Resizing images

I’ve NEVER understood this: When I want to resize an image I want to grab a handle on a side and compress the image in that direction, I’ve NEVER wanted that handle to cut off a portion of the image. Several years ago, Xara changed how this works and ever since, I’ve had problems resizing my images. EVERY time I want to make an image fit into a space I have to experiment with various settings, because I always forget what works. I almost always end up having to do this this by entering a new numerical dimension for that direction rather than grabbing a handle and compressing the image, for me the latter is a much easier way to accomplish making an image fit into the available space. I suppose there must be folks who prefer the current default, but I don’t understand why, I ALWAYS have to refigure how to make the program work the way I want, it’s frustrating and very time-consuming. Why is the program set this way? Is there some way I can return to the old default way to resize an image?

try holding down the alt key as you drag - does that work ?

xara did this because they consider the majority of their users use photgraphs which they do not want distorted and would rather have cropped - that is my understanding anyway

Another way is to turn of Smart Transform. Right click over the Lock Aspect Ratio icon (padlock) and untick Smart Transform. Best doing this prior to saving your templates.

xara did this because they consider the majority of their users use photgraphs which they do not want distorted and would rather have cropped - that is my understanding anyway[/QUOTE]

I've posted about this before. I understand there are workarounds, my problem is that I always forget what the best approach is and end up having to try holding down alt or unclicking smart transformation,or holding down other keys and clicking or unclicking other settings and these work SOMETIMES but not always. My problem is that I never remember what to hold/click, I'm never sure what to unclick or hold down and these solutions don't always work for me so I end up having to spend time trying different solutions and being frustrating when it seems to me that the old procedures worked every time and were a ton more intuitive. Before, When I wanted to crop an image I simply draw a rectangle to the desired size and slice it from the original image, that seems to be an easy approach that requires no more clicks than what Xara now recommends. I usually don't want my images distorted but a little change in the format doesn't present a problem BUT essentially deleting part of my image isn't acceptable for my work. I just think the old way was better and easier.

the alt key is not a workaroud - it is a new way of doing it

I would have preferred it to stay the old way too, but it has changed

I sometimes use an old version to get round stuff like that

That's why I said untick the Smart Transform and save it to your templates. That way you never have to remember anything at all ;)

if he uses templates ;)

[I don't]

ignore that I mis-read - you mean default template sorry

Spot on HD.

I tried unclicking the Smart Transformation a while ago and saving as a template but it didn't work, HOWEVER, I tried it again and now it seems to have saved the change in my default template. However the change occurred, thank you!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by charliescoffee

I tried unclicking the Smart Transformation a while ago and saving as a template but it didn't work, HOWEVER, I tried it again and now it seems to have saved the change in my default template. However the change occurred, thank you!

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The Smart transform setting is for the application and not the template, the Save template does not include Smart transform.

Decide what you prefer to work with, set it once and forget.

Acorn

I did wonder....

Maybe I am misunderstanding something here, but this is what I see and do.

In the image below, I have an imported image. Note the end of the arrow that points to the circular rotation handle at the mid top. When you see this, you are in Resize mode. The corner handles will resize the image; the side handles will squish the image, the mid top and bottom handles will squash the image.
Attachment 134842

If you see the above, click on the image once and the mode will change to the image below - what I call crop mode. The rotation handle is now at the upper right corner. The mid side handles and the mid top and bottom handles will crop, the top left handle will round the corners, and the bottom right handle will resize the image. Mouse over the handles to see what they do.
Attachment 134843

Thus to change modes, click on the image.

An interesting use is to take the mid left handle (or any other crop handle) and drag outwards. The top and bottom get cropped as the image gets wider and larger.

@John, 'fraid you have.

In your case, you have Smart transform (ST) set Off.

It is not obvious to many how to determine ST's state.

1. It has a toggle shortcut key - 7. This has not obvious indicator anywhere.
2. If you are diligent, you can find a right-click on the Lock aspect ratio icon.

Your other detail is not quite right.
A click on the image toggles the Rotate/Skew handles.
Your "crop mode" is a move from the Selector tool to the Photo tool and its Clip mode and requires a double-click.
Unfortunately, another double-click is not a toggle, it open your chosen Photo Editing > Bitmap editor.

Other right-click actions on the application furniture are a day's discovery and joy.

Acorn

Hi Acorn,

Hmmm. Whether or not Smart Transform is on or off, the behaviour is the same for the second image. Also, I have the Selector tool on. Import a photo. Click once, the mode changes, click again, the mode changes back. The Selector tool stays on for both modes and Photo does not come on (it did once, but usually does not).

I understand about the Smart Transform. With my first image, if Smart Transform is off, then the middle handles will squash the image; if on, then middle handles will crop but both sides together or top and bottom together.

However, clicking once changes the mode. In this mode, it doesn't matter whether or not Smart Transform is off or on, the middle handles crop. Thus, I never worry about Smart Transform off or on. I just check the mode by looking to see if the rotation handle is at top middle. If not there, then crop, if there, click once, then crop.

Here is what I see:

https://youtu.be/SEcV5eYgDmo

I'm using Xara DPX19.

but croping is not what the OP wants to do, he just wants to squish and as you said, smart transform off for that... your second image is another question...

True, I got off track somewhere. I guess it was the grab a middle handle to resize that threw me, which doesn't work of course. The corner handles have to be used and aspect ratio locked in mode 1. This works for me no matter if Smart Transform is on or off but only in the state where the rotation handle is at the middle top. With the other mode/state with the rotation handle at the upper right, only the bottom right handle resizes the image, and does so irrespective of the settings of Smart Transform and Aspect Ratio. I think the point is that there are two states/modes as I showed and they do things differently.

So for the OP, with aspect ratio locked, why not just move the upper left corner of the image to where it should go and then use the bottom right handle to resize the image to fit - same aspect ratio.

Also in mode 1 with rotation handle at middle, aspect ratio locked, or in mode 2 with rotation handle at the top right, aspect ratio locked or unlocked, if the OP knows the size (width or height) just type it in the box,enter.

I recall now why I was on about cropping.

Quote:

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...rather than grabbing a handle and compressing the image, for me the latter is a much easier way to accomplish making an image fit into the available space.

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Mode 1 aspect ratio locked or unlocked, Smart transform off, the image gets squished by the side handles. Smart Transform on, side handles crop the image and move it towards the far side at the same time, keeping the far edge at the same location.

Mode 2 - Smart transform/Aspect ratio has no import - the side moved gets cropped, the image doesn't move. This is what I use as I don't want my images to be squished or squashed to make them fit.

The OP has to decide whether or not to squish or crop (crop one edge or crop both sides).

can't speak for CC, but when i squish i do it on the fly until it 'looks right' by just moving the one handle; anything more complicated is not going to cut it

My take:
Smart Transform on, nothing changed from Xara's default settings, version 23.8, using browj2's mode /mode2.

Single click the image until Mode 1 is achieved
Drag side, or top/bottom handles to crop
Drag side, or top/bottom handles + ALT to squash

99% of the time I use the crop method to preserve ratios, and use the Push Photo Inside Frame handle to position it.

Attachment 134851

I've tried many times unchecking "Smart Transformations" and/or holding down the Alt key and neither can be depended on working reliably or at all. In my opinion, and I've been using Xara since Corel, this has to be the stupidest thing Xara designers have done. I've NEVER had to resize the way the program is now defaulting. When I want to resize, I want to change a dimension one way or another, NEVER to include unwanted stuff that existed in whatever original that I very purposely cut out of the figure I'm using. I apologize to those users for whom this change works, but I think it's junk!

How can I get rid of this stupid change? (And don't suggest unclicking "Smart Transformations" or holding down the Alt key, as neither works.)

if it is an image you can make a bitmap copy, at the same resolution, and that will fix your changes

the only way to avoid the issue completely is to use an earlier version from before they were implimented

I'm sorry but Ive tried unclicking "Smart Transformations," I've tried changing and saving the template and nothing works. I'm constantly resizing figures and it seems like I run into this problem every day. And, every day, I have to again find a solution that works. The best one is to resize a figure by entering new dimensions into the spaces using the select tool, but this is a ton more cumbersome than simply grabbing a handle and resizing - and that doesn't always work, either, besides, I don't always know the dimension in usable units, I just know I have "this" space to fill. Once again, unclicking and saving a template doesn't work - and just to be sure, I just now tried it AGAIN and once again it failed.

Apparently, I'm the only one for whom this is a problem, but it's a serious and very frustrating problem for me. I've been using Xara almost every day since Corel and it seems to me that my opinion on this counts for something. Can you tell that I'm very frustrated about this?

are you saying it is simply a resizing problem?

do you have aspect ratio lock on ?

Once again, I've tried unclicking either/both the Smart Transformations and Aspect Ratio unchecked and it still doesn't simply stretch. I'm sending a copy of Xara which shows first just SM and then both unchecked AND holding down the Alt key and the results I continue to get.Attachment 134870

Quote:

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Originally Posted by charliescoffee

I've tried many times unchecking "Smart Transformations" and/or holding down the Alt key and neither can be depended on working reliably or at all. In my opinion, and I've been using Xara since Corel, this has to be the stupidest thing Xara designers have done. I've NEVER had to resize the way the program is now defaulting. When I want to resize, I want to change a dimension one way or another, NEVER to include unwanted stuff that existed in whatever original that I very purposely cut out of the figure I'm using. I apologize to those users for whom this change works, but I think it's junk!

How can I get rid of this stupid change? (And don't suggest unclicking "Smart Transformations" or holding down the Alt key, as neither works.)

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I think your frustrations are arising as you have not realised the results change whether you are using the Selector Tool or the Photo Tool and the Smart transform setting does have a part in this.

Smart transform was a numpty decision by Xara! Pure and simple. It assumed the user of its products never wanted to stretch or shrink text or images and that keeping the aspect ratio was paramount.
Dragging any control about simply ensures the image is contained within the boundaries of the box. When you went large the image scaled up and at all times the centre of the image aligns with the centre of it resized box.
Now I assume that you realise what you have is a Clipped Photo and as such you can Unclip it to recover the full image and even switch to the Fill tool and rotate, scale and translate it as you choose. To change the axes alignment, you hold down the Shift key.

First thing you need to do is use the Selector Tool and drag a middle handle. If the image scales or crops and keeps its aspect ration then you have Smart transform enabled.
You bypass this by holding down the Alt key first then selecting a handle.
As you are not one of Xara's miscalculated demographic, I strongly suggest you untick Smart transform and forget about it hereafter.

The second point to accept is when you switch to the Photo Tool, your dragging of a middle control will act as if Smart transform is selected.
So you are back with a cover or contain action.

Your need is effectively a fill action so use the Selector Tool.
If using the Photo Tool, you will need to Alt hold and then drag.

Acorn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

. . . I strongly suggest you untick Smart transform and forget about it hereafter.

The second point to accept is when you switch to the Photo Tool, your dragging of a middle control will act as if Smart transform is selected.
So you are back with a cover or contain action.

Your need is effectively a fill action so use the Selector Tool.
If using the Photo Tool, you will need to Alt hold and then drag.

Acorn

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Acorn, perhaps you missed part of my messages - I unclicked SM and held the Alt key and used the selector tool; and/or I unclicked SM, saved and held the Alt key using selector tool; and/or I unclicked SM, saved as a template and held the Alt key again using the selector tool - it doesn't make any difference, when I try to resize by pulling on a handle the image opens up, it doesn't stretch. Believe me, I've spent hours trying to make this work, trying every option I could come up with, still the only way I can reliably get the image to simply stretch is to resize the targeted dimension by entering the new dimension numerically in the selector tool. The problem with this is not only does it require several more steps but I frequently don't know what my desired dimension will be, I'm just trying to fill the space. Perhaps my Xara is just broken, but if you look at the attachment you'll see that SM is unclicked, I did this, saved as a template, reopened a blank document, added the image, checked to be sure SM was unclicked, held the Alt key and pulled on a handle and you can see that the image didn't stretch, it uncovered part of the image from which I'd previously clipped the image I'm trying to work with. BTW, I've also tried various combinations with the aspect ratio also unclicked, still the image doesn't stretch the way I want it to. I also don't understand why folks keep offering that I should simply unclick SM and hold the Alt key and it will work because it doesn't! Whether I saved the document, saved it as a template, saved it as a template closed and reopened, etc. etc. Believe me, I'm not trying to be difficult or be a pest, I'm just trying to get an image to do no more than stretch in a dimension to fill a space without adding whatever might be in the original image from which I've clipped the one I'm working with.

ok

I think you need :

smart transform off, and dont use alt key

OR

smart transform on, and use alt key

AND do this in the select tool only

forget about templates and also aspect ratio which is not involved in stretching, only in resizing when dragging from the corners

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult but it seems that one of us isn't understanding the other, and believe me, I'm not trying to be difficult or disrespectful. TalkGraphics contributors keep suggesting that I unclick SM but that doesn't work. I've revised the attachment to better explain what I'm looking for vs. what I'm getting.

did you read my last post ?

I didn't miss what you said, I was trying to offer a complete answer and the point I was making it is easy to think you've held down the Alt key before dragging but I still get out of sequence.

Selector Tool:

• (ST Off &) middle drag --> Stretch a.k.a. Fill
• (ST On &) LeftAlt down + middle drag --> Stretch

• (ST On &) middle drag --> Grow a.k.a. Cover or Contain
• (ST Off &) LeftAlt down + middle drag --> Grow

My personal preference in bold.

I tried these on you XAR file and all work as I offer here.

Acorn

In case everyone is talking at cross purposes, I recorded a video with the bitmap being stretched without ALT being held down with and then without Smart Transform being on, then with ALT being held down with Smart Transform off, and then finally without it.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvsAbKcOuQg - charliescoffee are you not seeing the same thing?

Are you sure that the ALT key on your keyboard works? (you can test it on a site like this one)

This is on a fresh install of Xara Designer Pro+ on a brand new PC, with the "new style" blob handles still enabled. I'd normally turn them off (but even with them off, the behaviour is the same)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by browj2

Hi Acorn,

Hmmm. Whether or not Smart Transform is on or off, the behaviour is the same for the second image. Also, I have the Selector tool on. Import a photo. Click once, the mode changes, click again, the mode changes back. The Selector tool stays on for both modes and Photo does not come on (it did once, but usually does not).
I'm using Xara DPX19.

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This is interesting but it isn't the way my Xara works. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to delete the program and download again, perhaps something's corrupted.

Whatever is actually going on, I may have found an easy work-around - I tried grabbing the corner handle and stretching it only in one direction and that seemed to work, at least it worked on the attachment I posted. I'm going to try this for a while and see if that works.

To all who posted here, I've read everything and I apologize if I've seemed ungrateful. I've always found TalkGraphics folks to be extraordinarily kind and helpful and the folks who posted here certainly have lived up to that history. I do a lot of stuff on Xara and very often have to resize clipped images and it seems like every time I have to do this, I've been frustrated by this behavior. I don't know why I didn't try the corner handle before, but it did work the one time I tried it on the attachment. I still think the program change was wrongheaded. I tried switching to Illustrator once several years ago and I don't want to go through all the hassle and expense again, so if this works, I'll try to be happy. If I have further problems, I'll post again.

daniel's suggestion of checking your ALT key was a good one, worth doing just in case...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by charliescoffee

Whatever is actually going on, I may have found an easy work-around - I tried grabbing the corner handle and stretching it only in one direction and that seemed to work, at least it worked on the attachment I posted. I'm going to try this for a while and see if that works.

To all who posted here, I've read everything and I apologize if I've seemed ungrateful. I've always found TalkGraphics folks to be extraordinarily kind and helpful and the folks who posted here certainly have lived up to that history. I do a lot of stuff on Xara and very often have to resize clipped images and it seems like every time I have to do this, I've been frustrated by this behavior. I don't know why I didn't try the corner handle before, but it did work the one time I tried it on the attachment. I still think the program change was wrongheaded. I tried switching to Illustrator once several years ago and I don't want to go through all the hassle and expense again, so if this works, I'll try to be happy. If I have further problems, I'll post again.

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I think you are now eligible for the T-shirt: https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...ng-megathread/

Hope you crack it.

Acorn