[libreoffice-users] Re: Picture size controls...

On 10/29/13 6:25 PM, Paul wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Oct 2013 16:57:36 -0600
> Ken Springer <snowshed1@q.com> wrote:
>
> > Is that Picture dialogue box supposed to set the properties of the
> > image?  If so, then when you exit the dialogue box, that's one
> > "property" that is not retained.
> "Keep ratio" isn't a property of an image.

Not of the image itself, but of the image in the document.  I suspect 
the image is in a "frame" or similar object, so technically it's a 
property of the "frame".

> > Certainly not intuitive IMO.  If you check a box that says "Keep
> > ratio" or similar, logically it should do that when the box is
> > closed.  And, if it's checked, only the corner handles should display
> > and be selectable.
> I guess it would also make sense for it to work that way (and then
> the ratio would be a property of the image), and if all software did it
> that way it would be intuitive, but as software doesn't (in my
> experience), and instead does it the way LO does it, that makes the LO
> way intuitive for me.

It does seem to depend on the software as well as the OS.  Regardless of 
which way it's done, any text needs to make it clear what it does and 
does not do.  Since everything else in the tab effects what happens to 
the image in the document, simply basic English makes me think the Keep 
Ratio also applies when manipulating the picture directly in the 
document.  IE, grab a handle, make the change and it's accurately 
reflected in the dialogue box.  All except the Keep ratio option.

> > I've used old software in the past that did that, probably DTP or a
> > graphics program like Corel Draw.  But I can't remember any current
> > software that has one way of operating in a dialogue, and another in
> > the document/graphic/frame/whatever.
> I'm fairly sure the MS products do it this way too, but I don't have
> any lying around to check with. I could check with Gimp, Scribus and
> others, but as they are all open source, they are more likely to follow
> the same principles. Ideally one should check against as disparate a
> set of products as possible. My feeling is they all work the same way,
> but I could be wrong.

I just checked Word 2003 and 2007 (geez, I hate that ribbon!!!  LOL), 
Kingsoft Office Free 2012, and they work as I expected.  Word and King
soft call it Lock Aspect Ratio, and if checked, grabbing the corner 
handles keeps the aspect ratio constant.  I doubt any other version of 
Word does it differently.

I tried this in Apple's Pages, you don't have the option of anything but 
a locked aspect ratio there.  I was not impressed with Pages when I 
bought this Mac in 2009, but every time I tinker with Pages, I'm more 
and more impressed with what you can do with such a simple interface.  I 
think, if I found a free Windows equivalent, I might end up recommending 
it for someone that wants a free writing program.

I'm not sure that using a graphics program would be a valid example of 
what we are discussing, since they manipulate the graphic itself, not 
the "container" (for lack of a better word) that is holding the image in 
a word processor.  In many programs, when using a freeform cursor, 
holding a modifier key like Shift lets you draw a straight line.


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 24.0
Thunderbird 17.0.8
LibreOffice 4.1.2.3


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