Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u

v2022.100      Aug 18, 2021

Priority: Med

2022.100 includes:

• Windows 11 support: Fully tested and validated under Windows 11 (preview edition).
• User interface: Refreshed UI with consolidated controls and better contrast/visibility.
• UI sounds: UI sounds updated including a new startup sound.
• Advanced Layout Tool: Formerly called the "Page Editor", the Advanced Layout Tool offers an updated UI with maximum page preview size.
• Floating text: New floating text editor in the Advanced Layout Tool offers a simpler UI with real-time preview.
• Color management: Color management engine updated to LCMS 2.12.
• Raw photos: Raw photo support (LibRaw) updated to support more camera models.
• Other updates: Codebase and all add-ons updated to support Windows XP through Windows 11.
• Fixes: Bug fixes and performance improvements.

Mike

Love it!  Especially the new Page Editor AKA Advance Layout Tool with the max screen capability, and the new floating text feature so that I can now see what I am doing as I do it. Also like the little down arrow to go directly to the page editor.

Me too Mel.
I also like the larger views in the Advanced Layout tool (formerly called Page Editor)
What a huge and smart version.!!
Stay well
Fred

Hey guys and gals..... has anyone else besides Mel and I downloaded it?
What do you think?
Everything appears better to me. *Larger screens*  *Sorted tools and features for easier use.*
*The floating text is a dream* Texting in live mode..............
I could go on and on.... Even the old chicken "cluck" sound has been replaced with a an overture when you open or print.....
Have fun
Fred

Yes, installed but no time to check it out yet.

Looking forward to the Floating Text update.

Jeff

Had a quick look and the look is good!

Mike, the size of the text in the ‘floating text properties’, that is in the box under ‘enter your text below’, does not seem to change as UI size is increased.  Do I need to change text size some other place?  On 4K monitor, it is real small.

That is intentional: the text in the dialog should always be the same size otherwise you will run into situations where you can't read it.  For example, you may be working with very large prints and you need a large font size in which case the font in the dialog may be so big that you can only see a few characters at a time.  Conversely when working with small fonts, you don't want them to be so small you can't see them.  That is why we have a dialog in the first place and you don't just type directly on the page: you want to be able to see what you are typing (see below).

The font size on that dialog is the same as the font size everywhere else in Qimage: if that is too small then you have your UI size set too small.  For 4K monitors, your UI size (under Edit, Preferences) should be at least 200%.

Regards,
Mike

I was not talking about changing with font changes, I agree with you there.

I have changed UI size to 125% & 150% and did not see any change to the size of text IN the box (white space). The info text of the properties window did change.

EDIT:  just tried 200% (which, to me, is too large).  The text in ‘enter your text…’ box stayed the same (small) size.
EDIT2: If you eventually scale the size of text in box with the UI, you may want to scale the box itself, accordingly.

You're right!  The entire dialog and all the controls within it rescale per the chosen UI size but the text in the typing box does NOT.  That is definitely not as intended!  Will fix that in the next release.

Thanks for clarification.

Regards,
Mike

Hi Mike. When i open image to add ‘floating text, i CANT  place that text to the right corner, because image is  too large, basically  i have to move them to the sight,to see end off the image plus dialog box also cover image on right side. I trying to change orientation from landscape to portrait,but still same thing, RIGHT corner is invisible, image is too large .I hope you fix that in the next upgrade. So far i am fine whit the previous version.   

Could you post a screen shot showing what you are talking about?  I can't make heads or tails out of what you just said.  The dialog always appears to the right of the previewed page and even if it was on top of what you were typing, you can move the dialog anywhere you like on the screen.  Furthermore, you can still use the dialog just like you did in previous versions: just type in the dialog box and move/place the text afterward.  Hopefully a screen shot would help me make sense of what you are talking about.

Regards,
Mike

Mike

Where have the floating text justification settings gone?

2021:
(https://www.secalis.co.uk/Files/2021.PNG)

2022:
(https://www.secalis.co.uk/Files/2022.PNG)


Brian

They are there: I see them on your screen shot but they're just light on the (light colored) skin you are using.  Before, they were not visible on the default dark skin but now they are low contrast on the light colored skins.  I'll have to see if I can reach some sort of compromise.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks, Mike, I know where they are now so it's not a big issue for me.

Brian

Of all the 20 or 30 apps I use regularly not one has a startup sound. I find Qiamge’s startup sound irritating. I know I can turn off all sounds, but then I won’t have the alert when processing is complete, which I do like to have. It’s been a familiar signal these past 10 years. (I don’t like the new sound, I prefer the old right-speaker ducka-ducka-duck, but I can get over that)

I’ll miss having the Top and Left position boxes on the Printers & Settings tab. I found them useful. Going in to advanced layout to tweak position on a single print is slower. Giving a multi-selection of prints all the same left or top offset is now impossible. How about including conventional Align tools in the main layout space (not in Advanced)? Last image selected is the one that everything aligns to. Qimage’s auto layout features are good, but sometimes I need/want to lay things out manually.

I like that the main layout space maximizes itself to the available space. Finally.

In the Advanced Layout Tools space I find that the page very often disappears off the bottom of the screen, getting chopped in half, or only showing the top third, if it’s a long page. I’ve never had this issue until this version. I want this page to auto-size correctly, like the main layout space does now, regardless of window size.

Please give us more than one pixel to grab when resizing Qiamge windows. Normal Windows windows have a region of about 7 or 8 pixels that functions as a resize grab.

See 2022.101, just released.

Regards,
Mike

Is it possible to get the 'cluck' noise back? I liked that it was loud and forceful. The new sound is more like an error sound. Would I be able to download the cluck sound from somewhere please and if so, how do I go about changing which alert sound is for what? The preferences seem to just let you enable a sound and play a preview - it doesn't seem to let you choose another.

Many thanks,
Graham.

I have no plans to bring the "clucker" back.  :)

The new sounds are more in line with Windows 11 sounds: more subdued and less intrusive.  The new sound was chosen specifically because it does not sound like an error sound: its ascending pitch is the standard for "connected" or "completion".

Regards,
Mike

Thanks Mike. That is a shame. Is there a way for users to change the UI sounds? If not, may I suggest this for a future release please? The "cluck" was very handy because it differentiated from a Windows error. Not all users are on Windows 11 and not all want to be, so on my own computer the new sound is out of place anyway.

I like the new Save Startup Settings feature by the way, a shame it still doesn't save the roll setting in paper. :(

Regards,
Graham.