Keynote 9 and objects alignment problems

Why keynote does not align object using the first one selected as stated in the user guide?

It will rather use the highest one for top, the lowest one for bottom and a ponderate value for all objects for middle.


Same problem for left center right.


If I do align top with an order like (1 being the 1st selected, 2 the 2nd and 3 the 3rd).



2 1 2 3

1 I end up with Rather than 1 2 3

3


If I do align top with

3 2 3 1

2 I end up with Rather than

1 2 3 1


Can this be changed somewhere?


This is just not logical at all. The first object should be the reference for the alignment.


There also is a problem with distribution, it uses the farthest left and the farthest right in Horizontal distribution rather

than first and last selected.


This is against the documentation.


Cheers.


Joffrey.

Posted on Jul 30, 2012 9:27 AM

Reply
5 replies

Jul 30, 2012 12:20 PM in response to MaDMojO

Keynote uses the alignment to the "frame" of the shape rather than the text within the object - if you just type a single character in a shape and align to top, you will see it moves it to the top of the frame, center (normal) and bottom to the bottom of the frame. It is not aligning the characters to each other but to the relative position within the shape.


NB. This happens inside shapes but not inside text boxes.


See the Text Inspector > Color & Alignment


Try it and you will see how this works

Jul 30, 2012 10:52 PM in response to MaDMojO

If you use the guides available in Keynote, the manual alignment of objects to their tops or bottoms or centers is a snap. The guides will even show you when the objects are evenly distributed. I find that the align top/ align bottom/ align center (left/right) formating is nice to quickly line things up, but usually some objects need a nudge here and there. Not really rocket science, but it allows you to get on with the more important things. Your audience won't be measuring with levels and plumbobs, they will be much more interested in what you have to say.


To turn on the guides: Keynote Preferences > Rulers > Alignment and Center Guides & Object Spacing & Sizing = checked


User uploaded file

Good Luck.

Jul 31, 2012 1:35 AM in response to bwfromspring hill

Hello.


Thanks for your reply. Indeed, these alignment guides are a powerful and great tool that I use all the time.

Nevertheless when it comes to aligning a big amount of shapes, I can't be bothered doing it one by one.


In the manual of Keynote 09' it is written page 89 and 90:


"

Quickly Aligning Objects Relative to One Another

You can use menu commands to quickly move objects on the same slide in alignment or space them equally apart. First, you must select all the objects you want to align (hold down the Shift or Command key as you click each object to select it).

To align selected objects:

m To align the objects with each other, choose Arrange > Align Objects and then choose one of the alignment options in the submenu.

Left: Positions objects so that their left edges align vertically to the first object you select.

Center: Positions objects so that their centers align vertically to the first object you select.

Right: Positions objects so that their right edges align vertically to the first object you select.

Top: Positions objects so that their top edges align horizontally to the first object you select.

Middle: Moves objects vertically so that their centers align horizontally to the first object you select.

Bottom: Positions objects so that their bottom edges align horizontally to the first object you select.

"


There is a discrepency between the manual and what Keynote actually does.


I know there are lots of way to circumvent this alignment problem, I would just want to know if there is a place, in a config file, may be where this can be switch from topper to first one for example in case of an align top.


Any other tools such as Omnigrafle, Axure, Visio, Adobe suites, you name it, do it using the first selected object. I whish Keynote would act as expected.

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Keynote 9 and objects alignment problems

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