Pull Shapes doesn't list PDF within Shapes folder

[thinkinmonkey]

Hi all,
my configuration is:
Windows XP SP2
Java 6 update 7

If I put a .pdf file in the main shapes folder, i.e. not in a folder with the same name, Alchemy uses those shapes in drawing but it doesn't put the name of .pdf file in the list of available shapes.
Could you confirm it?
Is it possible just to have the .pdf files as they are in the main shapes folder without creating a folder with same name every time? It's a bit annoying...
I hope it's been useful, your application rocks!

[Karl DD]

Hi,

That is the way it is made in order that you can group multiple PDF files together and have them come up on the main menu.
Depending how you like to organise stuff it may or may not be the best way to do it.
Currently only ONE FOLDER or ALL FOLDERS can be selected at a time, see this post: ideas/topic121.html?hilit=pull#p453
So it might be an idea to rework this system entirely and have individual PDF files selectable rather than folders.

Let me move this to the planned ideas forum...

Karl

[thinkinmonkey]

Hi Karl,
now it's more clear to me: creating one folder I have the chance to group pdf file.
Well, it's a nice choice of design, even if you have to duplicate files to have more combination.
But, instead of this, you could have a list of shapes but with checkboxes so the user can choice what he prefers and, maybe, it can save useful combinations of checked choices in voices that are in the upper part of that list and all this can be saved in XML file that can be also edited by hand and you have no more to create folders: just an idea.
Thanks again for your time.

[Karl DD]

Sounds good.
People really care to edit xml tho?

[thinkinmonkey]

Well, artists don't care, but you should write down in some manner their shapes combinations to be used for next session.
Using XML could be an idea just to make things more manageable for programmers and, maybe in the future, having the chance to add more features.
For example, I've the shapes of bones and that of guns: I'd like to use both for particular fashion, BUT I'd like to have bones just as lines, because they are crazy on their own, let's say, and guns always as solid shapes with a tint red and with 50% transparent for every shape with dimension minor than X pixels, both get smaller and opaque when pen draws faster. So you can write all of this in a XML format that is simple to be read and written.
Well, another idea should be to have a shape editor to achieve that, without making it by hand, but take all that as a simple idea, not a request, the software is enough funny and incredible as it is now.