SSC 4.30_Few UI questions

[cathie28]

1) Are there no rulers or any kind in SSC?  Lot of fancy features, but missing one of the most basic?
Be nice if position of cross hairs (or any drawing / selection tool), clearly showed on H & V scale.  Already has the cross hairs - could have the current x, y coordinates / measurements displayed at top / bottom of screen (like 32 px, 25 px), and / or SELECTED size (1920 x 1080 px) - as you're dragging / selecting AND after selecting an area.

The size of selected area would continued to display & separately, the new values of x & y cross hair positions as it's moved. 
   
Assuming it has options to display rulers in px, cm / mm, in.  Pretty basic drawing, selecting, cutting tool.

2) Are sizes & weight of fonts for the object size (or selected area), displayed at the bottom, R of screen controlled by SSC or Windows?  The font is VERY lightweight & the the "toolbar" it's in is very short in height.  It's pretty hard to read the values on a 1920 x 1080 screen.  If it's not controlled by Windows, is there any way I can change it or hack a file?

3) Is the clipart from previous versions 3.x (that didn't make it into 4.x) available in a separate d/l to add to v4.3, or do we need to copy them into the new version from the old?

Thanks.

[mouser]

Sorry for delay in replying, ok here we go!

1. Rulers.  There are none currently in SC.  I could add some BUT the part about showing selection size, which i think is mostly what you want:

The selection size will update as you drag and select, and you can nudge it precisely using the cursor keys and combinations of ctrl/alt/shift.  You can also select preset sizes from the toolbar and edit menu, and create your favorite sizes to be shown in those menus.  Hold alt while dragging an anchor to preserve aspect ratio.


I could add rulers if people think it would really be useful i just never can think of a good reason they are needed.  Remember you can configure external tools from the Tool menu if you have your favorite 3rd party ruler tool.  If people can tell me a good usecase for rulers i might implement them.

[mouser]

2. Sizes & weight of fonts for the object size..
Can you clarify? Do you mean the font size for the property editors on the object tool panel that label the parameters that you can change?

[mouser]

3) Is the clipart from previous versions 3.x (that didn't make it into 4.x) available in a separate d/l to add to v4.3

I could upload it.. My intention was to make a separate downloadable addon for it, but when I compared it to the new clipart for v4 i couldn't find anything that i thought anyone would really want!  Do you have some specific clipart in mind?  Maybe we can identify a handful of good ones and just include them with v4.

[cathie28]

I understand what you mean in reply #2.  But for starters, the values shown in your screen for dimension, file size, selected dimension - look a WHOLE lot better than on my HD 1920 x 1080 monitor.  Don't know why, but if it's not a function of SSC settings, choice of fonts, etc., maybe someone can help me figure it out  (see attached screens).

Even on your screen, dimension font is a bit small for me (think of looking at it near very bottom of a 22 in. or > screen).  Also, eyes > 40 yrs old.

Yes, it shows those values at the very bottom (in quite small font - for me).  But when I'm selecting a specific part of object or selecting an exact size rectangle w/in a rectangle, I can't look at the screen / cross hairs AND the screen bottom (at values in small fonts) at the same time.  I'm guessing most can't look in 2 places at once.  That's probably why many apps -  screen capture, PDF readers, word processors & others -  offer optional rulers.  It's easier to see for some tasks - especially when an "extension" of the cross hair (or cursor) clearly displays on the rulers (contrasting color, w/ a line width appropriate for the scale being used).

Whether you want to include rulers is up to you, of course.  I doubt so many other apps would include them, if no one used them.  I've used many apps - w/ & w/o rulers.  For some things, rulers are easier.

Screens showing how the SSC dimensions look on my monitor, plus some shots of how other apps look / what they include.  (Images on hosting site were resized to (max) 17 in. monitor).

[cathie28]

No suggestions on changing the font used to display total image size & selected size larger or darker?

Is that controlled by a user setting in Windows (Vista), by SSC or controlled by Vista but not editable by users?  My SSC numerals don't look the same as mouser's screen.
My SSC image size numerals don't look the same as other screen capture apps'.

The 1st screen in Reply 4 show the image size numerals are very thin & not easy to read.
Perhaps those other apps specify their own fonts & SSC uses fonts set somewhere ? in Vista's Appearance & Settings?

[mouser]

Let me chew this over a bit..

[cathie28]

Mixed metaphors.    "Let me chew on this," or "Let me think this over."  Or, as the Beverly Hillbillies would say, "Let me ponder this a spell."

[cathie28]

Are you through chewing?   My eyesight is a bit WORSE than before, though get my eyes examined every yr & change glasses if ANY vision change.  All that aside, the tiny font at SSC screen bottom (status bar?) is really TOO small for anyone > 50 & DEFINITELY those having hit the big Six - 0.

Again, * RULERS .*  No rulers AND -  Total Image / Selected Area values at screen bottom are much harder to read (too small) than need be.

PLEASE Suh, have pity on de old folks or those w/ < perfect sight.  At least an option to make it larger.  Rulers would be nice.

Thanks.

[dvally]

Hi cathie28, I just wanted to mention (on the fonts topic) that for me personally (>50) I have to decrease the resolution on my monitor to be able to see the fonts more clearly. I don't mean just with SSC, but other applications as well. I use Windows 7.

I realize that the older I get, the harder it is to see the small stuff. As much as I don't like to admit it, my vision isn't getting any better.

I don't know that this would help you out any, but if you decrease the resolution by degrees does it help with the font clarity? I finally had to settle on a resolution that is not the maximum that my monitor can display, but one that will let my eyes see the fonts clearly. I of course am not getting my money's worth out of the expensive display - but if I can read the text better...

You may have already tried this, and if so my apologies for the interruption. 

dvally

[cathie28]

dvally, thanks for the helpful reply.

No, if all apps / UIs gave me the same issue of tiny font size or clarity, wouldn't be asking just for SSC changes.  May have mentioned it - almost no apps I use (quite a lot) still have this problem - w/ MY Vista settings.  I've tried every thing I could dig up in significant research.  Except, make Vista font size HUGE, which would make text run off of many app UIs.  Tried that - doesn't work. Nor make my new HQ, 1920 x 1080 monitor into a low res one.  Course, I don't use every app made.  I'm sure many others would have same issue.

I'm not a coder, so can't go into specifics of why some app do / don't respond WELL to me changing Vista settings, or why don't do something in Vista that they will in another OS.
My only point is, vast majority of apps (freeware or commercial) don't have much issue for me being able to read their UIs.  Many offer option to change font size / style.  Just an observation.  No hatin'.

But, w/ Vista changes I've made, font selection & all "typical" suggestions, I can count on 1 hand the apps (I use), still having very small and / or "not so clear" display.  EVEN w/ SSC, it's only * select * UIs or SOME text on a page / the main UI - not all of it.

For the few apps STILL w/ limited  "poor / small text" may be where:

- have very limited data on a page - not a closely spaced - making easier to read, even if not the best / biggest font.
or
- pages rarely looked at, or only very briefly.  Not main GUIs where spend a lot of time, nor prefs pages w/ lots & lots of data, tightly spaced.

I recently RE visited issue of making fonts clearer, even larger, in Vista.  Made 1 or 2 changes not already used - made a bit of diff in some apps, some Windows screens, etc.  May even helped a bit in SSC - not too much.

Not judging here.  It's up to any dev what they want to tackle.  I just report what I see.  "That don't make me a hater."  A couple of devs agreed that fonts on certain UIs was a bit small / not clear & changed some, but maybe it was a lot easier for them than for SSC.  Some users on some forums seem to act as though, if others makes change requests or give examples how others do something, that they "should just move along - use something else." 

In some of SAME forums / bug reports / feature requests, they're FILLED w/ (sometimes) TINIEST, super personalized change requests.  I think that's termed, "pot calling the kettle black." 

Some users (some places) go off, make rude comments, because someone wants to be able to read a UI or other very basic requests.  Don't get it.  I'm gonna stop voting in elections - that's asking for things to change. 

[dvally]

Apparently it wasn't 

dvally, thanks for the helpful reply.

Not judging here.  It's up to any dev what they want to tackle.  I just report what I see.  "That don't make me a hater." 

Some users (some places) go off, make rude comments, because someone wants to be able to read a UI or other very basic requests.  Don't get it.  I'm gonna stop voting in elections - that's asking for things to change. 

On your second point quoted above, wouldn't think of you as a "hater". I didn't see anything in your post to make me think that.

On the last point quoted - that sounds suspiciously like a campaign slogan...

dvally

[mouser]

By the way the latest beta i just uploaded also has a substantial improvement in the Caption tool, in that it will let you EDIT the current caption text and then REPLACE any existing caption with the new one.  That will save you from having to manually delete the memo object and then crop your image.  You can also simply remove an existing caption from the Object menu now.

[mouser]

Let's have further SC discussion of rulers on this thread.