How to scale a group of objects be a fixed amount

[JeremyTankard]

I have a group of objects (Text boxes and outline images) that I wish to scale uniformally by a fixed percentage – say 50%.

I've never found a way to do this in any of the Affinity apps. The only way is to drag the group and 'guess the percentage amount. This obviously is not accurate. If I select all that I need to scale and then enter the percentage in the Transform panel – say Width 50%, then it does this but destroys all the relationship of the grouped elements. So Text in a text box stays at its original size but the Text Box reduces.

Is there a way to solve this without converting text to outlines etc?

[iconoclast]

Hi Jeremy,

this should work with the "Transformation" panel, I think. To increase a group f.e. 50%, type "*150%" into the field for width or hight (after you closed the chain symbol) and press Enter.

Edit: But in case of text, it will only work with Artistic Text, not with Frame Text, if I'm not wrong.

[JeremyTankard]

Hi, Unfortunately it doesn't behave like this.

[iconoclast]

1 minute ago, JeremyTankard said:

Hi, Unfortunately it doesn't behave like this.

I edited my post a minute ago. You work with Frame Text, right? I'm afraid it will only work with Artistic Text.

[JeremyTankard]

That seems rather limited. Is there an easy way to convert Text Frame to Artistic Box, Scale then convert back?

[iconoclast]

I don't really know, but I'm afraid you can't convert Artistic Text into Frame Text or vice versa. As far as I remember, this was asked here in the forum before, and it doesn't work.

You could copy and paste the text to Artistic Text or convert it into curves. But I think this is not what you want to do.

[David in Яuislip]

If you have Photo:
Copy the items
then using Photo
New from Clipboard
Resize Document to required scale
Copy items back to original document

Rescaling.afphoto

[JeremyTankard]

Excellent. Found a way to do it. Though I don't think Affinity will like it.
Select the items to be scaled.
Copy and Paste to Adobe Illustrator.
Scale as required.
Save as PDF, open PDF in Affinity (keeps it as a Text Frame)
or Copy and Paste back to Affinity (turns it into an Artitic Box)

Laughable.

[MickRose]

There is a sort of workaround.

1) Create a box so it aligns with the left and right edges of the items to be scaled.
2) Use the transform panel to scale it by whatever you want and make sure it lines up with the left text.
3) Select the text items (any anything else to be scaled). Use the bottom right control and move it so it snaps to the right side of the box.
4) Delete the box.

[JeremyTankard]

8 minutes ago, David in Яuislip said:

If you have Photo:
Copy the items
then using Photo
New from Clipboard
Resize Document to required scale
Copy items back to original document

Rescaling.afphoto 384.07 kB · 0 downloads

Yes, this worked David. I saved and opened in Photo, Resized the Document, then selected the items I wanted and copied them back into Publisher.
So, once I know the scale I need to achieve I can than go round the houses this way.
(I'd rather not open Adobe CS6 anymore, eventually it will no longer open)

[JeremyTankard]

Just now, MickRose said:

There is a sort of workaround.

1) Create a box so it aligns with the left and right edges of the items to be scaled.
2) Use the transform panel to scale it by whatever you want and make sure it lines up with the left text.
3) Select the text items (any anything else to be scaled). Use the bottom right control and move it so it snaps to the right side of the box.
4) Delete the box.

Sounds good too.

Obviously there is a need for this functionality.

[thomaso]

2 hours ago, JeremyTankard said:

That seems rather limited. Is there an easy way to convert Text Frame to Artistic Box, Scale then convert back?

1 hour ago, JeremyTankard said:

Obviously there is a need for this functionality.

Definitely! – I do miss it quite often when a layout develops in its amount / kind of texts. Then certain handling options would support a fluent workflow, not only when scaling text.

Unfortunately there are still users who doubt about the need …

Also, I just noticed, this is no literal Feature Request thread. So you might create one, possibly with one or the other link to according threads of this Questions forum.

[stinkykong]

In all seriousness, you should simply be able to click and drag with the appropriate control keys and JUST DO IT. You can in Illustrator, why not Affinity Designer? I used to be able to do this in Affinity and it's not there anymore. I am really miffed about this.

[PGT7]

It's not ideal but you can quite easily scale an object. But it could be simpler if Affinity added a scale to the Transform panel or Palate ...

 

In W: and H: add "* 75%" it will then scale to 75%, just change the %age to your will.

58.3mm * 75%   and   31.8 mm *75%

Hope this makes everyones life simpler ;~}} 

[JeremyTankard]

I can't get it to work

Example: A rectangle with some text. Next I want to reduce the whole by 50% – The rectabgel reduces, but the text remains the same size (in a reduced text field)
 

The only way I have found is to set a measurement (a box or guide) and drag reduce the whole until it snaps to the size I want – bit cumbersome to do but used to it after a few years!

[iconoclast]

I think, you need to use Artistic Text for that. It will probably not work with Frame Text. If both layers are selected they should become scaled together.

[JeremyTankard]

Hmm. I never use Artistic Text – Can a normal text field be converted to Artistic Text for this purpose and then back again?

[iconoclast]

Not as far as I know. You can convert Artistic Text into Frame Text, but not vice versa.

[PGT7]

Hi Jeremy Tankard,

Read carefully ... in the dialog box is the current size, in my case 55.3 mm followed by the star * then the percentage change 75%

That will then perform the calculation  and reduce the item to 75% of 55.3 mm

What you had in your entry box was just the "50%", the app did not know 50% of ??what?? size.

You can group a number of disparate items, here are a text, a placed PDF and a couple of placed Pix:

These all scaled together in a group ... 

 

 

 

[JeremyTankard]

I'm obviously not going to win at this

 

Entered 85 mm * 50%

no luck

[PGT7]

This also works with "Artistic text"

 

[JeremyTankard]

It does work if I convert to Art Text first, then I can convert back to Text Frame after

[PGT7]

Which version are you using ... I'm on Version 2 Beta 2.5.5 (2613)

[PGT7]

And another question once you've converted Text to Curves you cannot reverse out of Curves to Text!!

[JeremyTankard]

Ah, I'm on 2.5.3 release.

Ignore me