This is just a minor issue, but it has been bugging me for a while now, especially when working on a project where multiple masters need to be made compatible and the automatic correction isn’t sufficient. Currently, it works like this: Right click node, Make Node First. Easy. Problem is, one needs to right-click exactly onto the node in order to bring up the option in the menu. This is not only really annoying when working quickly and not wanting to zoom in far enough to precisely select the correct node (especially in hairlines!) but also inconsistent with with other action behaviours: In order to open a corner, for instance, You need to merely select the correct node(s) and can right-click anywhere to bring up the Open Corner option.
What would make life a lot easier: Allow for selection of a node to be sufficient to invoke the Make Node First option. That way, one wouldn’t need to tediously zoom in to every affected glyph manually and right-click exactly onto the node, often in multiple masters per glyph. Selection by dragging a selection rectangle is just much faster.
True, and I have the same issue with it. I have been using it rarely enough for it not to be such a bother for me.
I understand the original reasoning was probably to only put into the context menu only what is necessary there. Otherwise the menu gets cluttered very quickly and becomes unusable.
That’s very reasonable and I absolutely understand why it works the way it does. In the case of such an elementary workflow tool, I personally think it would be absolutely justified to add it to the regular context menu. Sure, workflows differ, but correcting path direction is one of the core workflow elements, especially in multiple master projects.
Also, I’d much rather sacrifice a bit of aesthetic for more functionality, in this case just one menu item more. Considering that Open Corner is invoked more easily doesn’t make much sense to me, either, Make Node First is also an action concerning one node. It is so very elementary!
In the largest part of cases, correcting path directions (Cmd-opt-shift-R) on all masters properly takes care of start points. So that menu item should be very rarely in use. It may be a better way of action to send us the paths that are not fixed that way and we improve the algorithm.
Opening corners works on any number of paths, even across masters, and as far as we can tell, has a high usage frequency, especially after removing overlaps or reconnecting nodes.
Another ramification of this: if I have one node selected in each of several different contours and then invoke the contextual menu, if my mouse is over one of the nodes I see Make Node First. If I select it, the behavior I’d expect is that each of my selected nodes will become the first in its path, but only the one below my cursor is changed. Basically, the interface makes it feel like applying Make Node First to multiple nodes at once is possible but it is not.
I’ve run into this issue a few times and wondered why it didn’t appear in the menu anytime a single point is selected. I think it would indeed save time as opposed to right clicking exactly on the point.
