It would be useful if the sample or clone area for the retouch tool could be defined before making a path. >90% of the time (i just measured; ) ) i have to move it (the sample area) and the sample area isn’t always so easy to select.
Have to say it’s awesome tool in spite of this!
Unless I’m missing something, that would just move the issue to the target area, which you will have to move:
target and sample area are always the same size and shape, so defining one area defines the other, with an initial offset for the location. And the module has no way of knowing what that offset should be for an individual correction, so it has to use a default.
it’s the initial offset that could be improved by allowing its selection - like the clone tool in photoshop - you click a point in the area to sample from i.e. the ability define the location from which to sample (but with it’s shape size etc still defined by the area you are trying to correct)
TL;DR i want to set the offset location manually
This is already possible. Select the tool you want to use, then just shift-click to define the location of the source, then define the target area. See darktable 4.6 user manual - retouch section “source and target shapes”.
wow how did i miss that in the manual? must have skipped over it too quickly - my bad 
thanks!