Req: On-demand Crosshair to replace cursor

[photoken]

I started working with vectors in 1992 with Micrografx Designer. That was an outstanding program, and one feature I still miss is the ability to replace the normal cursor with a Crosshair: By using a hotkey combo (I think it was Ctrl+H), the normal cursor of any tool was replaced by an intersecting vertical and horizontal pair of lines. Those lines extended out to the edges of the editing window and made it very easy to precisely place an object (or node, or the effect of a tool) in relation to other objects. Hitting the hotkey combo again switched back to the normal cursor -- in other words that hotkey combo acted as a toggle.

[Herbert123]

+1

Photoshop, Illustrator, and other software also offer a precise cursor, which is very handy.

Coincidentally, in InkScape the user may hold down the Q key to temporarily fit the screen with the selected object for easier and more detailed editing. That could also be a nifty feature - super handy.

[photoken]

Photoshop, Illustrator, and other software also offer a precise cursor, which is very handy.

How do those differ from PL's precise cursor option (which I think is excellent)?

[Herbert123]

Ah, after re-reading your post, I understand the difference. The ones in Photoshop and Illustrator are similar to the one in Photoline.

The difference is that in Photoshop the Caps Lock switches to the detail cursor (or the regular cursor, depending on the preference setting).

Your cursor type reminds me a bit of a CAD-type cursor, which can be very useful as well. In addition, I would welcome more precision drawing tools in Photoline.

[photoken]

Your cursor type reminds me a bit of a CAD-type cursor, which can be very useful as well.

Oh yes, you've got the description exactly right. There was a whole lot to like about Micrografx Designer, and its what is now considered "CAD-type" features were right up there.

In addition, I would welcome more precision drawing tools in Photoline.

I can see that, too, although I'm not sure how much value they would add to a general-purpose app like PL.

All this got me to reminiscing about Mgx Designer, so I looked at its current incarnation on Corel's Web site. (It was a sad day when Micrografx went out of business, and an even sadder day when the awful Corel company purchased their programs. Designer is now part of Corel's Technical Graphics Suite.) I got all kinds of nostalgic seeing the precision drawing tools that are still in it, but ultimately I decided that those capabilities are way beyond what PL should offer. Maybe in a few years PL can become the ultimate do-everything piece of graphics software, but there's a quite a bit of more important enhancements it needs to accomplish before going there....