Align text using edges

[csanchez]

Is there a easy way to align the texts using their own visible borders instead of the layer's borders?
Just like when we converted the text to vector, but keeping the ability to edit the text to your liking.

Text layers


Text layers converted in vectors


If I remember correctly, CorelDRAW works texts in this way

[shijan]

Yes, this is sort of unusual how PhotoLine handle frame of the text layer.


I also noticed part of same problem earlier here (text size changes don't preserves bottom character line) https://www.pl32.com/forum3/viewtopic.p ... 677#p49677
Currently in PhotoLine (in both normal and dynamic text modes) text size always changes starting from upper edge of the frame. This is not too comfortable, because after every change of text size layer needs additional position adjustment.


In all other apps during text size changes it preserves bottom character line, and so layer don't needs additional position adjustment every time.


Hope these problems could be fixed

[shijan]

Also csanchez, seems in your example you disable Dynamic Text Layer option and scale text layer frame a lot. I might be wrong, but layer handle extends too far from letters even compare to default unusual PhotoLine-style extending.
In PhotoLine by default when you move Text layer handle, text size remains unchanged, but only frame transforms (this is sort of publishing-style behave). This switches text layer from Dynamic to Static Text Layer mode. Layer frame size no more followed to text size.
You can always switch back to Dynamic Text Layer in last tab of text tool settings.
This default behave is rather unusual for image editors, but rather usual for publishing apps. PhotoLine is multipurpose tool. There where few discussions about this default text layer behave and most users vote for publishing-style default behave for text layer.

To keep Dynamic Text Layer during transform you can hold Command on macOS or Control key on Windows and drag layer handles (Command+Shift will keep proportions).

Or you can just add Text layer to Group and transform Group instead of actual text layer. In this case you don't need to hold Command key every time because Group layer with text inside will behave exact same as any image or vector layer.

[csanchez]

I hope this will be improved in future versions, although the dynamic text is very good and adding in a group to readjust as vectors is good, it is not the best solution to align texts, in the end it would be necessary to adjust them manually in the same way.

[shijan]

Just another idea: add text to group and add rectangle vector mask on top of text layer. Vector mask will crop gaps between text and layer handles. But every time you change text, you also need to adjust the size of vector mask manually. Not effective method at all.

[shijan]

Seems text layer handles in PhotoLine match to size of character selection rectangle. This is where those gaps between text and handles came from. Was it designed like this to provide visually more pretty and accurate look of selected text? Anyway, in real life this only cause problems when need to precise align text layers.
Guess if fix this problem and change text layer handles alignment logic, the main problem could be backward compatibility with legacy PLD projects that contain text layers. Based on other apps examples if something changed globally like this, it is always better to add toggle in preferences, something like "Use Legacy Text Layer Handles Alignment". This allow to open and edit old PLD projects same as before if required.

[shijan]

Also i can't say that text layer handling method in PhotoLine is totally bad. It seems designed like this for some purpose. For example it is very quick easy to snap multiple text blocks because they are always have the same height. Guess this may be very useful for publishing work when large amount of texts used.

But in designer's work when mostly used short and simple texts, text blocks like this are not comfortable because they are problematic to align or snap exactly to the center or exactly to the edge of the text.

In other apps where text block height changes depending of letters snapping is done by bottom text line ruler.
So this is rather complex difference. In addition to gaps-free text layer handles alignment logic, also snapping logic needs to be totally changed.