How do I distribute objects in Publisher

[K_T]

I've been desperately trying to distribute objects in my Publisher 2, but for some reason I cannot figure out how to do this as it's greyed out in my alignment menu.

Can anyone, point me in the right direction?

 

 

[KarinC]

Use the sandwich like icon on the right. However, you can't use the menu options without first using one of the three left buttons, messing things up first, for some obscure reason.

[K_T]

Ahhhh - did not see I had to press one of the options first and it would allow me to distribute...

Thank you so much

 

[Pšenda]

19 minutes ago, K_T said:

did not see I had to press one of the options first and it would allow me to distribute...

It's quite logical - first you have to select the function you want to perform, and only then other options specific to that particular function become available. It wouldn't make sense to turn Auto distribute on/off when you're doing Align Left/Centre/Right.
https://affinity.help/publisher2/English.lproj/pages/ObjectControl/distribute.html

[thomaso]

47 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

It's quite logical - first you have to

... while "logical" is quite relative. 🦄

I my impression this feature is coded with a half-baked concept, "by design" for cumbersome usage, in multiple aspects:

• The pop-up dialog/panel needs to get reopened for alignment / distribution in several steps multiple times.

• The Spacing / Distribution option gets reset to "Auto" once the dialog is closed.

• The submenus contain quite a few Alignment options for special use cases (page, spread, margins) – while there are no submenu options at all (grayed out) for Distribution / Spacing where they would be required especially for a matrix of multiple objects (vertical + horizontal):

• Thus, the submenus lack special options for spacing/distribution. For instance like "next neighbour" or a "radius" value or "grid" settings (column, row) etc.

• The "Apply" button is irrelevant + misleading: If you just leave the dialog (i.e. click in your layout) the current setting gets applied anyway / automatically.

[Pšenda]

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

• The "Apply" button is irrelevant + misleading: If you just leave the dialog (i.e. click in your layout) the current setting gets applied anyway / automatically.

??? Really? Definitely not for me - after clicking on Cancel, everything returns to its original state.

 

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

• The Spacing / Distribution option gets reset to "Auto" once the dialog is closed.

Not remembering previous choices is a design bug across all Affinity apps, so it has nothing to do with dialog logic/non-logic.

 

1 hour ago, thomaso said:

... while "logical" is quite relative. 🦄

In my post, I provided a description of the procedure, which at least to me is completely logical (which is also why the choice of function is in the first/top place, and only then other choices follow. Entering something from the bottom does not seem very logical to me personally). So I don't understand why you are taking it out of context and describing some shortcomings of the dialog/Align function, which are neither the subject of the thread nor related to the logic mentioned - "first I have to select what I want to do, and only then specific options are available to me" .

[thomaso]

20 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

Really? Definitely not for me - after clicking on Cancel,

I did not mention "Cancel" but leaving the panel / click in the layout, for instance to select other or additional objects. Then a current setting gets applied + the dialog gets closed.

43 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

a design bug across all Affinity apps, so it has nothing to do with dialog logic/non-logic.

23 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

So I don't understand why you are taking it out of context and describing some shortcomings of the dialog/Align function, which are neither the subject of the thread nor related to the logic mentioned

For me, UI and UX are always part of the "logic" of using a feature and vice versa the logic is a condition to understand how it works. But, just being "logical" is a valuable argument only when the logic has no alternative. In this case, the UI/UX simply follows some logic … as well as a coded bug is "logical", regardless of whether 'by design' or unintentional. That's why I call it "half-baked": it's unclear if that's really what's intended. Apart from its own logic.

25 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

"first I have to select what I want to do, and only then specific options are available to me"

Especially in this panel the order appears different: Certain options are obviously selected already as soon the dialog opens ("Auto distribute" + certain menu options) – before the user has a chance to select an option. With the consequence that the choice of one of the buttons may first cause an unwanted, possibly chaotic  change to the layout, as @KarinC pointed out above. – Compare other UI spots / panels: We may choose a font weight, set a text size or define values in the Colours Panel independent of an object or a further task selection.

I understand your point. I just notice that several solutions can be "logical".