Fun With FantaMorph

First let me say that I AM LOVING THIS NEW VERSION 5! Again, hands down, bar none, the best morphing software out there -- real life run-don't-walk to get it software at a bargain of a price. And you can quote me on that.

Now, just a quick suggestion for more intuitive clicking controls:

Only two control icons, ZOOM and DOTS, can replace the work of six, simplifying the interface while making the editing/viewing process even easier:




Click on a combo zoom/magnifying glass/hand icon. Not minus, plus, or hand - just zoom (with a hand in the background). To zoom in, left click. To zoom out, right-click. Simple. Click-drag an image to pan-drag, and you're all set!

Likewise, have just a "DOT" icon. Not minus, plus, or arrow for control. Just a single icon. Left click to add a dot, right click on a dot to delete it, click-drag on a dot to move it, or else click drag a selection of dots if rubberbanded or group selected. Likewise, right click on a selected group "line" of dots to delete that group. Left click a blank area to separate from a group, right-clicking in a blank area to add a first dot to a new group if the group option is selected.

Having it set up this way would cut way down on a lot of back-and-forthing between editing and viewing modes.


EDIT: Oh, and if the rotate/skew controls could be more like Illustrator and Photoshop that would be great. Less back and forth to menus for control. So instead of going to the menu to select Rotate, for example, just hover over the far outside area slightly away from a corner (as opposed to directly on a corner handle) - this would just change the edit mode indicator to rotate. Likewise, hovering over one of the border lines of a selection would change the control mode (and indicators) to SKEW.

Many thanks for your nice words to FantaMorph 5. We are working hard to make it better and better.

Also, many thanks for your professional suggestions for more intuitive clicking controls. We'll keep improving this product to make it more easy and comfortable to use. Maybe in a future version, you'll find your suggestions become true.
If you have any suggestions, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Alright, I'm feeling might stupid right now. I just realized, after using the latest version for a long time, that you don't have to use the menu system to select Scale, Rotate, Skew and Flip. Just right click on a selection and the context menu is right there, allowing you to alternate between any of those control modes very quickly with a simple right click.

Didn't know that!

Anyway, posting this for those who might be reading, and who, like me, are looking for faster, more efficient ways to use the product.

Other than that, just an add-on to the original suggestion: User customizable shortcut keys for any menu item for which a shortcut key has not been created, and not in use by the operating system. For example, I would use CTRL-R for Rotate, CTRL-K for Skew.

Cheers once again for an amazing product, I recommend it both constantly and enthusiastically.

Again, than you for the suggestion about customizable shortcut keys for any menu item.

I'll keep a running list here of things I'd like to see, in order of personal preference.

DOT AND GROUP SELECTION:

• Reset dots/groups of dots: CTRL-CLICK or CTRL-ALT-CLICK (resets clicked dots or 'line connected' dot groups to their base positions on the "Morph To" screen)
• "Paste-and-Place" WITH relative morph tracks (modified version of existing CTRL-V): Copied dots are pasted onto the screen, as they are now, but automatically surrounded by a "transform/selection" box. The dots may then be transformed at will and/or placed wherever desired. Clicking outside the selection area places them wherever they are, with all of the corresponding (relative) morph tracks applied to the "Morph To" screen.
• "Paste-and-Place" WITHOUT morph tracks (CTRL-ALT-V suggested): Copied dots are pasted onto the screen surrounded by a "transform/selection" box as before, but clicking outside the selection area places them wherever they are, as if each dot/group was "ALT-CLICKED" into place (i.e., dots are in the same positions in the "Morph To" screen)
• Poly lasso selection tool: (like rubberband, only click-click-click to form a shape until closed)
• Select/deselect multiple dots and/or groups of dots: SHIFT-CLICK dots and/or lines

VIEWING:

• Zoom in/out: CTRL +/- (from any screen or view - there are currently no zoom or pan features selectable from the Preview Only screen)
• PAN - (hand move): RIGHT-CLICK drag
  
  Feature Request: Selecting dots on one screen automatically highlights and selects dots on all screens (i.e., you can select on one screen, but edit that selection from either screen). Reason: Sometimes I have a dozen dots grouped together at a single point on the Morph To screen, making individual dot selection impossible. It would be great if I could select a dots or line group(s) on the main screen and then edit from the Morph To screen.
  
  Also, it would be nice if the preview/morphing screen would show or highlights any selection or editing control (perhaps only during hover, selection or edit) for easy visual reference. Hovering from the preview screen highlighted

+1 on the Simplified Click Controls, would be nice for this to get implemented pretty soon.