[Scribus] snap to grid, page grid, baseline grid

[Louis Desjardins]

2007/6/2, Claus Wilke <wilke at spamcop.net>:
>
> Hello,


Hi Claus,

could somebody explain me the purpose of the two different grids "page grid"
> and "baseline grid" and how "snap to grid" works? I am using scribus
> 1.3.3.7.


The baseline grid is mainly there to help you align your text from column to
column.

The page grid is there to help align any object on the page.

On top of those 2 grids you might find useful to use the Guide Manager to
help you set easily column guides including column gaps which are,
generally, in a page layout, your real important guides.

Someone else could phrase this with more nuance but in my personnal view,
the page grid is of not much help at least in the kind of work I do. In a
layout, the important vertical guides are margins, columns and column gaps,
while the important horizontal guides are set by margins and the baseline
grid (or the general linespacing you use). This is not to be meant as to
make anyone believe the page grid can't be of any use, of course.

First of all, I find it confusing that there are two grids, but only one
> "snap to grid". If I enable "snap to grid", to which grid does it snap? To
> both at the same time?


There are both snap to grid, one for the page grid (magnetic grid) and one
for the baseline grid (set in the Stylesheet) so your text will snap to that
baseline grid.

Second, even if I show both grids, it seems to me that "snap to grid" snaps
> to locations on neither grid. Consider the following use case: I want to
> produce a page with a checkerboard of black and white squares, each 1in x
> 1in. I would assume that I set up a page grid with major grid spacing of
> 1in, enable "snap to grid", and then can draw square shapes that align
> perfectly with the grid. However, that doesn't seem to be possible. I can
> get the upper left corner of a square shape to align with the grid, but
> the
> lower right corner usually falls onto a location that is not on the page
> grid (and neither on the baseline grid, as far as I can tell).
> Alternatively, I can get the lower right corner to align with the grid,
> and
> then the upper left doesn't. What is going on here?


I can't tell you what's wrong here but I can tell an easier way to achieve
this. You won't even have to bother about drawing a perfect square with your
mouse from the start!

   1. Draw any text or image frame or a shape anywhere on your page and
   then go to the Properties palette and give it the 1 inch square value you
   want. Set the position to 0 horizontal and 0 vertical (forget about your
   grid for the moment). Fill it in black.
   2. Go the Item > Multiple Duplicate and give a value of 1 for the
   number of copies and 1 inch horizontal and 0 inch vertical. OK.
   3. Click on that 2nd black object and make it white. You should now
   have 2 identical squares, one black, one white, side by side.
   4. Select both and go to the Item > Mutiple Duplicate again. Now give
   the value of 3 copies and 2 inches horizontal and 0 inch vertical. OK. You
   will be in front of the first row of your checkerboard (I assume we have a 8
   X 8 grid of alternate black and white squares of 1 inch each). From the
   first set of 2 squares you made 3 copies that will add to the first set,
   yielding 8 squares.
   5. Now select this first row all together and go again in the Item >
   Multiple Duplicate and put 7 as the number of copies, 0 inch horizontal and
   1 inch vertical. OK. Your checkerboard is done.
   6. Select all those squares and group them. Position them where you
   want on your page

I hope this helps,

Louis

The attached screenshot shows how I can create a square that is either
> smaller or larger than my unit grid cell, but none with the correct size.


There might be another grid (I think there is a small grid and a large grid)
... so one must be activated? Can't be sure of this at present time. Anyone
else?


Thanks for any help,
>   Claus
>
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