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Scribus => Raster and Vector Graphics => Topic started by: mtelesha on March 05, 2012, 09:04:22 PM

Title: Image being Centered
Post by: mtelesha on March 05, 2012, 09:04:22 PM
When I insert a image into a Frame the image will not start centered and I can not get the image to center through the properties and changing the base point. Very frustrating to do something as simple as center an image.
Title: Re: Image being Centered
Post by: GarryP on July 04, 2012, 04:27:50 PM
My apologies for the late reply but I've only just registered.

This may not be exactly what you were after but you can get an image centred in an image frame by doing the following:
1. Create the image frame.
2. On the image frame, Right-click, then Get image...
3. On the image frame, Right-click, then Adjust Frame to Image.
4. Select the image frame.
5. In the Properties window (F2 if it's not open), select the Image tab and then select the Free Scaling radio button.
6. Drag all of the edges of the image frame away from the image.

You'll need to manually make sure you drag each side by the same amount by using the numbers on the "tool tip" that's displayed when you drag as a guide.

Obviously it's not an exact science but do you really need something to be exactly centred? Surely it's just got to look right on the screen/page?

P.S. I'm assuming that you want the image centred with space around it so that text doesn't come too near the image.
If that's the case you could also try the following:
1. Create a rectangle shape the size you want to space to be.
2. Select the shape and in the Properties window, set the line colour - in the Colours tab - to None (so the shape is "invisible").
3. Still in the Properties window, set the Text Flow to use Frame Shape or Bounding Box (depending on what you want).
4. Create an image frame and get the image how you want it.
5. Open the Align and Distribute window (from the Windows menu).
6. Drag-select the "invisible" shape and the image together.
7. Using the Align and Distribute window select both the Horizontal and Vertical centering icons.
8. Group the shape and image so you can move them together.

I hope some of the above helps.
Title: Re: Image being Centered
Post by: utnik on July 05, 2012, 09:48:34 AM
hi garry

Quote from: GarryP on July 04, 2012, 04:27:50 PM...you want the image centred with space around it so that text doesn't come too near the image.
If that's the case you could also try the following:
1. Create a rectangle shape the size you want to space to be.
2. Select the shape and in the Properties window, set the line colour - in the Colours tab - to None (so the shape is "invisible").
3. Still in the Properties window, set the Text Flow to use Frame Shape or Bounding Box (depending on what you want).
4. Create an image frame and get the image how you want it.
5. Open the Align and Distribute window (from the Windows menu).
6. Drag-select the "invisible" shape and the image together.
7. Using the Align and Distribute window select both the Horizontal and Vertical centering icons.
8. Group the shape and image so you can move them together.

...this is a really strange and complicated workflow!
why aren't you using the contour line of the image for the text flow? (you can enlarge the size by a defined value on all sides...)

utnik
Title: Re: Image being Centered
Post by: GarryP on July 05, 2012, 02:01:45 PM
Hi utnik.

Thanks. You've raised a very good point about using the contour line to achieve greater control over the space around an image. And I'd also like to add that they can allow for some good effects when used creatively.

However, my first reason for answering the post in the way I did was to show (possibly badly) that there can be more than one way to look at a problem, depending on what you're trying to do.

The second reason was an attempt (maybe a failed one?) to give some instructions that are composed of easy (?) to remember basic steps, rather than getting into contour editing which I'd say is more of an intermediate kind of thing that a beginner may not want to go into early on. (When you "just want to get something done" you don't always have the time/patience to find out the best way.)

Anyway, for anyone reading this who wants more information on contour lines just select "Scribus Manual..." in the Scribus "Help" menu and search for "contour". You'll find the following entries helpful; "Editing Shapes" and "Working with Frames".

Cheers, Garry.