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What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
We've had some really positive feedback from many TG'ers on the improvements and changes in 16.1, and we're really grateful for everyone spending the time bringing letting us know what they like and dislike to help further improve Xara.
As you know we did a recent thread on what you would like to see in the future regarding website feature, and a lot of what you have mentioned I'm going to push hard for in future releases. Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that these new feature and improvement suggestions would be within the next update as development time and projects for that is pretty much set but most certainly for the ones after.
In a similar tone, we'd like to know what sort of small improvements you would like to see that would help with your workflow. We're not talking about things that would require a UI overhaul, but for example from the last update the mouse scroll to increase line width is something that's very much achievable. I do want to put an emphasis on small however, just small changes that would make a world of difference to the way you use Xara.
Many thanks
Rob
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
...
In a similar tone, we'd like to know what sort of small improvements you would like to see that would help with your workflow. We're not talking about things that would require a UI overhaul, but for example from the last update the mouse scroll to increase line width is something that's very much achievable. I do want to put an emphasis on small however, just small changes that would make a world of difference to the way you use Xara.
Many thanks
Rob
Hello Rob--is this one limited to web stuff?
If not web-limited, please push the file name into the export box for whatever type of export--but just PDFs would excite the heck out of me.
Thanks, Mike
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
The new TrueType support is welcome but the UI is not very helpful. I menu of available glyphs and ligatures would be a more intuitive way for a designer to select the apply these options.
The screen palette is woefully inadequate. I know that Xara determined long ago what users could select a primary color then adjust the color in the Color Editor but the primary colors seem to have been picked by some mathematical model instead of a more primary group of colors. A larger palette of colors would be more useful. Maybe a popup menu over each primary color with a selection of light and dark plus saturation options?
I mentioned this in the Web features request. The web animation dialog really needs a revisit. It is not intuitive and there is no way for a user to enter a specific time.
Some of the FX filter options could use an Apply button so the user can select several options at one time and then press Apply.
True grayscale that is recognized by Acrobat as grayscale and not RGB. Plus support for spot colors in bitmaps that will be recognized in PDF/X format as spot colors and not RGB.
When working in two page spread mode, separate controls for the left and right pages. When doing a book or a magazine for example, the left and right inside and outside margins might be different. Currently, there is an option to apply a change globally which is fine for one side or the other but not independent. Being able to just move the left text area over a bit or all the right page text areas would be a tremendous improvement.
And of course, Master Pages. And this is important both for print and for the web.
Sticky option for Content Catalog so the user can import several objects at one time.
Larger image in Content Catalog when you mouse over a stock photo or illustration.
The ability to move the ends of the control handles (the bezier handles) with the arrow keys.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Commonality across controls.
Slider controls with numeric input to set exact values a la Profile/Transparency/Blur controls. (c.f., Nib size/Smoothing versus Speed/Delay 0 - 5 secs).
All input boxes with dropdowns to respond to Wheelie mouse action (e.g., Stroke shape fails this).
Replace direct entry Controls with the same capability as Wheelie action to alter values (scroll +/- 1 unit, Ctrl +scroll +/- 5 units, ...).
Avoid overloading existing controls.
The highjacking of the QuickShape tool for Smart Shapes.
The hiding of the Smart transform option.
Xara shapes have a Rotate display of the current angle (0° +/-180°).
Do the same for H&V Skew.
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
The ability to rotate and scale individual nodes within a vector object.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Have the flip vertical and horizontal buttons always available.
Or let me at least add it to my custom toolbar.
Thanks
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Resizing text in variants. I spend more time checking between the variants than actually making them look how I want them. I then have to 'Stop Sharing With Variants' which kind of defeats the whole idea.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
wheras xara's non-destructive bitmap editing is all well and good, many times it is necessary to 'fix' a bitmap first by making a bitmap copy [eg in order to trace] - a one-click internal copy function would be nice, such as is available for export
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handrawn
wheras xara's non-destructive bitmap editing is all well and good, many times it is necessary to 'fix' a bitmap first by making a bitmap copy [eg in order to trace] - a one-click internal copy function would be nice, such as is available for export
This is already possible. CTRL-K clones the selected object. You can even put a "clone" button on the toolbar if you like.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
dutchim wrote:
Quote:
Have the flip vertical and horizontal buttons always available.
Xara was one of the first graphics companies to introduce a context-sensitive menu that they call the Infobar. Today most applications have this. But the who point of the Infobar is to offer options for the currently selected tool. So when the flip icons are not available it is usually because with the current tool or operation, there is nothing to flip.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gwpriester
dutchim wrote:
Xara was one of the first graphics companies to introduce a context-sensitive menu that they call the Infobar. Today most applications have this. But the who point of the Infobar is to offer options for the currently selected tool. So when the flip icons are not available it is usually because with the current tool or operation, there is nothing to flip.
Lets say I'm in the Smart Shape tool and I want the shape to flip... I have to go to the Select Tool... Flip... And go back to the Smart Shape Tool.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Promidi
This is already possible. CTRL-K clones the selected object. You can even put a "clone" button on the toolbar if you like.
sorry, but that does not 'fix' the bitmap
lets say you have an intersected bitmap [ctrl+3] - you want a bitmap trace for example, the tracer will operate on the un-intersected bitmap original, not the intersected bitmap which is a 'clipped photo' object; you need to make a 'bitmap copy' object [ctrl+shift+c] in order to be able to trace only the intersected bitmap
a clone is the same operation as ctrl+c/ctrl+shift+v - what you get is still the intersected 'clipped photo' object, rather than a new bitmap
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
From my thread „My expieriences to set a book with XDP v16“
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ernie-f
My wishes to Xara are to really talk about DTP:
1. performance of the text engine
2. colour management
3. real grayscale and CMYK for images (colour management)
4. Mastersites
5. real left-right side
6. linking images
7. more options when creating a table of contents – i.e. glyph fill for tabs, no links for print
8. layout grid management
9. more functions for text styles – keyboard shortcuts, paragraph settings, better Widow And Orphan settings
10. List properties – more flexibility for user glyphs not only the clipboard thing
11. tables – real tables with the option to split them and have on the new site the same heading (on/off), import from exel, opnenoffice, cvs
12. Text repelling – not only on h + v side, better individual on each side t+b+h+v
and so on, and so on …
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dutchim
Lets say I'm in the Smart Shape tool and I want the shape to flip... I have to go to the Select Tool... Flip... And go back to the Smart Shape Tool.
I would like to Flip Text within the Text tool.
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
1. The skew angle of horizontally and vertically skewed objects should be displayed and changeable in the info bar.
It's now only horizontally displayed and will reset to 0 after a change. If I set it to 22° it should show 22°.
2. The rotation angle of a rotated object should be displayed in the info bar. It normally reset to 0 after a change.
If I set it to 45° it should show 45°.
3. After changing the skew angle of a smart-objekt, the side-handles of the shape are no longer displayed and changes
can only made in the info bar (only hotizontally).
Workaround: If I deactivate the "Smart Tranform" option then the side-handles will show.
4. Not all brush profiles are printed. This bug was fixed once before a few years ago.
Workaround: Choose to print as a bitmap in the printer settings.
5. I want to change / display the size of rounded corners (rectangle, quickshape) in units (changed in any unit and
displayed in current unit).
6. I want to insert the "number of pages" to set up a pagecouter like "Side 1 from 10".
7. Multiobjekt tools like "Multi-rotation-tool" and "Multi-scale-tool"
8. Relicate-tool (copy the selected objekt horizontally an vertically like a labels sheet).
9. Standard vector-fill (like the Hatch-Pro-Tool from ArtWorks).
Werner
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Chris M
Resizing text in variants. I spend more time checking between the variants than actually making them look how I want them. I then have to 'Stop Sharing With Variants' which kind of defeats the whole idea.
Perhaps I misunderstand you but are you using 'Styles'? If so, you don't have to go back and forth.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Maybe a Selected Object Properties Panel?
Any attributes I have assigned to an object... may it be the fill, transparency,, shadow etc... easily accessed without having to go into the specific tool to change it again.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dutchim
Maybe a Selected Object Properties Panel?
Any attributes I have assigned to an object... may it be the fill, transparency,, shadow etc... easily accessed without having to go into the specific tool to change it again.
+1
I suggested similar in https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...948#post606948.
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Allowing rotated text to be CSS-transformed. Xara renders such as bitmaps that are so clumsy.
For example, I use a htmlclass="FlipH" and a style: "transform: scale(-1, 1);" to achieve this.
Needs to also work for other angles - " transform: rotate(12deg);".
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Boy
Perhaps I misunderstand you but are you using 'Styles'? If so, you don't have to go back and forth.
No I'm not. I am woefully ignorant of manipulating text in general and have no clue as to styles and what they are/do.
I'll do some playing/learning and start a new thread to fill in any blanks. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction Boy.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
The Help file is a useful starting place. I suggest you then start practicing on a template website and start changing things to see how it works. In my experience, there's only one way to learn about Styles and that's through direct experimentation. But once you master it, it's very easy to maintain or modify your website.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Thanks guys, I'm just taking a look through it all now. Should probably have asked on Monday morning instead of Friday so I can respond much better to each request lol
Quote:
Hello Rob--is this one limited to web stuff?
Nope, no limits on this one. Could be any part of the program you wish.
Please keep in mind the main request of small, easy to do changes that we can squeeze into the patches and any examples / explanations of changes would be awesome.
Thanks
Rob
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Thanks guys, I'm just taking a look through it all now. Should probably have asked on Monday morning instead of Friday so I can respond much better to each request lol
Nope, no limits on this one. Could be any part of the program you wish.
Please keep in mind the main request of small, easy to do changes that we can squeeze into the patches and any examples / explanations of changes would be awesome.
Thanks Rob
To display the angle of skew or rotation of a Shape or new Group: Attachment 123680.
File shows rotation and horizontal skew. I was lazy and didn't add the vertical skew!
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
Thanks guys, I'm just taking a look through it all now. Should probably have asked on Monday morning instead of Friday so I can respond much better to each request lol
Nope, no limits on this one. Could be any part of the program you wish.
Please keep in mind the main request of small, easy to do changes that we can squeeze into the patches and any examples / explanations of changes would be awesome.
Thanks
Rob
Don't think it gets any smaller or easier than my, and other's, longstanding request.
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dutchim
Maybe a Selected Object Properties Panel?
Any attributes I have assigned to an object... may it be the fill, transparency,, shadow etc... easily accessed without having to go into the specific tool to change it again.
I've been thinking about this and here's my interpretation of your idea. I'm sure other experienced users can enhance it further (or sensibly pooh-pooh it!).
Apart from (1) the additional icon for Smart transform, which I really shouldn't be hidden away as a right click option, and (2) ensuring all SmartShape / QuickShape options always have the option to enter their adjustment values
Attachment 123691
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jonopen
I've been thinking about this and here's my interpretation of your idea. I'm sure other experienced users can enhance it further (or sensibly pooh-pooh it!).
Apart from (1) the additional icon for Smart transform, which I really shouldn't be hidden away as a right click option, and (2) ensuring all SmartShape / QuickShape options always have the option to enter their adjustment values
Attachment 123691
Jono, it gets my vote (+10).
Acorn
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Awesome Jono... +10 as well!
Just not sure if this falls under the 'Small Improvements' category? :rolleyes:
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Yes, great suggestion, especially if it includes a dedicated button on the menu bar!
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Ok so there's a lot to go through am I'm still going through it all so don't worry if what you have mentioned isn't below, it just means I haven't gotten to it yet :) I'll give some comments on some suggestions already:
Quote:
please push the file name into the export box for whatever type of export--but just PDFs
Should be doable I imagine.
A lot of what you said Gary is....well quite big stuff :) There's a lot of good requests however I fear they would be lost here. Ideally I'm looking for small tweaks that would help with workflow that are easy to do, like what Mike has suggested above.
Quote:
Sticky option for Content Catalog so the user can import several objects at one time
You can hold Shift while clicking import to keep the CC open after
Quote:
wheras xara's non-destructive bitmap editing is all well and good, many times it is necessary to 'fix' a bitmap first by making a bitmap copy [eg in order to trace] - a one-click internal copy function would be nice, such as is available for export
I thought there was a right-click > create bitmap copy option?
Quote:
Resizing text in variants. I spend more time checking between the variants than actually making them look how I want them. I then have to 'Stop Sharing With Variants' which kind of defeats the whole idea.
We have an article here on how to resize text in one variant only: https://help.xara.com/article/154-li...cross-variants. Text across variants is annoying though I know and may fall under the web stuff we're looking at to improve.
Quote:
Have the flip vertical and horizontal buttons always available. Or let me at least add it to my custom toolbar.
There does seem to be a running theme of having access to options in this thread without having to switch tools constantly, and in which case the panel that Jonopen very nicely drew up would make sense, but that would be a huge undertaking and I would struggle to get any sort of approval for something like that. No harm in trying I suppose.
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob-XAR
I thought there was a right-click > create bitmap copy option?
that opens the dialog box Rob.. the idea is that you could just use [pre-defined] default settings without the dialog box, in the way that the Export JPEG, Export PNG in the file menu do... with the added advantage that you wouldn't even need the 'choose a name' step because the program does that automatically for bitmap copies - truely a one click operation
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
That will do me!
Funny how you miss things when you're looking. I've searched this topic, and looked in the Styles menu and never actually saw the option. Wood and trees come to mind.
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4 Attachment(s)
Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Hi Rob
Here are a few suggestions that I personally would find help in my workflow and generally enhance my user experience.
1. Remembering last used settings
Xara programs are pretty good in this respect, but wherever possible it's always a time saver when the last used settings are remembered. It might useful when the QA testers go through things to check this is the case.
2. Ability to specify attribute values to SmartShape options
Provide text input options for all QuickShape / SmartShapes options. This will also help make them feel more integrated with the program. See mock-up idea of a toolbar.
Attachment 123700
Also see this post #25 (idea for a properties panel)
3. Eye dropper / Colour picker shortcut
Keyboard shortcut to activate the colour picker whilst a vector object is selected, and shift + shortcut to select line colour.
4. Dashed line
At the moment if a dashed line property is applied to a line, to change it back to a solid line you have to select the continuous line from the line gallery not from the Freehand and brush tool context toolbar.
Also when you select 'Line Gallery...' from the right click menu it opens the Line gallery in a different position, rather than sliding out from the side as normal when you click the side button. See screenshot example.
Attachment 123701
5. Inserting number symbols
At the moment to search for numbers in Insert Symbols panel you have to enter 'one' and 'two' to find 1 and 2, but from then on you have to enter '3' to find 3, '4' to find 4 and so on.
6. Crop tool
Ability to lock the aspect ratio of the crop tool by holding down a key for example Ctrl key, when the Lock aspect option is not active.
Also add an additional fixed aspect option of 1:1 to the toolbar or better still provide an option to specify your own ratio.
7. Smart transform
Add an additional button to toggle on/off Smart transform
8. Colour editor
Make clicking the colour editor button on the status bar toggle the colour editor on and off
9. Copy & paste SmartShape/QuickShape format attributes
Currently padding margin and other attributes cannot be copied from one shape to another
10. Local Designs gallery folders
Make the open/closed folder icons in the Local Designs gallery more distinctive, perhaps just a different colour. See example.
Attachment 123702
Longer term ideas
11. Grid improvements
I believe a good grid system is a core foundations of a design program. Whilst the one available is useful, there is room for the addition of further options for and alternative types of grids beyond the two on offer.
A first step could be for an option to display the grid with colour customisable solid lines rather that just blue crosses. See attached screenshot of an triangular grid from anther well-known graphics program as an example.
Attachment 123703
12. Window scaling aware
I believe any time and effort spent in this area will extend the lifespan of the Xara programs, enhancing the use with large high resolution monitors. To see an example of the detrimental effect Windows scaling currently has on the interface, see the screen capture from point 10. above.
13. Properties panel idea
See dutchim's idea from post #17 and corresponding idea for a useful workflow tool post (post #25)
Thanks for listening :-)
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Hi,
Yeah I agree with Jono on remembering last settings.
I can think of the warp option in the shape painter tool and the DPI of exported bitmaps.
And also for the keyboard shortcut for the picker would definitely be productive.
There was also talk at some point that the center of rotation would work also with the scale blobs. That would be nice.
Marc
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rob-Xar
...
In a similar tone, we'd like to know what sort of small improvements you would like to see that would help with your workflow. ...
Another, what should be a little thing that has been mentioned since the beginning of time (and though I rescanned the thread, it didn't catch my eye).
Save and restore Options & toolbars. Add to that the import/conversion of previous version's toolbars and Xara would make a lot of people happy.
The above stuff is kept already (including other options/switches). Even a small utility to do the above would be wonderful.
Mike
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Hi,
When PDF are opened, saving them overwrites the PDF as a XAR, but it still with a PDF extension, it's confusing.
Also the popup when an external modification has been made on an opened PDF is annoying.
Marc
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
handrawn
wheras xara's non-destructive bitmap editing is all well and good, many times it is necessary to 'fix' a bitmap first by making a bitmap copy [eg in order to trace] - a one-click internal copy function would be nice, such as is available for export
Hi Steve,
I have written a script in autohotkey that replaces a selection by a bitmap copy.
I could share it if you want.
I use it everyday
Marc
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Many thanks for your suggestions. I have made a log of them and will discuss them with the developers and managers. Please continue with any suggestions for small workflow improvements if you have them.
Thanks
Rob
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Hi Marc
interesting, thanks :) - how does that avoid the dialog box opening...?
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
ok - it probably dosn't, but goes automatically through keystrokes... I'll look at that, thanks again....
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Re: What small workflow improvements would you like to see in the future?
Hi Steve,
The dialog appears but you don't have press a thing
It's pretty crude but gets the job done.
Pressing "control shift alt c" triggers the script.
One thing to note is that my "create bitmap copy" command shortcut is set to "shift control C" I don't know if it's the default shortkey.
You can adjust the script to fit your keys.
The first entry makes the script context sensitive to work only in Xara.
Saves text fike as .ahk to make it work with autohotkey
Marc
Code:
#IfWinActive, ahk_class XTPMainFrame
SetControlDelay -1
;Replace with Bitmap
!^+c::
send,{Shift down}{Control down}{c}{Control up}{Shift up}
sleep, 1000
send,{Shift down}{enter}{Shift up}
send,{Control down}{x}{Control up}
send,{Control down}{z}{Control up}
send,{Control down}{z}{Control up}
send,{delete}
send,{Shift down}{Control down}{v}{Control up}{Shift up}
Return