Better text control x 1000

[DSmith2300 18]

As a newby, I am appalled by the lack of control to text.

VW was touted to me as an all-singing/dancing replacement to several other workflow packages.

 

I've explore all the options that I can see in VW 2021, and I feel I'll need to go back to Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, or even ACAD LT to get any reasonable level of graphic control over text.

Even the help pages are blatantly untrue in regards to the control points on text boxes. 

 

Really unimpressed.

[_c_ 825]

Illustrator and InDesign are another liga altogether, but ACAD LT?

Explain your needs?

[DSmith2300 18]

4 minutes ago, _c_ said:

Illustrator and InDesign are another liga altogether, but ACAD LT?

Explain your needs?

Hi,

Thanks for your response.

 

Generally I would like to see better control over text and text boxes.

The lack of control handles on text boxes was a bit of a shock for a start!

Kerning, paragraph controls, columns, re-flow.  etc.

 

As a usability tip, how about actually showing the actual font as a representation, within the font selection window? 

 

A full text / paragraph palette to drag out and use while editing. 

 

The callouts should have better, intuitive controls / handles.

 

Hope to see these improvements soon, as my office is forcing me onto VW. 

 

[_c_ 825]

None of what you expect is there -and likely ever will be there in foreseeable time. So, if that's your expectation, get out fast.

 

Where do you come from as CAD? What is your field?

If your office forces you this switch, I can at least show you where the hateful switch will be rewarded by fun and power. Yes, we do have that too.

 

We are collecting enough users whose expectations build on false promises.

As long as these marketing videos, events and the like don't even publish the interface we actually have, that's what we get and rightly so.

 

[_c_ 825]

2 hours ago, DSmith2300 said:

 

Even the help pages are blatantly untrue in regards to the control points on text boxes. 

 

 

This, on the other side, cannot be true. The Help is precisely what VW is, no lies.

Just to clarify a bit the terms, this will help you getting help, text boxes don't have control points, but Callouts do.

If you don't see control points and handles there is a wrong setting.

[_c_ 825]

This is what you should see:

 

[DSmith2300 18]

https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2021/eng/VW2021_Guide/Text/Modifying_text.htm

 

 

But that is not what happens.

I use the selection tool, double click to activate (single click just highlights), and this happens:

I believe this is probably a 2021 bug.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[_c_ 825]

There are two types of edits:

• you can edit the text box as object itself, by selecting it. Then you should see the box handles. These are common to nearly all objects, whereby box objects also have a rotate widget on the middle bottom, which can only be seen while overing on it and clicking on the Alt-key.
• you can edit the text content inside, double-clicking on it. Then you should see the tab editors (which I see you do).

After double-clicking on the text box (so you enter the text content), try this:

• move the tab widget (the tiny black thing).

 

• select some text inside and try a few edits using the Object Info Palette
• note that you can change color and whatever inside the text, there is also a tracking field (below) where you can change the spacing. It is basic, but it gets the job done.

 

[_c_ 825]

As a principle, I usually get a wow effect teaching text in VW, so I hope we'll get there.

But don't expect Illustrator, VW won't deliver that.

[DSmith2300 18]

Thank you for your time _C_,

As I said, I think there are a few issues to sort out with V2021, because only the tab slider seems to do anything. 

There is some rudimentary control from within the Object Info box, but no absolutely no handles / rotation etc.

I can move the text box. That's it.

 

Perhaps there is another control option buried in Preferences, which I have not yet found to enable.

Nevermind.

 

I look forward to future improvements.

 

 

[_c_ 825]

I can assure you that this is not broken in VW 2021, trust me.

You just have to get used to the different cursors and selection praxis. More here.

 

Now the level of frustration just piled up. Get a break. If I was there, I'd bring you out for an Italian coffee.  Whenever you feel like giving it a try again, try this:

While a rectangle or a text object is selected, hover on one of the corners, you will notice the the cursor changes from a cross to a diagonal arrow. 

• with the cross you move
• with the diagonal arrow you stretch 

 

Repeat this with the text box, it is the same.

[zoomer 1,024]

I think VWs Text Options are more than ok for a CAD.

 

I once layouted a Logo Text by assigning different Tracking

values for nearly each single Letter.

 

Yes, VWs Options are neither Illustrator nor Indesign,

nor that comfortable but you should be able to at least

make 95% texts look as you need.