[QGIS-Developer] 2.x and 3.x vertex edtior

[Anders Skoglund]

Hi,


It was suggested that I forward my feature request from the QGIS issue tracker (https://issues.qgis.org/issues/20250) to the developer mailing list.


Namely: Doubting that I at any point will prefer the 3.x vertex editor, I wonder if it would be possible to reintroduce the 2.x vertex editor. Whether the user prefer the current or previous editor is of course a matter of taste, so not necessarily to replace the 3.x vertex editor, it would be great if there could be an option in the QGIS settings on which vertex editor to use.


Main 2.18 vertex editor pros and cons as I see it:
+ The vertices on the active feature are always visible, which has two important advantages: 1) I can always see the vertex, so I know where I need to point the mouse cursor to grab it. 2) When zooming and panning to other parts of the map to edit other sections, I keep track of which feature it is.
+ The visual appearance of the active feature is calm, with no flashing halo effects as I move the mouse cursor around and across it.
+ There are fewer ("complex") mouse operations (clicks, drawing rectangles) to add, move or delete a vertex.
- It has been replaced :(

And for the 3.4 vertex editor:
- As the active feature is always the one below the mouse cursor, the vertices of the feature I'm editing are only visible when they are directly below the cursor. This has two disadvantages: 1) I have to point the mouse cursor at the feature to see where the vertices are on a feature with few bends, and then relocate the cursor to the vertex I'm after. 2) I might lose track of the feature when I zoom and pan the map to go to other parts of the feature to edit.
- The dynamic highlighting effect applied to the features and vertex below the mouse cursor at any time is in my opinion visually disturbing, both in itself and when moving the mouse cursor across it without the intention to edit it.
- As the highlighting symbol of the vertex below the mouse cursor has a larger diameter than the 2.x vertex symbols, it is more cumbersome and unpredictable in result when adding a vertex on a segment where the vertices are close together.
- There are more ("complex") mouse operations to add, move or delete a vertex.
- There are some operation inconsistencies: 1) Adding a vertex, either single-click the cross appearing on the hovered segment, or double-click anywhere else on the line. 2) To move a two-vertex segment, click the segment and move it. To move a selected multi-vertex segment, click one of the vertices and move it.
- When intending to move a segment, I have to take care that I don't click the cross that appears in the middle of the segment when hovering it, as this will create a new vertex rather than move the segment.

My conclusion: The ease of use and efficiency with the 2.x vertex editor outshines the vertex editors in any other GIS software I know, and the 3.x version is in my opinion a bit strenuous and ergonomically fatiguing in comparison when doing heavy vertex editing work.

Thanks,
Anders Skoglund
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