Changing the page size moves my stuff down

[dogbertbh]

When I add content to a web page and I want to make it a longer page, I go to the page options and change it from 600pix to 1000pix.

The new page area is added ABOVE my topmost objects. Above my header and I need to select all, group, align to the top of the page, ungroup

Is there a way to add my extra space to the BOTTOM??

[Odat]

This was hashed out recently and unfortunately the answer is no (unless Xara knows something that they're not telling ).

Xara references the bottom left corner of the page as the origin by default, and internally it still represents it that way even if you change the Y coorindates to increase downwards instead of upwards.

So any way you slice it, the extra space is added at the top of the page because as far as Xara is concerned, that's where the bottom of the page is.

It would probably be a fairly easy fix for them to make this work in a more intuitive way, though. Perhaps in an upcoming patch release. We're probably going to run into this a lot now with the HTML export feature.

[ss-kalm]

We're probably going to run into this a lot now with the HTML export feature.

It's already reared it's ugly head more than required. I agree a fix would be nice ........

[gwpriester]

Yeah, sad by true. When you increase the page size the content of the previous size is centered inside the new page.

So, TIP. Add a small line at the very top center of the current sized page.

Increase the page size.

Move all your content up (Ctrl a - Select All) until the line is at the top of the new page.

Delete the line.

[amoore]

Good tip, Gary, but the "centered" part of the explanation is inaccurate.

When you change the page size, the content retains its position relative to the lower left corner, Xtreme's internal (and historical) default point of origin.

[jeb]

Just to add my two bits to wanting to be able to build from the top down - a real pain the way it is for web design. Who knows how long a page needs to be when they first start.

What I do is right off the bat I change the page size from 600 to 3000 - that way I usually only have to then correct it once when I finish the page.

But everytime you ;ater make changes to a page - add or delete content - you have to move everything around - a very big pain. - jb

[dogbertbh]

I see I've struck a chord here.

As I said, I've found it easiest to resize the page, select all, group, arrange >align to top center of page, then ungroup everything again.

Takes seconds to do, but would be better if I just didn't have to do it.

[amoore]

This chord has been struck a number of times over the years. The situation has always bothered some people quite a bit and others not at all. Looks as if many more will find it annoying with the new focus on web pages.

There must have been a good reason for putting the point of origin in the lower left corner way back when. I suspect that changing it now would not be an easy task. Don't know if it's even feasible...

[Odat]

Keep in mind that when you group items it pulls all objects to the current layer. So if you're working on a document with multiple layers (like say a webpage with popups) doing that is probably going to make you unhappy.

It seems clear the internally the origin is always the bottom left regardless of how you set things up so that backwards compatibility is retained.

That would indicate that having the Y co-ordinates increase downwards (for example) merely causes some extra work to be done behind the scenes when you position objects. Though it's still referencing the bottom left corner the math involved makes it seem like it's the top left.

And if that's the case, then it should be a simple matter of making the page resize operation just figure out where the new positions would be to make the space go at the bottom. Essentially it knows that if the page is 200 pixels taller, everything needs to be shifted 200 pixels, just like you'd do manually.

This is what makes me think that this could easily appear in a patch update at any time, along with other roll up fixes (for example the HTML filter DLL).

[steve.ledger]

Who knows how long a page needs to be when they first start.

Well many web devleopers actually do plan this. It also helps in costing.
And besides, there are very many who expect a *page* to be printable, therefore it should be no longer than a regular A4 sheet of paper.
If the information you need to include requires more space than an A4 page allows, then move onto page two, just as you'd expect with any other kind of publication.