Arrow keys and selections

[George Slusher]

I've just started using GC 4.6.1. Some nice features, but, alas, once again, some of the keyboard shortcuts have changed, like the action of the arrow keys and modifier keys. This is at least the third time this has happened in my recent memory. (I've been using Graphic Converter for almost 10 years.) I wish that they would stay the same. It's a real pain to have to learn new keyboard shortcuts for every .1 change (e.g., 4.5 to 4.6). For example, at one time, it was command-option-I to open the information window; it's been command-CONTROL-I since at least 4.5. Ditto with the "convert" command: it used to be command-option-m but is now command-control-M. The various scale commands have changed, as well. If there is a REALLY good reason to change keyboard shortcuts, fine--just be sure that the changes are clearly stated in the documentation. Otherwise, please leave them alone. When Adobe changed a bunch of the keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop, there was a major uproar. It wasn't just people being inconvenienced or a little ticked off: it cost many businesses thousands of dollars in lost productivity. Microsoft is notorious for doing this--it keeps the companies doing Word training in business. One would hope that Mac developers would learn from that bad example and not change keyboard shortcuts without really good reason. On top of this, a very useful command has completely disappeared. In GC 4.5, holding down the shift key and using the arrow keys moved the bottom or right edge of a selection boundary (changes the size of the selection). Holding down the control key (used to be the option key--another change!) and using the arrow keys moved the top or left edge of the selection. That was very useful. Using only the arrow keys moved the selection (opaque) itself. Now, it's really screwed up. Now, it works neither logically nor as the User's Manual says, at least in OS 9.2.2. Here's what the User's manual now says: >In Pictures >Shortcut Result >Command-option keys in an image Moves the selection (opaque) within the window. > >Shift-option keys in an image Scrolls the image (only available if the > window does not show the complete image) > >Cursor keys No selection - scrolls the contents of the > active window > Selection - Moves the selection. With shift held down > changes the size of a rectangular selection The above is only partially true. Here's what I found by experiment using the Cursor/arrow keys. The * means that it's different from what the User's Manual says. Alone (no modifiers) No selection - scrolls the window, like the scroll bars Selection: Moves selection Shift key No selection - scrolls window & moves scrollbars *Selection: moves the RIGHT or BOTTOM edge of selection (i.e., left & right arrows move the RIGHT edge of the selection to the left & right) Control key No selection: scrolls window & moves scrollbars or Shift-control Selection: moves selection boundary (not the contents of the selection) without changing the size of the selection. Option key *Scrolls the image, but, if it reaches the edge of the or Shift-option window, the image wraps around. I.e., if the left or control-option edge of the image is at the left edge of the window, or shift-control-option option-right arrow (or shift-option-right arrow) moves the image to the right. The right edge of the image shows at the left of the window. If there is a selection, the image scrolls BEHIND the selection; the selection doesn't move. Command key - Up Arrow: opens the browser - Down Arrow: scrolls the window down; if there is a selection, moves the contents of the selection down - Left or Right Arrow: nothing Command-control Same as above, except down arrow moves the selection or command-shift-control boundary down, not the contents or command-option-control Shift-command Same as above, except down arrow moves the BOTTOM edge or shift-command-option of a selection instead of the contents Command-option *VERY different from the manual! Same as above, except down arrow moves the TOP edge of a selection instead of the contents Command-shift-option-control does nothing Much of the above doesn't make logical sense. Also, there is no way to move only the LEFT edge of the selection, as I used to be able to do. I hope that I can find a copy of 4.5.4 or whatever I had before, as this behavior is far too screwy to use effectively. I may crop and/or scale 100+ images/day. (Some days, it's over 1,000.) George Slusher/Eugene, OR gslusher@rio.com

[thorstenlemke]

Hello, Many thanks for your notes. I will check this. Thorsten

[George Slusher]

Alas, the current beta still doesn't have the "correct" (i.e., like GC 4.5.4) arrow shortcuts. Thorsten sent me a beta that I _thought_ worked like the "old" GC did, but, when I tried it again, it doesn't do what the PDF excerpt he sent with it says that it should do. The beta recently posted on the website works as below, which is, as far as I can tell, no change from 4.6.1: Graphic Converter Carbon 4.7b, US version, with OS 9.2.2; with a selection, the arrows do this: No modifiers: moves selection contents (opaque) with option, shift option, or control option: moves the image behind the selection with control or shift-control: moves the selection boundary (not contents) without changing the size; (in the version Thorsten sent me, the accompanying PDF said that control-arrows moved the left/upper point of the selection boundary) with shift: moves right/bottom point of the selection boundary; with command: up arrow opens the browser; down arrow moves the selection down. There is no shorcut that will move the left/upper point of the selection. Of course, there aren't many "options" left. I'm not sure what the point of moving the image behind the selection would be, however. George Slusher/Eugene, OR gslusher@rio.com