Suggestion to add Docking panes and a shortcut DEL key to remove a layer.

[rickygai]

Paint.NET v5.0.3

Hi,

1. Is not sure why the panel of Tools, Colors, History and Layers are still adopting old style method of floating windows. Although there are shortcut keys CTRL+SHIFT+F5 to F8 to align these panels to corner screen respectively, I still think if these panels can be docked or even into one single pane with tabsheets, it will be very handy during editing like the attached image file below.

2. The first impression to me while trying to delete a layer is, I always right click to see if there is a "delete" option or not, later only found out the delete option is a button at the bottom toolbar, why not just add a shortcut DEL key to remove the layer, isn't it a straight forward solution ?

Hopes, suggestions above help.
 

Edited May 18 by rickygai

[Tactilis]

54 minutes ago, rickygai said:

why not just add a shortcut DEL key to remove the layer, isn't it a straight forward solution ?

Why not just explore the application and/or read the Documentation, isn't it a straight forward solution 😉
 
Take a look at the Layers menu. You will see that there is already a shortcut for Delete Layer:  Ctrl+Shift+Del

The Documentation is available under the Help question mark icon top right of the screen.

See https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/LayersMenu.html  and https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/KeyboardMouseCommands.html

 

[Rick Brewster]

6 hours ago, rickygai said:

2. The first impression to me while trying to delete a layer is, I always right click to see if there is a "delete" option or not, later only found out the delete option is a button at the bottom toolbar, why not just add a shortcut DEL key to remove the layer, isn't it a straight forward solution ?

 

The first trick to learn when wondering if there are keyboard shortcuts for something: look in the menus. They're all listed right there.

 

[rickygai]

On 5/18/2023 at 4:39 PM, Tactilis said:

Why not just explore the application and/or read the Documentation, isn't it a straight forward solution 😉
 
Take a look at the Layers menu. You will see that there is already a shortcut for Delete Layer:  Ctrl+Shift+Del

The Documentation is available under the Help question mark icon top right of the screen.

See https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/LayersMenu.html  and https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/KeyboardMouseCommands.html

 

Thanks, actually I am looking to customize as less keystrokes as possible, just a DEL key, instead of CTRL+SHIFT+DEL, do you have any suggestion for this ?

There are too many software shortcut keys for me to remember like Blender, Reallusion, PowerPoint, Unity Editor, Unreal Engine, Visual Studio Code, normally I try to set the same customizable shortcut keys so that I can remember easily, better if it is a standard like CTRL+Z (UNDO), the same goes to UI interface.

When I click on a Layer then right click with delete key option then delete is very handy, instead of look down ( especially when the Layer panel is long and tall ), move the cursor to "X" button then delete or CTRL+SHIFT+DEL where I have to let go mouse and press three keystrokes, is distracting my focus.

Another example is the duplicate key CTRL+SHIFT+D, in PowerPoint it is left click on an object then CTRL+Left click to duplicate, so CTRL+Left is easier than CTRL+SHIFT+D. The same goes to Unity Editor, CTRL+D to duplicate object, so just my suggestion, the less keystrokes to combine with mouse click the better.

Edited May 20 by rickygai

[Tactilis]

52 minutes ago, rickygai said:

Thanks, actually I am looking to customize as less keystrokes as possible, just a DEL key, instead of CTRL+SHIFT+DEL, do you have any suggestion for this ?

Yes.

 

You can either:

1. Get used to the shortcut keys that paint.net uses.  Del is already used for Erase Selection (see under the Edit menu and in the documentation), so it is not available for Delete Layer.

 

2. Use AutoHotKey to map the Del key to Ctrl+Shift+Del when paint.net is the active window. You can map any other keys you want as well.

[rickygai]

ic, then I try the AutoHotKey and see, thanks again.

[Tactilis]

6 hours ago, rickygai said:

I try the AutoHotKey and see

It will achieve what you want but, of course, you will then no longer be able to use Del for Erase Selection, deleting characters in the Text Tool or elsewhere in the UI.

 

In all honesty, I think you'd be better off using the shortcut keys that are provided rather than trying to bend paint.net be the same as other applications.

If you use paint.net, then muscle memory develops quickly for the operations you perform frequently.