BetterDefaults GridHandling workout

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Revision as of 12:35, 11 May 2010 by Clu (Talk | contribs)

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

  • copy the prepared impress.xcu in you 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.)

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


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



Autor: Christoph Lukasiak (Clu) 11 May 2010

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