Node Tool: improve ui for x- or y-alignment of multiple nodes

PS This is in both 0.46 and 0.47 (build 22040)

please see bug #170116 “editable x/y coordinate fields in Node controls bar”

I think what you perceive as bug is an implemented feature to change the x or y coordinates of several selected nodes at once. The user interface is unusual and could be improved - but overall I think it is a useful enhancement of the current node editor.

Proposing to set importance of this bug report to 'Wishlist' - improve the user interface for the node-editing feature to align all selected nodes at the newly entered coordinate(s).

to clarify:
5) In the "X" edit box on the tool bar, enter a new X value.
6) Press the Tab key
activates the y-coordinate field
7) Click on the drawing
then triggers the change of y coordinates of all selected nodes

To avoid the collapse of all selected nodes into the same x,y location don't <Tab> to the other field if you only want to change one coordinate of the selected nodes. Both coordinate entry fields act more like buttons when multiple nodes are selected: they trigger the change on 'activate/deactivate' not on 'enter new value + return'.

So... Instead of <Tab> I should presss ... ?

What is your goal?

A - change the X *or* Y coordinates of *multiple* (selected) nodes:

1) click into one of the coordinate fields (X or Y) you want to be the same value for all selected nodes
2) if needed, enter new value
3) press <Enter> or click anywhere on the canvas or near the selected nodes to trigger the alignment (selecting another tool cancels the nodes alignment).

… works for me. Otherwise add a comment to above mentioned bug report (if you already read it you will notice that I initially had the same reaction as you, until I figured out that it works as intended and fixes all requested features of bug #170116). But I agree that this UI at first is confusing and hard to comprehend, but once you realize how it works it is a quick and lean way to align nodes to precise coordinate values.

B - change X *and* Y of *one* node:

1) reduce your selection set to one node before entering coordinates
2) use <Tab> to proceed from the X entry field to the Y entry field or <Enter> to end.

The difference to the 'Align and distribute…' dialog for nodes is that the proposed new x and y values of multiple nodes are the calculated as the average of all selected node coordinates. The align dialog allows to align to the x or y coordinate of one of the selected nodes.

Thanks. Enter works. Still wish that Tab would, too. It would be more consistent to just move on to the next edit box, as Tab does when and object is selected and you are editing X, Y, W or H (though tabbing from H is sometimes broken, though better in 0.47).

Setting importance to 'Wishlist': redesign the interface to change X and Y coordinates of multiple selected nodes in the node editor. An additional button next to the entry field that triggers the alignment could improve the usability of this feature and allow <Tab> to work as in other toolbars with multiple entry fields: select the next field without changing any value or node positions.

This feature seems no longer available in the new node tool (Inkscape 0.47+devel r9435).

The new node tool only offers the options in the 'Align and Distribute' dialog to
A) align the selected nodes to the averaged x- or y-coordinate
but I can no longer find the ability to
B) align selected nodes to the x- or y-coordinate of the first selected node.

Inkscape 0.47 offers method A in the node tool controls bar (using the x and y entry fields) and method B in the 'Align and Distribute' dialog while node-editing a path.
Inkscape 0.47+devel only offers method A in the 'Align and Distribute' dialog while node-editing a path.

-> Should we change from feature request (wishlist) to regression (bug)?
-> Why was the behavior in the 'Align and Distribute' dialog for aligning nodes changed?