Feature request: automated shapes behind text, custom text strikethrough styles

[4dimage]

I regularly have to create newspaper advertisements for special offers. A typical layout construct is the special offer price in a highlighted rectangle or ellipse. There is also a strikethrough price. Creating both under the typical time pressure is very exhausting, as prices often change at the last minute. Then not only the text has to be changed, but also the overall shape and the strikethrough of the normal price. A lot of fine-tuning under time pressure.

 

The following two extensions would be nice:

 

1) Custom Strikethrough style

The strikethrough of the normal price could also be achieved with a standard text style. Unfortunately, many customers prefer a diagonal line through (behind) the price, as the numbers are then more legible than with a standard horizontal strikethrough. To achieve this, only a manually drawn path can be used, which then has to be laboriously moved underneath each price, as the length of the line also varies depending on the length of the number string. It would be useful to be able to assign the strikethrough of text as a user-defined style to a text. It would be important to be able to run any colored graphic diagonally over|behind the text, which automatically adjusts to the length of the text when changed. So it's basically an automatic form generation|transformation based on the bounding box of the editable text (typical graphic text for prices).

 

2) Automated shapes from text

The same applies to a typical box for a special price. This should also be generated automatically from the length and size of the editable text and should be freely designable. Illustrator has a halfway usable approach to this via the Appearance panel. In the example video below, a rectangle with padding is first generated from the bounding box of the editable text, which is then optically transformed in the Y direction. This appearance enables text to be changed quickly without having to change the box behind the text every time. In Illustrator, the appearance can at least be saved as a style and quickly transferred to new texts. This saves so much time, especially when text changes are made at the last minute.

 

 

[4dimage]

Possible approach

This could perhaps be implemented in general with a new form of constraint.

The basic function would be that a graphic object (source: for example a symbol or group) is aligned with any other object (target -> text, group, ...). This means that the symbol initially follows the pivot position of the target object. There are additional options here that set the pivot point of the source and also make an absolute or relative offset to the target object controllable. This also allows the position of the objects in relation to each other to be finely controlled optically.

- The source is drawn in the layer stack in front of or behind the target object.

- The size of the target's bounding box is determined and the source is scaled so that the graphic is fitted into the target rectangle. There could be different modes here that are comparable to those of the picture frame (object-fit: contain, cover, stretch, none).

- To ensure that the source graphic can also extend beyond the edges of the target object, it would be possible to set absolute or relative padding. The padding increases the measured bounding box of the target object t|r|b|l, which means that the source object would be scaled larger than the target object.

The level hierarchy must not play a role here! Parent-child arrangements would collide with clipping. At most, the source and target would have to be in the same group as siblings - but it would be better if the source and target could be anywhere in the hierarchy.

 

For the above use case, for example, I would create a symbol for both the strikethrough and the box (ellipse, star, ...), which would then be chained to the price text (target) via a constraint. If the text changes, the size of the graphic behind it is also adjusted to the texts new bounding box. If I want to change the appearence of the strikethrough globally, I only have to change the symbol (source) and all occurrences in the document could be changed in one go 🙂

Ideally, such a constraint could also be saved as a style. Or the control parameters could somehow be quickly transferred to a new source/target pair.

 

 

 

[fde101]

Another option would be to update paragraph decorations to support corner rounding and rotation.

That way it could easily be applied using a simple paragraph style.

[4dimage]

1 hour ago, fde101 said:

Another option would be to update paragraph decorations to support corner rounding and rotation.

That way it could easily be applied using a simple paragraph style.

Yes, you are right! If you only consider the problem of text decoration, extended character or paragraph properties would be the quickest application 🙂

An even more general solution, like the constraints, would cover many more cases that do not only have to do with text alone.

Imagine that the source object itself can also have constraints that, for example, control the position and scaling of standard decorative elements in the source object depending on the size of the transformed source bounding box.

Here are a few real-life examples:

 

 

[prophet]

I agree that Constraints would be a handy place for some of this.

Though, just being able to round the corners of a Text Frame (and having Text Frames in Designer) would solve one the OPs first examples.

[carl123]

8 minutes ago, prophet said:

Though, just being able to round the corners of a Text Frame

Rounded rectangles can be converted into Text Frames

[fde101]

1 minute ago, carl123 said:

Rounded rectangles can be converted into Text Frames

Yes, and then turned into assets to be easily dragged into the project wherever they are needed.

[prophet]

But then how can I change the corner radius if I'd like to?

And I mis-typed. Designer has Text Frame, but no Text Frame panel to adjust things like fill, stroke, inset, etc.

[carl123]

Just now, prophet said:

But then how can I change the corner radius if I'd like to?

And I mis-typed. Designer has Text Frame, but no Text Frame panel to adjust things like fill, stroke, etc.

You change the fill with the Vector Flood Fill Tool (target the frame not the text)

Reselecting the Rounded Rectangle shape tool will give you the same options to change the corner radius

 

 

[prophet]

1 minute ago, carl123 said:

You change the fill with the Vector Flood Fill Tool (target the frame not the text)

I have seen that clever "hack"

1 minute ago, carl123 said:

Reselecting the Rounded Rectangle shape tool will give you the same options to change the corner radius

But not after it becomes Text Frame.

[4dimage]

2 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Rounded rectangles can be converted into Text Frames

Yes, technically this can be changed in a multi-stage process. But subsequent adjustments to the text frame are also cumbersome.

The original idea was that you only have to enter the new price text and everything else follows automatically.

Imagine you have to change 10 prices in an ad. Under time pressure just before the editorial deadline. Then graphic errors are almost unavoidable.

[carl123]

2 minutes ago, prophet said:

But not after it becomes Text Frame.

Yes, it works, it's technically still a Rounded Rectangle

[prophet]

3 minutes ago, carl123 said:

Yes, it works, it's technically still a Rounded Rectangle

Huh, first time I tried it didn't work, but made a new Round Rectangle and converted to Frame Text and it does work. Odd, but good to know. Thanks @carl123

Well, @4dimage, does that help a little with your work? You still need to style with Publishers Text Frame panel, and some of the auto sizing handle clicking doesn't work well if using insets.

[4dimage]

 

 

[4dimage]

2 minutes ago, prophet said:

Huh, first time I tried it didn't work, but made a new Round Rectangle and converted to Frame Text and it does work. Odd, but good to know. Thanks @carl123

Well, @4dimage, does that help a little with your work? You still need to style with Publishers Text Frame panel, and some of the auto sizing handle clicking doesn't work well if using insets.

Yes, thanks. This is one of several possible solutions. E.g. nesting text in a rounded rectangle with a centering constraint also means that the box can be scaled independently of the text it contains. I use this very often for teasers. But the text box does not automatically adjust to the width of its text. This has do be done manually.

However, all of these solutions require more or less time and fine-tuning to ensure that everything looks neat in the end.

With Affinity, I can somehow implement all graphic ideas if I invest enough time. It would be nicer to be able to store automated objects for recurring elements. For example, for a weekly recurring offer sheet from a supermarket. The layout is largely always similar, only the prices and items change. But the appearance should be recognizable every week. That calls for automation

[carl123]

17 hours ago, 4dimage said:

But the text box does not automatically adjust to the width of its text. This has to be done manually.

For that you need to use Art Text

Attached is an Affinity document showing just Art Text layers with the appropriate decorations applied to them

Can (probably) also be done using the Text Frame panel in Publisher but more fun using decorations

Everything is configurable on the one layer

E.g.

Colours
Space to left of letters
Space to right of letters
Corner roundness

You would just need to resize them to the sizes you need and save as assets

 

 

 

 

arttext.afpub

[4dimage]

@carl123 Yessss🙂 You saved my day!

Super duper method! I didn't notice these settings at all. Never too old to learn new tricks

And you can even decide to scale or not to scale the border with the text object 🙂

[prophet]

A very clever approach!

A minor limitation is the "corner" radius is really just a function of the stroke width and not adjustable independently, but it's a nice workaround.

[carl123]

48 minutes ago, prophet said:

A minor limitation is the "corner" radius is really just a function of the stroke width and not adjustable independently, but it's a nice workaround.

The stroke width determines the corner radius

 

 

[NotMyFault]

There are apps available focused on all these topics like print/online price tags, labels and brochures.

Of course you could use generic graphic apps like Affinity, but in case you are into full process automation have a look here:

https://online-software-ag.com/en/solutions/print/

Those apps are not cheap.