jackamus

Many thanks Sean.

This all seems a bit complicated. I have been using this 'Styles' feature for years without the current problem and that is why I started this thread.I have styles for dotted lines, chain dot lines and ellipse line thicknesses and it only now that I wanted to add a new one but couldn't without creating a new category. I still feel that it is a bug.

What is happening is exactly what Walt described earlier. I went back and created a new dotted line and then created a new category where I could save it. I have noticed this problem in different documents. Will it help to create a file to download for you to inspect?

Unable to create a new style from selection without first cresting a new category.

I checked the stroke widths as well and they are all different. I will save the new style in a new category and report this as a continuing bug.

Thanks Walt. I have checked the various dotted lines and found that they are all different but I cannot add a new one. Should `I report this as a bug?

Has the way to 'Save a style from selection' changed due to an update? I have a Category of various dotted lines that I use from time to time. When creating a new dotted line previously I used to be able to select the object and then save it as a style but it doesn't seem to work now. I checked the help page but couldn't find the answer.

The comment below is as a result of resurrecting the problem of bounding boxes and their handles disappearing when want to move a guideline to snap to a bounding box handle. It was suggested that I try this part of the forum again. Quote: Thank you all for the advice but nobody seems to grasp the fact that none of these workaround should be necessary when the mid points are visible! These workaround are not intuitive in the light how easy it is to move guide lines to snap to a boundary but not to a mid point handle. I have always had selected the 'Snap to bounding box and mid points' . I would expect to see the bounding box whilst moving the guide but it always disappears. Its a hit miss situation - you're not sure if the guide has snapped or not until you release the mouse button. One of the reasons given for not allowing the handles to remain visible is what the developers call 'Screen clutter'. How can it be 'clutter' when it is visible except when you click the mouse? There is no point in adding it to the 'Feature requests and suggestions' as I have already had a lengthy discussion with the developers about it. Can anyone, other than a developer, give me a good reason why these handles are not a very useful feature for moving guide lines to? Am I being unreasonable?

Thank you all for the advice but nobody seems to grasp the fact that none of these workaround should be necessary when the mid points are visible! These workaround are not intuitive in the light how easy it is to move guide lines to snap to a boundary but not to a mid point handle. I have always had selected the 'Snap to bounding box and mid points' . I would expect to see the bounding box whilst moving the guide but it always disappears. Its a hit miss situation - you're not sure if the guide has snapped or not until you release the mouse button. One of the reasons given for not allowing the handles to remain visible is what the developers call 'Screen clutter'. How can it be 'clutter' when it is visible except when you click the mouse? There is no point in adding it to the 'Feature requests and suggestions' as I have already had a lengthy discussion with the developers about it. Can anyone, other than a developer, give me a good reason why these handles are not a very useful feature for moving guide lines to? Am I being unreasonable?

Thanks Gary, I know many other methods to get a result by why should it be necessary in the first place when the the bounding has the required feature? My workaround is to just drag a guide line to where I 'remember' the handle was and then check to see if I was accurate. If not I would just drag it a bit more. Normally I can get it first time but that is not the point!

I know that I have bellyached about this in the past and even discussed it with a moderator but I still cannot see why such a useful feature should be left out. The answer that I was given was not very helpful! So I repeat my complaint in the hope that others may take-up the cudgel and support me. How do I find a vertical centre line in between the red and blue box? If I drag a group bounding box over the two boxes 8 handles appear 2 of which are in the centres of the top and sides. If I then try to drag a guide to snap to these centre handles, all the handles disappear when you click the mouse. Even if I actually create a group the handles still disappear It must have taken a deliberate action on the part of the developers to do this. To me it is such an obvious useful feature and can think of no reason why great pains were made to exclude it. Maybe there is a very difficult coding problem with keeping the handles in view. Just saying again... Guide lines.afdesign

LOL! I thought I tried everything except all the suggestions above. Thanks very much.

After all this time using AD I have just discovered a nuisance using the rounded corner rectangle. If I drag open this QS there is a little red dot in the top left hand corner for changing the radius of the corner. The problem is that if you move the shape the radius dot disappears. This is only gives you one chance to change the radius. The reason I want to move is to align it with another shape so I can adjust the radius to suit. Is there a way to restore the red dot? If not may I suggest that a toggle would be useful.

Sorry I couldn't understand what you said through your mask!

Yes I know its a logistical problem but that doesn't cut any ice with someone who feels slightly cheated!

Sorry Alfred. What do you expect me to say after being long standing user of DP and its features then moving over to a Mac and AD. with less features? Am I being unreasonable?

I know all this and that is why I said is was a synopsis of the problem. At the end of the day Serif had invented a really good wheel with old fashioned technology. Today they have used new technology to re-invent an inferior wheel. Is that progress?

Can you give an example?

That goes back a few years! Several times since then I have bemoaned the fact that AD is not as good as DrawePlus and I don't think it ever will. I had a very lengthy dialogue with the developers on this thread. Below is a very brief synopsis of the conclusion. The problem was that Serif wanted to produce a Mac version of their DP software but due to the differences between Windows and Mac OS the Mac version would not have some of DP features. Then they produced a Windows version to be like the Mac version which meant, even thought they had previously a very good Windows DP version, it would also not have the DP features in order to be compatible with the Mac version. To me this is like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

How do you 'Unconstrain' a group?

Hi Bruce, I think I will simply draw a new line on top of the original one. This would be the simpler way to do it. Also this kind of dimension will be quite rare. Thanks for the advice.

You've almost got it. I have this group saved as an 'Asset' for applying dimensions to drawings. Sometimes I may need extension lines of unequal lengths. See file. I would like to be able to extend the right hand extension line independently from the left hand line. Alternatively how do I 'Undo' Constraint on this particular group so I can extend the line manually? Constraint group 2.afdesign

Can anyone tell me how to change the length of just the right hand extension line without changing the other objects? Constraint group.afdesign

I've got it now! and I've no idea why I didn't get it before! The first instruction given was to open 'Colour' in 'Studio" which I did but no colour wheel. This time I did get the colour wheel. It must be my age again! Thanks guys.

I did this to start with but there is no colour wheel option. I'm reluctant to Reset the Studio unless it is the only way.