Defaulting "Area to Save" to "Page"

**ad1066** · 03 September 2015, 05:37 PM

Thread necromancy issues aside, this is still a valid concern. I have wanted this option for quite some time as well.

There is a workaround. Create a rectangle the exact dimensions of your page (snapping to Objects works for this), and set both fill and line to transparent. Then exporting Content will be the same as exporting Page.

[Edit: Just noticed this was also mentioned in the previous post.]

-- Ben

**ToddS** · 03 September 2015, 09:22 PM

Just so nobody thinks this issue is settled with that workaround, I'll reiterate that the workaround only works if everything is on the page. It fails if any content is stored off the page or if anything extends off the page. So without a workaround we can use all the time, I think I speak for at least several of us when I say we'd like to see this feature implemented.

**ToddS** · 03 September 2015, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by ad1066

Thread necromancy issues aside...

I was surprised that it was so easily allowed to die back in 2007 and 2012.

**ToddS** · 08 September 2015, 10:26 PM

What do you think, Gary? Make sense now? What do we need to do to put this on the feature request list?

**angelize** · 09 September 2015, 01:01 AM

There is a work around to the workaround. Now I know actually having this feature would be better but until that happens you can create your rectangle the same size as the page but don't make it transparent (yet) Make sure it has no outline though. now add a small shape somewhere in the middle of the page this is just to give a clicking point to make it easier to select the rectangle later on. Select your rectangle and your clicking shape and hit Q on your keyboard to apply a clipview. Right click on the clicking shape and select clipping shape from the context menu. this will select your rectangle inside the clipview. click the crosshatch on the colourline (right next to the eyedropper) and all colour will be removed from the rectangle leaving it transparent.

At this point you can create a template of this document for further use, or save a .xar file that you can drop and drag into your page. you can do the right click to select the clipping shape to adjust the size of the rectangle and to create your animation panel double click on the shape you created as a clicking point this will open an edit inside window now you can create your drawing and delete the clicking shape. when done hit ctrl +S to go back to your main document and export your panel.

**mikeymopar** · 09 September 2015, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by ToddS

...I wish it would sometimes default to "Page" or that I could force it to. For many projects, I need to make many exports that are all the full size of the page. For example, when I'm creating graphics for video, I often need all my exports to measure 1280x720 or 1920x1080, HD video dimensions.

There are sometimes workarounds. Sometimes I can create a transparent rectangle the same size as the page and just hit ctrl+A before I export, and then the default "Selection" is effectively the same as the page. Sometimes, however, I have items stored off-page, and this method won't work...

Originally Posted by ToddS

Just so nobody thinks this issue is settled with that workaround, I'll reiterate that the workaround only works if everything is on the page. It fails if any content is stored off the page or if anything extends off the page. So without a workaround we can use all the time, I think I speak for at least several of us when I say we'd like to see this feature implemented.

the same would happen if your default is save page since some content is "off the page"; you'd have to compensate somehow whether it's menu driven or using a rectangle. if it's a size you always use then make it a default template with an already existing 1280x720 rectangle included in the template so you don't even need to make a rectangle when you start up. make a second template with a 1920x1080 rectangle. any other specific sizes, add more templates

i know i'm in the extreme minority (if not the only one) but i've never even used the page to design on except for animations. i do everything off the page to the sides, above, and below. i'm very, very familiar with grouping a transparent rectangle (in my case as i primarily mess with pngs) with content that i want to export. (i've added a sample typical workspace. over 1200 individual images, 38px by 38px, saved one at a time. and i know, go ahead and laugh, it is pretty ridiculous for being just a hobby)

now don't get me wrong, i agree that it should be an option but if content is off the page then it really shouldn't be included when you save "page"

**ToddS** · 11 November 2015, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by mikeymopar

the same would happen if your default is save page since some content is "off the page" ... now don't get me wrong, i agree that it should be an option but if content is off the page then it really shouldn't be included when you save "page"

You misunderstand. I don't want to include off-page items. I want to export page with only those items within the page. The suggested workaround is to create a transparent page-sized rectangle so that ctrl+a selects all and then export selection is equivalent to export page. But it's not equivalent if there are items off the page. If I don't need to export with alpha, then I could just select the transparent rectangle first, and then again export selection is equivalent to export page. However, if I do need alpha, then I have to select all the items on my page as well, and if something extends partially off the page, the export will be larger than the page.

All I want is for the export dialog to default to whatever mode was used in the last export. Other options are sticky, but page is not.

**Nuno** · 16 November 2015, 12:48 PM

Today I received an update to this thread, more than eight years after I created it!
At the time I thought this would be an easy fix, without workarounds... I created an autohotkey macro to avoid doing that operation hundreds of times.

**ToddS** · 09 March 2016, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Nuno

Today I received an update to this thread, more than eight years after I created it!
At the time I thought this would be an easy fix, without workarounds... I created an autohotkey macro to avoid doing that operation hundreds of times.

AHK FTW! I love AHK! I've used it to "fix" software deficiencies as well.

**DavidDB** · 13 May 2016, 11:13 AM

I create hundreds of "Screensavers" that are distributed to 7 stores and eventually displayed on 1080p TVs around the stores on usb sticks - Low tech but works.

My default page sizes are 1920 x 1080 and my templates have various logos and often repeated objects in the Pasteboard Area

Its so frustrating every single time you want to check output you then have to do a seemingly pointless dance of going via Export Otions/ Options Tab / Check JPG Quality if first session) / Bitmap Size Tab / Area To Save / Page / Export

Surely if there is an item selector that is set for page SOMEONE must be able to throw that switch - for the sake of my sanity lol