BackShader

Unbound Creativity

using a unique and incredibly simple Graphical User Interface, the BACKSHADER XTension allows you to intuitively and interactively modify the settings of paragraph rules.

Its settings dialog can be substitued for QuarkXPress’ own dialog.

Not only does BACKSHADER allow you to easely set paragraph rules, but it does so by also allowing you to use values way beyond those allowed by QuarkXPress’s standard dialog.

Among other highly useful features of BACKSHADER is the ability to apply the rules’ setting to a style sheet; this is called the “rebound”feature.

Getting Started

Copy the file BackShader into the folder XTension within the folder containing the QuarkXPress application.

Using the XTension

Place the insertion caret within the paragraph you wish to modify.

From the Utilities menu, select the item BackShader.

note: depending on your preferences,you may also open BACKSHADER ’s dialog by using QuarkXPress’keyboard shorcut [Command-Shift-N].

BACKSHADER introduces a new concept in dialog buttons: the Click&Drag.

All such buttons in the dialog present these behaviours:

- click a button and drag the mouse in one direction or another until the desired effect is displayed,

- click a button while pressing the key to reset that button’s value -- the icons of buttons that accept a reset action will reflect this feature as soon as the key is pressed,

- click a button while pressing the key so as to link that button’s action to both rules -- buttons that accept a link action will be highlit as soon as the key is pressed,

- click a button while pressing the key in order as to coordinate the function of two different buttons -- the icons of buttons that accept such action will change as soon as the key is pressed,

Note that it is allowed to press the + keys so as to group the actions of two buttons onto both rules, or to press the + keys in order as to reset the values of that button for both rules.

The Control

BackShader’s dialog is divided into 4 distinct parts:- Command Buttons,

- (infos)

- Control Buttons,

- Current Values’ list.

- the OK Button,

- the Cancel Button,

- the Rebound to Style Button,

- the Presets Button/popup menu,

- the Preferences Button.

- the rule selection button,

- the rule width button,

- the rule offset button,

- the rule left and right margins buttons,

- the rule length type button,

- and the rule style, color and tint popup menus.

The Current Values’s List

OK Button

Click this button to cancel all changes, including any “rebound”changes to stylesheet.

Cancel Button

Rebound Button

Should the selected paragraph be layed-out using a style sheet, BACKSHADER enables you to “rebound”the current rules’s settings to the style sheet, and hence with a single click observe the results of the settings on the visible part of the document (or scroll around the document using the powerful Scroll Button).Presets popup Menu BACKSHADER features a popup menu that offers a few preset rule settings, instantly calculating the precise rule widths for different effects.

Note however that since we are dealing with absolute values, multiple paragraph selection will cause the width of rules being based on the height of the first paragraph of the selection.

• sets up the rules in a way as to fill the paragraph’s background with the selected color; the text is forced to white.

• sets up hairline rules above and below the current paragraph.

• positions a rule below the paragraph, serving as a colored underline, with a width you can modify to suit your needs.

Reverse Text

Underline

Backshade

• will setup a backdrop to the current paragraph, adjusted to its height.

Backshade + underline

• will setup a backdrop to the current paragraph, adjusted to its height and underlined by a hairline.

Preferences Button

The settings are:

- the choice of the display and default input units; the selected unit will be used for displaying all values in the dialog; the “QuarkXPress”unit will display each value according to its setting in the QuarkXPress Preferences dialogs.

- whether to intercept keyboard shortcuts to QuarkXPress’ Paragraph

Rule Selection Button

Tab

The Width ButtonThis button allows you to set the width of the current rule(s).

Click the button and drag the mouse upwards to thicken the rule’s stroke, or downwards to reduce it.The above rule thicken upwards, away from the text’s baseline; the rule below thicken downwards.

During the drag the rule’s thickness is constantly displayed next to the button.

— By pressing the key, you will modify both rules’ widths proportionnally to their individual widths (note that in this case the values aren’t displayed).

— Pressing both and will reset both rules’ width / activation.

The Offset Button

Click the button and drag the mouse in the required direction; the offset value is displayed throughout the dragging.

— By pressing the key, you will modify both rules’ offsets proportionnally to their individual offsets (note that in this case the values aren’t displayed).

— Pressing the key, the rule’s offset will be reset to its anchor baseline.

— Pressing both and will reset both rules’ positions.

The Margin Buttons

Click the button and drag the mouse in the required direction; the offset value is displayed throughout the dragging.

Note that BACKSHADER allows you to set negative values so that you can create rules that are outset from the text they are enhancing.

— Pressing the key, will assign that value to both rules (note that in this case the values aren’t displayed).

— Pressing the key, the rule’s margin will be reset.

— Pressing both and will reset both rules’ margin.

— By pressing the key, you will combine both margins, adding the key will bind both rules’ margins and the whole paragraph backdrop will shift to follow the drag.

In the latter case, note that for multi-lined paragraphs, the rule above will take on the first line’s width, and the rule below will depend on the width of the paragraph’s last line.

This is an “on/off” button, each click will select the other type; the choices are:

to use the text length,

to use the paragraph indents.

The rule Style, Color and Tint Popup Menus These popup menus allow you to select the rule style, color and tints; these are standard QuarkXPress menus.

— By pressing the key, you will modify both rules’ attributes

Note: QuarkXPress 4 ’s display mechanism exhibits a little quirk that makes the rules “disappear” when certain rule widths are assigned to dotted rules,this is only a display problem,the rule is still ‘there’; either select a different width,change the zoom factor or force a screen update.

The navigation controls allow you to scroll around the document and to change the viewing scale (zoom) while the BACKSHADER dialog is active.

This allows you to zoom in on an area of the text to precisely position / size the rules, or zoom back in order as to evaluate the result of the settings.

The navigation area can be collapsed (hidden) by toggling the visibility ( ) control.

— Pressing the key will cause the document to be displayed at a scale of 100% and positionned at the top of the current page.

This button allows you to zoom in / out onto the document under BACKSHADER ’s dialog.

Click the button and drag the mouse to the left to decrease the magnification, and to the right to increase it; the scale value is displayed throughout the dragging.

— Pressing the key will cause the document to be displayed at a scale of 100%.

The Current Values List

Just like the navigation zone,the list can be hidden by toggling its visibility ( ) control.

It holds the values for width, offset and margins of both rules; its content is aligned so as to display the relevant values of the current rule.

A double-click on a row will pop up an input dialog where you can enter the required value, in any units, and even include some basic arithmetic; it is also possible to assign the value to both rules.

Although BACKSHADER lifts the limits set by QuarkXPress’ Paragraph Rules dialog, we’re still dealing with basic QuarkXPress rules and their own limits.

Keep these points in mind :

Trapping

QuarkXPress does not allow you to set trapping behaviour for rules; they use whatever trapping has been set for the color they’re in.

In most cases this should cause no problems; there is however one case to watch out for:

- a thick black rule will simply overprint a colored box; an obvious solution would be to create a specific “black”and define its trapping.

Dotted rules

QuarkXPress 4’s display mechanism exhibits a little quirk that makes the rules “disappear” when certain rule widths are assigned to dotted rules, this is only a display problem, the rule is still ‘there’; either select a different width, change the zoom factor or force a screen update.

Values’ range

Given that BACKSHADER removes the limits on the various values of paragraph rules, be aware that such rules will be refused by the standard QuarkXPress Paragraph Rules dialog; they will continue to display and print, but you will not be able to modify them outside of BACKSHADER .

License

QUARK, INC. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE ENCLOSED COMPUTER SOFTWARE PACKAGE, ITS MERCHANTABILITY, OR ITS FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. QUARK DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES RELATING TO THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE PACKAGE. ALL OTHERWARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, COLLATERAL, MADE BY THE DISTRIBUTORS, RETAILERS OR DEVELOPERS OF THE ENCLOSED SOFTWARE ARE DISCLAIMED BY QUARK, UNCLUDING,WITHOUT LIMITATION, NON-INFRINGEMENT, COMPATIBILITY, OR THAT THE SOFTWARE IS ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ERRORS CAN OR WILL BE CORRECTED. SOME JURISDICTIONS, STATES, OR PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO PARTICULAR USERS.

REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, IN NO EVENT SHALL QUARK OR ANY ENTITY WHICH CONTROLS, IS CONTROLLED BY, OR IS UNDER COMMON CONTROL OF QUARK BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST TIME, LOST SAVINGS, LOST DATA, LOST FEES, OR EXPENSES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM INSTALLATION OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION IN ANY MANNER, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY. IN ANY EVENT, QUARK’S LIABILITY RELATING TO THE SOFTWARE SHALL BE LIMITED TO FIFTY DOLLARS ($50) OR THE AMOUNT PAID BY THE USER TO QUARK,WHICHEVER IS LESS.THESE LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY EVEN IF QUARK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF SUCH POSSIBLE DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS, STATES, OR PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION INCLUDED IN THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT MAY NOT APPLY TO PARTICULAR DEVELOPERS.

THIS PRODUCT WAS NOT WRITTEN OR REVIEWED BY QUARK.

Trademark Information

the alef logo and BackShader are trademarks of alef.

Quark, QuarkXPress and XTensions are registered trademarks of Quark, Inc. Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.

Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

Parts of this software © Metrowerks, Quark Inc.

© alef 2000