[Issue] The curve tool: my recommendations on it

[Generalelectric]

there is no way to use this stupid thing to make a proper curve. when you do finally get a curve going you always end up with a line sticking out the end (you know, the dotted line that was being used to form the curve into a curve... yeah, for some reason you decided to make it to where that line turns into a line sticking out of the curve for some reason).

Here's how the controls should work!

One draws a line by left clicking, holding down the left click and dragging the ling out to where they want it to end. Then they release the left click.

They should be able to take the pointer to whatever part of that line they want curved, left click on it, and fiddle about with it till they have the desired curve. This should be repeated with other parts of the line until the whole thing is curved as one desires it to be. Then they should right click, and select "complete curve" to finish it and lock it in place.

They should also be able to right click on it again and set it to where they can continue altering the curve.

[acknak]

Have you read the Forum Survival Guide?

This forum is merely OOo users trying to help other users; no one here can do anything about your suggestion. Sorry.

If you have something that needs to go to the developers, this should get you started: [Tutorial] Reporting bugs or suggestions

However, there is already an issue filed for this problem: Issue 23289: Curve tool unintuitive
You can register there and add your vote (up to two) or comment.

[TheGurkha]

And further to the point that we're not the developers, just users trying to help other users, you do realise that this isn't some 'official' tech support facility? We're all just users, the same as you.

[Daiwe01]

. . . One draws a line by left clicking, holding down the left click and dragging the ling out to where they want it to end. Then they release the left click.

They should be able to take the pointer to whatever part of that line they want curved, left click on it, and fiddle about with it till they have the desired curve. This should be repeated with other parts of the line until the whole thing is curved as one desires it to be. . . .

Without going into representing curves in a computer and the theory behind the control points for Bezier curves or NURBs, that is pretty much how it works now (although you have more control than that).
Have you looked at Help > Curves > Editing Points?

[acknak]

I meant to add this comment before: I completely agree with you about using the curve tool. I've looked at the help and played with it and I still find it impossible to control.

I use one of two workarounds when I need a curve. I either use the freehand curve tool, then go back and remove points and tidy-up the remaining nodes, or I use the polygon tool to place the nodes, then convert that to a Bezier curve and adjust the nodes.

Editing the nodes is another exercise in frustration, but, with some patience, I can coerce it into giving me what I need.

[Daiwe01]

Continuing to avoid curve representation and only lightly brushing Control Points:

. . . or I use the polygon tool to place the nodes, then convert that to a Bezier curve and adjust the nodes. . .

Is this not an initial "straight line simplification" of what the Curve Tool does (but requires more subsequent action by the user)?
Curve Tool sequence: Click to start > Hold-drag-release-move > Click but hold to end FIRST Curve > Hold-drag-release-move > Click but hold to End SECOND Curve, etc. >> DblClk to end.
Doc Ref: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wik ... ier_curves
If, following the specified sequence, you do NOT Hold-after-click, i.e., simply click, the subsequent "straight line" is still actually another Bezier curve.

. . . Editing the nodes is another exercise in frustration, but, with some patience, I can coerce it into giving me what I need.

Doc Ref: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wik ... ect_points "The editing of a Bézier curve consists in principle of moving points and/or tangents passing through these points. Each tangent has two control points, one at each end, and a junction point where it meets the curve. The relative angle and distance between the control points determine the shape of the curve. . . ." Calculus 101 anyone? (And I won't quibble about the lax terminology in the quoted documentation.) The dashed line is the tangent and the length of a "tangent arm" directly influences the slope of the curve between adjacent control points.

Additional information regarding the tangent lines and Editing object point examples -> Doc Ref: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wik ... e/Examples

[acknak]

Of course it works, I'm just saying that it's not at all intuitive. I think the main problems with it are 1) that you place the control points first, 2) it requires a precise sequence of interleaved clicks and click-drags, 3) you can't see anything except the final line--there's no indication of the structure or what element you're actually working on. It's very typical of software designed by the software engineers who created it: it assumes that the user has a thorough understanding of the underlying principles and can work from a completely abstract mental model. Oh, and has a copy of the manual handy

I can't say that any curve tool I've ever used has been trivial--the Inkscape tool works almost the same way, but it gives you a lot more feedback showing you what you're doing at any point.

The problems I have with editing the curves are entirely related to OOo's "Edit Points" toolbar. That thing would make a great lesson in how not to design a user interface. On top of that, there is some problem that causes "smooth" nodes to randomly change into "corner" nodes, so that I often have to fiddle around getting them back into stable "smooth" mode.

You can see what happens here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKP7XIuqGzo