update 1.1.044

[VectorStyler]

VectorStyler 1.1.044 release notes

Fixed

• Expanding pattern brush on closed path should retain the correct spacing.
• Added options to set stroke expansion in shape combine operations.
• Copy and paste appearance to include character attributes also.
• Right click should not remove selection.
• Expand stroke resulted in wrong positions on some paths.
• Importing AI format to block very small miter limits.
• Converting text to curves and undoing may break previous copies.
• Colorizing blend objects inside a brush.
• Text on path resulted in clumped characters when negative spacing was used.
• Expand stroke to work with all stroke and brush options.
• Do not center objects when pasting if a part of the original would be visible.
• Positioning corner handles with negative scaling.
• Polygonal spiral check box option in panel did not work.
• Automatically refresh after brush style changes.
• Show only one brush drop down in the context panel when the brush tool is active.
• Transform box rotate knob option moved to the context panel.
• Shape filters on content to be applied before the object filters.

[b77]

@VectorStyler I can't find the option to disable automatic stroke expansion with shape combine operations.

[Jayanta Das]

@VectorStyler I can't move the center pivot for rotation.

[mickrose]

@Jayanta-Das - it works here in Windows. Are you using the rotate tool?

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler thank you for releasing the occasional bug fix updates alongside the larger plan for major update in a few months time

[Boldline]

@Jayanta-Das said in update 1.1.044:

@VectorStyler I can't move the center pivot for rotation.

I noticed this was missing as well @VectorStyler on both the windows 10 laptop and on the M1 mac

[Ingolf]

@Jayanta-Das I don't see it working either on Windows.

@VectorStyler Could it be the "Hide when small" feature introduced in the previous build? I recommended it as a personal setting a'la Affinity so that algorithms didn't get into guesswork or clash with other algorithms... or as here regressions.

I only see the rotation point with the rotation tool active.

[VectorStyler]

@b77 said in update 1.1.044:

@VectorStyler I can't find the option to disable automatic stroke expansion with shape combine operations.

In the Path panel menu: Shape Combine Options

[VectorStyler]

@Ingolf It is a regression. Was changed to be configurable, and it is off. Will update soon.

[VectorStyler]

@Ingolf The transform pivot option was moved to the context panel, next to the rotate knob option. The pivot can be shown / hidden using the button in the context panel.

The fix for the regression is uploaded.

[Boldline]

@VectorStyler would it make sense to eventually have both of these sets in respective drop-downs inside the contextual menu to save space and keep it from getting too busy?

[VectorStyler]

@Boldline It is possible to do it, but it would make it a little bit harder to locate some of the options.
On the other hand: the next version 1.2 has three additional options added next to those 2 new ones.
So lets see how it goes with that.

[Ingolf]

@VectorStyler said in update 1.1.044:

@Ingolf The transform pivot option was moved to the context panel, next to the rotate knob option. The pivot can be shown / hidden using the button in the context panel.

The fix for the regression is uploaded.

Perfect! Thanks!

The X mark is a little big but otherwise perfect. So great to have the option handy, looking forward to the other options.

[Jayanta Das]

I face some issues with center rotate pivot.
What I did-

1. Create two rectangle side by side and select both.
2. Move the center pivot somewhere and rotate.
3. Now select one rectangle and try to place its pivot to the center of the rectangle.
   The pivot doesn't stay at the center of the rectangle.

[Ingolf]

It is possible to do it, but it would make it a little bit harder to locate some of the options.
On the other hand: the next version 1.2 has three additional options added next to those 2 new ones.
So lets see how it goes with that.

Yes, but these extra icons don't take up much space. When looking at simplifying context panels, it's not the small icons that need to be reduced, as it's essential that they are quick to access, but rather where elements take up a bit too much. This applies to all context panels:

There is plenty of fat that can be cut away. Many middle spaces, padding in input boxes and stroke and fill color elements are way too wide.

Affinity got their options shaved down to:

And they wisely chose to group a lot of options in a very user-friendly way in a dropdown dialog - which is actually the stroke panel that can pop up/down exactly when you need it.

The clever thing about this approach is that no new logic and user interface is invented locally and there are no extra things to remember - "Here are 5 options stored in a menu, remember them?" The Stroke panel is known - it just pops up right there too. And then there's the potential for code reuse.

And this is where context panels can become extremely valuable, when you can actually work without (most anyway) floating panels in semi-full screen.

So the issue is UI wise not to hide new stuff because now the shelves are full, but rather to reorganize and rethink according to some elegant principles. And that's often more complicated than it sounds, so it needs to be given time.

“That's been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple."

• Steve Jobbs

[Boldline]

@Ingolf You speak often of wanting things to be "simple" like in Affinity's UI, but it appears from my view, that you are also asking for a lot of tools and options to be visible in the UI at nearly all times. I would think tucking things away is more a sign of simplicity than trying to have as many tools as possible filling the UI.

VS is well set up to keep only the most important things at easy reach and deeper options a step behind those. I think in some ways the criticism that VS UI is too busy or clunky Options like choosing whether to rotate with the corner or from a tab in the middle and whether or not the red dot is active or not are not tools frequently swapped and are less necessary to be directly visible at all times in the contextual menu. I don't mind them not being in preferences, but the average user is not going to need immediate access to them at all times either. I tried out the single tab rotate and decided to stick with the corner rotate years ago. There are rare occasions I would switch over. These are features I could see being given a back seat in terms of accessibility.
I do agree there is extra room in the UI that can be eventually consolidated to fit more options if need be.
I think it's also hard to know what needs to be in the contextual menu until @VectorStyler gets to the saved custom panel feature (no rush intended)
Part of the power of the panel arrangement saving and swapping is that it allows the user to set different arrangements of tools for use different different tasks and easily switch when done. So they can afford to have all the text related panels out when doing text work and then switch to common pen tool related panels, etc. This will give the user a lot of custom control over what is made available to do their work

[b77]

Yep… is there a reason why these two set-it-and-forget-it options need to be visible all the time? No, not the 'Affinity does it' reason.

As @Boldline said, you set the rotation method (from corners or the detached handle) in the Prefs and that's it.

And since the rotation pivot cannot be moved by mistake (please correct me if it can), I don't understand why is it disabled by default.
Making it disappear depending on the zoom level & object size is better (a la text greeking).

Anyway, these two buttons take up valuable space, pushing other often used buttons out of 14" and 15" screens.

And I already need to scroll to get to the text justification buttons… as @Ingolf said, here and there distances between input field labels can be reduced a bit, and also between some dropdown menus in the context bar.

[Boldline]

@b77 said in update 1.1.044:

And since the rotation pivot cannot be moved by mistake (please correct me if it can), I don't understand why is it disabled by default.

I have commonly grabbed the red rotation dot when what I wanted was the overall object many times - so the ability to toggle it is helpful to me, but I don't need that setting "always accessible" in the UI.

[b77]

I face some issues with center rotate pivot.
What I did-

1. Create two rectangle side by side and select both.
2. Move the center pivot somewhere and rotate.
3. Now select one rectangle and try to place its pivot to the center of the rectangle.
   The pivot doesn't stay at the center of the rectangle.

@Jayanta-Das I tried to replicate your bug report but could not. Can you record a short video with the issue?

[b77]

@Boldline said in update 1.1.044:

I have commonly grabbed the red rotation dot when what I wanted was the overall object many times - so the ability to toggle it is helpful to me, but I don't need that setting "always accessible" in the UI.

OK, but moving it accidentally usually happens when the object is too small or zoomed out, right?