The new "Objects" dialog is great -- except when I can't figure out wth it's doing. I finally decided to try to examine one weirdness in detail.

I open Inkscape 0.92, create a rectangle on the left, create another rectangle on the right, select them both, press CTRL-G.
OK, I have a group with two rectangles, which displays as expected in the Objects dialog.
Now I want to name the right-hand rectangle "RightRect".

The first thing I don't understand is that renaming by right-clicking the object name in the Objects dialog and selecting "Rename" renames the group instead of the child object I right-clicked on. Double-clicking the child object (in the Objects dialog) does allow me to rename it.

The second thing I don't understand is that either action seems to "enter" the group. Since there's no obvious visual indication that this unwanted side effect has happened, it appears to the user that the grouping has been lost. I'm now trying to track down and eliminate all the superfluous groups I have created because I thought my grouping had mysteriously disappeared when I renamed an object.

I don't see any relevant bugs listed, so maybe these are works-as-designed and I just can't fathom the design.

The first thing I don't understand is that renaming by right-clicking the object name in the Objects dialog and selecting "Rename" renames the group instead of the child object I right-clicked on.

Some of the other right-click options also don't work as expected (e.g. the locking options). If there isn't a report for this yet, can you please make one?

The second thing I don't understand is that either action seems to "enter" the group

I would say that this is intentional, because it allows you to select and edit the selected object.

I look at the object manager/panel as a work-in-progress. So much potential!

In the meantime, I enjoy using it to lock/unlock objects and groups. Also can copy objects without actually seeing/unlocking them. Handy.

If you have a lot of objects to rename, you can use the Objects panel and the Object Properties panel together... click to select in the hierarchy and rename in the Properties panel.

Hello

I'd wish it could change the SVG ID's of each object, instead of the name. It's for later using those IDs in CSS animations. Or in Javascript programming. If It also could show and edit classes

Moini wrote: If there isn't a report for this yet, can you please make one?

Will do.

Moini wrote:

The second thing I don't understand is that either action seems to "enter" the group

I would say that this is intentional, because it allows you to select and edit the selected object.

I think I probably did not understand how the group context is managed in Inkscape. When groups are layers, and one keeps the layer dialog open, there is at least a modest amount of visual feedback about context changes (admittedly, one must get used to keeping an eye on it). Tracking group context changes seems to be largely offloaded to the user's brain, and having the status bar call an entered group "Layer" does not help. If the user really must be aware that entering a group is implemented by temporarily making it a layer, perhaps that is better displayed in the Layers dialog. Although, there are already sub-layers there, requiring distinguishing them from layers, groups, and entered groups.

And now I see that if I enter group "A" on layer "Layer 1", then add a sub-layer "Sub", the Layers dialog will then display "A" as though it is a sub-layer, while the Objects dialog will still claim it is a group. I begin to imagine the Layers dialog should have just been enhanced instead of adding the Objects dialog.

I think basically, it's more the other way around (layers are just groups, in SVG). But from the implementation, an entered group is treated like a layer. Or a layer is treated like an entered group, when selected (whichever you prefer ).

The Objects dialog is indeed derived from the layers dialog (and I'm glad they are currently separate, because the object dialog can be slow, while the layers dialog isn't...).

I see what you mean by 'the status bar calls the group a layer' - it displays the group's id, but then says 'Ellipse in layer g#12345'. I also think that should say 'group' and not layer. If there's no bug report for it, I think there should be one.

Moini wrote:(and I'm glad they are currently separate, because the object dialog can be slow, while the layers dialog isn't...).

I hadn't seen that before, but today I have. It was taking a few seconds just to select a different object in the Objects dialog. Saving, exiting, and restarting seems to eliminate the delay, which is not an encouraging sign. Must resist urge to look at source code -- too much drawing to do!

Yep, there's a bug with the dialog currently. If you had it opened once per session, it will have an impact on performance.