More tool bar suggestions

[Applefamily]

As I continue to trip my way through this software I see a great program. I know that I have the patients to get it done but my wife not so much. If its too complicated or clunky she will just not use it. So on I go...
To gain some desktop space
1. Layers
a. Window Land it into the projects top menu area as a drop window. When You open the drop window the layer selected become the current layer. Also with that any selected objects could then me automatically moved to that layer. ( Another CADD widget )
b. Little button next to drop-down to Manage Layers then Pop up the current window style for a broad overview of all layers

2 Grid
a. Snap to grid. So when dragging objects they always land on the grid set points I find myself now always nudging the item one or two positions to get them right on a even x,y coordinate.

3 Properties window
a. Right Click properties of an object. This way the Large properties window could be closed gaining valuable work space.
b. at lease drop the properties location down .25 inches so when the program window is maximizes the window controls don't get covered.

4 Zoom
a. Zoom to window. To get close to a very detailed area
b. Zoom in/out/window button on current tool bar

5 Current Tool bar landed with program bar

6 Path options in right click
a. in fact more right click options

I tried to render a image of some of these wish list items I hope it helps

quick render.jpg (110.53 KiB) Viewed 2779 times

[ccweems]

You are a mind reader. I too come from CAD and find SCAL painful at times. Agree with all of your suggestions, especially with with having the properties box pop up when needed. One thing that would speed things up is have short cut keys to select tools (including properties). May I offer the following suggestions:

space bar = select tool
"e" = edit shape tool
"t" = text tool
"d" = draw tool
"h" = (hand) move mat tool
cntrl + scroll wheel = magnify +/- depending on scroll direction
"m" = move tool (suggest select tool only be used for select except when using the move handle and that a move tool be added. This is to eliminate accidental moves)
cntrl + "P" = print (this more than a toolbar suggestion but I thought it necessary)
"l" = toggle hide/unhide Layers box
"s" = toggle hide/unhide Shape box.
"z" = zoom to extents of active layer

Having worked for a software company I expect that the developers are concentrating on bugs and stability issues and rarely have the time to pontificate "I wish we had..." but as users we are not burdened with such troubles!

[Applefamily]

cntrl + scroll wheel = magnify +/- depending on scroll direction

I second that. It hasn't register to me but now that you say that I do miss that.

In another post I identified with the idea that this is truly a great program because of the ability too plot to the Cricut but as a design tool it is behind. It my be better to do the down and dirty development in a program commonly talked about "Inkscape". I have only open it one to play with just a few hours ago at first glance it looked to have a lot of CAD tools and it will open a DFX file. Looks if SCAL would merge with Inkscape most of these tools would become native to the program.

[firstcut]

For you CAD guys, SCAL has come a long way in terms of adding design tools. With SCAL1 we had to do all our designing in Inkscape, using SCAL only to cut. Many of us still do because it is so much more powerful and easy to use. If I was a CAD master, though, I would just design in my favorite cad tool and then save as DXF, open in Inkscape, save as SVG and cut that way.
Not to discourage you but SCAL made many improvements to match MTC, but now that MTC development has stalled, I wouldn't expect to see any improvements to SCAL for a while.

[Applefamily]

I can see that all you SCAL 1 veterans that started from beginning see these suggestions us newbies come up with as possibly great additions to the software but unnecessary since Inkscape gets the job done just fine on its own. And yep I love drawing in CADD and that is why I was happy to see Inkscape could bring in the DFX's. As a newbie in my first week of getting my wife started with her Cricut and finding this software that turns the Machine into what it should be (A PRINTER) I find my self going through the crash coarse of Design in one software [Inkscape] pint in another [SCAL2]. Now if only Provo-craft would just give up the goat and turn this cutter into what is should be.... a device recognized buy window as a printer. Sorry Craft Edge that would cut your bottom line. Thanks for the time being. But really it would be silly if we needed to buy a printer from Microsoft to print MS Office documents (kind of surprising we don't with BIG BAD Microsoft i hope they don't catch onto this idea) or only could use HP-Photo-Smart to print pictures on a HP printer. We would need an entire room full of plotters and printers to print

[firstcut]

Actually, many of us made similar suggestions when we were newbies, before we either got frustrated or learned to embrace the challenges of SCAL! When I hear your great suggestions, I smile and remember when I, too, was idealistic. LOL

[Sweetness4713]

Yep Scal has indeed come a long way.. I think if they had added all those extra features in there that you request people would probably end up having to pay a heck of a lot more than they are paying now.. I actually like SCAL2 they way it is now.. and yes it has come a very very long way.. .. but of course I wouldn't mind seeing a few of the extras you requested as well..

[Applefamily]

More features should drive the price up it would just better the value. Look at the market now and how powerful other software packages are and the cost of them. Most of that cost is advertising. As it stands now we have a MS Paint program (FREE) with a few Inkscape features (ALSO FREE) and a very expensive USB Print driver. $70-90 and you can make it work. Maybe it should just be a print driver so you can hit print/Plot From Inkscape and skip the import from a SVG file and repeat the layers steps there. But inconclusive thanks for what you have done if it was to powerful then the other half of the community would be scared to use it and confused.

[HeatherM]

Maybe it should just be a print driver so you can hit print/Plot From Inkscape and skip the import from a SVG file and repeat the layers steps there.

I think that would be a nice feature to have, but not sure how many people would agree.

But inconclusive thanks for what you have done if it was to powerful then the other half of the community would be scared to use it and confused.

I think that is a very valid point. Inkscape is much easier to use than some of the other programs that I have used, and yet people tend to be afraid of it. Also, compared to the stained glass program that I have used and Adobe's Creative Suite programs, SCAL is Very reasonably priced. I think the problem with adding more features isn't so much the actual cost, as it is a matter of value added.