Re: Text rotation





On Nov 12, 2007 1:44 PM, Lars Clausen <lars raeder dk> wrote:

On Mon, 2007-11-12 at 13:34 -0500, Michael Ross wrote:
> I regularly move between programs to do what I want, but I would
> prefer not to.  I often annotate graphs and photos - rotated text in
> Dia would be nice.  Glad you like the idea too.   I only use Gimp for
> the perspective function to square up scanned graphs.  I like Inkscape
> better for graphics that don't involve shapes and diagramming
> (Inkscape arrows are weak, but editing bezier is better).  I prefer
> Dia for most of this.

Curious about the better bezier editing, will have to check that.

It is not that different except in the activation of it.  With Inkscape you have the vector tool active and you double click to add a segment.  I often use the Bezier in a transparent layer to outline something important.  This implies a complex profile and lot's of segments.  In Dia it is a little clunky by comparison. 

I just reviewed it in both though and it isn't as bad as I remembered.  Once the bezier is selected/activated it is just <right click, move mouse, left mouse>, <right click, move mouse, left mouse> versus <dbl-clk>, <dbl-clk> in Inkscape.  The first time you pick a bezier it is 3 clicks to get a segment added.  I am nit picking aren't I?

Now that bezier has come up.  I frequently make odd shapes with sharp corners using the bezier region (which is a neat function).  When there is a corner that is sharp you can't move it around without the antennea sticking out so that the grip is visible, or so I thought.  I grabbed a corner the other day and it DID move without my needing to extend the control rod (or whatever that thing is called).  I haven't been able to repeat this but it was tantalizing.  Same complaint about having to get the Add Segment menu pick instead of something handier.  When is there ever a bezier curve or region that does not need more segments added? I would rather have an add segment toggle than to pick it the from menu every time.  dbl-clk opens the properties in the Dia version I am using.

Anyway it is a lot of work to make a bezier region into an odd sharp cornered region becasue when a corner is sharp, you most can't move it. 

Inkscape doesn't have a bezier region.


> I wish I could drag and drop images,

Should be easy. 


> or better yet get them to update semi-automatically (an update
> function that can be run with a keystroke or property action) after
> tormenting them in other programs.

Should be easy with the dynobj system or fam where available.

> I would like to make layers variably transparent.

That would require transparency support in the renderers to work right.
PostScript (and thus printing) is the big problem there.  If the
renderer's transparency got fixed, transparency by layer or by object
would be easy.

 I hardly ever print from Dia.  I often screen dump what I want to some other program and use that.  And I screen dump and convert to jpeg for insertion to Word, Excell, OO etc. But mostly I just use Dia on screen. 

I am an atypical user.  I was given Windows XP x64 which is a b*st*rd OS where drivers are hard to come by and inferior.  So printing woes are normal.  It is like going back in time 10 years.

> And get better control of the text.

Not easy, but on the way.  Hoping to replace the current thing with a
GtkEntry eventually.

I have been following these conversations about text.  It will be nice to have it all fixed up someday.
 
> I could quit updating to the next level then.  I would like to open up
> Dia and stay in Dia.
>
> I don't mean to start a thread about this.  Just running off at the
> mouth.


There's a quick run-down of my estimates on those ideas.

-Lars


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--
Michael Ross
=================================
Cycling in Central North Carolina
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