GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 327476
VERY basic help.
Last modified: 2006-01-26 20:11:54 UTC
Your site, tutorials, etc all look great BUT you are missing a simple first usage introductory tutorial including installation (I used the non-compile version), what the main parts are, the basic first commands, and how to move around. I installed 3 parts - sys, Gimp, and Help - apparently successfully and the program started up just fine. I loaded a png file from a Yahoo Widget, got a shaded checkerboard picture, and even figured I want to play with the alpha transparency stuff. My problems are how to do that. (1) Every time I start up the layout of windows and tools is for some reason different and (2) I can't figure out how to get Help - every time I go to the helps I get another window asking where to move a file to and then I get some semi-garbage in NotePad. Note that at the very beginning of the site it wouldn't hurt to add something about Beginners go ****, intermediate users go ****, and advanced users go ****, and separate the various levels of writeups.
Hm.. seems that the help browser doesn't work or the installation ist garbeled. Have you seen any help at all (compared to http://docs.gimp.org/en/)? Could you provide a bit more information? 1. From where do you got your GIMP installation? 2. What do you mean by 'layout of windows and tools is different'? Are the windows placed in a different order on your screen? Are the tools in the toolbox everytime placed differently? Could you provide a screenshot which maybe illustrates the situation a bit more? 3. What did you do to get help? Did you use the designated buttons or a shortcut (key press)? I heard sometimes, that the default web browser on Microsoft Windows can be changed (by programs or by yourself - don't know why). So, TheGIMP uses the default web browser to display the help pages. If this is the case, you've to reconfigure your default web browser, which seems to be NotePad for now. You may also want to check the Bugs #137173 and #158463.
The "file move" problem is caused by people using a component of Microsoft windows incorrectly by adding it to the context menu. Unfortunately, this is also done by a somewhat popular "enahncer" utility in order to impress users... even Mircosoft employees who were involved in the creation of this feature discourage its use in the context menu. So the first step would be to revert this change and have "copy to" and "move to" removed from your context menu.
If this report is going to be kept open as a documentation bug, it should get a better summary. This is the third time I opened it because I dodn't know what it was about anymore.
Sorry for delay - this is active hobby project for me but not urgent. If I remember correctly I downloaded directly from main site but not positive. For help I have been using help at top of Gimp window. Did find that I had added "send to" stuff but don't use it so spent quite a while figuring out how to remove it but at least help now works. Original opening view was 2 vertical windows covering ~1/2 of screen. Then after several ins/outs the right hand window disappeared and after a few more the bottom half of the left one went empty - I never had time to learn what these sections were for. Still trying to search out a friend to explain a 1 layer transparent alpha graphic in a Yahoo png Widget graphic - then I will get back to trying to edit it for less transparency and/or a second backing colored/colorable layer. Thanks.
I'm interested if you have seen this help: http://docs.gimp.org/en/concepts-beginners.html#gimp-concepts-usage This article covers the main points of GIMP's layout. But I've to ask again, because some points are still not clear to me: 1. From which server have you downloaded your installation? Seems that you downloaded the installation binaries from somewhere else. (I don't understand, what you mean with: I downloaded directly from main site but not positive) 2. What did you do to get help. You used the Help button in the top of the toolbox window? Is that correct?
I'm 98% sure that I downloaded from either Gimp.org or Gimp-ww.sourceforge.net but don't remember which of those two. As to a server under those I would have chosen whatever sounded closest to NY state. The version listed by using the now working Help button at the top is 2.2.10. While I'm talking perhaps I should define what I meant above about a tutorial. I'm just suggesting something called Introduction or First Usage that quickly explains basic operations and what the various areas of the windows are and then runs through one simple example such as load a provided sample, change color, add to, change size, modify, and save - not to explain everything or answer all questions - just a few basic operations to prove (hopefully) how easy it it to use. Your dedication to little old me is very impressive - thank you very much. My local friends have tried to explain the transparency stuff to me but most tell me to find a "clone" copy of Photoshop. I'll keep digging and check out some of your advanced tutorials in the near future.
Add'l - Just browsed beginner link mentioned in above reply - it appears, at first glance, to be all of what I wanted. I wish I had noticed it earlier - now tell me I missed a reference to it when I did the original download. Thanks again. Now back to the beginner tutorial and on to my widget confusion.
Okey, I'm going to declare this bug as INVALID, since the content seems to be already there. I'll file a feature wish for the GIMP developers. Maybe it is possible to add some functionality in the help browser to access the introductionary content much easier than now.