Feature req: Hand + Select tool SOLVED

[glocal]

In addition to the current arrangement, when the Select tool is on, the user could optionally have the benefit of the Hand tool functionality without switching tools. Eg dragging by right-clicking or by using some key/mouse-click combination (eg ctrl+left-click). See Grab and Drag addon for Firefox for possibilities.

I find having to switch tools and taking my eyes off what I am reading disrupts my workflow, so I just use the scrollbars, which is not ideal.

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi glocal,

Thanks for the post - I'll put this to the Dev. Team, to see what can be done. However, I suspect that it would be more feasible for users to use the up/down arrow keys, to scroll.

Cheers,

[Willy Van Nuffel]

I wonder if you have a 'wheel'-mouse ?
- You can scroll the wheel to go 'up' or 'down' in the text.
- You can push the wheel side-wards to the 'left' or to the 'right' to go that direction in the text
(especially when you have zoomed in).

This mouse-functionality works in PDF-XChange Editor:
- while the Hand Tool is active and also
- when the Select Text tool is active.

So, would you need more than this ?

Kind regards.

[glocal]

I was thinking mainly about left/right. There is a reason the Hand tool exists in various applications. To demonstrate, reduce the width of your window to half a page and try to read a paragraph scrolling left/right/up/down without using the Hand tool.

Mouse wheel, arrow keys, even the scroll bar scroll in steps. The Hand tool is more natural and allows finer movement in any direction. Using the arrow keys and the scroll bar also disrupts workflow because you have to move your focus, mouse pointer or hand away from what you are doing. I checked my various mouse wheels and they don't support left/right, so the functionality can't be anywhere near universal. Even if it was, is wouldn't be as natural as the Hand tool.

In short, if the Hand tool exists, I don't see why the Select tool shouldn't be easily but considerably enhanced with no loss of functionality elsewhere.

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi glocal,

The problem is that is that it may not really be feasible - the tool would only be able to function like a hand tool when there was no text underneath it. It also would force us to remove the ability to left-click and drag to select blocks of text.

As mentioned before, I will pass the suggestion along, but I cannot guarantee that this will be implemented.

Cheers,

[glocal]

It also would force us to remove the ability to left-click...

I suggested right-click or something like Ctrl+click. To clarify, right-click + move wouldn't interfere with the current functionality (opening the context menu). Right-click without movement would still open the context menu. The Grab and Drag addon I mentioned earlier does all these and more brilliantly:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... ag/?src=ss

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Maybe the idea to combine the Hand Tool and the Select Text tool is not so bad at all.

I see that, actually, while pressing the CTRL-key, there is no change in behavior when using one of these two tools.

So, what about the idea of when pressing the CRTL-key, while the Hand Tool is ON, it should work as the Select Text tool, and vice-versa, when pressing the CTRL-key, while the Select Text tool is active, this should work as the Hand Tool.

Another thing that may be handy, when using the Select Text tool, is the possibility to click at the beginning of a selection and then a SHIFT-click at the end, to select everything that is in between (same functionality as in Microsoft Word).

Thanks for considering our propositions.

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi guys,

The problem isn't one of possibility, but more practicality. It may be a rather lengthy implementation, to write in multiple functions for the same tool and, for now, it would be done for very little demand (this is the first request that I've seen). While I personally quite like the idea, I'm not so confident that the Dev. Team will.

I won't say too much more on it now, as I've really said all that I personally can. I'll pass the request along when I'm in the office tomorrow and will throw some ideas at them

Cheers,

[StoryBoarder]

My favorite handling is the one used by Photoshop and other graphics/ image/ DTP tools: You hold down the space bar to drag/pan the canvas with the mouse. Releasing the space bar toggles back to whatever tool you had been using before that.

[glocal]

The problem is that in text-viewing applications (eg browsers, PDF viewers) space/shift+space means page down/up. But ctrl+click is not very different anyway. After years of trying different options with my browser, I prefer right-click by far. It takes one hand and is the obvious alternative to left-click. Well, that's why these things are configurable.

[John - Tracker Supp]

[glocal]

I know it may not be a priority or the Devs may not like the feature, but is there an update on this?

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi glocal,

I'm afraid that I've not heard anything more. The Dev. Team have said that they would consider the implementation of this, or something similar, but they've been preoccupied with the release of build 316 and the development of Version 6.

Thanks,

[glocal]

I just realised this now works in 316 -- Space temporarily changes the Selection tool to the Hand tool. I would rather this key combination was user-configured but it works. Personally, I would prefer simply right-clicking (which I use with an addon in my browser).

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hi glocal,

"Learn something new every day!" I did not realize that this had been implemented yet.

I have looked and there is currently no way for the user to define the key-combination that activates this feature. I hope that using the space bar works well for you for the time being.

Cheers!

[David.P]

I just realised this now works in 316 -- Space temporarily changes the Selection tool to the Hand tool.

Wow, this works brilliantly! Thanks to glocal for the request and to the Dev team for implementation.

Cheers
David.P

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hi All,

Glad to hear you are happy with the feature!
By the way - the same key (space) is used by pretty much all other PDF applications, so that's why we have also implemented this one and not e.g. right click.

Regards,
Stefan

[vin]

hi ,this seems to work very well in viewer ,but in the editor version 5.5 and also 6 this doesnt work .badly missing this feature .. any way to get it working in editor ... holding space changes to hand tool but doesnt allow to drag in editor

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]

Hello Vin,

Please make sure that you have the latest Editor build:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... nge-editor

As I am unable to reproduce this here at my end.

The only way I managed to "reproduce" it is when I have 1 page (or Single page non continuous) in view and the whole page fits inside the rendering area of the Editor - simply because then there is nothing to move around.

Regards,
Stefan

[glocal]

Sorry to bring this up again, but I use Master PDF for Linux (no PDF-Xchange Editor for Linux unfortunately) which automatically switches from the Select to the Hand tool when you click on white space (ie where you can't select anything anyway). This works *remarkably* well, it's intuitive and only takes one hand.

I do realise that PDF-Xchange allows selection of whole blocks when you click on the margins, but the switch to the Hand tool could happen when you click close to the edge of the page or something like that.

I wouldn't revisit this if this didn't work so well. It becomes second nature really.

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hi glocal,

Thanks for the post. I will discuss this option with the dev team. I see in your previous post that holding Space did not allow you to drag the page of the document with the hand tool. Are you still seeing this issue?

If so, please go to Help>About and let us know what version and build you are running.

Thank you!

[glocal]

I see in your previous post that holding Space did not allow you to drag the page of the document with the hand tool. Are you still seeing this issue?

This works fine. Thanks.

[Radi - Tracker Supp]