Hi all,

I have seen a topic running at gimpusers.com: http://www.gimpusers.com/forums/gimp-de ... ssage75340 . I downloaded the gimp 2.9 development version from http://nightly.darkrefraction.com/gimp/ to check for the feature but I can not see it appearing in any menu. All I see is the "Plug-in browser" and "Procedure browser" under help menu.

Or maybe not yet included in the development version.

That is a long thread at gimpuser. I read about 15 or 20 posts and gave up. I'm curious what exactly your looking for?

There is an even longer thread about in gimp-developers. Basically the UI architect is questioning the usefulness and focus of that feature, so it's so far not part of the base.

The preliminary description for the tool is available on the GIMP WIKI, (though it describes a lot of features that are not, and probably will not be, included in the final implementation).

Hi,

"...already available in gimp through help and plugin browser search."

I already tried the plug-in browser. But can I launch filters/plugins from the plug-in browser as what I perceive they are talking about the Search Action dialogue?

Also, one of the gimpusers.com user testifies having tested the feature here: http://www.gimpusers.com/forums/gimp-de ... ssage76240

I now add the Author name under the menu item <Image>/Script-Fu/.
For instance <Image>/Script-Fu/Graechan/Logos. And all Graechan's Logo scripts are there. If it is for Artistic it goes under "<Image>/Script-Fu/Graechan/Artistic/"
I do the same with <Image>/Python-Fu other than Ofnuts PATH filters which are selected by right clicking the PATH layer.

For me this keeps all the added resource filters organized. Or in an organized mess.

Screenshot-

And what is the "Plug-in browser" under "Help" menu intended for?"

It may be part of the learning process, but it can interfere with the creative process.

When I am working on a project, any time I have to spend searching for how to do something is an obstacle to my actually doing it. The smaller the obstacle to discovering how to do something, the more productive I can be.

I have been using GIMP for nearly 15 years now (though the first few years were spent trying to draw a straight line ) and I still spend entirely too much time running my mouse through the menus looking for a particular command. Yes, I should use the Plug-in Browser; and I usually do, after I've gone through all of the Filters submenus looking for Gradient Map (as an example). And in this case the Plug-in Browser proves quite helpful... instructing me that the Gradient Map filter can be found in the "Colors->Map" submenu (no wonder I didn't find it under Filters).

OK, now that I've found it in the Plug-in Browser, why should I have to now close the dialog and manually navigate to "Colors->Map->Gradient Map" to execute the command? Computers are supposed to be facilitating such things, and yet I am now a good half dozen steps away from actually performing the operation that I knew I wanted to perform, I just could not remember how.

Being able to click on a "Perform" button in the Plug-in Browser to automate execution of the found command would seem to me a reasonable option, but even then the Plug-in Browser only shows plug-ins -- it doesn't show tools (e.g., Curves or Posterize) and it doesn't show core operations (such as "Select->Save to Channel"). Furthermore, it only returns results if I actually know the name of the command (or at least part of it).

To me, this Action Search dialog offers a vastly improved method of discovery of GIMP operations and provides for a much smoother workflow. There has been a lot of controversy over it but I think most of that is owing to a breakdown in communication and misunderstanding of what is being proposed.

@Rod you're a well organized person and an example to follow
So, do you need Action Search or not?

@Joseph Plugin browser is utilizing a tag search system, e.g. you type 'color' in search box
and all related scripts and plugins show up, as well as information about menu path (that's where it's located),
image modes it's working in (RGB, greyscale, indexed), etc.



was laughing for 5 minutes
Of all people out there you know gimp in and out, we are all aware of it

I know what are you talking about, saul, I was using already implemented similar search tool in Blender.
You hit the Spacebar and a dialog window pops up, type in what you need and voila.
When I realized that having a cheat-sheet was a way to nowhere I gave it up (because it was more disruptive to the
efficient workflow than memorizing and using keyboard shortcuts, on which Blender heavily relies, and most importantly,
I wasn't really learning much).
Following the advice by experienced Blender artists I've taken a hard path of memorizing first the routine stuff, then more and more, but in the end of a day it benefited me big time. It's true not only for Blender, for example, 3DS Max has an expert mode with no menus and panels at all, and that's how pros work - time and effort efficient workflow.
Of course, it's a matter of an individual preference, but in my post I was mostly talking about my personal perception on this matter.

I think it's a good option for new users to be able to search the plugin browser and start the script they need from there. Once they are familiar with the filters they regularly will use then it will probably no longer be needed. Unless of course you don't have my organized mess to deal with. Then it would still be useful for those newly added resources.

Concerning this matter, I found the final response by Michael Natterer: http://www.gimpusers.com/forums/gimp-de ... ssage76239