X-Y positioning of objects on a page

I'm wondering if it is possible to change where on an object its X-Y co-ordinates are based on.

For example if I am trying to position a circle on a page and instead of placing it based on X-Y co-ordinates for the lower-left corner of the object I would rather place it based on the centre of the object.

Basically what I'm looking for is something similar to the rotation tools 3x3 grid that lets you quickly choose a rotation point for an object but instead would allow you to set the point that the objects x-y co-ordinates are based on.

Just incase it matters, I'm running Xtreme Pro 3.2.3

Thanks

Welcome weetbix,

I know what you mean. Flash has this capabilty but as far as I'm aware Xtreme doesn't. Is there any particular reason your after this function?

Welcome to the Xtreme Conference.

Not sure I know the answer to your question either.

Xara does have an X, Y Coordinates of Position setting (see attached) but this by default starts at the bottom left corner of the page and not the center of a selected object.

I suppose you could determine the distance from the edge of the object to the center and modify the position that way but it does seem like a lot of work.

Gary

@Egg
It's a function that I quite often used with CorelDraw prior to changing over to Xara (Corel was supplied by work and is now quite an old version, Xara I bought for myself).
I quite often make up templates for labels and do one page docs (probably better using a proper publishing app but you use what you have). If you are working with objects you need to position specific distances from both sides of the page it is nice to be able to pick say the upper right point of the object to base the X-Y co-ordinates on.

@gwpriester
yep that's what I've taken to doing. Calculating out the objects required position is a little more work so it would have been nice to have a simpler way of doing (and as I mentioned above it was something I was used to from CorelDraw). Also by default the x-y position includes the thickness of the line. If I based it on the centre of an object then I could ignore the line thickness (of course assuming it didn't matter).
I'm sure I came across an option to base position on the outline rather than the line thickness in the help but I will have to go back and reread to find it again.

Oh well . Might be something to stick in the requests for new features :)

wheetbix,

Quote:

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I'm sure I came across an option to base position on the outline rather than the line thickness in the help but I will have to go back and reread to find it again.

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I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing but you could be refering to the "Scale Line Widths" icon/tool.

This has a very strange double function:

1: If deselected it scales up the shape but retains the same line width (as expected)

2: When selected/deselected it gives either the overall (including stroke attributes) or internal shape (excluding stroke attributes). Go figure!

Yeah. Option 2 is what I want.

It really makes a difference when creating a placing objects.
For example, when you create/size a box it is based on the outline of the object. Yet when you place it on the page using x-y, it basis the position on the outside of the line width unless you first remember to unselect the "Scale Line Widths" icon/tool.

Oh well just have to forget my Corel stuff and get used to doing things in slightly different ways. Anyway I much prefer using Xara over CorelDraw.

When I have to do layout for a flyer I just use guildeines for the center of the page (horizontally and vertically). When you select an object, there are small "blobs" that signify when you selected it. Those blobs are at the exact center of the object... So I just use those and nudge the object into place.

I do a lot of work for an ex home designer. He is very critical on placement... One pixel off and he will notice...:rolleyes: :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by weetbix

I'm wondering if it is possible to change where on an object its X-Y co-ordinates are based on....

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So I guess an extension to this, allowing custom origin placement: (see pic)

I have a feeling this is one of those things that would take very little time to do.

I think the thing is Xhris is that XXP ALWAYS uses the bottom left corner as the registration point. I think it would be useful if it was possible to use the "set origin position" to also set the registration point i.e. such that altering the registration point changed the X & Y co-ordinates as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

I think the thing is Xhris is that XXP ALWAYS uses the bottom left corner as the registration point. I think it would be useful if it was possible to use the "set origin position" to also set the registration point i.e. such that altering the registration point changed the X & Y co-ordinates as well.

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I'm not sure what a registration point is; how is it different to the axes origin? The object origin can be changed to any of the four corners surrounding it, and the document origin can be changed using the rulers. Scale line widths determines whether or not the line stroke width is included in the object origin position.

@raynerj1
Good lateral thinking. I hadn't even considered using the selection "blobs" for that. Though it would only work for centring objects.

@Xhris
Yep that would be a nice feature to have as well.

What I would like to see is the current "set origin position" button
Attachment 40841
work in the normal "selection" stage as well as its current use with the "rotate" stage of an object.
In the normal selection stage it would adjust where the objects x-y co-ordinates were based on. eg centre or top/right of the object.

Do Xara have a specific location for suggesting new features?

Oops didn't see the next two posts before completing my reply.

What I am refering to is changing the objects individual point of origin.
Just nicking Gary's screen capture from earlier in the post
Attachment 40842
and adding in the extra circle and arrow to the top right of the object drawn.

What I would like to see is that I can adjust an indivual objects origin point to the upper right, then punch in the location I want it on the page and xara would place the object based on its upper right point. This would be independant of the pages point of origin.

From what you are saying I can already adjust where an objects Point-of-origin is based. Is this for each object or only on a global page basis? I thought the dialog box you showed was for the pages point of origin NOT the objects. The objects X-Y location was still based on the lower right point of the object.

OK. I've just had a play with an object and some guidelines to see how this works.

yes this dialog setting sort of does part of what I want to do, but it does seem to complicate what I think should be a fairly easy task (you have to start working with negative positioning). It also changes the setting for every object on the page. I know you can change this setting whenever you want without it adjusting any current objects but it does take a few extra mouse clicks to navigate to.
It also doesn't solve the issue if you want to base the objects location on the centre of the object.

I'd still like to see something along the lines if what I suggest 2 posts ago, reusing the rotate object "set origin" button.

At least for the moment I do have a way of acheiving what I need. The workaround that raynerj1 used for centring an object and now I know what those settings in the "Page Option" dialog box do.

Always a good day when you learn something new :)
Thanks

Yes, centre could be useful to some people, and perhaps the extension to the general case of any point on an object. It could integrate nicely into a pop-up origin selector via the current rotation grid buttons.

Weetbix,

You might like to look at Xhris's excellent Snapping tutorial. It's quite simple to snap an objects centre to a grid / guide / object.

I've pulled down a copy and had a read through it. Definitely one I'm going to go into fully tonight when I get a chance to play.


Xhris, Thanks for the great tutorials. Obviously a lot of effort went into producing a very polished product.