#17 Expanded print functions

[Ruven Gottlieb]

The print functions ought to be: Portrait, Landscape, Auto, and Manual:

Portrait or landscape for when the user wants to choose the orientation.

Auto for when the user wants the program to pick the orientation that provides the largest image for a given paper size.

Manual for when the user wants to adjust the margins and orientation manually.

Perhaps these can be integrated better than the description above.

[Johan Kjellander]

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I think it is important for the user to understand that
printing is always a two step process.

First you specify what part of the model you want
to print. This is the firast print dialog in Varkon
with Auto, Select and Manual.

Next you specify how the selected part of the model
should be mappped to the media. For Auto and Select
you do this in the "Configure" dialog and you have two
options, Portrait or Landscape. (a third option "Auto"
could be added here). In manual mode you specify the
orientation of your output in the "Print scale and
orientation" dialog.

I agree that the print dialog is not perfect as it is
but I hope it's good enough to do it's job in the system
until version 2.0 ?

[Ruven Gottlieb]

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Regarding the following points, please see the Gimp print menu as an example of what I consider "The Right Thing". My ideal would be to rip that out and use it as-is -I assume not so easy in practice.

I don't agree that printing is always a two-step process. It seems to me that a user most often wants to print the entire model. The user ought to be able to do as many operations with as few menu selections as possible, as long as the options are in coherent groups, and the number of options are not visually overwhelming.

The canonical print request is probably "Priht the entire model, select portrait", or "Print the entire model, select landscape", depending on the model's propporions, and whether or not the orientation of the image on paper matters, i.e. they all have to be landscape no matter the model's proportions.

As for the "Auto" selection, I believe it's confusing as implemented: To me, and in the Gimp print menu, "Auto" means the model will be printed whichever way aligns it's longest axis with that of the media. If you want to pre-set the orientation, I suggest the button just be labeled "Print". This is accepted usage.

I propose we simplify it as follows:

Flatten the menu tree out so that when the user selects the print function, they get a comprehensive menu. Brackets indicate a selection from a list, or an input window.

Print:
Portrait
Landscape
Manual
Select
To File [ $VARKON_PRD/plot/$JOB_NAME.ps ] <-- Default. Also allow pipes, to pipe to gv for previews.

Media Size: [ letter ] <-- select from list, or input X,Y values via "User-defined"

Image:
Orientation: [ 0 ]
Left Border, mm: [ 0 ]
Right Border, mm: [ 0 ]
Top Border, mm: [ 0 ]
Bottom Border, mm: [ 0 ]

Printer: [ | lp ] <-- Default.

You may not want to implement all this until v. 2.0, but I think we ought to keep debating it until we're both fairly satisfied.