what I understand from the discussions so far.
What are all these vector features you’re talking about?
Okay there was the addition of SVG mesh gradients not too long ago, that was a GSoC project, and currently there is another one to improve the crude boolean operations Qt offers. And we got vector selections…that’s about all I remember since 4.1, which is when I started contributing.
So I really fail to see how vector editing can be perceived as development focus…last big project seems to be the 2016 Kickstarter to replace the bitrotting ODG code from KOffice/Calligra days with SVG, and the only mentioning of vectors in 5.0 release notes is the final removal of old vector layers from 3.x. And the text tool is a stop-gap solution ever since…
As far as I know, the most recent vector changes are “Mesh gradient” (I see you mentioned it in another post) and “Improved clipping algorithm for vector shapes”.
They are projects of gsoc. I don’t think it represents a change in krita’s development direction.
So they are not “big” (like Grid Mesh for instance), though we have vector layer and there are at least 7 tools that can create vectors. And there is a separate Edit Shapes tool to modify vector object. So yeah, with this pack you can already create vector graphics. Or at least manipulate vectored graphics.
By playing with Grid Mesh I noticed that there are a lot of tools that are/can work with vectors. And by skimming through feature requests on this forum, there a decent chunk of requests are related to manipulating vector objects.
I did not do actual calculation what fraction of requests is for vectors and did not check every single thread on fact if developers emphasize that the feature would not likely to be implemented.
So yeah. This is where I got impression from
And as I pointed out on my initial post. I am just curious
Note though that volunteer contributors sometimes improve parts of Krita that weren’t really on the paid team’s radar, for example the Smart Patch tool was, I believe, added by a volunteer and probably wouldn’t be on TODO for paid devs because it’s for photo editing, not painting.
But also note that comic artists often need vector tools - for text bubbles and for text.
Clip Studio Paint also has amazing vector tools and in that program you can use vector tools to have a very nice lineart creation workflow. So, if Krita had features like those, it would be most probably also for comics or painting, and not for graphics design etc. But getting the vector tools there is a big task and lower priority than some other big tasks, so probably comic artists will need to wait a bit until it happens.
Yes people are asking about vector features ever so often, especially for animations, but I’m pretty sure halla and other developers have repeatedly clarified that this is not the focus of Krita animation features.
The bunch of vector tools exist since a long time, to my knowledge most of it was basically inherited from the times when Krita was part of an office suite, but I guess one of the “veteran” developers could explain better.
The calligraphy tool was probably the last serious attempt to create an artistic, tablet-friendly vector tool for Krita, but it also desperately needs some love…
Apparently Wolthera was in the middle of actually implementing it into something usable when Dmitry refactored whole paint information system (pressure etc.) again
I don’t want to sound overly dramatic but pure traditional animation is almost dead because it is insanely expensive in time to produce. Anime has it but their working conditions and pay are horrible in order to sustain it.
Vectors have become much more prevelant in 2d animation and it still might die to 3d that gives much better support to vectors.
3d is expensive to start but in the long run becomes cheaper and cheaper as 2d maintains the price.
Vectors open so many doors not to mention fix many complains that can only be fixed with weird filters that will never give proper results, I have read solutions to these issues on the phabticator and I think that making these weird solutions alternatively eat more time because it will never work right. I was honestly shocked that those solutions were even considered to begin with, pure waste of developer time!
I totally understand the love for traditional hand drawn animation but you can’t ignore the advantages it brings to 2d animation or even for illustration and printing and speeding up other workflows. Just need to look at CSP or Open Toonz for it.
As you might imagine my aim is not to make anyone look bad in public, but I still have my opinions regardless. I don’t post comments on phabticator because I don’t want to sound like a dick to people when I see stuff like that and I am not gonna say it behind their back with citations either. If I did not speak then I am not speaking now. When I say things I say it to your face. That is why no one likes me but I am not a snitch.
For what I understood they were doing the best considering the situation. Problem situation does not allows itself to be easy.
Also I am the type of guy to spend 2 months making a plugin just to make it do a solution for a 5 minute alternative. But now it works dope.
That’s sure that interface is not “classic” and can be confusing.
But once you get used to the interface, Inkscape is really more powerful than Krita for vector drawing.
For me for example, Blender’s interface is more confusing than Inkscape’s one.
I suppose this is relative to each users, their habits, their workflow, …
Concerning vectors, I’m just not able to use Krita’s vector tool like I do with Inkscape.
On my side, I use Krita’s vector layers for small&quick things.
If I need to draw complex or precise things, I use Inkscape.
But I really appreciate the possibilities to include vectors shapes in Krita’s document and be able to made some modification on them
Concerning stability, since version 1.0 under Linux I find it more stable (didn’t tried windows version)
Because you need vector based features for any art software. Unless you plan to draw the text yourself manually every time. You also need it for scalable art that you can resize, and also if you need things precise with ability to edit it.
Inkscape is centered to be pretty much around mostly only vector. Krita is aimed at art, regardless of it being vector or raster.
Unless a software is specifically made for something, you will always come into overlaps in capabilities. There is no way around it if you want to have a functional software. If someone sends you an svg file and wants you to add raster art to it, you want to at least properly open the file right? Or do you want to spend a day manually rasterizing every single vector object in the inkscape?
Long story short, you always want to have at least a certain amount of features to at least provide a usable experience.
That said, what exactly is there there to be concerned about? The more features the better. As long as those features aren’t making the UX worse. The developers are working on the features that people want, and volunteers are adding the features they wish the software to have…
