Cloud Tool

[Arnold]

The cloud tool has fewer handles than the rectangle tool, and it makes it difficult to adjust just the height (see attached screen shots). Also the option to hold down the shift key, and to draw in 90 degree angles with the cloud tool seems to be broken. Thanks.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Like the polygon, the cloud tool can have as many nodes as you like. It is not a regular shape like the rectangle or ellipse, which can be constrained to a square or circle by holding down the shift key.

The shift key also works on straight lines to constrain it to fixed angles, but I don't think it was ever supposed to do anything on polygons, so it is not broken.

To resize a cloud that has already been drawn you have to drag two nodes. That is just the nature of freehand shapes. You can turn on the rulers, draw guidelines, and snap to the guidelines to make it easier to get orthogonal sides on freehand shapes.



I suspect it could be improved.

[Arnold]

Maybe I remembered it wrong then. I just checked it in Acrobat 8, and there the Cloud Tool and shift key work together fine. Much easier to use that way. There is no selecting and resizing to make the drawn cloud look neat and symmetrical. It would nice if there was an easier way to re-size the box also, but it may not be worth the trouble if the shift key works.

[Arnold]

I remember how I did it before. If the typewriter or rectangle tool or text box tool are used, using the properties toolbar, the border can be changed/added to 2 types of cloud borders. Doing it this way, there are more selection handles, and it is easier to change the height of these boxes.

Also, if a box is selected and enter is then pressed, the contents of the box are now selected (the text itself), and not the box. If one wants to change the properties of the selected text, Ctrl-E no longer works, and the menu commands must be used. I suspect this is by design, as Ctrl-E is also the "center text" shortcut key in a box.

Since the Properties Toolbar is so useful, it might be nice to be able to change the shortcut key for it (Ctrl-E) to a single keystroke - maybe one of the unused F keys. I see no way to change it in the Customize Commands section, but maybe I am just missing it.

Thanks.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I remember how I did it before. If the typewriter or rectangle tool or text box tool are used, using the properties toolbar, the border can be changed/added to 2 types of cloud borders. Doing it this way, there are more selection handles, and it is easier to change the height of these boxes.

Yes. That can be done, but its then a rectangle not a polygon.

Also, if a box is selected and enter is then pressed, the contents of the box are now selected (the text itself), and not the box. If one wants to change the properties of the selected text, Ctrl-E no longer works, and the menu commands must be used. I suspect this is by design, as Ctrl-E is also the "center text" shortcut key in a box.

Press Escape to select the text box, then your Ctrl E shortcut should work to change the text box properties.

Since the Properties Toolbar is so useful, it might be nice to be able to change the shortcut key for it (Ctrl-E) to a single keystroke - maybe one of the unused F keys. I see no way to change it in the Customize Commands section, but maybe I am just missing it.

That seems to be a bug. One used to be able to change the shortcut to show/hide the properties toolbar, via customise, and right-click on the View, Toolbars submenu. My shortcut is Shift P, but it is greyed out and cannot be changed. The command "Show/hide properties toolbar" does not appear on the list of commands.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Duplicate Post

[Arnold]

Yes, I am aware that pressing escape selects the text box itself and de-selects the text itself, thereby re-enabling the Ctrl-E shortcut key. The text I use the cloud tool for is rectangular, and a polygon is not needed. The rectangle tool works far better with the additional selection nodes.

[Vasyl - PDF-XChange]

Hi, all.

The command "Show/hide properties toolbar" does not appear on the list of commands.

This command will be added to commands list, you will be able to customize shortcut for this command.
Wait for next build..

Thanks.