Xara Designer Pro X 16 issues

[Helle]

Just installed Xara Designer Pro X 16

When a custom control bar tool bar is created and I add another icon to it - all is good. Close the program and open it again, the newly added icon is gone? So I have to add that icon over and over? How do I make Xara remember a new icon added to the toolbar?
And btw where is the custom toolbar located on my Win 7 PC ?

Toolbars can still not be saved for backup?

How do I removed whatever is blocking me from squeezing text sideways. It just scale the text and I don't want that? Like when you grab the middle handle and pull/push?

Also, how do I make Xara stop from having "snap to object" turned on at start-up? I need it turned off!

Last, how do I remove these weird kindergarten "select handles" from images and have the old type instead?

regards Helle

[Chris M]

Partial answer as I don't know the answer to your custom control bar issue.

Squeezing text/images - turn off the Selection Bounds Handles (see pic) and hold the ALT key when resizing.
The weird kindergarten handles I take to mean the same as above.

Snap to Object can be turned off via the main toolbar > Window > Snap to Object near the bottom of the list.

[gwpriester]

Create a page with your toolbar and all the settings you prefer and save the page as your Default Template (File > Save Template and check [ X ] Use as Default Template.

I think this will do the trick. Though over the years users have begged to keep the custom settings when an update is applied, but with no joy.

[ss-kalm]

Forget the ALT key ...

To restore previous behaviour, TURN ON (or leave on) the selection bounds handles. Right click the aspect ratio lock and UNCHECK Smart transform.

The "kingergarten" handles will only be present in the photo tool, where they do have a function.

[Helle]

Think I found out the squeeze issue. Not the Selection Bounds Handles, but the "Lock aspect ratio" button. Have no clue why this has changed?
The kindergarten new weird buttons that surrounds an image, those would be great to remove and get the old black ones back and make changes via double click
The Snap function does not stay off, it's back everytime you restart the program. I had hoped it would stay off until I choose when to use it.

Sorry for my grumpiness, but I find Xaras updating more an more for non artist people and less and less for vector artist, which is a HUGE shame :-(
Thank you for answering me

[Helle]

Gary and Keith

Gary = will do it right now - good idea.
Keith = yes, but it's very clumsy look and feel the kindergarten handles, basically completely not necessary. And you are right about the aspect ratio

[Chris M]

The Smart Transform debate appears to be split at a certain timeline...those who became comfortable before ST and those after. I fall into the latter category.

It took me a while to understand why this was an issue and I still don't understand why anyone would want to turn ST off on a permanent basis, but I also fall into the web side of Xara and not the artist side. I would love to be more naturally artistic but lack the imagination.

This is another recurring problem that could be addressed with an on/off option that isn't hidden in a weird place. The more I read on TG, the more I realise that Xara is a mash up of fixes and ideas that don't really gel that well. Memories of Windows before MS screws up the design of one version and releases a new version. Maybe we are using Xara XP, beloved but over patched and unwieldy.

[Acorn]

Think I found out the squeeze issue. Not the Selection Bounds Handles, but the "Lock aspect ratio" button. Have no clue why this has changed?
The kindergarten new weird buttons that surrounds an image, those would be great to remove and get the old black ones back and make changes via double click
The Snap function does not stay off, it's back everytime you restart the program. I had hoped it would stay off until I choose when to use it.

Sorry for my grumpiness, but I find Xaras updating more an more for non artist people and less and less for vector artist, which is a HUGE shame :-(
Thank you for answering me

Helle, this is another farce from Xara's UI design; you have to switch from the Photo tool to the Selector tool and depress the Show selection bounds handles icon to get back to the correct Object Handling state.
It is clar (to me) that when the Selector tool is chosen, i am thinking about Object handling not photo editing. You are stuck with the SmartObject controls in the Photo tool. Xara also chose to overload the QuickShape tool for SmartShapes; they need a Tool of their own. As for Smart Transforms...

Acorn

[gwpriester]

Also there is a new feature that has made things work in a different way, Smart Transform. Right click on the Lock Aspect Ratio icon and uncheck Smart Transform. See if this helps.

[ernie-f]

I have always been annoyed that I have to reconfigure my toolbars after every update or reinstallation.

Since XDP X v10, this is no longer the case or it is therefore faster to configure.
The Xara toolbars are stored in the registry under Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Xara\XtremePro x64\16\BarsNormal.



I exported them from XDP X v10 the first time and with every update or installation, I restored the values.
If a version change occurs, be sure to replace the version in the old file with the new one.



Not all tools will be back where they were or where other tools can also appear in toolbars that you do not want to have there.
That's why I always take a screen shot of the current version. The rest is then done with a few clicks.
Important: make a Registry BackUp of the current settings again for future.