Replace image when an image is selected

[MikeTO]

When an image is select a handy Replace Image button is added to the Context Toolbar. I'd love to be able to replace the image via a keyboard shortcut so it would be nice if File > Place replaced the selected image rather than placing a new one.

I often select an image to replace but then mindlessly press my keyboard shortcut to place an image when I really want to replace the selected image. This would normally be minor, just click to place the new image, delete the old one, and move the new one to the same position. But I'm replacing images inside of inline groups. If I place the image, it will obscure the original one and then I'll have to move the new image to the same position, select the image below it and delete it, all while the text is being reflowed because the group's bounding box changed when I placed the image and again when I moved it.

So rather than go through that each time I do this I cancel the place, double click the image to select it again (because it's inside a group) and then click Replace Image. It would be so much nicer if Place Image defaulted to replacing the selected image. Or if there was an option to do this if others wouldn't want that to happen.

Thanks

[Bit Arts]

Hmm, I would now always expect place image in the file menu to place a new element regardless.

For clarity, place image should be renamed to replace image in that scenario. But I'm not keen on the method.

I have always used a replace image from the toolbar or mini toolbar over a selected image in all programs when I have replaced something, which is what I would prefer here.

Ah, your shortcut. Hm, it could ask the user place or replace perhaps.

🙂

[PaulEC]

It seems to make sense that if you hit a shortcut for "File - Place" it places a new image, but if you select an existing image first, it replaces the selected image instead!

[Bit Arts]

I don't agree. A good user interface is more concise.

[MikeTO]

55 minutes ago, Bit Arts said:

I don't agree. A good user interface is more concise.

There are many, many features that are context sensitive and good usability takes context into account. If the cursor is beside a cross-reference the insert cross-reference command is replaced by edit cross-reference. Same for inserting and editing hyperlinks, anchors, and index marks.

But back on topic, if a picture frame is selected then File > Place will replace image but if an image that isn't in a picture frame is selected then File > Place will not replace the image. So in that light, what I'm asking for is for File > Place to work consistently for images that are in frames and not in frames.

And if others don't like it then perhaps it could be an option. This is super annoying for me because I have two books on the go. For my history book all of the several hundred images are in picture frames so to replace them I press my keyboard shortcut. For my Publisher manual, none of the thousands of images are in picture frames and every single time I press my keyboard shortcut it places a new image instead of replacing it. So to me this inconsistent behaviour feels wrong.

[Bit Arts]

7 hours ago, MikeTO said:

But back on topic, if a picture frame is selected then File > Place will replace image but if an image that isn't in a picture frame is selected then File > Place will not replace the image. So in that light, what I'm asking for is for File > Place to work consistently for images that are in frames and not in frames.

Fair point, I agree. Concise and consistent behavior, please. 🙂

[LondonSquirrel]

8 hours ago, MikeTO said:

work consistently for images that are in frames and not in frames

But they are two different things. Why would/should things work the same way? Apart from convenience (to whoever wants/needs it)? 

[Return]

One could use a rectangle as placeholder and change the content with paste inside or through the bitmap option in the gradient tool.

[MikeTO]

9 minutes ago, LondonSquirrel said:

But they are two different things. Why would/should things work the same way? Apart from convenience (to whoever wants/needs it)? 

It's not like an image in a picture frame looks like it's in a picture frame, it looks like a picture.

I'm not trying to convince you to work this way, I'm simply asking for an option to allow Place to work the same way for pictures as it does for picture frames. If you don't like it, don't turn it on.

[LondonSquirrel]

2 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

It's not like an image in a picture frame looks like it's in a picture frame, it looks like a picture.

But it's not just looks. Frames can have scaling properties applied, which replacements honour. Pictures outside frames do not. What happens if I have a picture outside a frame, 50mmx50mm, and replace it with a 50mmx100mm picture? If that picture has wrapping, what then? As I wrote, frames and not-frames are two different things. I expect them to be different.

[MikeW]

I agree, Mike.

That said, I'm still at a loss as to why there are two different containers for images. 

[PaoloT]

I would like it. It would be one of those small things making the workflow much faster and less carpal-tunnell prone.

Paolo