#8: Macro - "Offsetter". - Eskimo's Macros and More - Blogs

Sun, May 26 2019

What is Offsetter?

Offsetter is a macro that can offset a guideline or a two-node line by a specified distance.

In this context, "offset" means moving the line - or creating a duplicate of the line - a specified distance in a direction that is at a right angle to the direction of the line.

See Offsetter in use.

Here, guidelines are first manually snapped to the quadrants of an ellipse, then offset by a specific distance using Offsetter:

Here, Offsetter is used to offset vertical, horizontal, and angled guidelines by various distances:

Here, Offsetter is used to create duplicates of horizontal, vertical and angled two-node lines, offset by various distances:

Here, a number of two-node lines are created by snapping to nodes of a shape. Offsetter is then used to offset those lines toward the inside of the shape in preparation for creating a new shape using Smart Fill:

Screenshot:

Using the macro.

Offsetter works with guidelines and with two-node lines. In this context, "two-node line" means an object with these characteristics:

It is a Curve shape.
It has only two nodes.
It is a Line segment.

When the Offsetter form is visible, and a single guideline or two-node line is selected, then two buttons on the form are enabled. Which two buttons are enabled depends on the orientation of the selected line. The letters on the buttons are abbreviations for the direction of offset - UL for "Up and Left", U for "Up", R for "Right, etc.

When a button is clicked, the selected line is repositioned - or, if Duplicate is checked, a duplicate is created at that position.

When the macro is used to create a duplicate, and Select Duplicate is checked, then the duplicate is selected. If it is unchecked, then the original object is selected.

Using the Comboboxes.

The boxes for numeric entry are comboboxes. The drop-down list for a combobox can contain values stored for convenient access. If a combobox is not locked, then when a value in that
combobox is used by the macro, that value is added to the top of the list. If an existing value is used from the list, then that value is moved to the top of the list. Values can also be manually added to the list.

Ctrl+clicking on a combobox sets that combobox to its default value.

Right-clicking on a combobox brings up a menu of options for managing it.

These options may include:

Setting the combobox to its default value.
Defining the default value for the combobox.
Adding a value to the list.
Deleting a value from the list.
Sorting the list.
Clearing the list.
Locking or unlocking the list. When locked, new values are not added, and the order of values within the list is not changed when an existing value from the list is used.
Enabling or disabling Auto-select for the combobox. When Auto-select is enabled, then the text in the box is automatically selected when the box is entered.
Setting whether trailing zeros are shown.
Changing the number of decimal places used for values in the combobox.
Specifying the units.

Units of Distance.

For a combobox that represent a distance, values are applied by the macro in whatever units (inches, millimeters, etc.) are shown beside the combobox. Those units can be specified by the user through the right-click context menu.

If “Follow Horizontal Ruler Units” is chosen, then the units for the combobox are the same units that are in use in the document for the horizontal ruler. If those units are changed in the document, then the macro automatically changes the units in the combobox to match.

Although this documentation makes references to “the list” for the combobox, there is not necessarily only one list. The combobox maintains a separate list for any unit that is used in it. When units for the combobox are changed, then the list associated with those units is loaded. The number of decimal places, and also whether a list is locked or not, are things that are handled independently for each list.

A Video Describing and Demonstrating the Special Features of My ComboBoxes:

Offsetter Subs in the Macro Manager.

Start_Offsetter launches Offsetter if it is not already open.
Toggle_Offsetter launches Offsetter if it is not already open, and closes it if it is already open. Assign this sub to a command button or shortcut key to have a one-click or one-keystroke way to call/dismiss Offsetter.
Remove_Offsetter_Registry_Entries removes all Registry entries that have been created by Offsetter. The next time that Offsetter is used, these entries will be created again, so this sub can be used to get a “fresh start” with default values and settings.
Offsetter normally remembers the position of the form on the screen. If the computer display configuration has been changed in such a way that the remembered position is “off the screen”, then Reset_Offsetter_StartUpPosition can be used to reset the position to “Center Owner”.

Compatibility.

Offsetter was put together in a CorelDRAW X7 environment, and should work in versions X7-2020.

OK, where's the macro?

JQ_Offsetter_Current.zip (most recently updated 2021-07-16).

That includes the .GMS file and a simple icon that can be used on a CorelDRAW Toolbar.

Please note that, starting with the version released on 2020-05-09, this macro uses a different scheme for storing combobox value lists and some preferences in the Registry. If you have been using an older version of this macro, those "old" value lists and preferences will not be there when you use the newer version. If you want to "clean out" those old entries that are not used by the newer version of the macro, the best way to do so is to run the Remove_Offsetter_Registry_Entries sub, which will set the macro back to its default values.