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#81
Scripts and Plugins / Re: Canons of page constructio...
Last post by a.l.e - November 21, 2025, 03:01:54 PM
Hi Richard,

I guess we have some issues communicating : - )

I like what you did.
I think that it might be worth to add it to the Scribus main code.
And I could help, getting the feature into the New Document dialog.

As I tried to explain, I've never used the built in feature of Scribus (despite knowing well that it exists), mostly because I have no idea what are the characteristics of each "Preset" / "Canon".
And I don't know either, how to shape the content, so that it uses the specific characteristics of a preset.

The descriptions you have in your README are very useful, but they are not directly accessible for the typical Scribus user.
Also, a user will first need to discover and install your script, before being able to use it.
And the descriptions still miss some information on when to use a specific canon and how to use it.

But it's a huge improvement towards the current state.

If you think that it is a good idea to get the feature into Scribus, please have a look at the mockup I've posted, and see if it make sense to build upon it.
You seem to have the skills to build it in Python/Tk (but if you need help, I know a few things about them, too) and it would then be easy for me to convert your code to C++ / Qt.
#82
Scripts and Plugins / Re: Canons of page constructio...
Last post by richard-cdbox - November 21, 2025, 02:48:50 AM
Okay, let's explain it using Van de Graaf's canon as an example.

1. The script was tested on Scribus v1.6.4 and v1.7.0 (this information is in the README). I don't know which version of Scribus you are using, so I don't know why the dialog box did not close after running the script.

2. At the beginning of the README file, it says:
NOTE: Before using the script, please read section Important note about Scribus API limitation.
Please read it and do what it says.

3. Then, if you look at pages 2-3 of the document, you will see this (pic1).

4. The red lines on the Van de Graaf construction layer (they are not actually red, but the script sets this layer to Outline mode (pic2)) show how this canon is constructed. The blue lines (boxes) (I don't know if they are blue in your case, because the color for Margins can be changed in Preferences) represent text blocks.

5. The construction layer is just to give you an idea of how to get to the margins of the page or the text blocks. You can turn it off, delete it, or do whatever you want.

6. Although the API allows me to open the Scribus dialog window for a new document, the script dialog window would not be able to control it.
#83
Text and Typography / Re: Text in Text Box Padding
Last post by MrB - November 20, 2025, 10:57:35 PM
You should open the properties palettes (item and content properties) from the windows menu and you will have a ton of option to play with including the padding and line spacing.
#84
Text and Typography / [SOLVED] Text in Text Box Padd...
Last post by Sheba2 - November 20, 2025, 09:21:24 PM
I'm VERY new at using Scribus and have been using several tutorials and have not found these answers. I have a small text box with a black line around it and text inside. (1) The text is too close to the lines--I think it's called "padding" and I'd like to add a little extra space between the text box line and the text? (2) The spacing between each line of text is a little too much and I'd like to decrease it just a bit. Thank anyone who can provide some assistance. So far, I'm enjoying the program--it seems quite powerful!
#85
Scripts and Plugins / Re: Canons of page constructio...
Last post by a.l.e - November 20, 2025, 03:10:13 PM
Hello

After you comments I gave your script a try.

Not sure it worked as intended: after having created a the dialog simple does not close for me (but the control goes back to Scribus and I can click on the lines that have been created in the new document).

If i have a look at the page properties, I see the margin being set, but on the page they are not (inserting a shape that expands to the margins creates an item that is of the size of the page, not of the defined margins): but it might be an error in the scripter API.

Now, since I'm not a graphic designer (but, in this case, more similar to the clueless user your seem to be targeting), I wonder how I can use the diagonal lines you have drawn on the page.

Are they a clue on where I should place specific layout elements?

If it's the case, I see a value on seeing them drawn on a background layer (and I would even add an explanation somewhere, on how they should be used), otherwise I'd prefer having them drawn in a preview, in the dialog itself.

The descriptions you have in the README is also really worth being read!

What do you think to add such a dialog, that would open from the Scribus "New Document" dialog and would fill the existing fields  in the that dialog?

scribus-canons.png
#86
General Discussion / Re: Best way to use an Illustr...
Last post by Aquilegia - November 20, 2025, 12:41:24 PM
That's an idea, but I need format and place in the document, so it cannot work. With the EPS, I have part of the information and I will just copy what is missing (essentially font size).
Thanks for the help!
#87
General Discussion / Re: Resize text box without af...
Last post by amair - November 20, 2025, 11:59:39 AM
I also face that "problem".

Where is that setting you mean with "column and text distances and set the right and bottom text distance to 4 mm"?
I only have this setting for text boxes and there it just sets the spacing from the text box border to the text.

Do I miss something?
#88
Text and Typography / Re: Hopefully the team here ca...
Last post by a.l.e - November 20, 2025, 09:01:10 AM
Two things:

  • When loading an Office file into a Scribus frame, you mostly don't want the font from the .doc / .odt to be used in the .sla
  • When moving a .sla file from a Windows to a Linux computer, you will need to also copy over all the fonts you have been using (collect for output is your friend, there)

Since the case for our user seems to be rather different from LibreOffice, I don't think that Scribus needs an ad hoc solution for the Microsoft default font.

While Scribus could indeed provide a good interface for downloading / installing fonts from the most popular sources (Microsoft, Google Fonts, ...), it's probably not so easy to do it well.
The traditional answer is: use a Font manager... but I'm not sure that there is a good font manager for Linux.

Coffee break...

Well, while the good old FontMatrix has now been officially discontinued, a quick web search has shown that nowadays there is a nice and shiny (non free but partially gratis) FontBase and a free Font Manager that would probably be a better home for the feature you're suggesting.

And, then, we should figure out how to build a good interface between the Scribus loading dialogs and the font managers, and help the user getting the fonts needed for a specific file.
#89
Scripts and Plugins / Re: DeepL Translation Script f...
Last post by bastiaanw - November 20, 2025, 08:59:51 AM
Updated DeepL Auto-Translation Script for Scribus — Now with a Full Tkinter GUI!

Hi everyone,

I've released a major update to the Scribus DeepL Auto-Translation Script, and I'm excited to share what's new. The script now includes a full Tkinter-based graphical interface, making it far easier and more intuitive to use. No more typing codes into valueDialogs — everything is clean, consistent, and user-friendly.

What's new?
Modern Tkinter (see attached screenshot) interface with:
-Dropdown menus for languages
-Checkboxes for preview mode
-Buttons for actions (Translate / Preview / About / Quit)
-Cleaner layout and better usability
-Emoji support on most systems

Overall a much more polished and consistent experience

Expanded language support

I've added several new DeepL-supported languages:

Polish (PL)
Russian (RU)
Ukrainian (UK)
Greek (EL)
Swedisch (SV)
Chinese Simplified (ZH)

(Alongside DE, EN, FR, ES, IT, NL)

Other improvements

-Better error handling
-Clear About window describing the script
-Cleaner code structure
-More future-proof and easier to extend

Optional preview mode that shows what would change without modifying the document


If anyone wants to test it, give feedback, or request new features — please let me know!
Happy translating! 🌐

Bastiaan
#90
Text and Typography / Re: Hopefully the team here ca...
Last post by AdmFubar - November 20, 2025, 03:14:32 AM
There are numerous free software programs for windows, with m$ dumping win10 there are a number of user discovering free operating systems, and will want to use their data in the new system. Having the computer do the work for you in the font conversion would be an immense help, plus there is the issue of licensing the font, many from m$ are propriety. having them converted to a freely licensed font will keep them in compliance.