adding text sometimes gives the object behind it a light green outline?

[rpc9943]

Hey in the latest version here I am adding text say on top of a circle and it gives me an outline around the object or image of light green, and I am not sure how to disable this function. Seems new. Anything I can do to avoid it? I just keep pressing ctrl-z to undo it when it happens.

Thanks!

[Acorn]

Hey in the latest version here I am adding text say on top of a circle and it gives me an outline around the object or image of light green, and I am not sure how to disable this function. Seems new. Anything I can do to avoid it? I just keep pressing ctrl-z to undo it when it happens.

Thanks!

Ron, it is the latest, newest Text inside feature. Sadly, despite asking, you cannot disable it.

If you touch any shape while using the Text tool, the shape is immediately transformed into a Text Area wrapping the shape.
Xara makes it all better by letting you right-click and pick Text inside > Select (shape)!?!
Xara then fails to explain you could use Copy and Paste replacing Selection as an escape route.

I have also found that using the Page & Layers gallery, expanding the Text Area and selecting the inside shape and then right-clicking and picking Move to Current Layer, decouples the Text Area and shape; keeping both.

Ctrl+Z gets you out of the hole quite nicely.

Nice one Xara - not.

Acorn

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Ron, this is due to the new feature Text within a Shape or whatever it's called. If you have a shape selected, change to the text tool, and click over the previously selected shape it defaults to Text within a Shape. I don't find this very intuitive & probably confusing to newbies. I'd prefer to select both the text & the shape and have an Arrange / Fit text within Shape option, similar to Fit Text to Curve.

[Acorn]

@Egg, do keep up.

Only seconds slower this time!

Acorn

[Egg Bramhill]

Far better put than my explanation Acorn. Kludge springs to mind.

[Acorn]

What is sad is these kludges are found within hours of launch. The Xara developer (I hope not truly singular) is directed by the Xara designer and the usability is checked by the Xara tester. Kate Moir states this was one of the most asked for user requests. I cannot find any TG Post

Somehow it has morphed into a User Story:

As a Xara Desktop application user
I want to select any shape while using the Text tool
So that I can immediately add Text Inside to a new, enclosing text area that just contains the shape

So we end up with an enforced function where it could have been an elective one solely using the context menu (Add Text Inside).

Acorn

[haakoo]

regedit following ** at own risk,make a backup-copy of your registry before making any changes**
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Xara\XtremePro x64\15\Options\TextTool
doubleclick the key : ClickToCreateTextInside and change the value from 1 to 0

[Egg Bramhill]

Cheers Haakoo and thanks for your suggestion/fix however I'm never happy messing about with the registry and it shouldn't be necessary either.

I prefer to use XaRegEdit created by the Bill Taylor aided by Steve Ledger (Edit: Forgot to add John Horn) to do these things but I don't believe this app is any longer being updated (?). Xara should have long ago produced their own version of Bills excellent app but they seem to prefer this hands off approach.

But more than that, Text inside a Shape is just another kludge, a Bad Bolt-on, a poorly implemented workaround.

Edit: The app seems to still be operative for V15.

[haakoo]

Yes Eric,my thoughts exactly about the usage of the registry.
But at least if someone has no need for the text in shape,it's here to find
And yes xara needs to fix,yet again, a pre-assumed feature with no on/off switch(sigh)

[Acorn]

regedit following ** at own risk,make a backup-copy of your registry before making any changes**
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Xara\XtremePro x64\15\Options\TextTool
doubleclick the key : ClickToCreateTextInside and change the value from 1 to 0

Thanks hakoo, not tried it as I am trying to be productive with v15.1 and note where I am not.

In passing, does the Registry change block Text Inside entirely? i.e., right-click context menu.

Acorn