enable "layers as pages" by default
Environment/Versions
- GIMP version: GIMP 2.10.22
- Operating System: All?
Description of the UX bug
The "overwrite file.extension" button leads to data loss for pdf files as only first layer is exported and no option to change that is shown either.
Reproduction
Is the bug reproducible? Always
Reproduction steps:
- Open a multiple-pages containing pdf with gimp (pick a non important file)
- Import from PDF > open pages as layers
- Optionally make some edits in the non-first layer
- File > Overwrite file.pdf
- notice: no options/preferences dialog shown
- Close GIMP without saving the project
- thought: pdf with changes is saved already - so, gimp xcf project file not needed
- Open the pdf file with normal pdf viewer software
- See that the pdf has only one page
…
Expected result: All the pages are exported to pdf when overwriting
Actual result: Only the last page (first layer) is exported to pdf. So, all other pages and the corresponding gimp edit data is lost
Possible Fixes
In particular order:
-
Enable "Export layers as pages" by default
For pdf export, the export "layers as pages" option should be enabled by default.- Since pdfs are mostly multipage documents, so, exporting multipage by default shouldnt be a problem.
- This is the Minimum Viable Change imk.
- However, a notification maybe shown at some prominent place regarding this change to avoid privacy leak of habitual users.
-
Opening Export dialog for Overwrite files button too
but have overwrite specific settings chosen already i.e. so that it functions effectively same as overwrite button currently do. This combined with 1 will be even better😅 -
User Action Dependent behaviour
make the behaviour dependent on how the data was imported from pdf - i.e. if "open pages as: layers" then 1.st point else current behaviour.- BUTTTT, i dont think this will meet any criteria: i.e. doesnt cover all cases, requires more effort - detection, storing, changing the behaviour, and it still have associated unpredictability with "smart actions" etc...
- but anyways, just wrote here for the records
Duplicate search: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/issues?&state=all&search=layers+as+pages
Original description (abridged):
Description of the feature
When exporting a pdf, the export "layers as pages" option should be enabled by default
Use cases
-
- when editing a pdf directly opened into gimp, then on clicking "file > overwrite file.pdf" for exporting - currently only single page is saved automatically and no popup/dialog etc is shown
- so, may lead to (double) data loss (i.e. original pages, as well as edits) if the person closes the window w/o saving - thinking that pdf is exported already, so, no need of xcf project file.
- this is the main problem this issue is aimed at addressing.
- Rest following i think are just the thoughts on the subject or "(arguably) better ux" scenario stuff.
- pdfs are mostly multipage documents, so, exporting multipage by default shouldnt be a problem i think
Edited by Yash Pal Goyal