GIMP :: How To Put Layers Into Groups

how I can put my layers into groups now, but there are a few problems I've seen pop up.

First are foremost, when I disable the visibility on a group, if I use the move tool it will select layers from that group that were visible before the group was made invisible. Seriously, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that I would ever want to move an individual layer that I can't see. This clearly is a glitch and needs to be fixed.

Second of all there is an issue with a layer's mode when it is in a group. For example, if a layer is set to multiply, if it is set in a group it will only multiply on layers within that group. Now this I can see a good use for, but honestly, it is not how I usually want to use layers. I'm not usually trying to separate the actual graphics in my image, I'm just trying to organize my massively long layer dialogue into something more useful. It's great to collect different aspects of my image and keep them all together. But basically every time I need a multiply layer or other effect, I need it to effect the whole image. To keep it effecting an entire image I have to make two separate groups, each above and below the layer, in order to organize my image.

Now, since there is certainly an advantage that could be given by not having such layers have any effect outside of their group, I can't argue that the feature should be removed. However, I do think it would be fantastic if a property could be added to a layer group that would allow for such layers to effect the image outside of the group or not.

The third thing I have to say about groups is linking. First of all, as it stands, when I activate linking on a layer group it has absolutely no effect, making the option redundant. However, what would be useful is if I could link an entire group to itself and then move every layer within a group in tandem.

Often times I want to move several groups of layers around so I can arrange a composition. For a simple example, maybe I have several images of characters, each built with a layer for flats, lighting, textures, etc. And to arrange the composition I want to move the whole character with all its layers to one spot, then grab another character with all of its layers to another spot.Conventionally, there are only two ways I can do this. Either I flatten each of those groups and move them as single layers, destroying my ability to alter them with any level of convenience, or I have to manually link every layer for that character, move it, un-link every layer, link all the layers in another character, and repeat.But it would be so much nicer if I could link all the layers within several groups, and move each group as a whole without moving any other layers.

Since the link option on a layer group doesn't do anything anyway, it seems reasonable to me that enabling it should have that exact effect. Using the same example, if I have each character in its own group, I activate the link option on all of those groups all at once, and then I can grab a layer on any group and that whole group will move, but not any other layers.Even if it automatically linked all the layers in that group to all other linked layers, it would still be much easier to activate and deactivate the link on just one group each time I move that one group, rather than each individual layer.