If I make a bunch of squares of the same color, they won’t ungroup in the software, so I can’t set individual settings on each.
True, by design, different colors are different steps to the GF UI.
If I give each square a different color (ugh), their material settings appear in seemingly random order
It’s definitely ugh if you don’t understand the order. It’s actually a major plus when you do: these are done in color hex code order. Of course you memorize hex codes, right? RIGHT? No? well, then you’ll love custom palettes.
For example, I can’t click on a shape to access its settings: I need to hover each materials setting entry to see which shape is highlighted and thus which shape is affected.
I hear you here, the GF UI usability has some major holes.
Let’s talk abut your solutions:
- Grouping / ungrouping functionality for shapes
This is accomplished in your design software by making them the same path, or by wrapping them in a border shape whose color you simply ignore. Of course any shapes that overlap or enclose each other in your design are automatically grouped. Also, if you have a LOT of small parts, they’ll be autogrouped into one blob, which will annoy you to no end.
- Support setting speed/power in SVG metadata
They do support this but only for PG materials and settings, and in a really ugly way for the average user to edit or work with. It’s kind of a dead end at this point, barring new functionality.
- Click a shape, scroll to / highlight its materials settings
I am 100% with you here, it woul dbe great to figure out settings from the shape, not the other way around.
- Enable changing settings for multiple shapes at once, e.g. select 3 shapes, give them the same settings, then select individual shapes to refine different speed settings
Another win, also one I’m with you on. It’s been suggested, so it’s in “the hopper” supposedly.
- Color-coded speed/power settings like RDWorks (can’t believe I’m asking for something from RDWorks)
This is problematic for a few reasons, especially backward compatibility. As for going forward, it could lead to some nasty settings accidents, which can lead to fires. I can imagine glowforge is quite content to make the default settings 0 power 1000 speed for this reason; it’s the least dangerous setting.
Anyway, you have great ideas, hopefully GF will implement something like these things.
In the meantime, I like this test cut method:
And I personally don’t really recommend any engraving test grids, engraving is too complicated to make an easy one-size-fits-all test pattern – there are too many variables. YMMV, some people swear by them, but I think they’re largely a waste of time. I’m sure there are exceptions and narrower scopes where a test swatch can be handy but for a general purpose engraving test… I just don’t think the utility is there.
For more on this, search the forum for engraving test template:
https://community.glowforge.com/search?q=engraving%20test%20template