How do I change settings from inches to pixels?

[fuss]

I can't seem where or how to fix this. I'm on the latest verion of Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 7, and for some reason, when I go to create a shape, everything is in inches instead of pixels. It won't let me just type in pixels, it just reverts back to inches and won't change the shape. I am pulling my hair out trying to find the setting or preference. Anyone know where I can change the settings so that things are always in pixels and not inches?

[The Alien]

Under
Utilities > Options
or
File > Page Options
Click the Units tab.

[angelize]

another quicker way if you have the rulers enabled is to right click in the upper right corner where the units are displayed and choose Grid and Ruler options from the dropdown list and go to the units tab

[fuss]

Hi, Alien

That only helps if I have a file open. I don't want to have to go and change the units every time I start a new file. I want the default units to be pixels rather than inches (in the past, my Xara versions have always opened new files automatically in pixels, not inches, so I'm not sure why that's changed now).

For example, I go to create a circle shape. It's doing the shape in inches. So I go into to units and change it to pixels. That works for that file. But it doesn't change the program default. When I go to create a new shape on a new page, it is still doing the shape in inches.

What I need to know is how to set the DEFAULT units to pixels, not inches so I don't have to change them every time manually.

[fuss]

Hi Frances

I'm not sure where you mean. I don't have rulers on very often. I have to manually go in and turn them off. Did that, but I'm not sure where you are talking about this units. It's still displaying in inches and when I go there and manually type in pixels, it still shows in inches.

Can you provide a screenshot of what you are talking about? Does your tip change the program defaults? (Changing individual file units is not what I'm asking about.)

[zaphodeist]

OPen a new page, set to pixels, save as template making sure to click on save as default :-)

[Rik]

Rulers are turned off by default. To turn them on:

• Right click and choose "Show Grid/Guides" > "Show Rulers" to turn display of the grid on/off.

• Press "Ctrl + Shift + R".

• Or select "Window" > "Bars" > "Show Rulers".

I use the CTRL+Shift+R method all the time. Dead easy and very quick and useful.

Hope that helps about the rulers.

About setting the units and keeping them set, I use John's method of setting all my requirements and then saving that as a template - method listed below.

To make your template document:

• Open an existing document ("File" > "Open", or "Ctrl + O") or create a new one with the New button on the Standard control bar or "Ctrl + N".

• Make any required changes (these could be changing the page size, adding a logo or adding a message). You can edit the template document just like an ordinary document.

• When you are happy with the changes choose "File" > "Save Template" and choose a template name.

To make your new template the default template (i.e. which is there when you first open Designer Pro) check the Use as Default Template option when saving the template.

By the way; all of the above is found in the Help section.

[fuss]

Thanks! That helps a lot!

One other thing I need to figure out.... In my last version of this program, shapes automatically had a .67px line. I liked that. In the lastest version, shapes have no line by default. I'm used to them automatically having a line. How can I change this in the defaults? (I tried using your method above for that, but it didn't stay saved in the template).

[zaphodeist]

I find that in DP7 at any rate setting the line width will work but it only appears when you select a tool :-)

[amoore]

Yep, you're right. Even when I've saved a shape in the template with a .67px line width and GNOMRA turned on, a new shape drawn in a new file from the template has 0 line width.

[GNOMRA = "Give new object most recent attributes" Utilities | Options | General tab]

The easiest way to maintain your preferred line width is make sure that GNOMRA is turned off, then with nothing selected on the canvas, explicitly enter .67px in the line width field. That will make .67px the default so long as you're working on that file. Unfortunately, you'll have to do that each time you start a file.

Looks like your options are to:

Alternatively, with GNOMRA turned on, you can:
- save the template with a small shape with the desired line width and fill on the pasteboard.
- when you go to draw your first shape in a new file, click on the example shape to pick up the line and fill, the select your drawing tool and create your shape.

With that alternative, you won't have to enter the line width each time. However, depending on what you're doing, the line widths for lines and the line widths for shapes may diverge at some point. That has to do with the treatment of outline and fill attributes.