TEXT SIZING

[JEB]

Igor,

For many years I have struggled with the sizing of text within PTE. I have raised the issue in the past but never managed to get a satisfactory outcome.

I think I understand and appreciate the basic principles being applied.

However, it presents me with time consuming issues when putting my sequences together.

I find it exceedingly difficult to believe that I am alone in this and suspect that many other people must have the same issue.

I work in 1920 x 1080 slide format.

Many of my images will be identical format but most will not. They may be larger or smaller nonstandard sizes.

I tend to use 2-4 images on each slide (often generally of different sizes). I position and resize them as required. Sometimes they may even be moved between slides.

The problem is getting a UNIFORM text title size.

On the face of it I can get uniformity if I use the slide background on which to create a Text Box for each image. However, if that Text Box if made a child of an image it changes in proportion with the image if it (image) is resized.

The same applies if I use a frame.

What I would like to see is a method by which a (Title) Text Box size can be set for the project that can be linked to an image but will NOT change in size if the image is manipulated under O&A Zoom.

My current project, nearing completion, has 292 slides with approximately 730 images, a commentary, music and lasts 30 minutes. I could not have put this together starting with every image pre-selected and sized and an accurate script in place. The project has evolved from an outline idea. I often insert images and over time substitute them as circumstances change. Consequently, I tend to leave the titling of images to the end, as often the script fills that role.

If anybody has a more efficient method of working, I would be delighted to try.

 

John

[davegee]

John,

If your text is the "child" of an image or frame etc then it will always inherit the zoom value from the parent.

Can you use two frames, with the text being a child of the main frame and the image being a child of the sub-frame?

They would then be linked by the movement of the main frame which would remain un-Zoomed while the sub-frame could be zoomed and not affect the text.

DG

[Rosemary A]

I too would like the ability to set the text size for the entire show at the onset. I tend to put a lot of text in a show and it looks "untidy" if the text is of a different size throughout the show. I tend to make a slide with the text at the beginning of the show and then copy and paste that slide where I insert text. Means deleting the text from the pasted slide but at least the text is a uniform size. I am hoping for an upgraded text model in the upcoming version.

Rosemary

[JEB]

Hi Dave,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I have not been able to get that to work satisfactorily.

I suspect that what I want requires a separate "Title Text Box" facility that could be attached to an image (like a child) but not be affected by the image being resized.

Thank you for your interest.

I'm astonished that this has never been taken up by the community in the past.

Cheers

John

 

PS Just noticed Rosemary's post. Yes I often use your method but it is a bit of a pain in this day and age!

 

[davegee]

Does not the "Save Font and Use By Default" give you what you want? It saves all attributes including the Font Size (Zoom).

DG

[davegee]

....P.S. without a screen shot or example of some sort it is difficult to visualise what you are trying to achieve. 

DG

[Rosemary A]

Dave, one learns something new every day. Your method works. Saves a ton of time. Thank you.

Rosemary.

[JEB]

Hi Dave

Save Font and use as default does not do what I am after. From what I can make out this does not apply to the font size only the style.

See attached example.

Text 1 is a Text object at 15 % Zoom in O&A as a child of a 290x217 px image (20% Zoom in O&A).

Text 3 is a Text object created on the slide background at 5% zoom in O&A

Text 2 is a Text object at 15% Zoom in O&A as a child of a 1920x1080 px image (50% zoom in O&A).

Text 4 is a Text object created on the slide background at 5% zoom in O&A.

Text 1 and Text 2 are different sizes because of the sizes of the parent.

Clearly if either parent image is zoomed the child (Text 1 or 2) will zoom with it.

That is not what is wanted.

Text 3 and 4 are independent objects not affected by any resizing of their images and require to be realigned or moved independently if the images are resized or moved.

I think what is needed is a tool that will enable a “TITLE TEXT BOX” to be available and associated with an image enabling the image to be repositioned/resized without affecting the text (a bit like audio being linked to a slide in the timeline).

I hope this makes things a bit clearer.

John

[davegee]

Hi John,

Apologies - the Size / Zoom is not saved. I made the mistake of trying it at 15%

DG

[stranger2156]

3 hours ago, JEB said:

Unfortunately, I have not been able to get that to work satisfactorily.

Hi John,

As far as I understood the problem you described, the solution proposed by Dave might well be useful to you. In a bundle of containers (see picture), you have the ability to have a constant text size for all images in a slide or presentation. At the same time, you can change the scale of the pictures there. You just need to copy the main container and change the text with the picture there. If necessary, and the scale of pictures, with adjusting the positioning of the text.

Paul

[davegee]

John,

If you are serious about this as an option (which you obviously are) you need to make a suggestion for next version(s).

DG

[JEB]

Thank you, Paul,

I think the least complex workaround is the old one that Rosemary referred to. That is to set a Textbox at the outset and simply keep copying it, or a copy of it, and change the text. Not very satisfactory but perhaps the least complex.

Yes Dave, I will raise this as a suggestion for the future, though I think I may have done so in the dim and distant past.

John

[jt49]

The situation that JEB describes above is the "normal" logic of PTE's hierarchical model. Now JEB would like to have a rather special kind of container for images with texts, solving some rather special requirement that other users may need at all. Only recently, another user asked for some other kind of container with special features on inheritance. Other users ask for special copy functions for keyframes. I am pretty sure that there are lots of other examples of this kind. I don't think that it would be an advantage if the developers would follow all these requests, as it would make PTE fat and much harder to maintain. PTE has a simple, but extremely powerful programming model, and I would not call constructions as proposed by stranger2156 as workarounds. It's just the way how to work with this software.

[JEB]

Looks like I’ve been using this wonderful software for the wrong purpose for the past fifteen years. I was under the impression it was, at least in part, for making slideshows.

[Rosemary A]

I tend to make slideshows of places we have visited on cruises. I like to give a brief text of where and what is of interest. Just explains what the pictures are all about to someone not familiar with the location. I tend to make a separate slide for that text rather than writing on the picture. 

 

Rosemary A

[jt49]

A simple Style for an image with text (that can be easily modified):

Simple_TextBox_16to9.ptestyle

[Rosemary A]

Thank you jt49. Simple but very useful and effective.

Rosemary

[jt49]

1 hour ago, Rosemary A said:

... Simple but very useful and effective ...

Useful constructions must not always be complicated

[Rosemary A]

I agree.

Rosemary