Can I say how much I hate.. ?

**MarkMyWords** · 07 November 2006, 04:44 PM

It is similar to your suggestion in that each operation is a one button click, but simplifies things a little by removing the combination of two operations at one time.

You can't cover all the combinations available (189) with one click buttons, the panel would be enormous, even if you had the basic 63 combinations and the three area buttons to modify them, it would still be a big panel.

If you make it a one operation at a time dialogue; click - align in one direction and (as with your idea) the operation happened immediately on screen, then click - to make another alignment if needed.

There would be fewer mouse clicks, even for combinations, than at present and the user can see what is happening on screen as they do it.

This would need 14 buttons for the various align and distribute operations and the three area options.

The panel could have three sections;

one for the three area options (radio buttons),

one section for the six alignment operations (icons/graphics),

one section for the eight distribution operations (icons/graphics).

Not quite the ideal one click for all align and distribute combinations, but one click for single alignments and two clicks for any combination is better than using the drop-downs and apply button (which needs 2-3 clicks for a single alignment and 5 clicks for combinations) and I think it would be easier to understand than the present dialogue.

**pauland** · 07 November 2006, 05:07 PM

Maybe you should make a mockup so people don't have to imagine..

**MarkMyWords** · 07 November 2006, 06:35 PM

Well, O.K this may give some idea of what I'm saying, it will need a lot of work on the graphics, I'm no designer, LOL!

Each button would execute the operation immediately on screen, if you need two operations then simply doing them one at a time is still quicker than with the present dialogue.

**Markku** · 07 November 2006, 07:03 PM

isn't this all leading to simply copying fireworks' align panel?
it's got all i need.

sorry, baby in hands so no uppercase.

**pauland** · 07 November 2006, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by Markku

isn't this all leading to simply copying fireworks' align panel?
it's got all i need.

LOL - check the first post. I've no problem with that.

MarkMyWords - it's very big.

Paul

**jclements** · 07 November 2006, 07:43 PM

I don't get it. Xara's Dialog box will do most everything you want and it is persistent. Just Control or Shift click the mouse in the dialog to get your variations. I do this so much and its become so automatic for me that I can't even remember the combinations anymore.

John

**MarkMyWords** · 07 November 2006, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by pauland

LOL - check the first post. I've no problem with that.

MarkMyWords - it's very big.

Paul

Yes, the graphics could be reduced somewhat LOL!

**Markku** · 07 November 2006, 07:51 PM

Exactly jclements,but what about newbies? That dialog is sooo weird to anybody coming from any other app. Xara needs more users for sure, and the best way to get them is to ease the learning curve a bit.

What's wrong with standard dialogs? You would learn to use them too.

**MarkMyWords** · 07 November 2006, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by jclements

I don't get it. Xara's Dialog box will do most everything you want and it is persistent. Just Control or Shift click the mouse in the dialog to get your variations. I do this so much and its become so automatic for me that I can't even remember the combinations anymore.

John

Yes, but learning hotkeys isn't as easy as clicking a graphic (what about those who only use this occasionaly?) and the hotkeys you mention only give alignment options not distribution.

**Egg Bramhill** · 07 November 2006, 10:47 PM

Paul,

Judging from this thread, I appreciate Xaras problem more. Some users like what we have, some don't. If they do nothing, people have the same attitude about this, but changing it risks the displeasure of parts of the user base.

I have certainly been surprised by the support for the existing dialog - how can so many people like such a thing? .. ;-)

It all goes to show that there is no one single user interface that everyone will find acceptable.

If you accept this as true then the answer would be to offer various choices of user interface. (Docking / No Docking, Variable Align / Distribute options etc) But the option of choice leads to further confusion .... confused ... I am.