Why must we still contend with this

[Alan]

I have used Xara products for some years now and use them in my daily workflow, but nothing peeves me off more than having to contend with changing the units on every page or project from inches to pixels , why can i not make the change and it stays that way unless i cange it back. I know in the past there were some registery tweaks that helped with this, however i found that did not always work either, so my question is why??

[covoxer]

But you can!
Create new document, set units as you wish, and save it as default template.
Units are stored in the document, not registry.

[Rik]

Hi Alan.

I asked the same question some time ago and was beaten down by the masses!

I am in total agreement with you.
If I change something in the options, then it should stay that way.

I know that you can create templates, but for me there is no need to create a template if the option stays the way I set it !!!

[covoxer]

One can argue about it. You may have different unit preferences depending on the design. For example, when I do something for print I use cm, but when I'm making a web site I prefer to use pixels. As the units are stored with the document, every time I open, or even switch to the web design, I get units set to pixels, and back to centimeters when I open my design for print.
If the units setting was global, I would have to switch it manually every time I open different type of document.
In general, all the preferences that depend on the document type can not be global and are stored within the document.

[zaphodeist]

Which options don't stay the same Rik? Creating a default template means a page opens in pixels, snap radii are the same etc everytime and, for instance, I have rulers enabled all the time because this is remembered by the program. Not starting a fuss I was just wondering what kind of options you mean

[Big Frank]

I am in total agreement with you.
If I change something in the options, then it should stay that way.

But they do, Rik, for that document. The options stay the same for every template that you create and if, like me, the majority of drawings are A4 portrait and units in pixels then you set your default template to be that. When you open an animation template it has to be in pixels, surely, so for it to stay that way is surely beneficial to your workflow? I have an A1 poster template where the units are naturally cms. I don't want those units to change to pixels when I next open Xara!

I think it's fine as it is as long as the user understands the concept of templates and that each template can have a different units setting.

Naturally, it would be nice to have the choice to have a button in Options "Units follow last settings". That way everybody would be happy (maybe)

[Rik]

Hi John.

I am talking about the units, which we can set to cm or pixels or inches etc...

My preference would be to set that to what ever I want and for it to stay that way when ever I start Xtreme or XDP6.

For me, if I want a particular unit in a particular document, then I change that in options and when I save that document, then that setting is saved in that document.

But, it seems that what we have to do is to set the units we use the most and then save that as a template and then set that template to open when ever we start Xara.

Covoxer probably thinks I don't know what he is saying. I do!

Any other programme I use, when I change something in options, then it stays that way.

In Xara (trust me it's my favourite programme) we must set a template for what we want.

[covoxer]

But, it seems that what we have to do is to set the units we use the most and then save that as a template and then set that template to open when ever we start Xara.

Is it that hard? 4 extra clicks...

Covoxer probably thinks I don't know what he is saying. I do!

Ok, he is satisfied now.

[Rik]

Hi Beret.

Maybe I am just not making myself clear. Sorry.

Your units are staying that way because you have set a template.

I am talking about just being able to change the Page Units in 'OPTIONS' and for that change to stay that way. The way I have set it, and not the way Xara have set it.

Believe me, I have set a template for myself that opens when ever I open Xara.
I just have to accept what covoser says and set a template.

This is not the same as being able to set the units in 'option' and for that to stay the way you have set it.

I am not complaining. Just pleased to see that someone else thought that 'options' should do what we set it to rather than have to set a template.

[highfrontier]

I agree with Covoxer about the value of keeping settings within templates for different types of work.

The menu layout doesn't make this clear though, and I'm not sure a lot of users would arrive at the correct solution without some annoying trial and error along the way.

I think we'd all be more likely to understand the principle if options was removed from the utilities menu for a start (this is where most other apps keep their global settings - hence the confusion) and leave the page options in the file menu. Just the mention of the word 'page' should be a clue.

A button for 'save as default template' actually within the options page would also help.