O&A - option to show a grid

[jchapman]

After having created 5 long shows with PTE we have found it awkward to aligning text and buttons - it has to be done by eye unless you make your own special image. It would be much easier if an option was added to the project Options to display a grid over the top of the display. The grid could have user set spacings or maybe just offer one of several, say a grid at 10% intervals across the display area and another with 1/2. 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 spacings. Of course the grid should be toggled on and off just like the TVsafe zone is done at present.

At present we have found you can do this by creating your own PNG image with a grid, adding the grid image as an object then deleting the grid image when finished but thats pretty slow for a simple task. It should be fairly easy to code this as the O&A display already has similar features as it displays edge highlighted and also can optionally show the TV safe zone.

[fh1805]

Hi, and welcome to the PTE Forum. You'll find lots of useful tips and plenty of friendly advice here.

I'm not sure a grid will give you any more control over layout accuracy than you already have now. Will the grid lines be exactly where you want them?

I have found that it is possible to achieve precise alignment in either columns or rows or both. My method is this:

Drag the first object (let's say it's the top left one) by eye. Now, look at its pan values. Re-key them to the nearest round number or even rounded to the nearest multiple of five.

Now place the second object (let's say this is on the same row). Again, study the pan values and ensure that this object has the same vertical offset value as the first object but round its horizontal offset as before.

Now place the third object (lets say this is the first item on the second row). Set the horizontal offset to be the same as the first object but round the vertical offset. This establishes the basic alignment for items on each row and in each column.

By keeping an eye on the zoom values as well, one can ensure that items of the same original size all appear at the same displayed size e.g. thumbnails of images.

To ensure that all text is of the same size, get the first item right then use Copy and Paste to create the other items, changing the text content after repositioning the pasted item.

If true absolute accuracy is necessary you have three decimal places to play with on the pan and zoom numbers.

[Ken Cox]

see

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=33529

and the latest

http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index....ost&p=43155

ken

[jfa]

Welcome to the world of PTE A-Vs and the user forum chapman, you will find lots of friendly help and advice here.

I have used the GUS - Grid Utility for Slideshows mentioned in one of the links Ken posted above with great success for some time now. I would recommend it to you.

[thedom]

And it would be nice if you could choose a custom grid instead of the standard one.

[JudyKay]

If what you want is to have the same arrangements of buttons and text on another picture, then you can just control+click on the objects you want on the screen, and then copy and paste them onto the next picture. Everything is all lined up exactly the same. Now that is =F=A=S=T!

Another trick (follow this closely):

1. Arrange some objects (text, buttons or even animations) like you want them.

2. In the Objects windows, select an object with all of its child objects that you want to copy to another picture

3. In the Objects window of the new picture, Select the Object (usually the main picture) where you want to copy the objects and paste them there.

4. Note: If the object you are pasting to is a different size or orientation than the object you pasted from, then you get different-sized pasted results.

Hope that is more clear than muddy. Maybe someone can make it simpler with an animation or something?

Yes, a click on/off grid would be helpful! The grid should should be scalable. When fading from one picture to another which contains the same objects, the objects should be perfectly aligned.

jk

[Igor]

Grid will appear in Beta 6 of version 5.5

[Guest Auser]

Thanks Igor. I hate having to use 3rd party tools or other work arounds for something that should easily be built into a program like this. I hope its a customizable grid with a snap-to feature.

Auser

[Lin Evans]

Just a note to finish this thread - as said by the Genie (Igor) from the bottle "Master, Your Wish is My Command" LOL -

Igor has included a wonderful grid complete with "snap to grid" feature in Beta 8. The colors are adjustable, the size and offset are adjustable - choice of pixels or rectangular shape - in all a perfect solution to what has been asked for.

Go to Objects and Animations screen and click on the small blue grid to the right along the top line of icons. Beside the grid is a small blue arrow. Click the arrow to get access to the adjustments for color, offset, choice of "snap to grid", etc.

Thank you Igor!!

Best regards,

Lin