Creating a Stretchy Text Panel or Button

[Big Frank]

I searched high and low in the XDPX help file for simple instructions on how to make a text panel, even just an outline, that expands around the text it contains, the same principle as a stretchy button - this has always been a bit of a fuzzy area before now and i just wanted to know how to do it easily without using a gadget or widget or automated watchamacallit. I didn't find anything in the help file that helped me in the slightest, maybe i wasn't searching for the right phrase, who knows, i'd have thought "stretchy" would be the word for this subject...

using the TG forum search engine is simply a waste of time, but even using google to search the forum didn't bring up anything except this:

http://www.xaraxone.com/guest/guest86/

it's a nicely written, detailed tutorial but i don't want to have to wade through 5 pages of blurb every time i want to create a stretchy button so i decided to write something simple, a one-pager that i can refer to any time i need this feature. I do wish the process was simpler but i understand the mechanics of it now, achieved in great part by writing it down in this fashion

remember, i did this for myself, it's not a fancy pants tutorial, it's just some instructions

if it helps anybody with this task, then it's served its purpose and i'm pleased to post it



stretchy text panel.pdf <-- download as PDF (230kb)

[Soquili]

Thanks Frank. Very informative and to the point.

[gwpriester]

Cool, thanks.

[BertH]

Thanks Big Frank, downloaded the PDF. It's always handy.

[Boy]

Thanks Big Man!

[Theo]

Just what I needed. Adds nicely to the version by Xatom in the thread that I started.

Nick

[Big Frank]

frankly, if i'd seen his post, i would not have done mine
he put in a simple post what it took me a whole page to explain
sheesh, time wasted

[Theo]

That might be so but yours is much more "step by step" which will appeal to beginners. I saved it to my Xara->hints and tips folder.

N

[Boy]

sheesh, time wasted

Well, then thanks for nothing!

[Big Frank]

@Boy: my pleasure

@Theo: glad it was of some use to you after all