How do I stretch a photo? Driving me crazy

Hi all,

I'm trying to figure out how to stretch a photo, and it's been driving me crazy.

This is what I want to be doing, and apologies if this sounds ranty. I want to be able to have a phot and resize it either by entering the size or stretching it using the handles. All I get though is the image automatically cutting the top/bottom or sides.

I've done hundreds of Google searches and writing to Xara has been of no use as they never replied. I even tried upgrading from Photo & Graphic Designer to Designer Pro, as I'm sure I used to do this all the time with Xara.

From what I can tell, all the help files and official files/videos say the same thing, intellignet resize because most of the time stretching a photo will look bad. Does this mean that they just decided to not make it possible to do it? As a designer, it would be nice to decide that for myself.

I did find a section in the help file, at one point, saying to press the Alt key while resizing, but that doesn't make any difference.

If anybody can help with this, it would really save me losing all my hair :D

Thanks

Hi and welcome to TalkGraphics MysticMongoose.

Don't worry you're not alone. I can't find the poll thread recently held on TG but this new 'feature' is hated. There is a workaround coming shortly in the next update according to Xara.

Gary P will probably supply the link to his poll when he see's this thread.

I couldn't figure it out either. So far strecthing in 365 seems to change the aspect ratio and crops the image. At least 365 does, but XPGFD 11 did it correctly, like you want.

Attachment 121124 Attachment 121126 Attachment 121123

EDIT:These were old photos of me.

Welcome to TG MysticMongoose

Handsome guy in those pictures!

Still using Xara Designer Pro X12, can't us v15 at the moment due to a loading bug.
Did you try "Show selection bounds handles" in combination with "Lock aspect ratio". I don't like using the new handles, they are very confusing to me.

Thanks for the reply.

I've tried both options with that button, but it cuts it with both of them unfortunately.

Thank you everybody. Being new, I somehow missed all the other answers above, so wanted to thank you all.

I've been using Xara since about 2002 at different times, and can't remember this ever being a problem in the past.

I spoke to somebody at Xara in about December, and they told me there was going to be a fix, but there hasn't been an update since November, so it doesn't seem to be on their list of important updates.

they are having issues with the update according to Matt [xara CEO]....

ok, at least we know they're working on it.

if theyre having a problem why can't they just revert that part of the code back!? I really need this update!

Waiting... Using this at a full time job.

there's a lot more to the update than just this problem and it will all be interconnected

I'm sticking with ver 12; forever like as not...

We also use this daily in our business, creating images for social media. We are having to make changes in Photoshop just to get the correct size, before putting it back into Xara.

I am actually debating whether it will actually be worth it to pay for the next years subscription..... I mean it's been about 5 and a quarter months since the last update. I know they had issues with the installer for the update to 15.... but Xara really should have come the next update out by now. I use a mix between 12 and 15 now.

Don't you just press Alt and then attempt to stretch? It works for me in X12Pro. Last updated April 2017.

I saw that as I was looking for a fix, but it doesn't work in the latest version.

which is partly what all the fuss is about

Glad I didn't go for the subscription then.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MysticMongoose

it doesn't work in the latest version.

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I can verify that, stretch does not work by pressing alt which gives a strange result. Pressing alt changes the container shape but does nothing to the image, al least not on my version.

There is another thread where it is indicated that Xara will release an update that will allows the pressing pressing of ALT while dragging a side of an image to stretch it.

This is the update I am waiting for. I will remain on 12 until this particular update is released.

...and now the update is out! Yes!

Except ... It doesn't appear to work. Using ALT resizes the frame, but doesn't stretch the photograph. Unless I'm really missing something. I don't consider myself stupid, but whatever they have done is COMPLETELY unintuitive, and the as far as I'm concerned XARA has always been reasonably intuitive.

And since there are no release notes that say what's been done or changed, it's hard to work out.

HORRIBLE ...

Why can't it revert to it's previous behaviour.

Please someone, tell me I'm missing something!

Hi Keith,

You and everyone else, myself included, who has complained about not being able to squash a photo will be pleased to know that the Alt key now works. Thanks for putting in the link. I couldn't remember what the trick was supposed to be, and I didn't notice anything obvious about how to find this out.

There was a message containing more information on what was supposed to be in this new release. Can someone please point me there?

Thanks,

Ahh ... The trick was to switch to the NORMAL handles. Obviously ... Didn't think about changing the handles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Hi Keith,

You and everyone else, myself included, who has complained about not being able to squash a photo will be pleased to know that the Alt key now works. Thanks for putting in the link. I couldn't remember what the trick was supposed to be, and I didn't notice anything obvious about how to find this out.

There was a message containing more information on what was supposed to be in this new release. Can someone please point me there?

Thanks,

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John I've just made a post with more info, including links to the Release Notes, here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ss-kalm

Why can't it revert to it's previous behaviour.

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On my system, with the Xara 15.1 update, I do not have to hold ALT to stretch a photo in one direction. However, If I hold ALT then I get the version 15.0 behaviour of changing the crop size.

There is a way to turn all this stretching confusion off. Right click on the Lock Aspect Ratio (the lock icon) and uncheck [ ] Smart Transform.

You can always turn it back on.

Very old time user that I am, I prefer this feature OFF.

Ditto here and from your poll 98% of other users.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Gary you are a GOD ... I am a very happy camper!

Now the $64,000 question ... Could we have done that all along? That's all I really wanted. But ONCE AGAIN, very unintuitive ... I would never have thought of right clicking that lock ... Am I alone in that?

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was in a panic! Every time I upgrade Xara, I suddenly can't do some function or other that I always need to do. It's still there - it's just hidden somewhere unexpected. As usual, Gary Priester saves the day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

It is perverse to hide such a feature, both in the UI and from the Release Notes.

Acorn

And even with this option unselected it is acting up,one keeps selected the fill handles instead of the resize handles

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gwpriester

There is a way to turn all this stretching confusion off. Right click on the Lock Aspect Ratio (the lock icon) and uncheck [ ] Smart Transform.

You can always turn it back on.

Very old time user that I am, I prefer this feature OFF.

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thanks for that Gary

For stretching, the message at the bottom of the screen for the side and top handles still says, "Drag to stretch/squash the selected objects." This should be, "Alt+drag to stretch..." should it not? The "Drag to stretch.." should be "Drag to crop..." Also, for stretching/squashing, Alt+shift+drag squashes stretches both sides (or top and bottom) together.

Still some work to do for the on-screen hints and the documentation. The Help file (.chm) was updated in March, mine has a date of 2018-03-10, and it does not reflect the previous or current situation for "Stretching and squashing objects." I noticed that Table Smartshape has been added, so Xara did some, but not all of the changes and new features.

"The Selector Tool must be in scale mode (the selection bounds handles are squares)." And yes, ALt+drag to stretch...

It took me forever but after 6 months I'm finally at ease... Thank you all...