Krita Ui

[Digital_Firefly]

Better UI for Krita:
A skin for those who like Krita, but less its interface.

Krita is very powerful for digital drawing, but let’s face it, its interface can sometimes give the impression of having taken a one-way ticket to an airplane cockpit. The idea here is to offer an interface skin, a software that runs an interface and executes Krita in the background to have a more ergonomic interface.

Objective:
Create an alternative interface that runs in parallel with Krita and controls it in the background via the API, leaving visible only the elements necessary to reorganize the tools, simplify access to the functions, and above all ensure that even the most novice users do not need to decipher the “user manual”.

Project details:

1. Use of Krita API: The idea would be to exploit Krita’s Python API to allow this overlay to manipulate layers, brushes, tools, and other core Krita functions. Basically, an interface that speaks “fluidly” with Krita, but remains minimalistic for the user.

2. Simplified organization of tools: This alternative interface would be designed to organize functions in a more logical way and avoid the “gas factory” effect. The focus would be on the most used tools and essential commands so as not to drown the user under a ton of options.

3. For whom? Whether for beginners who are discovering digital drawing or professionals who want fewer clicks, this overlay aims to make Krita more accessible to all user profiles.

A more intuitive interface would make Krita more attractive to those who find it great but “dense”. With a growing community and a solution like this, Krita could expand its audience even further and continue to shine in the world of open source digital drawing.

[BeARToys]

I would suggest, that you look into the release 5.3 as you can configure krita to show the dockers in the popup palette. When you then switch to canvas only mode it should work as you suggested.
A minimal UI but within krita.

[Takiro]

You would be better off forking Krita and doing a “simple” UI whatever that means to you. The Python API doesn’t offer the capabilities you want and it would probably feel sluggish when done that way.

I don’t really know how you would make the interface any simpler without dumbing it down. A complex software with a lot of capabilities will always have a certain complexity you cannot optimize away.

[_P.a.r.a.n.o.i.a]

I think Krita can definitly create a bit of decision paralysis for new and (technologically) inexperienced users. I am trying to get my little sister onto Krita, but she keeps getting frustrated. A dumbed down version of the program would probably create something of a gateway into the program for her. But maybe MS Paint serves the same purpose.

I was thinking of putting together a reference resource for Krita users that only want the bare minimum painting experience. I remember when I started using Krita (going from traditional art, and without any tech knowledge), there were so many things I had to learn not to fiddle with. What I will say though, is that the learning curve pays off in the end.

I don’t know if the idea of putting an interface skin over Krita is viable anyways (but you can always fork it yourself like @Takiro suggested). And I really like the way the current interface looks! I’ve seen people complain about the UI before, and I don’t understand what they think is wrong with it.

[sergi.sanjulian]

I have some problems with Krita’s interface (its rigidity, mainly), but a simplified redesign of its main features I think would make more sense in its Android version. For the other versions I want more options, not less.

[Takiro]

@sergi.sanjulian

but a simplified redesign of its main features I think would make more sense in its Android version.

Definitely. And I bet this would also benefit the desktop version since Qt (Krita’s UI Framework) is mostly cross platform and the android layout should work on Desktop, too (in theory).

My customized workspace is made to only show the things I most need and is optimized for canvas size/visibility and it still looks pretty close to Krita’s default layout but with some things switched around.

I can understand why Krita can be overwhelming for people. Interestingly I’ve also seen the opposite: People thought that Krita doesn’t had certain capabilities (which it has) just because the UI looked so simple too them (compared to Photoshop I guess).

Anyhow. I advice @Digital_Firefly to use the forum search and look for “krita ui redesign” or similar. There are already many topics about this, none of which actually went anywhere because people couldn’t even agree on what simple, modern and easy even meant and how to acomplish it, and the people proposing it and claiming to get it done (better and faster than the Krita team) never got actuall work done, sometimes never even came back to the forum.

[Michelist]

There are even plugins that go in this direction, like the Krita UI Redesign plugin, some toolbox plugins or the relatively new Touchify, which is the most advanced plugin to simplify things in Krita - but it’s hard for non-technical people to set it up because it’s very technical and requires a good understanding of Krita.

I’m using it, including earlier versions, for years now:
Krita UI Redesign v0.5 alpha released, requesting feedback! This in combination with the next one was my main “driver” for a long time.

Can give you only the tools you want, but needs Krita knowledge to set up:
KanvasBuddy - a Minimalist Toolbar

Touchify is a mega-plugin, offers many options and makes the above obsolete, and some below too (and has options for options LOL):
Touchify, the most advanced, but the most knowledge needed:
[In Development] Tablet Friendly Accessibility Plugin

Another “big ship” making Krita accessible, again knowledge needed:
Shortcut Composer v1.5.4 - Plugin for Pie menus, Multiple key assignment, Mouse trackers and more!

CoolBox 1.0, a Blender like toolbox for Krita

ToolKit 1.0.1

So there have definitely been attempts to simplify Krita, but you can’t simplify Krita too much, it will always have more options than you can leave out at first glance, and the buttons to make them accessible from a simplified Krita would make it complicated again …

Michelist

[fislysandi]

if anybody wants you can just copy my config.

it just makes krita look so much more professional.

dracula theme
ui redesign (btw should just be merged into krita at his point i think its just that good)
i centered my top bar,
and so far im satisfied with how it looks

ive read through this post. and … let me give me some feedback
to make it more accessible for begginers idk, make a built in tutorial that explains what each button does?(can be disabled in settings)

also i would like krita devs consider on merging - DUC menu(spawning any docker via shortcut key(including plugins)), Shortcut Composer(100% should be merged),Ui Redesign(also 100 % should be considered to be merged or just replicate what this plugin did.).

so far what i like about krita - I LOVE EMACS KEYCHORDS* (i bound pretty much all the functionality of krita i use to C-x and some actions include like filters,selection,add,etc. basically i dont ever need to lift my hands off keyboard to do something ever.),starts up fast,
plugins that just make it so comfy to use,
so much brushes to try,etc.

what irks me about krita - why on gods green earth contributors made select layer into a canvas input setting and not a REGULAR shortcut, btw Canvas input settings should NOT exist, BURN IT WITH FIRE, all of the functionality should be migrated to just keyboard shortcuts, its existence restricts the way you can keymap and customize your worklfow. and you could make some cool keymaps if it keyboard shorcuts allowed to do some things.,

working with text sucks (ive seen some thread about fixing this i hope this will come ASAP),

now what features hopefully krita in the future i would like it to adopt

selection from menu should highlight what are you actually selecting,because if you forgot to name your layer, you will forget what it does, and this will just make it so much easier to understand what this layer does.

allow to lock secondary custom brushes ,basically allowing you to attach custom erasors to each brush, which will be VERY powerfull.

otherwise this setting is pretty much useless,also like in shorcut composer i would like to see when you hold your erasers key it switches temporarily to eraser brush and when you realease it you back to the previous brush, this should be just default behaviour for two mappings of the eraser.

PRIORITY - please make a PROPER docker for Overview that can be detached and put onto a second montior, basically having a second view over your whole art piece when you are working on small details, allows you to avoid tunnel vision and just makes your life easier.
(a halfassed plugin about this exists but it causes extreme lag)

kitbashing/assets docker - the name speaks for itself, you throw some images together paintover and done, also having your refrence library without leaving krita would be really good too, allowign you to drag and drop it into your refrence docker.
related to above allow dockers to be moved outside krita window (we can use a refrence docker on the second monitor,basically endless possobilities),also ability to create workspaces and map them to hotkeys (for example you have illustration workspace you can press c-w (window) w (workspace) e (you mapped your workspace there) or c-w (window) w (workspace) a (animation workspace) ,

built in file manager - krita should have a builtin comfy file manager that allows you speed blitzingly fast locate your projects , krita files, bookmarks.

integration with Blender - projecting blenders viewport directly into krita, ability to pose armature manniqiounes directly in krita,use blenders asset browser directly in krita etc.

with brushes - allow users to temporarily use a certain brush pattern and make brush patterns into a separate docker.
why?
sometimes you want to use a certain pattern temporarily and dont want to - duplicate brush, select the pattern you want to use , use it when you need it , delete brush.

support mobile phones - there are A LOT OF people on mobile, and those who want to draw, so having krita literally everywhere will do wonders for the userbase because some user will discover (hmm what is this app? oh its free? oh no ads WOW!, oh what is Open Source? etc.)
so we need to find a way to optimize the ui for mobile too, also supporting pen pressure via tap pressure will be absolute killer feature too, making art more accessible to everyone.

so far this is my feeback about using krita.hopefully i did not forget about anything.
i just dumped my thoughts out what im missing in this application to make it truly shine.

[BeARToys]

@fislysandi

PRIORITY - please make a PROPER docker for Overview that can be detached and put onto a second montior, basically having a second view over your whole art piece when you are working on small details, allows you to avoid tunnel vision and just makes your life easier.

You know such reports are valuable for the devs, but I think there is a dedicated topic exactly for that.

I wanted to point out, that you can change the view options of your image to floating dockers, that way you can open 2 windows of your image put one to the other monitor and emulate, what you want the overview docker to do. (Here (official krita video) is how it works)

[sooz]

If there is any one element that seems to be more important than the others, make a detailed feature request for that one thing.

Laundry lists of wants and desires are easier for the writer but very difficult for anyone to action.

[Takiro]

@fislysandi

if anybody wants you can just copy my config.

it just makes krita look so much more professional.

Does it though? That’s just your opinion, I think it doesn’t. Professional is just a buzz word at this point. There are so many UI threads on this forum and in none of them could people agree what a professional look even means, it’s too subjective.

@fislysandi

Overview that can be detached and put onto a second montior,

You can already do this. I use it to have a second view on my second monitor, I set the view to grayscale to check my values at all times, when soft proofing is too annoying.

With your image opened select Window → New window and then in the new Window: Window → New view → select the image you want to have a second view of all changes to the document are reflected in both views, but things like zooming and panning does only happen in the specific view where you do it.

[slightlyangrydodo]

Hey there! Developer of the Krita UI Redesign plugin here! I’m possibly coming back to Krita after a good while just enjoying drawing on an iPad, but in my two cents, the plugin shouldn’t be merged yet. There’s still a lot of weird edge cases, and I recall that the tabs behaviour in the menu just isn’t up to snuff. On top of that, to call it hacky would be quite the understatement

[corvian]

Let’s face it people, krita’s UI is ugly. It is one of the 2 real gripes I have with it.
It should have looked like blender (if you like flat) or photoshop CS6 (if you like skeuomorphic design). It is unprofessional looking and that offputs people like, you know… artists, because we like pretty things.

About the functionality, if you dislike clutter like me, I suggest you use shortcuts composer plugin. Disable everything in the UI and make hotkeys for everything. The plugin allows you to toggle dockers with hotkeys too. The only second gripe I have with krita is that you need a plugin for that.

[Takiro]

@corvian

It is unprofessional looking

Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man.

I use blender and I used photoshop and nothing in the looks made it more or less professional for me.

Krita’s UI can definitely use a glow up, I have some personal gripes with the layer’s docker specifically and how the dockers are in general but what a software makes professional for me is not it’s look but how fast I can find what I need and work with it. And this experience was much better for me in Krita than in Photohsop, pretty much the reason why I stayed with Krita in the first place, even though it was very unpolished back in the days, compared to today.

And yes this is also just an opinion, just like yours. We should not treat our opinions like they’re facts. What is a fact, however is, that you can not create a professional looking UI when people can’t even agree on what that even means.

[corvian]

Sure it’s an opinion, but we live in a world of facts, and something is true whether some people like it or not, and I am damn sure that the UI gets 1 out of 5 stars. But that is really the fault of the Qt toolkit more than anything. All of the styles suck, except oxygen, but that only works under KDE (last time I checked it was buggy too) and I don’t wanna use KDE since krita is the only 1 out of 2 Qt programs I use (and the other one has a custom UI).

I can spend some time explaining everything that’s wrong with it, but you are probably not the dev that is working on it, so…
And now that I think about it, if krita is to switch to a custom UI library that will probably take monumental development effort, so I am gonna have to suck it up. It’s never gonna happen, even if we all agree on it. And we clearly don’t.

[Takiro]

@corvian

Sure it’s an opinion, but we live in a world of facts, and something is true whether some people like it or not, and I am damn sure that the UI gets 1 out of 5 stars.

This scentense is truly hilarious.