XDP7.1.1 - Convert to editable shapes on context menu, where's it gone!

Convert to Editable Shapes no longer appears on my right click / context menu in XDP 7.1.1.17621

Not sure when it disappeared... 7, 7.1, 7.1.1

Should it be there? Is it me? Can I get it back?

[I know I can use the Arrange Menu, or Ctrl+Shift+S but am simply used to right-clicking!]

Thanks.

The option is still there on my system. I do not know of a way to remove or add any built in options.

Do you have an object selected when you use the right click pop-up?

Thanks for the confirmation that it SHOULD be there.

I noticed an odd thing... although I know that I downloaded the latest update the version number in the About box still showed the previous version.

I tried a reinstall of the latest download, but it only offered Uninstall - so I concluded that the program thought it was up-to-date.

I decided to Uninstall, and then Reinstall.

Tada - both issues seem fixed - version number is correct, and Convert to Editable shapes is back on the context menu!

Thanks again.

Hmm... still not 100% happy with this...

I don't get the context menu option to Convert to Editable Shapes everywhere I might expect it. For example, right clicking on a Photo doesn't have the choice, although it is a perfectly valid request, and is accessible via the main menu.

Attachment 83072

The question isn't why the context menu doesn't show it, but why the selection in the Arrange menu isn't disabled. I don't think that operation on a photo can/does anything.

take care, Mike

From the help file:

Convert to Editable Shapes (Arrange control bar Ctrl+Shift+S)
Convert predefined objects such as rectangles, ellipses, and text into shapes, i.e. Designer Pro no longer sees them as rectangles, ellipses or text but as a collection of straight and curved lines.

Take care, Mike

Hmm... Yes I get your point - a bitmap doesn't need converting to editable shape as it already is one! Don't know why I'm getting in such a twist with this!

I always use Ctrl+Shift+S to convert to an object to editable shapes, I wouldn't notice if it disappeared from a menu. Now if the keyboard shortcut went way, that's a different story.

-- Ben

@Ampa.
Context menus (the right-click popups) are 'context sensitive' of course and will display the available actions depending on the object type.
Draw any quickshape, rectangle or ellipse and then try the right-click. You should see the Convert to editable shapes now.

@ShapeShifter
Sure, I get the concept, but in some instances I get the feeling that the option is missing from the context menu where it really ought to be available...

Today's example: There is no context menu "Convert to Editable Shapes" on blends.

Attachment 83146

A couple points. Once the blend occurs, it is a group of objects. Even when ungrouped, it won't be there either--because they are already editable shapes. The star will no longer be a quick shape, for instance, so picking the star and electing to alter the inner join will only affect that single node instead of all node distance from center.

Take care, Mike

I stopped relying on keyboard shortcuts and right click menus years ago. They seem to change without any rhyme or reason.

The Arrange menu has not changed over the years so I always know where to find the icons I want. Convert to Editable Shape is there.

@mwenz: Thanks for the reply. So how would I go about 'ungrouping' the blend? If I try to Ungroup then Xara tells me, correctly IMHO, that there are no groups selected.

The only method I know is Convert to Editable Shapes, so I can't see any reason not to include this on the context menu (for Blends) since it is a valid and useful operation.

This thread probably makes me seem like some kind of obsessive who is looking for nits to pick! Really what I am feeling is that as new features have been introduced to the Xara products the user interface has lost some of its consistency. The fact that I can't right click > convert to editable shapes on a Blend, where I can on a Contour (which to the end user is a very similar sort of object) is one indication of this.

Don't get me wrong: I love the new features, I love the product over all, but perhaps what I have always loved the most is the streamlined interface, and I worry that it is showing a few cracks as a result of the new innovations.

Here is another illustration of my larger point: In the file attached I have various objects - I shall use the Selection Tool and double click on each...

Object | Location of double click | Result
Contour | Central rectangle | Selects the source rectangle, switches to the Rectangle Tool
Contour | Outer contour area | Selects the contour, switches to Contour Tool
Bevel | Central oval | Selects the source oval, switches to the Oval Tool
Bevel | Outer Bevel | Selects the bevel, switches to the Bevel Tool

This is ideal behaviour: it is quick, convenient and intuitive.

Blend | Star (start of blend) | Error sound! Blend selected, remains on Selection Tool | A
Blend | Square (end of blend) | Error sound! Blend selected, remains on Selection Tool | B
Blend | Central blend area | Error sound! Blend selected, remains on Selection Tool | C

This is inconsistent and not helpful: I would have expected A to have selected the Star with the Quickshapes Tool, B to have selected the square with the Rectangle Tool and C to have selected the blend with the Blend tool.

(Yikes - that turned into a longer post than I intended!)

Attachment 83148

Oops. I missed a step in the hasty reply.

One does need to convert the blend to editable shapes, then ungroup. This is an inconcsitency because as you write, the convert to editable shapes command is *not* on the context menu.

I suggest sending a bug report to Xara.

Take care, Mike