Resizer 1.14 (17-Jul-03)

Name:     ArtWorks Resizer module
Purpose:  Resize objects to a given numeric size, move objects to a given
          absolute numeric position
Author:   Martin Wrthner
Requires: RISC OS 3.5 or higher, ArtWorks 2
Status:    Martin Wrthner 2003; all rights reserved; see [4] below
WWW:      http://www.mw-software.com/

Welcome to the Resizer module! This module provides two tools: The Resizer tool
allows you to view the overall size of the selection and to resize an object or
a group of objects to a specific size, by specifying either a new width, or a
new height or both. The Mover tool allows you to view the absolute position of
the selection on the page and to change it by entering new values.


1) The Resizer module
---------------------
The Resizer module provides the Resizer tool (displaying "Resize to" in the
top left-hand corner of the Info Bar) and the Mover tool (displaying "Move to"
in the top left-hand corner of the Info Bar). They can be used to resize and
move objects numerically.

1.1) The Resizer tool

The Resizer tool works very much like the standard Scale tool. The only
difference is that the values you enter in the Info Bar are not scale factors
but the desired target dimensions of the selected object(s).

While the Resizer tool is selected it shows the width and height of the current
selection. Please note that this takes line widths, arrowheads, etc. into
account, so it may differ from what other tools display, e.g., a 20mm by 30mm
rectangle with a line width of 1pt has a size of 20.35mm by 30.35mm.

To resize an object, or several objects, select them and then select the
Resizer tool. The Info Bar fields "Width:" and "Height:" display the size of
the selection. You can resize the selected object(s) by entering new values and
pressing Return. If the "Lock" option is on (called "Fest" in the German
resources), then the selection is always resized proportionally. This means
that only the width or the height you enter in the Info Bar is taken into
account. So, to resize the selection to a width of 20mm, select the "Lock"
option, enter 20mm into the "Width:" field and press Return (with the caret
still being in the "Width:" field). The value in the "Height:" field is ignored
in this case. If the "Lock" option is selected, the position of the caret when
pressing Return determines which of the two values is taken.

If you want to specify both the target width and height, deselect the "Lock"
option. Then enter both the width and the height and press Return. In this
case, it does not matter in which field the caret is. The selection is then
resized to fit the desired width and height, but this usually means that the
proportions of the objects are distorted because the vertical scaling factor is
different from the horizontal scaling factor.

The "Lines" option works in the same way as for the standard Scale tool: If it
is on, then line widths are scaled as well, otherwise they are not changed. The
3 by 3 matrix of small buttons to the right of the writable fields allow you to
set the scaling origin. Again, this works in the same way as the Scale tool.

As all other ArtWorks modules, this module fully supports the Undo system.

1.2) The Mover tool

The Mover tool allows you to change the absolute position of the selection on
the page. Instead of sizes, the Info Bar displays absolute positions that can
be changed.

Like the Resizer tool, it offers a 3 by 3 matrix of buttons that can be used to
change the position of the crosshair marker. The current position of the marker
is displayed in the "X:" and "Y:" fields in the Info Bar. To move the
selection, enter new values in the "X:" and "Y:" fields and press Return. The
selection is then moved in such a way that the crosshair marker takes the
position as entered in the "X:" and "Y:" fields. So, if you have put the
crosshair marker at the right-hand edge of the selection, the value you enter
for "X:" is the new position of the right-hand edge of the selection.

1.3) Deficiencies

In some cases, it is impossible to obtain the desired dimensions for an object
by scaling, even using the iterative approach of Resizer. Above all, this can
happen if the "Lines" option is off or if the object has arrowheads. Both
circumstances mean that the object's overall size does not exactly scale
according to the computed scale factor. If Resizer does not manage to obtain
the desired dimensions for the selection, it reports an error.


2) History
----------
Version 1.14 (17-Jul-03)
- added help message for tools

Version 1.13 (06-May-03)
- 32-bit compatible version for ArtWorks 2

Version 1.12 (17-Oct-01)
- bug fixed that would sometimes stop the 3 by 3 matrix buttons from working
- added Dutch messages (thanks to Dick Tanis) - I have added the line
  "Verplaats naar" myself, so if this is wrong, it is my fault, not Dick's

Version 1.11 (05-Sep-01)
- if the selection is moved using a menu option (e.g., "Centre on page"), while
  the Resizer or Mover tool is selected and the origin is repositioned
  afterwards, then the new selection position is now taken into account

Version 1.10 (04-Sep-01)
- Mover tool added
- various minor Resizer tool bugs fixed

Version 1.01 (27-Aug-01)
- improved accuracy a lot using an iterative convergence approach - now works
  accuratly even when scaling objects without scaling the line width
- now with German messages

Version 1.00 (24-Aug-01)
- first release version


3) Contacting me
----------------
Martin Wuerthner
Mannheimer Str. 18
67655 Kaiserslautern
Germany

Phone: +49-(0)631-3608205
Fax:   +49-(0)631-3608203

e-mail: martin@mw-software.com
WWW:    http://www.mw-software.com/


4) Copyright
------------
This version of the ArtWorks Resizer module and the related documentation are 
Copyright 2003 by Martin Wrthner. All rights reserved. The software and
documentation may not, in  whole or part, be copied or transmitted by any means
without the explicit written consent of the copyright owner. Unless you have
purchased a site licence for this software, it may be used on only one
stand-alone computer system at any time.
