Requested custom selection: reverse ratio

[jazzman]

I am cropping images preparing to have them printed at a photo lab. I am using custom ratio for setting a selection and frequently need to swap between portrait and landscape selection/cropping.

Now here's the idea: It would be useful to have a "1/x" button to toggle the custom ratio between, for example, 1.46 and 0.68 (see screenshot below)




BTW: I can enter more than 2 decimal places in the custom ratio field, which are then shortened to 2. Does anyone else think too, that 3 decimal places would be useful in a world of images that are several thousand pixels wide? Are the standard ratios, such as 2:3 also calculated to only 2 deciaml places?

[Mij]

I support this in principle, Jazzman, but would it not be better to just be able to exchange the Width and Height values. It would then be useful for the Standard ratio or None options as well as for Custom ratios. Perhaps a double headed arrow as in my screenshot that you could click on to exchange the values.

[jazzman]

Thanks Mij,
Yes, in fact that leads me to a combination of both:
Click on the double arrow to reverse the sizes.
If, under set ratio, None is chosen, that is the end of it.
If a fixed ratio, like 3:4, is chosen then that too is reversed
If custom ratio is chosen, then that number is reciprocated.

[Mij]

I think it would be useful to have it available under all options including None. That is after all the option you must choose if you want to use saved values or ones already displayed.
Exchanging the Width and Height values just flips the selection between a landscape and a portrait version of the same sized box. I would suggest that when the dialog opens or a different option is chosen the values are set initially just as they are at present. Clicking the double arrow then flips the box to the other version (portrait or landscape), or back if you click it again. I think users would find that concept rather easier to understand than talking about reciprocals of ratios.

PS.This is just my suggestion. I am away for the rest of the week, so now leave it up to you or any other users who want to post their views .

[jazzman]

I think we mean the same thing, Mij, so I try to be a bit clearer:

Click on the double arrow (or call it 'swap' or 'rotate by 90 degrees' or whatever) to reverse the sizes. This will exchange the values in the height/width boxes, as suggested by Mij. - At the same time, the ratio settings will be swapped, unless the radio buttons None or Actual Ratio have been selected (in which case there is no ratio to reverse):

If, under set ratio, None is chosen, that is the end of it.
If a fixed ratio, like 3:4, is chosen then that too is reversed
If custom ratio is chosen, then that number is reciprocated.

[Mij]

Yes I agree, Jazzman.
I was hoping that others might have contributed ideas while I was away. There are a number of ways that I think the Custom selection dialog could be improved but I do believe that it is important to understand how others use a feature before asking Irfan to make changes.

[jazzman]

...
BTW: I can enter more than 2 decimal places in the custom ratio field, which are then shortened to 2. Does anyone else think too, that 3 decimal places would be useful in a world of images that are several thousand pixels wide? Are the standard ratios, such as 2:3 also calculated to only 2 deciamal places?

Partially implemented:
IV does now retain 5 digits overall, which can be split into pre- and post-decimal point; e.g. 1.2345 or 12.345

For reversing the custom ratio I still have to use a calculator ´:0/