Bug 485385 - Choosing a "Rectangular Region" maybe shouldn't wipe the old image (UX/workflow problem)
Summary: Choosing a "Rectangular Region" maybe shouldn't wipe the old image (UX/workfl...
Status: RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Alias: None
Product: Spectacle
Classification: Applications
Component: General (show other bugs)
Version: 23.08.4
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Noah Davis
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-04-11 16:01 UTC by Ellie
Modified: 2024-04-11 20:58 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

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Description Ellie 2024-04-11 16:01:06 UTC
SUMMARY

It would be helpful in some cases if choosing a "Rectangular Region" wouldn't wipe the old image, but instead if it worked on the image I already captured. Otherwise it's e.g. impossible to screenshot and crop a context menu, because any context menu is forcibly closed right after the screenshot so clicking "Rectangular Region" will update to the current state of the menu being gone. I realize with the current button layout this introduces follow-up questions: e.g. I think it makes sense that "Full Screen" and "Active Window" and "Window Under Cursor" lead to a new screenshot being captured. But I think the consequence of that maybe shouln't be that "Rectangular Region" should also do that (which is how the UI is designed right now) but rather that it should maybe be moved somewhere else e.g. into the top bar where the edit tools are that also work on the image rather than destructively replacing it.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Right-click in some app that'll open a context menu
2. While the context menu is open, press print key
3. Spectacle opens and the context menu close, pretty much at the same time
4. In Spectacle, attempt to crop the image to some smaller region around the context menu just captured. You'll notice the natural button to want to click for that is "Rectangular Region", but that doesn't work

OBSERVED RESULT

"Rectangular Region" throws away old image

EXPECTED RESULT

There is some crop tool, maybe with the button moved to a different separate spot, that keeps the current image


SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS

Windows: 
macOS: 
Linux/KDE Plasma: 
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: plasmashell 5.27.10
KDE Frameworks Version: KDE Frameworks  Version 5.115.0
Qt Version: Version 5.15.12 (Spectacle built against 5.15.12)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-04-11 17:17:37 UTC
It sounds like you're trying to work around the lack of a crop tool, so you may be happy to learn that this has been added to the upcoming 24.05 release!
Comment 2 Ellie 2024-04-11 20:58:49 UTC
Ah, very cool! Yes, I indeed used it as a crop tool, and it sounds like that would resolve this issue. I love that, good work!