Hi forum,
I need to export a page to a 240dpi PNG file. However, Designer would not let me type more than two digits in the "DPI" text box.
Why is this, and how can I enter the number I need?
Regards
David.P
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Hi forum,
I need to export a page to a 240dpi PNG file. However, Designer would not let me type more than two digits in the "DPI" text box.
Why is this, and how can I enter the number I need?
Regards
David.P
Don't know why that is David. I can type 4 numbers in mine. What does it show if you select 300 from the drop-down? Are you using Xara on a PC?
usually follows windows settings - you haven't accidently typed in a full-stop[period] in front have you?
Ah, I just remembered that I had this problem before, and that the solution was very weird: depending on your Windows DPI settings, a three digit number can be wider than that DPI number input box in the Designer export dialog. While normally, this would not prevent you from entering a "wider" number, with Xara it does. Therefore, I had to drag that export dialog wider using a hack called resizenable, and sure enough, I could enter any number I want into that DPI input box.
Hint: this is a bug.
ah right - not sure that that is a bug as such because xara does not claim to be compatible with anything other than the standard windows settings [which is usually follows very well], and to me a bug is a flaw in a supported feature, not in an unsupported one
but glad you got it sorted
In my view it is definitely a programming bug if the number of digits you can enter in a program's dialog is randomly limited, of all things, by the dpi settings of your operating system.
Btw., I just had to install that ResizeEnable hack also on my Win10 laptop (that has a hiDPI screen like every decent laptop nowadays), in order to export bitmaps with a higher than 2-digit-resolution :straight:
as a matter of interest, what exactly do you mean by 'Windows DPI settings' in this context?
yes well maybe I worded my question incorrectly - what I meant was, what settings are you using [and is you monintor[s] set at native resolution] - this issue has been around a while and I reckon it is because the xara UI is older than the windows feature in question and was never designe for it
To me that is still an unsuported feature, the flaw is not in the program itself, but in the fact that it has not been updated to keep in line
But I am sure a google search of software/computer bug, should you wish to do that as well, would produce a variety of definitions; it is that sort of concept
You can always reprot it as a bug in Dear Xara forum...
Hello David, first off I removed the link you posted as it was brought to my attention that the site might not be safe. Are you still using photo and graphic designer 6 as it says in your profile? I have been unable to replicate your issue as Egg reported I can type up to 4 digits in mine. Perhaps if the issue happens again you could raise a ticket with Xara support or as Handrawn suggests make a post in the Dear Xara forum.
OMG... hat was a link to the super trivial Google image search below......................:banghead:Quote:
Originally Posted by angelize
google.com/search?q=windows+dpi+settings&tbm=isch
No, I should correct that. I am using Xara PAGD 11. The issue comes up in every case where people have a hiDPI screen and have the Windows DPI settings set to more than 100%.Quote:
Are you still using photo and graphic designer 6 as it says in your profile?
Cheers
David
David, I flagged a concern to the Moderators.Quote:
Originally Posted by David.P
You were indicating "resizenable" as a solution to your problem. The program itself may not be a problem but the number of sites that "offer" it might be, as useful utilities attract malware. Also, it has not been updated since 2011 so it might never have been checked against W10.
While it might work for you and be a great solution for others, the final problem is its utility is quite invasive so users' machines might gain unexpected consequences.
The Digi Talis name and website design and content were all alerts to me: old OSs, generic SQL scripts, no MD5 checksums for the utilities; generally no provenance.
The Google Images link did nothing to providing an answer to handrawn; it was akin to handing over a dictionary and saying "Here you are."
I made a judgement call,
Acorn
That's hogwash and you know it. Providing a link to Google's start page would be "handing over a dictionary".Quote:
Originally Posted by Acorn
Instead I handed over the dictionary with the correct page opened that answers the question with respect to all versions of Windows.
The link to ResizeEnable presents the currently only way to quickly work around that PAGD bug.
Cheers.
I respect your opinion,Quote:
Originally Posted by David.P
Acorn
Thanks, that's lovely.
you might try it on another computer - see, with something like this it does not have to be the xara program that is 'at fault' - it could be an 'unfortunate' combination of factors such as graphics chip/drivers, monitor aspect_ratio/resolution... etc; and even if all these are up to date and set at recommended settings, some combinations just don't gel - witness the fact that some people get these problems, and some don't
EDIT - oh and are you using the official black UI or the no longer supported grey one? - just been reminded in another thread that the grey one can cause screen rendering problems under certain conditions ......
Been there, did that, see post #6. The problem is the same on all my computers because they all have HiRes screens and therefore have the DPI settings at above 100%.
ok - but it does not happen on a computer that does not have HiRes - right?
It does not happen on any computer where the Windows DPI settings are set to 100%.
well all I can say to that is: it does not happen for me
so I am inclined still to think the problem is in the computer configuration ...
Did I mention that it is the Windows DPI settings that bring up this bug in Xara? I think I did :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by handrawn
diid I ask if you are aware that just because a rendering issue manifests itself in a particular program that does not mean that the cause of it resides in that program
no I don't think I did, because I sort of assumed I didn't need to
you asked why it was, but I think you have made up your mind already
I too respect your opinion...
A Windows program is expected and required to conform to the Windows GUI, which includes GUI settings like the size of menus, toolbars and dialogs.
A program that does not conform to these requirements has the fault on its side, especially if this has ridiculous effects like not being able to enter certain numbers in certain dialogs.
It is however known that especially Xara with its non-standard, proprietary black GUI that does not respect the user's preferences and settings regarding colors and sizes does not care about personal usability requirements. Instead the attitude at Xara obviously is "You can have any color you want as long as it's black, and you can have any menu font size as long as it is tiny".
All of this is clearly a problem with Xara software only, and not a problem on the user or on the configuration side.
So, David, let me get this straight.
One can design for a hi-dpi screen but one cannot design with a hi-dpi screen? :-O
Yep, the GUI needs to be scalable. (And user-configurable at least in the tone of black.) Both have been requested. As far as hi-dpi screens go, smaller software companies have just recently started to do these things. Serif did it just over the last couple versions, Corel is finally there. Adobe got there beginning with the introduction of their CC model, but it too wasn't fully realized for a version or two.
I think hi-dpi scaling of a GUI is a bigger job than people suspect. It isn't as simple as flip a switch and recompile. In some instances (maybe most instances), it takes a complete reworking of the code. That's what it took Adobe for their applications (Photoshop was their easiest to port, InDesign took a complete rewrite).
What Xara are planning in this regard is anyone's guess. Unless Charles or another person from Xara pop in here and let us know they are working on it.
I partially agree, especially with the :-O part.
However this issue is not even about redesigning or hi-dpi scaling of a GUI yet. The Windows DPI settings are just different size levels (100%-150%) of a still essentially low DPI GUI. Many applications follow these settings without problem (in fact most classic applications that use standard GUI elements like window decoration and menus). With its proprietary black GUI that does not adhere to any of the above standard elements, Xara however completely fails in this respect.
Additionally, what Xara also has been ignoring since the "dark theme" was rolled out are the window colors and metrics settings of Windows, where you can set your preferred Menu text size and font, inter alia.
A third issue is the one that is the subject of this thread.
You mentioned in one of your posts using a hi-res screen. What does that mean?
My office screen has 105dpi, my laptop is at 147dpi and my external monitor has 185dpi.
A bread-and-butter 19" screen has 86dpi. An iPhone 6 has 326dpi.
OK. Moved to a 4K screen with Windows 10.
XPGD is UNUSABLE, see screenshot (scaled down 50% in order to somewhat fit in the forum). Everything, particularly toolbar buttons, is 1/4th the size it should be.
http://i.imgur.com/lAcZTOQ.png
Windows scaling is also of course no solution because this reduces the visible drawing quality to 1/4th of what the monitor can display.
Xara REALLY needs to act here.
David, you could piggy-back onto this Dear Xara... Thread: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...700#post496700.
Acorn
Thanks Acorn. Posted over there as well.
My ussual setup of xara is bare bones i.e. without the fancy dark skin (it's a skin, really)
I do agree with David that there's a lot to be desired concerning the GUI of Xara's program. And, no, I don't want to start the discussion again about the colour of the interface but I do want to stipulate that there are definite rules for a Windows program and that Xara doesn;t meet al the specs. Using Xara on a 10.5 inch screen with HD resolution (Lenovo Yoga for example) is a trade off between usability vs readability. For example; the font used in the menu's is way too small and when you scale up the size through Windows own DPI settings the whole UI of Xara gets distorted.
LibreOffice has a more intelligent way of presenting the user interface where one's able to choose the font and size of the menu and the icon set used for toolbars.
Xara depends heavily on CodeJocks framework which should give its uders freedom over the possibility to choose other styles. I really would like to see if we as a group of users could help Xara to come up with different styles for the skin of the program (and I've made this offer before...) For thos interested; have a look at the innards of the .cjstyles files in ara main folder and a look at the website http://www.codejock.com/ (that's a safe wevbsite, Angelize!)
Thank you Michael for the constructive input. I also prefer the no-skin GUI of Xara and think that the introduction of the proprietary black GUI that can not be customized even with respect to menu font size is a historic, epic management mistake (my guess is that some marketing guys at Magix who have never used any of their programs themselves are to blame for this).
Traditionally, only infantile overclocking apps for the graphic cards of 15-years olds are designed this way.
Anyway, and apart from that, unfortunately the toolbars of Xara's non-skinned GUI are even more broken (e.g. even tinier) than with the dark skin on HiDPI screens, see below screenshots:
Skinned GUI:
http://i.imgur.com/UaQOtCC.png
Native GUI:
http://i.imgur.com/5bPj4v9.png
Note especially how the numbers in those microscopic input boxes are totally unreadable.