I am trying to figure out what each filter and preset does.
When I browse through the filters, Shotcut shows a one-line description, as shown below:
But this is very cryptic, and not of any help.
I am looking for a more elaborate description, about what the filter achieves, its best uses, how its parameters work, tips about how to use it, etc.
So I was looking for keywords and description field for filters or presets.
But I could not find them.
Do these fields already exist, or are they planned in future?
I checked out the roadmap, and found this entry:
add keywords, description, and presets to Filters search
Does this mean advanced search for filters?
If so, it would need these fields for filters and presets.
So would the fields be added as part of this feature?
I also found a five years old thread asking for description for each filter, but it seems to be asking for an external documentation, rather than attached fields. In any case, it was closed because of timeout.
The documentation is scattered, and search-based. Not suitable for a “start-to-finish” reading. Many users would prefer to settle down with a proper User Manual, and read it through.
If there is a plan to develop a User Manual collaboratively, I volunteer to contribute. So far, I have created 10+ user manuals single-handedly, including the pdf User Manual for LMMS.
If you agree to take the plunge, we’ll need a TOC-type listing of topics to begin with. Here is a candidate listing of all topics.
The simplest scheme would be to embed hyperlinks on that page, which jump to the explanation page for each feature.
This will help anyone (even a non-user) who comes to that page to check out what Shotcut can do for him. At the same time, it will help all Shotcut users too!
I and a few others have been contributing to the documentation. Nobody full-time has been writing documentation in English.
To create a PDF user guide, it would constantly need to be revised with each new version. Read through this to learn why.
The latest version of Shotcut today is a whole lot better than it was 2 years ago. Very few of the documentation articles are revised with each version, and if you search through page views in the document section, people are seeking out the information. People are also reading 3+ year-old posts on how something works.
I think it would be awesome to get another documentation contributor.
Well, people sense that Shotcut is just too good to drop just because it does not have a good user manual. So they will try their best to make do with anything they can find.
