Autosize text box

[Greg S]

Can I set text boxes (areas) to grow automatically if the text doesn't fit?

Or at least have the text autoscroll up so I can see what I'm typing?

[DoctorMo]

There is a selection under the Text menu labeled "Fit Text Box" that usually solves the problem if I understand your issue.

[Jim Kennedy]

That's a good fix for fitting text. For text boxes where you have a line around it and want to keep it down in size, try using the "padding" option either in the detail drawer or in the paragraph tool. I set all of my text boxes for a padding of 1 or 2 (that can be done automatically in preferences). EZD default is a padding of 5.

FreeHand Jim

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[Greg S]

DoctorMo

That sort of works. Unfortunately the new text doesn't show up until I click somewhere else on the drawing. The box grows but the new text doesn't show up. A bug in EazyDraw.

And I just want it to grow as I type. 

@FreeHand Jim. Thank you. That isn't what I need but now (if I can remember) know where to find paragraph formatting.

[DoctorMo]

I just downloaded 10.5 beta to make sure I had the latest version.

I think I understand what you mean. It was acting a little odd when I tried testing it, sometimes the text would disappear, sometimes the box would expand and miss the last couple of lines, etc.

Dave may not consider the concept a bug. Many times you want text to fit a space like desktop publishing thus the text overflow would be noted and it is your choice of what to do next. However, it did seem to be acting a little odd.

[Greg S]

Agree that text box should not grow by default. But it would be nice if allowing growth could be set as the default for a file/doc. Can't be a global setting because if you went back into a doc/file with text boxes you didn't want to change, they shouldn't suddenly start changing.

The problem is that there is no indication while typing of what is happening when the text doesn't fit. I think this would qualify as a bug if you are typing and nothing is happening on the screen. The "annoying" red box doesn't show up until you click away from the text box. The use case is sometimes you are reading from something while typing and then you look at the screen and nothing you typed is there.

I tried using Keyboard Maestro to activate "Fit Text Box" but it doesn't work while text box has focus (while typing). It does grow when you click away. And it's not sticky. It only grows at the time you activate "Fit Text Box" and not for subsequent typing.

One option would be to have the text flow outside the box while typing and then be hidden after deselecting the box. I think some programs use a + at the bottom of the box (maybe inside a trapezoid) to indicate more text is hidden below, but the red box may suffice although it's a bit non standard. Maybe the red box could be a red line across the bottom (and right edge)? But maybe that's no more helpful. I get that having the red square in the corner indicates you can either widen or lengthen the box. UI designers have all the fun!

There is also a lot going on with text boxes. You can distort the text rather than growing the box easily. I'm new to EazyDraw, so may not yet understand how to easily avoid that. OK while confirming the behavior, I just figured out the difference between grow the box and distort. I understand the desire for the option. But not something I want. The problem is bad if you try to use the lower right corner to grow the box. There are three things in the corner: red box, dot, arrow. It is clear what the differences are. But for an app that I won't use day to day it could be confusing.

Enough blithering. Thanks for reading.

[DoctorMo]

If I create a text box and start typing, the text stops displaying at the end of the box I drew. When I click outside of the box, the little red box shows up.

If I create a text box and type a few words then copy the sentence and paste it until the box is past full, the text will keep displaying at the bottom outside of the box. When I click outside the box, the box increases in length to enclose the extra text.

I think you are correct it is a "bug" or inconsistent behavior to be more polite. I believe my second test is the more like what you were looking for so the logic is there somewhere, just not working correctly.

As far as the other stuff, which is an issue with most software to some extent, Commands-Z is your friend (undo). I have been using Macs since the 1980's and the simple key commands still work well with my left hand for 40 years. I use a Kensington trackball with my right hand and the left hand is always ready to hit Command-Z, Command-S (save), and so on. This works in every program such as Word, Excel and other drawing programs. If you delete something, you can Command-Z and it is back. Some software like EazyDraw supports multiple undo's so you can back up.

Dave, your turn....

[Dave Mattson]

Short Answer: We'll change it and use Lock->Move to set fixed text box height behavior.

Inconsistent, yes, that doesn’t mean a bug though: internal logic is trying to guess if the box should grow or remain fixed, there is no clear answer so the behavior is not absolute.  UI that has two behaviors for one situation allows users to learn and adapt to the code's logic.

 I think there is no right answer; consider this common situation: adding text and don't want the text box to change as I will not be resizing the box I know I'm next going to be deleting some phrases above in the text.  This is probably the more common situation in a drawing app.  A word processing app will exhibit the resize text box behavior and that is what is annoying with them.  For us wordy folks, who ever has enough room on the page for all of our text, the text box is going to come first and then we fill it, over fill it, and edit back to fit.

I will change it to grow in height when typing and keep the grow behavior when pasting more than a few characters.  It is not nice that you can’t see what you are typing in overflow — but there is a plus side to push the user to resolve things as they happen instead of being lazy and sloppy.  We always need to try to keep the drawing clean. But that is just me probably.

We will use Lock Move to indicate that the box should not grow.  I looked at some forms that I have and it seems that I naturally have fixed text boxes locked anyway.  

 Lock should have more specificity for user to input to the typesetter.. It should have Lock Width and Lock Height.  That will take a bit more work.

We will try to get the first change into the public beta in the next day or two as a short term resolution. There is a new beta in house for Intaglio drawing with bitmap images.

Dave

[Greg S]

DoctorMo.

Interesting about pasting, so text "overflow" can be done, needs to do that for typing.

I'll go with your more polite terminology. Or even Feature Request to an amazing program.

Not sure what other issue you're referring to, but I've been a Mac user since about 1985 and Cmd-Z are part of my DNA now. And I've long used programs like Keyboard Maestro to customize or add. To try the "Fit Text" I used Cmd-T since I didn't think it would do anything else in that circumstance.

[DoctorMo]

Sorry, good to chat with one of the early Mac converts. I just meant that if you distort a text box by mistake, you just quickly Undo and select the part you were looking for. I mess up things in EazyDraw all the time since I use it in spurts then not for a while. It has lots of power which breeds complexity. Probably no place in the world for MacDraw anymore :-)

You may know this but there is a Key-Command (MenuKeys) editor/assigner under the EazyDraw menu that allows the key commands to be changed/assigned in the program. As I recall, you must be careful to not edit basic OS command key or conflicts can exist.  I was a long time Canvas user in the old days and switched to EazyDraw when Canvas stopped being supported. I remapped a number of EazyDraw key commands so they matched the Canvas key commands that my trained fingers naturally went to. I just assigned Command-T to the Fit Text Box and it seemed to work. Keyboard Maestro might tend to fight with EazyDraw so keep an eye on that.