VW 2012 OIP Insertion Bar

[Bruce Kieffer]

I really find the revised VW 2012 OIP insertion bar annoying. Anyone else feel the same? Just seems much harder to make an entry. Can you see any good reason it was changed?

[Benson Shaw]

Yes, Bruce. Agreed! Mouse clicking and selection within OIP fields is more difficult for me because the insertion point is low on the cursor rather than centered. That little cross bar is centered on the cursor in earlier versions. This old dog is having trouble placing his cursor half a letter higher when trying to access an OIP field.

Or are you finding other impediments?

I thought there must be some pref for this or it had to do with settings for text in a document, but I did not search for it, thinking to do it later. But later is now. I searched & found nothing. Any help appreciated.

-B

[Bruce Kieffer]

Benson,

That is the exact problem I'm referring to. VW 2012 is the only program I have that I can think of where the cross bar is lower than center, and like you say this was a change in VW 2012. OK, so why I asked tech support about 3 months ago. The answer I received... cricket, cricket, cricket!

[Benson Shaw]

Some observations:

Seems that in v2012, most, if not all dialog boxes have cursor with lower crossbar. Getting a text field to highlight or activate is about usual - any part of the cursor will do. But text edits respond only if the crossbar is in the text area - ie we have to click a bit higher than before to place an insertion bar or highlight a selection in an existing text string. I can't quantify this, but it seems that sensitivity to off level drags is increased, or the sensitive area/height in a text string is smaller, or something.

Presumably I can get used to this, but it will be especially annoying when switching among VWX versions during a work session.

Gotta ask why this change? Who benefits?

Bruce, maybe you and I are the only ones having trouble with this. Or at least we are the only ones picky enough to complain. oh well, listening to the crickets.

-B

[Bruce Kieffer]

Benson,

I'd find it hard to believe that we are the only two people annoyed by this dumb change to the interface. There's obviously no reason other than some programer person goofed and grabbed the wrong insertion bar. I'll put a request for change in the wish list.

[Bryan G.]

alright, I'll bite. what exactly is the issue. that may sound like a dumb question but I think I may be missing something you are explaining. I see the lower cross bar on the text insertion pointer. but I have not noticed an issue with selecting text. Do you have any other specifics?

[AndiACD]

i have so many "Gripes" with VW2011 and put off by the first reports on 2012 including "Nuisance Niggles' like this that i can't validate of the expense to upgrade.

i wish to god they'd just sort out all the stuff that's needed resolving for ten years before throwing more spanners in the works.

[Benson Shaw]

Hi, Bryan - This is about a change in the software which requires breaking habits developed with VWX and most (all?) of my other software. It is also at least partially about my own inability to consistently place the cursor in the sensitive area of the text string, and my inability to always see the tiny crossbar - I'm not in that much vaunted 18 to 24 demographic.

I have found that in v2012 I often need several attempts to place an insertion bar in a text string, or to drag a mid-string selection in a dialog box field, including fields in the OIP. The unsuccessful attempts result in the bar defaulting to end of the series, or selection of entire field, or worse, selecting something in the field below my target field. I then have to click to deselect, reposition, and click again. annoying. time consuming. different but not better for me.

As in previous versions, the crossbar of the cursor needs to be close to the centerline of the text in order to place an insertion bar mid string. The newly lowered crossbar of the v2012 cursor is low enough that the upper portion of the crossbar can span the text, but the crossbar is below the sensitive area of the text. My habit of trying to center the whole cursor, rather than the crossbar on the text field is not as effective - for me. The whole cursor is tall enough that an inadvertently low click may seem to be in one field, but will put the low crossbar in the box below eg aim at the OIP x value field, click a bit low, but with most of the cursor still spanning the x field, and end up selecting the y field.

-B

[Bryan G.]

Benson, thanks for the pic's and the explanation. It now clarifies the issue for me. I haven't really noticed an issue with this at all. until now! Its is not major for me but now that I am aware it will probably drive me nuts. And yes, WHY THE CHANGE?

Thanks (or not) for the info

[Bruce Kieffer]

Benson,

How did you get the screen shot? I couldn't make the insertion bar appear when I try a screen shot.

[Benson Shaw]

Took me a minute to figure it out, too.

In my Mac OS>Universal Access>Zoom setting is On, with option for screen moves when pointer reaches an edge.

I used a screen zoom (OptnCmd=) until magnified as needed.

Panned/scrolled view to OIP by moving cursor to screen edges.

Then the Cmd3 screen shot. This captures the whole screen without any cursor action, so cursor is included in the capture.

-B

[Benson Shaw]

Flogging a horse here, but VWX Help shows the text cursor with center crossbar.

-B

[Bruce Kieffer]

I wrote to tech support to see if they would come up with an explanation for the change. I'll be surprised if I get a response, but if I do I will post it here.

[Tobias]

This is driving me nuts. Some times it's the little things....

[VincentCuclair]

ie we have to click a bit higher than before to place an insertion bar or highlight a selection in an existing text string.

I noticed this too, makes for a couple of extra clicks (and irritation) each time to get it right......

Edited January 9, 2012 by Vincent C