align objects

[Keith Hone]

I'd like to see the align/distribute objects interface simplified so that alignment or distribution requires one click only (see Adobe In-Design, etc)

[Bruce Kieffer]

Keith,

I agree with you 100%. Look at how it's done in Adobe Illustrator, which I assume is the same or similar to InDesign. Align and distribute commands like that need 40% less clicks then in VW. It's all about saving time.

[Monadnoc]

The MiniCAD/VW align command used to be much simpler. I can't remember exactly when they switched it (I think between VW 8 (not 2008) and VW 11 (not 2011). I remember being bummed about it and asking the Heavens, "Why would anyone do such a thing?". They increased the number of clicks required and made you select extra options needlessly. They made it way too complicated. Unfortunately, this seems to be the direction the programmers have taken with each succeeding release. More clicks and having to select objects one at a time and only after you initiate the tool/command. Very AutoCAD-ish. Which I think is at the root of the problem. As the years go by they hire more and more AutoCAD programmers, and it shows, it shows.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Monadnoc

[Jonathan Pickup]

I'd like to see the align/distribute objects interface simplified so that alignment or distribution requires one click only (see Adobe In-Design, etc)

It only requires one click if you have the palette open. It the palette is closed, it takes a few clicks to find the palette and open it...

[Benson Shaw]

Didn't the Align/Distribute Command in the old versions (eg VW8 - the first one called Vectorworks instead of MiniCAD) have several nested dialogs you had to click into - one for horizontal, another for vertical? or one for align, another for distribute? Anyway there was some overly parsed process I used to complain about.

The new ones are much better, showing the whole range of choices on the same dialog.

-B

[Monadnoc]

I can't remember for sure, but I think the old ones didn't combine align and distribute, and maybe not the vertical and horizontal. Whatever it was, all I remember is my impression that the new one took more clicks. Probably because I usually only do one of those four things at a time, so would go straight back to a single interface and do one click. I don't remember them being nested, but who knows. I do know that the AutoCAD Way is to put every single option and configuration all up front so you have to click through five or six options you almost never use just to finish the command. Whereas the old VW/MiniCAD way used to be put the one option you use 90% of the time up front so one click and you're done, and only have to click more if you need more options. That is the way I prefer personally. But to be honest I'm going more by my gut "feel", it just seems I'm always clicking more than I used too, and more than it seems I should. When I first switched to AutoCAD (about 15 years ago) from MiniCAD, the first thing I noticed is you had at least double the clicks, if not triple, to do the same thing. You also had a lot more "power", in that you could do much more, but in reality I only needed those extra powers 10% of the time, so spent 90% of my time clicking and clicking through choices for no reason, just wasting my time. Now it seems the number of clicks to do simple things is about equal between AC and VW. Just my impression. Way too many unnecessary clicks. They need to smarten up how they design interfaces. Both of them. The ironic thing is that AC has been streamlining their flow for the last decade, while VW has been cluttering it up. So now they're equal. Equally clunky.

(As you can probably tell, this is a pet peeve of mine. And sometimes I just gotta sound off. But enough venting.)

Edited April 7, 2013 by Monadnoc

[Monadnoc]

Edited April 7, 2013 by Monadnoc

[Bruce Kieffer]

Worst case scenario, it's nine clicks. Best case scenario, it's three clicks, but you would have to use the align settings as they were previously set, and that is unlikely. Illustrator is always five clicks, and there are no dialog boxes.

[michaelk]

Bruce

Have you tried the keyboard shortcuts? You can do it w/ zero clicks.

Command= brings up the dialog box

Then toggle the command key to see the shortcuts for the dialog box

Enter when you're done.

mk

[Bruce Kieffer]

Bruce

Have you tried the keyboard shortcuts? You can do it w/ zero clicks.

Command= brings up the dialog box

Then toggle the command key to see the shortcuts for the dialog box

Enter when you're done.

mk

Yes I have. I like Illustrator's solution better.

[Bruce Kieffer]

Another reason I like Illustrator's way better is: Say you want to align two VW objects that overlap, but you want the alignment to be relative to one of the VW objects. To do that you have to lock that object. That's four more click (lock and unlock). Illustrator is one click.