Difference between revisions of "BetterDefaults GridHandling workout"

Revision as of 14:10, 17 May 2010

As a result of the Grid Handling Ideas this side is created to workout them, starting with the low hanging fruits, means defaults that can easy been switched on and off.

testing of six better defaults

In the first step we start with six grid defaults that should improve the grid handling, which you can try out like following described (feedback welcome):

• download the impress.xcu file and copy it in your office directory f.e. for windows: C:\Documents and Settings\*yourUser*\Application Data\*yourOffice*\user\registry\data\org\openoffice\Office\

or click it manually ..

• take a fresh installed office or delete the user settings and restart it.

1. open option toolbar (menue: view/toolbar/options) - check 'rotation mode' - check 'snap to guides' - check 'snap to object border' - uncheck 'allow quich editing' - check 'large ahndles'
2. open grid options (menue: tools/options/impress/grid) - change resolution in 2.00cm both (hor. & vert.) - change subdevision in 9 points both (hor. & vert.)

comments for the six better defaults

1. Rotation Mode: 'off' by default => should be 'on' by default

RM off => single click = select shape, double click = text mode

RM on => single click = select shape .. second single click = rotation mode

-> in between step to 'direct object manipulation' (future concept)

-> nothing is missed; better shape handling; many people switch it on (range 21 on clicklist about 8%)

!attention: after clicking second object switch back to selection mode again

!attention: the rotate icon in the drawin toolbar get redundant with this change

2. Snap to Guides: 'off' by default => should be 'on' by default

-> if no guides are present then this feature makes no difference, but if they are it makes also sense to snap to them (if i insert guidelines i probably also want to snap to them)

3. Snap to Object Border: 'off' by default => should be 'on' by default

-> improves shape handling

4. Allow Quick Editing: 'on' by default => should be 'off' by default

does not affect shapes, but textboxes

-> by default the first click let you edit the text inside the textbox, but this disturbes if you want to move around several textboxes => selecting with single click and edit text with double click works better

!attention: in the layouts you have currently following text in textboxes 'click to add title' -> must be changed in 'doubleclick'

5. Large Handles: 'off' by default => should be 'on' by default

-> the handles are currently overworked by aba & aw and should after that be default

6. more fine grid: at the moment we have 0.5cm & 1 point vertical/horizontal grid default, 2cm & 9(10) points would be more precise, better overviewable and a better default as internal tests showed

community feedback

additional defaults

+. new 'Snap to Grid' shortcut: change shortcut from 'ctrl' to 'alt' key -> ctrl belongs to 'copy when moving'

+. delete 'Display Grid' icon from 'Standard' toolbar -> it is only 0.02% clicked (one of the fewest) and also available over menue

+. Resolution vs. Points: at the moment we have 1cm with 9 points (1 mm each), but a lot of people mistaken that by thinking in decades, means they await 1 cm with 10 points (that should be standard)

Autor: Christoph Lukasiak (Clu) 11 May 2010