Re: [Tuxpaint-devel] [Tuxpaint-maintainers] Tux Paint will now _require_ SDL2_Pango [0.9.30 & beyond]

[Bill K. <nb...@so...>]

On Mon, May 01, 2023 at 07:15:05AM -0400, Mark Kim wrote:
> > Awesome!  Did you happen to toy with the new size functionality
> > of the Magic tools?  Any feedback?
> 
> I'm sorry but how do you use it? I couldn't figure it out.

Many of the tools (see docs/CHANGES.txt for a list) now offer
sizing options, which appear as a little triangularly-shaped
set of buttons (similar to what we've had for Stamps scaling,
slideshow playback speed (and animated GIF export speed), and
brush spacing).

Most (if not all) tools only offer this in the "paint" mode
(versus the full-canvas / entire-picture / MODE_FULLSCREEN mode),
as they affect the radius of the application of the Magic tool's
effect (be it filter-like tools, such as Blur, Darken, Lighten;
or drawing-like tools, like Kaleidoscope and the Symmetry painting
tools, Toothpaste, and Light).

For other tools, the sizing option doesn't apply (e.g., Zoom, Shift,
or Fold (folded paper corner)) or there were other ways to change the
size or intensity of the effect (e.g., Waves & Wavelets, and Blind
(window blinds)).

Tux Paint accepts a "--nomagicsizes" command-line option, or
"nomagicsizes=yes" config. file option (also exposed and manipulable
by Tux Paint Config.) which disables this feature.  Magic Tools,
for the most part, revert back to the behavior seen in earlier
versions of Tux Paint.

In two cases, this actually causes the plugin to act differently.
(During "..._init()", plugins are informed whether or not this feature
has been deactivated.)  Both the Bricks and Googly Eyes tools now each
only appear as a single tool, with various sizing options, rather than
as two separate tools that draw "small" or "large" bricks or eyes.
HOWEVER, if the sizing feature is disabled, they go back to appearing
as two separate tools each like they had done previously.

One way I've tracked down a few bugs was to basically 'spam' Tux Paint,
by just scribbling all over and flipping between the different tools,
their modes (paint vs fullscreeen), the different sizes, etc.
This of course makes it a little hard to determine how to reproduce
the issue.  (Perhaps I should use a screen recorder!)  The side effect
is sometimes I come up with interesting abstract art. :-D

HTH!

PS - Also note that a few other Magic tools were updated slightly,
beyond adding support for sizing.  They're also noted in docs/CHANGES.txt,
if anyone feels like hammering on them. :)

-bill!