Line spacing

[spudgal 0]

I am working on a sign and went to adjust line spacing.  There is no such thing in the text dialog box, in fact my text dialog box looks nothing like the one in the help section.  I have several areas greyed out on buttons.  Is this not the full version that came with our cutters or am I doing something wrong (which is more than likely! LOL!)  Thanks for your help!

Jackie

[BannerJohn 1,324]

The version you got is not the full version. BUT there are usually ways to do whatever you need to do. I am not sure I understand what you mean by line spacing. I know that you can increase the space between letters using the 'node edit' feature.

If you mean the distance between lines of text..I've never used that.. I just do each line,move it to where I want it.

You might try PM Bruce at Signblazer directly. He always knows the answers.

[Jerry Bonham 1]

Hello,

I am on the development team of SignBlazer.

Any question can be asked and I will provide an answer.

We are moving SignBlazer to be an interactive program. This is being done slowly.

By interactive we mean that you do not have to type numbers into dialog boxes.

Users have voted with their feet that just being able to drag something makes it is easier than typing into dialog boxes.

So with TEXT if you need to adjust,

a. Distance between any two lines,

b. Distance between all lines of text,

c. Move a single line up or down,

d. Adjust the space between words.

e. Adjust the space between letters and words,.

f. Adjust the space between letters only.

g. Adjust the spacing of an individual letter.

h. Adjust an individual letter up or down to make a superscript or subscript.

Can all be done without any typing into a dialog box.

Here?s how.

a. Select you block of text.

b. Click on the node edit button.

c. Now you will see small squares under and on the left of each letter.

d. There are two handles, one on the left facing down and one on the right facing right.

e. Experiment.  Pull on either of these handles. 

f. The left one adjusts line distance between all lines evenly. 

g. The right hand one adjusts spaces between letters and words evenly.

h. Hold down the control key and with the RH handle you can adjust the spaces between the words only.

i. Hold down the shift key and you can adjust the space between letters only and not between words.

j. Next you can select the small squares beside each letter.  You can select one or more than one.

k. Then you can drag with the mouse the position of the selected letters. 

l. If you hold down the shift key when you drag with the mouse they stay on the horizontal base line of the text.

m. Or you can use the arrow keys to move these selected letters.

n. Or you can hold the control key and when you use the arrow keys the distance moved is one tenth.

Once you have mastered these few commands you will find that they are very natural to use.

This is called interactive designing.  It is much easier and much faster than typing numbers into a dialog box.  Can you imagine how many fields there would have to be if you had to do all the functions above in dialog boxes?

Have a look at other programs.  I have one here and it has 28 fields to type numbers into to adjust text.  And more buttons to more fields. What is worse you have to guess at the number and click ok and then go undo and try over and over until you have what you want.  The fields have really weird names as well such as ?Glyph Distance? and ?Paired Kern?. Now we all know what a Paired Kern is, don?t we?  Well I sure don?t. I know what kerning is and I know what a Glyph is however the way they use the terms they might as well be talking about Einstein Physics.

We at SignBlazer wish to move the development of SignBlazer forward in this direction of interactive control. We realise that not every function can be interactive.  However wherever is if possible we will be moving the direction of the SignBlazer program to be as interactive as possible.

You can work faster and it is certainly much easier.

Please ask more questions.

Jerry Bonham.

[spudgal 0]

Thanks Jerry!  It works great!  I do know what paired kearning is but not glyph.

Jackie

[BannerJohn 1,324]

This is why Signblazer is at the top of my list. You won't get this kind of support anywhere else. Thanks Jerry!

[Rodger 527]

Hey BannerJohn , help me with a problem i have . When i clicked the link in 1 of your posts linking SignBlazer's forum. i tried to register & as i already told you , it logged me in as you . i tried to register again today & it is telling me that only 1 account per pc . Maybe someone on the SignBlazer site can wipe out any regitration from me ( RMyers3@aol.com ) so i can register ojn that forum .

Thanks , Rodger Myers