Sharing layer pixel data between layers
Submitted by Calvin Spealman
Link to original bug (#143138)
Description
It would be very nice if there was a way to have multiple layers in am image that can share pixel data. This would be different from current duplicate layers in that changes one layer would alter the other. There would also be a way to promote one of these to a real layer.
The use would be when the layer contains some image you want to appear in many places, like a cloned man, perhaps. It would be most useful with the implementation of transformations on the layers, as described in some other bugs, including my own bug #142987.
The interface would need to be clear, and that might be difficult but its doable, for sure. They could be called Ghost Layers, perhaps. On creating one, a dialog would appear asking if you want to 'ghost' that pixel data, the mask, or both. The original layer would be exactly like any normal layer, but the newly created Ghost Layer would reference the original layer instead of store its own pixel data. A Ghost Layer's Attribute dialog might have a drop down list of layers, to allow change of what layer it copies. One might also be able to drag and drop another layer onto a Ghost layer to accomplish this.