Collapse Button & Text Orientation in Text: Rich

There are times when working in Text: Rich where I’ve had the toolbar blocking text making it difficult to work. Here is an example:

Wanting to do anything like change the color of any of the text in the “10 facts about the Great” section is hard because the toolbar is in the way. I was thinking that the best solution is to add a collapse button as the last button after the “Insert Indent” button. You press that button and the whole toolbar will close leaving only one button in the upper left corner to open the toolbar again. So if I want to change the color of the word “facts” in that sentence, I could collapse the toolbar, highlight “facts”, open the toolbar again, change the color and perhaps collapse the toolbar again just to get a better look at the change.

The 2nd suggestion is to add to the right click menu a text orientation option. Gimp has this option in their right click menu for their text feature:

Aside from given more options for styling, this is most useful for working with other languages that have a different text orientation than English like for example Eastern languages that are traditionally written vertically.

Finally, one question:
This isn’t a suggestion for a feature to be added. I’m only curious if the technology that is used for the Text: Rich filter would allow for a future implementation of not only adding letter and word spacing controls but also the ability to keyframe letter and word spacing animations?

I was experimenting with the toolbar in Text Rich yesterday, and noticed that you have to have enough room in the default viewer for the toolbar to be above the text. None of the layout presets accommodate any room for the Text Rich editor to be above the preview.
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Hi @drm and @Hudson555x - Just to add, that on seeing that the toolbar covered the first line of text, my first instinct was to drag the boundary box downwards with the centre button. The boundary box can then be re-positioned after editing has been done. However, I do like the idea of a collapsing toolbar.

https://streamable.com/4axv4e

That would be cool. Maybe you could do something like this (I did this with Text:HTML):

https://streamable.com/q3cwjb

I was also wondering if text “leading” (ie increasing or decreasing the vertical distance between lines of text) could be added as an option, as it is in Serif PagePlus?

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Et puisqu’on en est aux suggestions, ajouter un paramètre “Marges” pour éloigner le texte des bords du cadre, comme cela existe dans Text: Simple.

And since we’re at the suggestions stage, add a “Margins” parameter to move the text away from the edges of the frame, as in Text: Simple.

J’attends avec impatience que @Elusien ait un peu de temps pour rendre un peu moins indigeste l’utilisation du HTML. Il faut bien admettre que le résultat est là.

I’m looking forward to @Elusien having some time to make the use of HTML a little less indigestible. Admittedly, the result is there.

I agree; I like your suggestion.

I’m only curious if the technology that is used for the Text: Rich filter would allow for a future implementation of not only adding letter and word spacing controls but also the ability to keyframe letter and word spacing animations?

There are some things in the API such as text outline that I could not get working. But also its HTML Subset does not show anything about outline either, and we depend on that for the project file. So, things cannot be assumed from a casual look at the API. Also, none of this HTML can be exposed to the MLT properties and keyframes animation framework. I think it will be easier to add more effects to the engine of the Text: Simple filter.

It depends on the aspect ratio of the video mode relative to the player area.

I agree that is very sensible.

I have 2 monitors both of 1920x1080, and used Shotcut full screen to test. Neither monitor is high DPI.

I went through 720p, 1080p, 4k, Vertical, Square (all 60fps) video modes, and tried all 6 of the Layout presets, with resolution images of 1920 x1080, 1440 x 1080, and 1080x1920. None of which had the toolbar above the VUI.
shotcut_2020-09-22_20-06-17

The only way that I know how to get the toolbar above the VUI is to manipulate layout or to manipulate Background size and/or Position. Maybe there is something very obvious I am missing here.

It’s no big deal to move the UI around to have the toolbar at the top, but new people just starting with Shotcut wanting to use the Text Rich editor may not know about moving the UI to get the toolbar above the preview despite any preset video layout there is.

Just so I’m clear, I’m speaking of having the Text Rich tool bar above the VUI in the preview screen like this:
shotcut_2020-09-22_20-14-34
Instead of having the toolbar nested inside the VUI like this:
shotcut_2020-09-22_20-14-58

I know, but I am not referring to the default workspace layouts. Those change quickly. It simply depends on the window’s panel arrangement outside of defaults. If there is enough space above the video region, the toolbar will go there. It helps if you use View > Show Small Icons.

Just so I’m clear, I’m speaking of having the Text Rich tool bar above the VUI in the preview screen like

To make it appear there always I would have add some empty reserved space in the player that does nothing even when this filter is not displayed because the filter cannot control the player’s layout. I am not willing to add that empty space yet. People will complain that there is empty space above the player they cannot get rid of.

howd you got the font and stuff in the top?

Just a thought… What if the Text: Rich toolbar was located in the Filters tab ?

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It is an OK thought, but it is not possible without a lot of ugly and potentially buggy code to make the components communicate across boundaries.

I understand. Last thing we want is ugly and buggy code :slight_smile: Thanks.

Yes, exactly. What I want to suggest. If the Text parameters are in filter tab, then it would be easier to handle and for adding more features in future for example adding keyframes buttons, letter spacing, line height etc.

I added expand and collapse for the next version. Also, it will switch to small icons automatically if the width of the video area is narrower than the toolbar.

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