Avoid accidental changes

[Clayton King]

I've noticed something that bugs me, but can't figure it out in Designer (but also the other products).

If I have an object - say an image I've placed. And I want to draw a rectangle on top of it, starting at the upper left corner of the image. I change to the rectangle tool, but when I go to draw the rectangle, the cursor "sees" the handle of the image and changes it, rather that 'inserting' the rectangle. Is there a key combination or something to prevent this?

This is a basic example, but hoping for some clarity.

[walt.farrell]

Deselect the object before you start drawing the new one.

[thomaso]

With the rectangle tool above the image press the ESC key, it will deselect the image, switch the cursor as expected and enable you to draw the new object.

[Clayton King]

10 hours ago, thomaso said:

With the rectangle tool above the image press the ESC key, it will deselect the image, switch the cursor as expected and enable you to draw the new object.

I think I've got the Corel convention stuck in my head. Once a tool is used, the cursor default back to the "pick" or "more" tool, so you're automatically onto the next task.

[thomaso]

24 minutes ago, Clayton King said:

Once a tool is used, the cursor default back to the "pick" or "more" tool, so you're automatically onto the next task.

No idea what you say (pick, more, next task), could be because I never had a chance to use Corel.
Doesn't the ESC key work for you to continue as wanted with the rectangle tool?

[Clayton King]

6 minutes ago, thomaso said:

No idea what you say (pick, more, next task), could be because I never had a chance to use Corel.
Doesn't the ESC key work for you to continue as wanted with the rectangle tool?

It does. I just need to adjust my thinking. Thank you for the tip!

[Ron P.]

On 11/3/2021 at 5:43 AM, Clayton King said:

I think I've got the Corel convention stuck in my head. Once a tool is used, the cursor default back to the "pick" or "more" tool, so you're automatically onto the next task.

I have CorelDraw 2017, and I don't see that behavior. Just like in Designer, APhoto, the tool remains selected until I manually change to some other tool, like the Move or Pick tools. I spent the past hour scouring through the settings to see if I may have missed a setting, but could not locate a setting for this automatically reverting to the pick or move tool.

[thomaso]

On 11/3/2021 at 11:43 AM, Clayton King said:

Once a tool is used, the cursor default back to the "pick" or "more" tool, so you're automatically onto the next task.

By the way, that Affinity does not do such a cursor auto-switch can be experienced as a feature, too. Not for your mentioned "(image)" layer when wanting to draw a new rectangle shape object but for instance to access the red handled options of any non-rectangular shape. They don't occur if the object is selected with the Move Tool but require a Vector Shape Tool, luckily just any of them. So there is no need to scroll to the specific tool (e.g. Cog Tool) to display its red handles but simply the rectangle works to make them appear on the selected cog.

As long the cursor doesn't hover over the cog's handles or bounding box you still may draw the new rectangle. Considering that one rather seldom wants to draw exactly on top of an existing object this UI appears handy. While pressing ESC is easy.

[Clayton King]

I continue to have issue where, in Publisher, I edit text. After completing my edits, I press ESC twice and V to get back to the Move tool. About half the time, this works; the other half, the text tool stays active with the cursor at the last insertion point.

[Old Bruce]

4 minutes ago, Clayton King said:

I continue to have issue where, in Publisher, I edit text. After completing my edits, I press ESC twice and V to get back to the Move tool. About half the time, this works; the other half, the text tool stays active with the cursor at the last insertion point.

I seem to have that problem if I am doing selecting and altering the text, either changing the size or colour or font. It seems as though the escape key will only work if I have been simply typing, and doing nothing else.

[walt.farrell]

18 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

I seem to have that problem if I am doing selecting and altering the text, either changing the size or colour or font. It seems as though the escape key will only work if I have been simply typing, and doing nothing else.

If I am changing the font or font size (say, by selecting some text and then adjusting the Context Toolbar settings) then:

1. Esc ends the editing of the selected text, and removes the selection highlight. I remain in editing mode, with the text cursor following the text I was working on.
2. The next Esc ends editing mode, but leaves the Text Frame active.
3. V then switches to the Move Tool, as step 2 ended editing mode.

So far I have not experienced the problem you mention, but of couse if the second Esc did not register, then V would be typed. And of course, something on Mac may work differently.

[Old Bruce]

Walt you have described how it should work here on Mac. There are some problems with using the escape key or the return key or the enter key to get out of the text cells in the various studio panels. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't. Now I am seeing this problem as Clayton King has stated. There are other keyboard problems with using tool shortcuts in general sometimes. I just haven't been able to come up with a guaranteed recipe.

[R C-R]

3 hours ago, Old Bruce said:

Walt you have described how it should work here on Mac.

As far as I can tell, that is how it always works on my Mac. I just have to make sure I have tapped the ESC key twice.