README

ClutterSmith
============

A a base for a Clutter authoring environment.

ClutterSmith is highly experimental no stability or future backwards
compatibility for the project files is guaranteed. It can currently be used
to create json files for use with any Clutter supported language binding.
The javascript integration with gjs goes beyond what can be statically
decalred in a .json file. It should be possible to also use some javascript
driven features also from other languages.

Building
--------

Compile and install as normal, the following dependencies are needed:

gobject-introspection
gir-repository
clutter 
nbtk (the mx branch)
clutter-gst 
gjs

GObject introspection files are expected to have been generated and installed
for mx and clutter. A good way to download the sources needed is to run the
jhbuild bootstrap of gnome-shell (see http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell).

ClutterSmith needs to be installed before it works, it currently launches
in browse mode on a tutorial. Note that the default project is read only
since it is installed in a system location. To edit a project launch
cluttersmith with a working directory or an existing json file as the argument.

Features
--------

This outline is a summary of interactions in cluttersmith, some prefixed
with a - are not implemented yet. This is development planning sheet and not
a user guide, many of the things listed here will probably change. The
actions are organized based on the context where it is possible to perform
these actions.


actions regardsless of selection status
 -undo
 -redo

  select all

  if content in paste buffer
    paste                 ^V

  add template            click in template panel (should be drag and drop)
  goto scene              click scene in scene list (or edit scene title)
  add scene               edit title entry in toolbar
  change directory        edit working dir entry in toolbar
  enter container         double click selected item which is a container
  edit item               double click item (like text)

when have none
  select one              click at an the item
  select many             lasso select, starting outside any item

when have any
  add one to selection    shift+click at an item
  toggle selection status ctrl+click at an item
  add    many             shift+lasso select as in none
  toggle many             ctrl+lasso select as in none
  select none

  raise                   pgup
  lower                   pgdn
  home                    send to front
  end                     send to back

  selection keynav        cursor keys (shift to extend, ctrl to slide|move?)
                          ctrl+shift to align (using cursor dir to determine
                          side to be aligned?)

  cut                     ^X
  copy                    ^C 
  delete                  delete
 -create template         should take the paste buffer and add a new template

  move
       individual item    drag, starting in item
         with snapping
       multiple items     drag starting in one item
        -with snapping
  resize
       individual item    drag resize handle in lower right of item
         with swapping
      -multiple items     drag resize handle on lower right of items
        -with swapping
  
  select none
group
ungroup

when have one
  duplicate               ^D
  if container
    make group            ^G
    ungroup               shift^G
  if link
    change destination

when have many
  group
  make box                   creates a box container
 -align
 -distribute

Visualisations for selected actor
  properties
    child properties
   -layout properties
  callbacks
    javascript code          not fully functional
   -visual coding            snippets/blocks,with ui elements as js placeholders
      -go to scene
      -load scene modally
      -animation triggering  the animations of a scene should be named..
                             (perhaps using named transitions would be good?)


Snippets
--------

It should be possible to program using visual blocks representing blocks
of javascript code.

change_scene (gui_string_scene_name);
set_size (gui_string_actor_id, gui_int_width, gui_int_height);
set_position (gui_string_actor_id, gui_int_x, gui_int_y);
set_sub_scene (gui_string_actor_id, gui_string_scene_name);