Feature Request: Advanced Alignment Options

I hope for some more advanced alignment options.

I was testing Ink scape and found all the options I've been dreaming of in its alignment tool.
For starter, I was hoping for the "distribute" tool, which distributes the object equally within a certain distance (distance between 1st and last objects), there's another option to remove over laps between different shapes. I used the distribute tool in Adobe Flash and it's really helpful specially wn designing for publishing or making arrays or anything similar.

Also Ink scape has point-level alignment, meaning that I align points of a shape together without affecting the shapes position, I used to play with that in 3D Max and Maya and was very helpful in many cases. I hope Xara can add point transformation options as well, such as rotating/scaling a group of selected points.

I believe these few options would save a lot of time, I basically use Xara for illustration and cartooning and sometimes I wish I had few of these extra tools under my hands.

Note: I hope I posted this in the right place, I can't remember if there was a feature request section.

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Originally Posted by lordashraf

I was hoping for the "distribute" tool, which distributes the object equally within a certain distance (distance between 1st and last objects)

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Is this what you are referring to?
Each object is distributed equally within the bounds of the first and last selected object.

The alignment tool that CorelDRAW got in about v10 is really good, too. It is definitely an area that could do with improvement. Even making it as a tool with its UI on the toolbar, instead of as a floating window, would be welcome.

You might add the Align icon/button to your toolbars. Menu>Window>Control Bars, scroll down and check Button Palette. Use Alt + drag to copy the Align button to existing toolbars.

I'm quite happy with the alignment tool (being part of the 'Arrange' toolbar).
On a 24" screen I have plenty of space for the align palette to float as I work.
There are no alignment options missing as far as my work is concerned. I also find the use of modifier keys (Shift or Ctrl) while clicking inside the alignment window very intuitive and fast.

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Originally Posted by sledger

I'm quite happy with the alignment tool (being part of the 'Arrange' toolbar).

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Me, too, and for pretty much the same reasons. Also, I find it much easier to read the palette the way it's designed than those individual icons in some other apps.

I agree with Steve and Allison.

Xara's alignment is a refreshing change from the multiple icons used in other applications. After more than 20 years those icons are a bit boring and old fashioned to my eyes.

Thank you all for the replies and thank you sledger for your quick reply, in fact that's not wt I meant, I'm attaching an image of the align tool in ink-scape so u can get wt I mean.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ligntool-1.png

I have a general hatred of floating palettes. I would estimate that on 90% of occasions, probably even more, the Align window appears over the objects I want to align and I have to move it out of the way. Its really annoying and I woudl much rather have it appear in the toolbar when I select the tool, like other tools, so that I can see what I'm doing.

Maybe it's just a time to make upgrade? )

I think the current options are great, as is the alignment dialog used to deploy them. The only thing I don't like about the alignment dialog is that it eats global shortcut keys (e.g. align something and change your mind, you can't Ctrl-+Z to undo unless you click in the document first). A small niggle.

I'd love it if Xara added an "Abutt" option to the alignment tool, as a lot of what I do is mock layouts of gui's and games, where this would come in handy.

In case I'm using a weird name for this, what I'm talking about is selecting multiple objects, and then transforming them horizontally and/or vertically so that their left/right or top/bottom edges touch.

I still would like to be able to align based on last selected object. As previously discussed in this thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=32414

I think that Inkscapes alignment dialogue is excellent, near perfect even. Would it be possible to A; include the extra functions that appear in Inkscape; declump, spacing, node alignment and type etc. and B; give an alternative, icon based, interface for those who want it?

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Originally Posted by timhines

I still would like to be able to align based on last selected object. As previously discussed in this thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=32414

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Very much agreed, although I'm grateful that we've gotten Align to Back Object in the interim.

What I like about the Corel method is that it is more like a SNAP tool, in that it requires no dialog or tool of any kind. You just activate it and start moving an object around. Something like that is way better to my way of thinking than a dialog or a tool UI.