QuarkXPress 2016 has been unveiled - what about modal dialogs

[Johannes]

1. Most important: the modal box provides a clear and rational view settings for text or boxes, which allows to intelligently test the changes we want to do. For the user and the creator is an essential tool.

Hi Arthur68,

You can do the same using the measurement palette!
Just use alt-enter after changing any value (one or more)—and you see the result.
Just with the old modal boxes, but much better ’cause there is no big box in front of your layout so you cannot see the changed layout.
And this way it is much better, I think. Give it another try!

Best regards,
Johannes

[Arthur68]

And this way it is much better, I think.

But I (but WE) don't think that. In fact, I, and we, think it is a very wrong, very poor and very slow way to work.

Johannes: will you seriously injured or abused if Quark restore all the modal boxes, of course without remove the «wonderful» (for you, but for me and omany others: tiny and unreadable) icons in the inconvenient palette?

Hey, Matthias? No answer? Please... For an old customer...

[Ole]

I would also prefer the old modal dialog, but my biggest issue with the new paragraph palette is that the input fields are not in the same order as in the old modal dialogs and if you have used them thousands of times like I have you have to keep looking at the fields to check that you are at the right field before inputting. And where the old modal dialog is still in use, for instance when creating a new paragraph style, the order of the fields is the same as with Xpress 9. So tabbing between the fields in the new palette and the old modal dialog where they are still in use, the order is not the same. At least make the new palette have the same input field order as the modal dialog.

left indent
first line
right indent
line spacing
distance before
distance after

Regards
Ole

[Uzbad]

I just wanted to add that I'm appalled the modal dialogs are gone. I mean, how hard is it to keep dialogs that have been largely unchanged for 20 years (because they worked so well!!) as an option for users who don't want to use the rather inscrutable floating palette? We've been using Quark since version 3, and it just gets harder and harder to justify upgrading.

It's so odd to me that Quark chooses to REMOVE features, but still doesn't have something like a "search backwards" command?

Or that you can import footnotes from MS Word files only (not XPress Tags), but you can't export footnotes to MS Word.

Just weird design decisions.

[MGM]

I have to agree, the demise of the one shortcut that I use ALL THE TIME (Command-M) is a real PITA!
I have a real problem with this. I'm seriously thinking of going InDesign COMPLETELY!
THIS is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!!
what on earth are they thinking????
i use the Command M all the time!!!!
what a PAIN IN THE _SS AND ON THE EYES TRYING TO SEE THOSE TINY FIGURES IN THE MEASUREMENTS PALETTE!!!
THIS IS STONE COLD STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!
I really don't know who you're listening to, but it obviously isn't your loyal customers (I've been one since the 1990s)
What the H is wrong with you people?????
This is DRASTIC!

[MGM]

1707 VIEWS as I type for this topic - and this is not an issue???????
BRING BACK COMMAND-M (MODIFY BOX)

[MGM]

Im using an 27" imac and trying to see entries in the measurement palette is APITA! VERY FRUSTRATING. What would be wrong with just having a ON/OFF SWITCH for the use of modal boxes? I really don't see a problem with offering BOTH ways... if one wants to use the modal box method, check it on. If one doesn't want to use them, check them off! Modal boxes SHOULD be an OPTION! You have customers who've been using Quark for years and are very comfortable with the modal box method. If your "younger" users are fine with the new design, fine....but please don't ignore the requests of your LONGTIME loyal customers who find the new design CUMBERSOME. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

The point is this...when I press COMMAND-M I'm actually ASKING FOR A BOX TO OPEN. I WANT THE BOX TO OPEN! This is not some box that's obstructing anything, I ASKED FOR THE BOX. I CAN easily "See" the information that I enter, say OK and the box closes and I can see the results! These modal boxes do not appear randomly "as if they were annoying pop-ups" I ACTUALLY ENTER A KEY STROKE TO SEE THE BOX. I WANT TO SEE THE BOX. The elimination of these helpful data entry boxes defies logic.