Active Groups: working within a Group without Ungrouping
Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:37 pmWe added an Active Group mode to the Picture Designer, and would like to get some feedback. When we add Layers they will have a similar interface.
People currently have difficulty working with Groups, in part because they must Ungroup the Group in order to select child Elements with the mouse. It is possible to select using the combo box in the Properties window, but if you have hundreds of Elements, with few meaningful names, that is inconvenient.
Enter the Active Group enhancement. When you wish to work within a Group, you can make that Group active using the new Change Active Group combo box in the drawing toolbar:
The only transformation allowed on an Active Group is Translation. If you have other transformations, you can first push them down to children using the Apply Transformation command. Only top-level Groups can be made Active.
It is also possible to select a Group, then make it active by using the "Make Active Group" command on the right-click context menu:
The current Active Group is indicated by a dashed red rectangle, called the Active Group Adornment. This is most useful if Groups do not overlap:
Once a Group is made Active, you can now select child Elements using the mouse, either by clicking or by dragging a region. You cannot select any Elements outside the Active Group using the mouse. You can move the Elements inside the Active Group, or manipulate them in any other way you would manipulate an Element in the Picture.
Any new Elements created using the Toolbox, or by using Paste or Control-Drag, will all go into the Active Group.
To exit the Active Group mode, and go back to normal Element selection, either choose "(none)" from the Change Active Group combo box on the Drawing Toolbar, or choose The Exit Active Group command from the right-click context menu:
Note that making a Group Active does not select the Group. Selection is a completely different concept. Active Group is a way to restrict all work to a sub-set of Picture Elements.
If you wish to create a new, empty Group and immediately make it active, select the "New Group..." command from the Change Active Group combo box. You will be prompted for a name for the new Group (leave this blank if you wish), the new Group will be created, and made Active:
All new objects subsequently created via the toolbox, or by Paste commands, will go into the newly created Group.
People currently have difficulty working with Groups, in part because they must Ungroup the Group in order to select child Elements with the mouse. It is possible to select using the combo box in the Properties window, but if you have hundreds of Elements, with few meaningful names, that is inconvenient.
Enter the Active Group enhancement. When you wish to work within a Group, you can make that Group active using the new Change Active Group combo box in the drawing toolbar:
The only transformation allowed on an Active Group is Translation. If you have other transformations, you can first push them down to children using the Apply Transformation command. Only top-level Groups can be made Active.
It is also possible to select a Group, then make it active by using the "Make Active Group" command on the right-click context menu:
The current Active Group is indicated by a dashed red rectangle, called the Active Group Adornment. This is most useful if Groups do not overlap:
Once a Group is made Active, you can now select child Elements using the mouse, either by clicking or by dragging a region. You cannot select any Elements outside the Active Group using the mouse. You can move the Elements inside the Active Group, or manipulate them in any other way you would manipulate an Element in the Picture.
Any new Elements created using the Toolbox, or by using Paste or Control-Drag, will all go into the Active Group.
To exit the Active Group mode, and go back to normal Element selection, either choose "(none)" from the Change Active Group combo box on the Drawing Toolbar, or choose The Exit Active Group command from the right-click context menu:
Note that making a Group Active does not select the Group. Selection is a completely different concept. Active Group is a way to restrict all work to a sub-set of Picture Elements.
If you wish to create a new, empty Group and immediately make it active, select the "New Group..." command from the Change Active Group combo box. You will be prompted for a name for the new Group (leave this blank if you wish), the new Group will be created, and made Active:
All new objects subsequently created via the toolbox, or by Paste commands, will go into the newly created Group.