Text frames and photos

[NigelH]

Hi, been playing with the beta, very impressive and fast. A couple of things, none a huge problem, but a little awkward.

Is there a way to hide text frame borders (except when selected) without hiding all guides? I find this makes it easier to design a layout. If I hide margins, the text frames are still there, but if I hide all guides and turn margins back on the text frames appear too.

Can't see a way of sizing (zooming into a portion of) an image within its frame. I can achieve the same result by cropping the image then resizing, but this seems awkward, especially with placeholder image frames there. Also are there other shaped picture frames (like round)? I can create the same effect by placing the image then drawing a circle and using the geometry tool, but again, it seems awkward.

P.S. Love the advanced navigator option to save views.

 

[Zbigg]

What I found very useful and comfortable is unification of similar/logically analogous menus/elements/actions-all between AFD, APh and AP, this will greatly benefit users in the future when more and more features would be implemented.

What are nearest plans for this beta - I mean not to bother developers with the issues/features that should wait?

From my/DTP point of view there are lots of lacking features still to be implemented before its fully productive and professional tool but I remember annoucements about AP

and the fact the beta IS NOT supposed to be fully equipped tool yet.

[NigelH]

Hi Zbigg,

Totally agree about the unification of interface, but find it hard to see the relevance here. The behavior I described in Publisher text frames is different from Photo and Designer — I'd be happy if it was the same. Though I have since discovered it's the 'Show text flow' option that was causing the behavior (even in frames with no text flow). Also neither Photo nor Designer have a picture frame tool, so can't see how my comments about that have anything to do with consistency of interface.

I know it's a beta, but surely the point of a public beta is to get feedback to help get it ready for commercial release. Serif ask for feedback and suggestions. Handling of text and picture frames is hardly a niche feature, but core to what a DTP does.

[Chris_K]

Hi Nigel H

You can hide the text frame borders buy going to the View menu and unticking Show Text flow

If you select a picture frame that has an image placed in it with the picture frame tool you get the options at the bottom to resize the image and move the image within the frame. It should be a small dark slider that appears on the screen. You can also just select the image in the layers panel and resize the image with the move tool. There are not other shaped image frames available form the tool, but you can select and object such as a shape and convert it to a picture frame in the Layer menu

Hope that helps

[Petar Petrenko]

A-team must add a shortcut (toggle) for hidding/showing all nonprinting elements on the pages.