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  1. #11
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Does Smart Transform do anything else? Why not have it so that toggling the option (with ALT being the kb shortcut) does the required job? Why add the task of having to ensure Selection Bounds Handles are showing?

    I would like to add that developing and updating software is hard, and Xara, in all it's forms, isn't a simple piece of software. I appreciate the work done and understand that what appears simple and obvious to the user is easily skipped over during development.

  2. #12
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Smart Transform is just a word they give for the scaling behaviour of shapes and images, to resize and readjust them without distortion. As far as I'm aware, it doesn't do anything else. The handles on smartshapes don't support stretching, so in order to do so you need to switch on the legacy selection bounds handles.

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris M View Post
    Does Smart Transform do anything else? Why not have it so that toggling the option (with ALT being the kb shortcut) does the required job? Why add the task of having to ensure Selection Bounds Handles are showing?
    I would like to add that developing and updating software is hard, and Xara, in all it's forms, isn't a simple piece of software. I appreciate the work done and understand that what appears simple and obvious to the user is easily skipped over during development.
    Chris, because it was "Not invented here!". I recall hours of debate over the simple use of the Alt key. Xara chose the route that web designers needed Xara's interpretation of what to do with images and text. My gut tells me having a free-range approach to either could not be easily coded into the Xara Cloud so the Desktop applications were forced into this unholy ritual (i.e., https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...173#post605173).

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    You only need to press the selection bounds key and uncheck the smart transform once, and then now all your objects behave like the old method of simply dragging a handle to stretch. Xara's default stance is to treat images and objects in a non destructive manner by cropping (which can be uncropped), and stretch being a more deliberate action. Again you can change the default behaviour with 2 clicks, which I know, is a lot of steps for this "ritual".

  5. #15
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob-Xar View Post
    You only need to press the selection bounds key and uncheck the smart transform once, and then now all your objects behave like the old method of simply dragging a handle to stretch. Xara's default stance is to treat images and objects in a non destructive manner by cropping (which can be uncropped), and stretch being a more deliberate action. Again you can change the default behaviour with 2 clicks, which I know, is a lot of steps for this "ritual".
    Rob, sorry but it is a ritual as you have to remember to switch between blue and black control points whenever you are resizing or squishing/squashing. The Smart Shapes cannot be (Metakey-)dragged from any of the blue control points and don't snap so you have to go black. This is fine for Smart Shapes but to impose it on text and images where text doesn't have the blue colour as a prompt and images never needed it before forces a simple workflow into a ritual: (text, image, smart shape) & (blue, black) controls and Smart Transform (on, off). To additionally hide the Smart Transform state behind the only right-click on any icon in the control bar is equally daft.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    I'll ask about the smartshape snapping which I know is annoying.

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob-Xar View Post
    I'll ask about the smartshape snapping which I know is annoying.
    Rob, thank you.

    If it can be make to work then the Smart Arrows come into their own as a powerful benefit.
    Mind you, I'll then be asking for them to become sticky with other shapes (c.f., Visio)!
    While we are at it, the Ellipse Smart Shape > Centre control point does absolutely nothing.

    Acorn
    Acorn - installed Xara software: Cloud+/Pro+ and most others back through time (to CC's Artworks). Contact for technical remediation/consultancy for your web designs.
    When we provide assistance, your responses are valuable as they benefit the community. TG Nuggets you might like. Report faults: Xara Cloud+/Pro+/Magix Legacy; Xara KB & Chat

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Australia
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    I don't have access to XDP at the moment, but using XWDP I can't squish/squash a photo using any combination of the above methods.

    Link to video so that someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong and possibly explain why it's so complicated when it wasn't before.
    https://auzlink.net.au/xara/index.htm

  9. #19
    Join Date
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    Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Forget the ALT key ...

    Turn smart transform OFF (unchecked)
    Turn on selection handles and drag any of the control points as previously - without pressing ALT.

    I'm using XP&GD ... I can't see why but maybe XWDP doesn't work the same way, but XDP certainly does.
    Last edited by ss-kalm; 12 February 2019 at 01:59 AM.
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  10. #20
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    Default Re: Help changing only width or height of an image?

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    Forget the ALT key ...

    Turn smart transform OFF (unchecked)
    Turn on selection handles and drag any of the control points as previously - without pressing ALT.
    This is where the wheels fall off. I'm using WDP 16 and the method you describe does doesn't squash the image, it crops from the centre. However, it DOES work with XDP 16

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