Line, Arrow, Text Tool

[dvhirst]

I am annotating an image using the Line, Arrow, Text Tool, and learning its functions as I go. It would make my life easier and my learning quicker if I could undo my misstarts. However, it seems that ctrl-z doesn't do anything in this transform. Would it be possible to add an undo/redo (ctrl-z, ctrl-y) function to this transform? Thanks.

More about this transform. I prefer to have my text float on the image, which I do by making the background transparency 100%. This has the side effect of making the line origin (set to bottom) merge with the text, no matter what the text margin set value. Could the line origin be configured to honor the text margin set value, independent of the transparency setting of the text background?

Actually, per this image, the behavior seems inconsistent. The line from the Skinner Butte label looks right. The line from the Ya-Po-Ah Terrace label is different (no gap from the text), though the Text Transform controls were the same for both labels. Suggestions for making this consistent welcome.

I already tried making the text background the same as the sky color and 0% transparent. That sort of works, but if the sky color (or any background) varies across the width of the text box then the edges of the text box become visible, which is not desired.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Image 1420 (1024x768).jpg (170.65 KiB) Viewed 2418 times

Image 1422.png (21.31 KiB) Viewed 2418 times

Image 1421.png (21.19 KiB) Viewed 2418 times

[jsachs]

You can remove controls points by Ctrl-clicking on them. This is more powerful than Ctrl-z which only goes in reverse chronological order.

[dvhirst]

Noted, and used. Thanks.

Still having issues with setting text margin...

Behaviour is definitely inconsistent:

1. Place initial text box and 2nd text box; looking good.

Image 1423.cr 50pct (Copy).png (182.13 KiB) Viewed 2413 times

2. Update text in 2nd text box; oops, spacing is now missing.

Image 1427cr 50pct (Copy).png (186.55 KiB) Viewed 2413 times

Not sure of a sequence that will keep the desired spacing -- still looking.

[jsachs]

If I use the text margin as you suggest, there will be problems with non-transparent backgrounds where the end of the line, if it runs at an angle, will leave a gap where it joins the text box. I believe this is why your two examples look slightly different -- the square-ended line impinges on the text to an extent that depends on the angle of the line.

What it looks like I need to do is add an extra setting which is an offset between the text and its alignment point. This would let increase the separation between the text and the line.

[dvhirst]

Yes, that would do it nicely. Though I don't see how that accounts for what I'm seeing in the example I just uploaded. The spacing is good, before I update the text. When I update the text, the spacing changes...

[jsachs]

I added an offset in the Text transformation and Lines, Arrows, Text tool for the next release.

If there is still a spacing issue after this, I will try to track it down. My guess is that it has to do with the size of the text bounding box, so it you have descenders (characters that extend below the line) or characters that extend above the top of the capital letters, the bounding box changes. The text in one case includes a comma that extends the bounding box downwards slightly.

[dvhirst]

Thanks, that's the cat's meow! Very nice.

Don