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  1. #1
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    Lightbulb v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Dear Xara...

    I appreciate the delivery of a persistent Rotation Angle for a Shape. Thank you.

    I created a Blend between two similar Shapes at 180deg and 90deg with 88 Steps, expecting when I converted the Blend to Shapes and Ungrouped. Each of the 90 Shapes would have an integer rotation value. The original Shapes retained their values but the newly-minted interior Shapes all had a zero rotation angle.
    This is inconsistent.

    Feature Request - To be able to reset any Shape rotation angle to zero.

    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

  2. #2
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    Feature Request - To be able to reset any Shape rotation angle to zero.
    You can, just type "0" in the rotation angle box ...
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by ss-kalm View Post
    You can, just type "0" in the rotation angle box ...
    Keith, you are missing the point. If you type 0, the Shape reverts to its creation angle, while I wish to reset to its current orientation but display as zero.

    I need this option when I am aligning any number of rotated Shapes. I want then to be all at the one angle and not a mishmash.

    If I Group the Shapes, Convert to Editable Shapes and Ungroup, I can achieve what I was after but this does not work for a single Shape and in any case is far too tedious.

    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. #4
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Agreed ... Missed the point totally. However, what you requested was a little unclear. Now that you responded it is a lot clearer what you intended.
    Keith
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    There are 10 types of people in this world .... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    the angle persistence is very useful

    there is a quirk with quick shapes - rectangles are created at 0 rotation, elipses and polygons are not; I think this was always the case, but now with persistsence it is a potential nuisance

    I see merit in having the option to reset the 0 angle - having the shape return to creation state at 0 is great, but so would be the option to sync shapes at a later stage

    Whilst we are here, a long time ago I put in a request for the option to anchor the rotation point so that it could persist when no objects were selected, and when the file was closed and reopened

    That would be very welcome too - as would nested rotation points, a basic form of rigging, but I realise that might sadly be more than the current code base allows [as with localised rotation of multiple selections]
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  6. #6
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    there is a quirk with quick shapes - rectangles are created at 0 rotation, elipses and polygons are not; I think this was always the case, but now with persistsence it is a potential nuisance
    When I create an ellipse or polygon, I hold down the control key and rotate the Shape until it is sitting on zero.

    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    Whilst we are here, a long time ago I put in a request for the option to anchor the rotation point so that it could persist when no objects were selected, and when the file was closed and reopened
    That would be achievable if the Shape angle could be part of the Copy function, where we could then apply Paste > Paste angle (c.f., Paste size, Paste position, etc).

    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    That would be very welcome too - as would nested rotation points, a basic form of rigging, but I realise that might sadly be more than the current code base allows [as with localised rotation of multiple selections]
    It would be great to have a Group and scale and rotate the individual Shapes around their own centres and not the Group centre.

    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

  7. #7
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    When I create an ellipse or polygon, I hold down the control key and rotate the Shape until it is sitting on zero.
    sorry maybe I am missing something, but the rotation angle is not visible in the quickshape tool... ? - besides it is inconsistent, it should be 0 at the point of creation

    That would be achievable if the Shape angle could be part of the Copy function, where we could then apply Paste > Paste angle (c.f., Paste size, Paste position, etc).
    i see what you mean, but that does not seem to address the point i was making, unless again I have missed something - it is not the shape angle i was refering to here, but the position of the rotation point which is lost[reset] when there is no selection, or the file is closed - sorry if this was not clear

    also, btw, copy paste attribute is an all or nothing thing which is in itself restrictive, being able to select which attributes you actually want pasting would be much better


    It would be great to have a Group and scale and rotate the individual Shapes around their own centres and not the Group centre.
    sure would - there are threads about it, but apparently it is not practical
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  8. #8
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    sorry maybe I am missing something, but the rotation angle is not visible in the quickshape tool... ? - besides it is inconsistent, it should be 0 at the point of creation
    It is visible if your drop-down is showing Size & rotation. It is Rotation for Ellipses.
    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    it is not the shape angle i was refering to here, but the position of the rotation point which is lost[reset] when there is no selection, or the file is closed - sorry if this was not clear
    No, it was me who misunderstood.
    Quote Originally Posted by handrawn View Post
    copy paste attribute is an all or nothing thing which is in itself restrictive, being able to select which attributes you actually want pasting would be much better
    sure would - there are threads about it, but apparently it is not practical
    Ctrl+Shift+A is the all-or-nothing option but Edit > Paste > Paste ... adds refinements.

    Thank you for engaging; it is nice to get into a discussion.

    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

  9. #9
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    Quote Originally Posted by Acorn View Post
    It is visible if your drop-down is showing Size & rotation. It is Rotation for Ellipses.
    thanks, of course, silly me


    No, it was me who misunderstood.
    sure; I'm looking at it from an animator's point of view really, having precise persistent rotation points is important


    Ctrl+Shift+A is the all-or-nothing option but Edit > Paste > Paste ... adds refinements.
    point taken.. but it would not persist in itself - and I am thinking about the rotation point being anchored at a specific place, whether that is relative to a shape, a group of shapes, a selection of shapes, or a page ...

    Thank you for engaging; it is nice to get into a discussion.

    Acorn
    -------------------------------
    Nothing lasts forever...

  10. #10
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    Default Re: v16.3 - Rotation Angles

    In the Xara Desktop applications, I believe all we have to work with is an open Path (Line) and a closed Path (Shape).

    A QuickShape with 4 vertices and Create polygons can therefore easily become a four-sided polygon, (square, rectangle, parallelogram). Added a curved corner such a Shape keeps the Page & Layer gallery Name of (Rounded) Rectangle.

    Observation - Skewing does not change it to Parallelogram.

    In all of the above, the start and end point of the closed path is always the top-left one as seen when the Select tool is used and the Rotation Angle is zero. In passing, this Kiss point always Snaps to Objects so it is useful to know where it is.
    Double-clicking the Kiss point toggles Curved Corners.
    Double-clicking the central cross toggles a Square to a Circle and back again and an Ellipse to a Rectangle and back again.

    Observation - There is no Rhombus. One rotates a Square to a multiple of 45 deg and (shift-)drag a central control.
    To create a Rhombus out of an existing angles Square, clone the Square, reset to zero degrees, drag into a Rhombus and finally apply the Quare's rotation angle. There are alternatives, none pleasant.
    Observation - There is no Kite or Dart Shape. One can create a Rhombus, convert to Editable Shapes and then raise or lower a top or bottom control. This destroys the versatile QuickShape. For a dart, I use two Rhombi and shrink down the vertical size and then apply a Transparency to the larger to make it lose its top. Alternatively, abutting two three-sized QuickShape Triangles, one can make Darts or Kites.

    Selecting Create ellipses "transforms" a Rectangle into an Ellipse. Square maps to Circle. Rectangle & Rhombus maps to Ellipse. The Kiss Point is now top centre.
    As well as the Kiss point aligning with a major/minor axis, there are a total of four control points visible with the QuickShape tool.
    If you double-click the Kiss point with the Select tool , you open into the QuickShape tool. If you double-click any of the four controls, the Ellipse maps a Circle the size matching either the Width or height of the original (check in the Ellipse tool > Width and height).
    Observation - A zero-angle Parallelogram maps into non-zero angled Ellipse with a much offset Kiss point. I have not found a way to orientate a "normal" Ellipse to overlay the skewed one.
    Double-clicking any of the four controls of this Shape again produces Circles (width or height).

    Starred shape and Curved corners are "remembered" in any of the above transformations.

    All quite clever really. It is a pity that SmartShapes are losing much of this inherent capability.

    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

 

 

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