Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Right now when laying out images on a page there is a distance indicator showing the distance from each of four edges of the active image to the edge of the paper.

It would also be very helpful if there was a distance indicator that showed the distance from active image edge(s) to the next image.  Is this possible?

Thanks-

It's sort of there already. Remember that you can turn on rulers; and instead of manually dragging an image, use the keyboard arrow keys.
Each tap of the arrow key will move a selected image .01 of an inch.
Each tap of the arrow key with Shift key held down yields a move of .12 inches.
I can't recall exactly, but if you hold the CTRL key down and click an arrow key, you get a larger chunk move.
While moving the images, and in the Location tab screen, you can see the location change per arrow key tap.

So you can see, with a little practice, you can move the images accurately.
Hope this helps,
Fred

I am using pro version which doesn't have rulers I don't think.

Here is one of my situations.  I often print 4x6 images on a 17" roll paper (6.25" long) and have a template which place all images touching alongside the 6" side and then a remainder of .75" or so white space at row end. (plus .12 on each side for non-borderless printing)

Sometimes I have an image that is not 2:3 exactly, usually longer say 9:16.  I like to print these so that I end up with enough white space on each side so that it ends up being 4" wide including white space padding on each side.  Knowing image width (3.38" in 9:16 example) I can usually figure out where to put it with a bit of math as it is now (left edge should be .12+4+4+(4-3.38)/2 from left page side if third image from left), but looking to do a bit less math.

Perhaps instead there is an alternate template I can set up that keeps these images centered in the 4x6 space allocated?

The CTRL Arrow action move the selected image, to align with the nearest image in that direction, or if there isn't an image, to the edge of the printable area.

I'm just having a little difficulty in visualising this but I think I've got it.
Not ideal I know, but you could try using the CTRL arrow to get the image in a row touching, the Arrow key, with each one selected in turn, to move the appropriate amount. Still a little arithmetic to do.

I've just been trying different Placement  options, try Template Centered, that places the image in the centre of the template and leaves an equal white space if the aspect ratios don't match.
Terry.

Yes, you are correct. The rulers and snap to are both in the Studio edition.


You can create your custom templates using Help, Learn by Example, Example 9.

Can you use the crop scissors ON, and set your size to what you need, and let the auto crop fill the size so they are all even?

Fred

I should have added that applies when the crop scissors are off so the image aspect ratio is maintained in the print.
Terry.

Using template centered works just right!  Thanks.

I do most often want the white space on the 4x6 paper, so I keep auto crop/fit off.  These 4x6 serve sort of like a catalog of images I can print larger - so I want the full uncropped image to show.

One item I haven't figured out is when I have a template and save it (as a layout L) when I recall it using size... custom... layout, when I place the first image I get this error: "List Index Out of Bounds (0)"  My work around it to just recall a previous job (settings only) that uses the layout I want.

Glad it worked for you  ;)
Mike would need to answer this one.
Terry.

What version of Qimage Pro are you running.?

Fred

The latest always, 2009.268

This has been a problem for at least 6mo. or more of past versions.  Not sure if it is user error or a bug and I haven't taken the time to dig in.  I just avoid using templates except to call up past job settings which serves the same purpose for me.

If you have a moment, why not email your suspect template to me, and also to Terry.
I can see if I can recreate the OUT of Bounds here in my XP machine, and also try my Vista.
Terry has his own OSes too.
See if either of us can repeat the problem.

Do other choices of TPL also bring about the OUT of BOUNDS?

Thanks,
Fred

Other templates do it as well, not sure about the standard provided ones.  What is strange is I can pull up a recalled print job, delete the images in que and add new ones in place, works fine.  If I save it as a layout with the images I can pull up layout and delete the images then add new one and it works.  But if I remove the images first, then save as layout then I get the error when adding new images if I use custom... layout... and select that layout.
WinXP SP3, printing to Epson 4800

Then let's try the pre-made layouts and see if they produce the error.
If not, at least we can look at the way the layouts were saved, as well as giving Mike additional information.

Fred

See if you get this attachment and try it in Qimage. See if you still get an aerror message
Fred

Let us know please!
Fred

I can't break it here, laptop with Vista, desktop with XP, Qimage supplied template or own make template.
Terry.

I have this strange feeling that the Layouts you make are not templates.
If you follow the steps in Learn by Example #9, the steps do not include images anywhere when creating a Layout.
You select the last thumbnail which is labeled Template, and add it to the queue, and size it before or after adding. Then change size to wallet or whatever, and add 4 more templates by clicking the template thumb.
Go to the Full page editor and drag the templates into positions on the page that you like, add floating text, if you wish, like Photo by Alex, position the text, say Done.
Back on the main screen, click File Save, "L" button for Layout, and name it.
Save....
That's a Layout...no pictures involved until I open it from Custom and then add images to make another set of shots with the same sizes and positions that I saved before.

Check HELP, Contents, Learn by example, #9

Fred

My suggestion is that you delete the TPLs that give error messages as they must be corrupted, and redo them using the template method outlined in Learn by Example #9 outlined in the previous message.
Works perfectly every time.

Fred

I got it all figured out.  Sorry for wasting some of your time.

I had five 'image spaces' on the page, but only made four of them to a template.  That fifth one was hiding with not image nor template and since it wasn't in template format caused an error when I saved it as a Layout and then later added an image to it thinking i was adding to one of the four template spaces.

Thanks again.

Hi Alex, thanks for coming back on this.
It's good to hear you have sorted the problem out and it certainly wasn't a waste of time. It means that others on the forum will read a what has been said and learn from your experience too.
Some may even think, "why don't I use a template for that situation, I could save some time". If they get stuck, they'll know where to come for help ;)
Terry.

Alex

I for one am glad you posted your problem .. an answer to it.
I try to learn by my problems and problems other people are having.
The best part of this forum is learning from all the great people here!

Thanks for posting
Ya Me