[Ipe-discuss] behavior of `View -> Normal size'

René van Oostrum rene at cs.uu.nl
Wed Mar 12 17:18:39 CET 2003


Hi,

I find the behavior of `View -> Normal size' a bit counter-intuitive
at times. The view seems to be scaled from the center of the canvas,
and this is IMHO not always the best thing to do. Let me clarify this
with an example:

- start Ipe, and make its window large if it isn't
- start a new figure
- create an object near the center of the paper, and one in the
  top-left corner of the canvas
- choose `View -> Fit objects' (or press `=')
- choose `View -> Normal size' (or press `n')

Now, depending on the size of the Ipe window, the paper is positioned
too low, and too far to the right (well, to my taste): it could be panned
up and to the left a bit, so that the top of the paper is aligned with
the top of the canvas, and the left of the paper is aligned with the
left of the canvas. In this way, more of the paper area is visible.

I tried to formulate what, in my opinion, the `natural' behavior for
`View -> Normal size' should be (as far as panning is concerned), but
this is tricky. It depends on the size of the Ipe window, the bounding
box of the objects, and the relative location of this bounding box
w.r.t. the paper. What about this:

1) scale to the proper size, with the center of the canvas as the
   origin of the scaling.
2) If there is a horizontal and/or vertical translation that makes a
   larger part of the *bounding box* of the objects visible, then
   translate (and maximize the part of the bounding box that is
   visible).
3) If there is a horizontal and/or vertical translation that makes a
   larger part of the paper visible, then translate (and maximize the
   part of the paper that is visible), under the restriction that no
   part of the bounding box of the objects may be moved `out if sight'
   in this step. (Note that there may be objects outside the paper).

Does this make sense?

René 





More information about the Ipe-discuss mailing list