Suggestions and imporvements

[behzad]

Is there a log or a special place where users can suggest improvements for xara?

It seems everyone is saying something and it gets lost in threads.

We need a place where developers will look into this list.

[Charles Moir]

Almost all (sensible) suggestions made in these forums are logged in 'the master wish list'. So please by all means make suggestions here and they'll get noticed. For example many of the improvements in the forthcoming 3.2 upgrade have been requested on these forums before now.

[behzad]

I love a spell checker in xara.

[Charles Moir]

Yep, and that's very high on the wish-list list already.

[StevenWWinters]

Almost all (sensible) suggestions made in these forums are logged in 'the master wish list'. So please by all means make suggestions here and they'll get noticed. For example many of the improvements in the forthcoming 3.2 upgrade have been requested on these forums before now.

Moderators, would it make sense to have a dedicated "Feature Request" forum topic? Other software forums I frequent do this and I personally find it helpful.

[Peter Prewett]

I would like to see that when arrows etc. are placed on lines that they are not added too but put in the line.

As it is one has to always adjust line length when an arrow is inserted and when an arrow type is changed.

Peter

[Tallis]

Sorry to be repetetive from a few other posts, but taking this to the other side of the same coin, can we please finally have a regular "release notes" accompanying new releases? Almost every other software product does this. It helps people know if their issue has been fixed without clogging up the forums with "has this been fixed?"... And it tells people applying the patch or upgrade exactly what they're in for as far as improvements and surprises.

[Robert H]

I've been using Xara Xtreme for about a month now and really love it! Here are some additions I'd like to see:


1. Update the Galleries

a. Change the text buttons (New, Delete, etc.) to Icons (with tool tips) for a better look and less screen real estate
b. Allow more than one Gallery to be tabbed together on a single line for docked Galleries (see DrawPlus8)
c. A dropdown list of categories for a Gallery (instead of the current list, which for some Galleries takes up most of the screen real estate before even showing the category items. This would also allow selecting a Gallery category more efficiently without all the scrolling - see DrawPlus8)
d. Allow dragging of drawing objects into a Gallery to create a new Gallery item (for the Line, Clipart and Fill Galleries)
e. A new toolbar button to toggle all displayed/docked Galleries on and off
f. Reliable horizontal resizing of docked Galleries (this fails 60% of the time, the cursor changes but dragging does not change the docked Gallery size)

2. Editable Gradient Mesh Tool (see DrawPlus8)

3. Brush Tool using skeletal strokes (see Expression3 and DrawPlus8)

4. Style Gallery - store everything about an object except its shape. A style can then be applied to other drawing objects. Have checkboxes on the top of the Gallery for the attributes that can be selectively applied to the other drawing object - Shadow, Bevel, Fill, Contour, Transparency, Line, All, None. Allow dragging any drawing object into the Gallery to create a new Style. Allow renaming the Style. Allow named style categories (like the clipart, fill, line Galleries).

5. Zoom - new Buttons and keystrokes (work flow improvements)

a. 100% (new button) [* key]
b. Increase Zoom (user definable amount ) [ + key]
c. Decrease Zoom (user definable amount ) [ - key]
d. Allow mouse scroll wheel to zoom (user definable zoom or current scroll action)

6. Layer Gallery (work flow improvements)

a. Create a New or Copy layer without the dialog box coming up first (or allow user to define this action)
b. Double Click on the layer name brings up the name dialog box, plus add a layer color selection option (see below)
c. Change the Arrow column icon to a Pad Lock icon (more explicit)
d. Simplify the Eye icon - Remove the eye lashes (easier to view)
e. Clicking on the Eye or Arrow/Pad Lock column header icon toggles all the layers on or off for that property
f. Allow color coding layers in the name dialog box plus view and lock checkboxes
g. Sub-layers (would be nice but a lot more work)

7. Gradient Gallery (linear, circular, the new mesh, etc). Allow dragging any drawing item that has a gradient to create a new Gradient Gallery item. Show a small thumb nail of the gradient. Double click on the gradient thumb nail to apply the gradient to the selected drawing object.


I've been very impressed with this forum and the help it provides it's members. Thanks very much!

[The Alien]

I dunno if it's a good idea to have a topic or board dedicated to requesting features. The problem with that is that there isn't really a filter on these requests: users simply submit their request and it gets logged. I think it'll get flooded pretty quickly with small requests that not all users feel are useful. Currently, users can give their feedback on a certain request when they feel it's useful or, to be blunt, useless.

The current system seems fine IMO. As Charles said, they pick up almost all suggestions here, so there's no reason to change it :shrug:

[handrawn]

Currently, users can give their feedback on a certain request when they feel it's useful or, to be blunt, useless.

The current system seems fine IMO. As Charles said, they pick up almost all suggestions here, so there's no reason to change it :shrug:

Think I agree with that
Unless there's feedback, its difficult to prioritize.
Xara [the company] read and take note of these threads - this is special.