Note option inside VS

[Boldline]

I was thinking more about how useful having an option to write notes inside of a VS file. I know I mentioned it last fall in 2023 and it might already be on the list of things to be added eventually, but that discussion was also more focused on scanning fonts used in the VS file, etc...
So at the risk of being repetitive, I wanted to bring it up as a separate topic, focusing on the note ability itself aside from the font identification aspect.

I envision something like "Document Note" and it opens a panel with a text box where basic text can be added by the user with information that might be useful the next time the file is opened.
For myself as a screen print designer, I could make great use of adding brief notes about fonts used or client comments or reminders to my future self about what I did and why I did it in terms of the art in the file. It could also be useful if the file was going to be sent to another VS user and there were specific notes for a job that were getting passed along.
Perhaps an option to save out a copy of the note to the desktop as well as an option to export the note to the default Mac/Windows text note app.
The user could also open the respective default text/note apps for Mac and Windows and create a text file and then import it into the VS file to be saved with it that way as well.

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline Would these notes be for the whole document, or can also be for Layers and Objects?

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler said in Note option inside VS:

@Boldline Would these notes be for the whole document, or can also be for Layers and Objects?

That's an interesting idea. My initial idea was more broad and generic and less granular, but the concept could be expanded if you and others found a usefulness and way to include specific elements like layers and objects.

It would be amazing if you could "tag" a specific shape or layer and then add that tag into the text file. Clicking that hyperlink in the text file would highlight that shape or layer in the file - much like the way we can tell VS to go find the shape selected in the document in the layers panel.
VS also already has the option to save specific view locations in the document to click on and return to that specific view later... this could also be tied in
Maybe an option in the rename section for the shape to assign it a tag or link? Is that too complex? I could see this being a huge asset when sharing a VS file with another VS user or for reporting bugs and issues.

[Boldline]

I'm not a developer, but maybe a good place to start is with a basic note panel in VS where simple text files can be written/exported/imported and saved internally within the VS file. I'm not fluent in these details but the note panel could allow for markup text files as well as other basic level text file support. So if someone wrote it in Mac basic notes app it could be pasted in as well as if someone wrote it in markup in Obsidian, etc.
I don't know how complex it is to build the note panel into VS, but if its a lot of work, perhaps starting with just an option to store and access text files with a document that open in 3rd party apps?

[Boldline]

I use a cross-platform media curation application called "Eagle" to collect images and videos and files (check it out, it's inexpensive and yet powerful. they just released the beta for version 4 which is a big update from version 3)

They use a small note icon at the top of the screen when you enter full screen with any selected image and in this case, you can make rectangular selections around specific spots to highlight and comment on. You can then add text above the selection and it stores it with the image for the next time you pull that same image back up.

This method is not what I had in mind initially, but I like the idea that you can make these highlighted selections on the image and add notes and pull them back up easily.

This could also be an amazing addition to what is already in VS with view presets. Just as there is "pixel view mode" and "vector view mode", there could be "notes view mode" and any selected highlights would be visible and specific notes could be rolled over with the mouse - this could be on a whole file level or layer level

Here is a quick video showing how this is done in Eagle

[Subpath]

@Boldline

Eagle looks very interesting to me, i am looking quit a while
for an Offline App to create knowledge / File collections.

Are Hyperlinks possible in Eagle ? Like in Mindmapping Apps
per Example.

[Boldline]

@Subpath I stumbled upon Eagle from someone I followed on Twitter who was raving about it. Since I bought it they have released the beta for version 4 and it makes it so much better... still a few things I have requested for it though that would make it perfect for what I need.

In terms of hyperlinks, you can save any website url into the program as if it were a "file". I have all my important websites saved in a folder with subfolders.

[Jono]

I also think a way of storing simple text comments in a VectorStyler document could be useful. Would you still have to open the file to read it?

Two alternative things that have worked well for me over the years, are:

1. Leave any comments or instructions on the pasteboard. (See example mockup screenshot - it obviously doesn't need to be this fancy).

2. Create a text file with the same (VectorStyler) file name to record any instructions or associated details.

For me, I'm afraid having the ability to add comments and notes to shapes and layers with hyperlinks sounds like a whole lot of extra complexity. I think Inkscape uses object properties with labels etc, but I've never used them.

[Boldline]

@Jono I would assume the VS file would have to be opened to view the internal text file. There would be the option to export out the text file from VS so if someone wanted to to be viewable without opening VS, that could happen.

I like the idea you have of making a notes section on the pasteboard. The idea I was thinking of was making it a panel so it could be free-floating and closed easily.

In terms of labeling objects - I would assume it would not be 1000's of items, just major things to find in the document - so not looking for autolinking literally every item possible