Tablet scribble notes templates

[Grommot]

Greetings Fellow Dotters,

 

Firstly, big thank you to Rick for creating a superb drawing instrument that I have been using for many years.

 

 

So having recently gotten a Surface3, I've been trying to develop a PDN file template for making hand written notes.

 

I have found that it would be great if PdN could remember which layer was the active layer on last use of a PDN file and to set to it as default on the next opening-up of the file.

 

I have found a few threads that touch upon this aspect to some degree and would be great if this could be implemented if it was feasible (as a sneaky feature request consideration  )

 

Basically, I want the zero-th layer to have a background like a lined solid white page with a transparent second layer for writing on.

 

In the absence of being able to lock down the active layer, I have thought up of two ways to make scribble note templates.

 

1. Use the zero-th layer as the input layer to write on and:

  - Page line markings are put on a second layer, which has transperancy set to about 50%.

( this allows any scribblings on the zero-th layer to come through and appear as if they were above the lines )

  - Mistakes are corrected (without using Undo) by selecting areas of the input to cut or erase.

  - The hole showing the checkered background then need to be repaired use the Area Fill tool.

Pro: Immediately able to write on the input layer on opening the file.

Con: Correcting errors more onerous.

 

2. Use the zero-th layer as background with page line markings and:

  - A second layer is used as the input layer for handwriting, etc.

  - Mistakes are corrected (without using Undo) by selecting areas of the input layer to cut or erase.
  - Either uncheck the visibility of the zero-th layer before saving the template

( this prevents input on opening the file and user is reminded to do something - ie. set input layer and make zero-th layer visible )

  - Or add a 3rd layer with large text to remind user to do something.

Pro: Correcting errors is easier.

Con: Extra steps to select input layer on opening the file.

 

0. Use the zero-th layer as background with page line markings and:

  - A second layer is used as the input layer for handwriting, etc.
  - No other measures.

Pro: Simplicity.

Con: Too easy to forget to select appropriate layer and mess up.

 

 

It might seem like a minor issue for the user to learn the habit of selecting the appropriate layer before writing away the quote below shows it is too easy to mess up and when you're under pressure to take notes during lectures, this is not helpful.

 

 

modtyrant, I dislike that, too, and have complained about it before. It's not the "extra seconds to activate the layer," it's the fact that it's confusing and regularly results in me modifying the wrong layer. Toggling a layer off and back on is often how I determine whether a layer is the layer I think it is. Of course, I could label every layer, but when I'm working, I often have a number of temporary layers, and I don't like to interrupt what I'm doing to add labels. And I still maintain switching to some essentially random active layer achieves no useful objective. There's no reason to expect it will be a layer I'd like to activate.

 

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I have found that it would be great if PdN could remember which layer was the active layer on last use of a PDN file and to set to it as default on the next opening-up of the file.

To include this information would require a change to the pdn file format. Breaking every pdn file created up to this point. You can imagine how Rick would frown on that.

IMHO you just need to get used to adding a new layer after opening the image. Or otherwise adjusting your workflow. Why not record the notes on a default blank image and later import then into the lined template?

[Rick Brewster]

There are some things which can be added without breaking the file format. Each layer, and the image container itself, has a generic "metadata" blob that can support key/value pairs. The active layer would be easy to encode there.

 

I'm not convinced that storing the active layer there is appropriate, however. Application state does not belong in the image.