Hi,
Has anyone seen this before? On the below screenshot in preview mode.
I used to be able to be able to still resize the box. Now for reason all my boxes has no resize handle in able to make changes to the size.
I think it might be related to the elements within my template. My other template doesnt do this. What is causing this anomaly? Currently on 2024.1.1
Thank you
Regards,
E
Hello @edanting, the reason for this is because, as of version 2024.1.n, Preview mode is now read-only when the option Evaluate Handlebars expressions is checked.
Tip: The option Evaluate Handlebars expressions can be found on the Sheet Configuration page of the Print Section Properties window.
We added this restriction in 2024.1 because unlike search-and-replace scripts, which apply to particular elements, automatic Handlebars evaluation applies to all content. Any changes in preview mode (the state after Handlebars evaluation) would be reverted when switching back to design mode (the state before Handlebars evaluation).
In future versions of Connect we expect preview mode to always be read-only, without exceptions, although it is not clear yet when this will go live.
Hi all,
Thank you for confirming. After removing the the handle bars , I indeed was able to get the my resize handle back.
@Sander I actually quite like able to change/resize boxes/divs while on preview mode. I wish this can be set as optional instead of global read only for the preview mode. Please please make it optional.
Thank you
Regards
E
Hi @edanting,
Allowing the user to modify arbitrary content in preview mode is unfortunately not an option, but I agree that being able to resize boxes in preview mode is quite useful.
We should be able to map changes in preview mode back to the state in design mode if we can uniquely identify the modified content, so we may be able to make an exception for boxes with a unique id. I’ll create a ticket and link it to this thread.
I always almost rely on the preview to actually see if there is any clipping on the boxes if I need to set them to “visible”. And also able to move them around not just resizing.
Even able to change text on preview mode is useful. This what makes designer really good.
If handlebars is causing issue allowing edits on preview. I think its good for user to have the option to avoid using handle bars if they want to edit on preview.
I think right now. Im happy to avoid handle bars if it means Im able to resize/move and or even alter the copy text in preview mode.
Thank you
Hi Sander,
We currently have version 2024.2.3, and I can see the ability to edit/resize/repositioning in preview is now gone. Even with the “Evaluate Handlebars Expression” option turned off.
Is there an option to enable this feature back?
Thank you
Hi @edanting,
That should not be the case, and I cannot reproduce it with 2024.2. Starting with a new print template, click the Insert Positioned Box toolbar button, and switch to preview mode. The box now has resize handles and can be moved and resized.
Resizing is disabled in preview mode if content is read-only in preview mode, and that is only the case if:
There is no option to change this behavior.
For the sake of completeness, resizing is also disabled if the Object Resizing toggle in the View menu is unchecked, and this is unchecked by default for web and email sections. This applies to both design mode and preview mode.
If none of this applies to your template, can you please submit a support ticket?
“In future versions of Connect we expect preview mode to always be read-only” referred to the Chromium-based version of Connect, not to 2024.x or 2025.x. The info is outdated, the latest Chromium-based build does allow boxes to be moved and resized in preview mode. We accomplished this by assigning a unique data-attribute to each resizable box, which allows us to map the state in preview mode back to design mode. There are currently no plans to backport this to the Gecko-based version of Connect, but I will at least create a ticket.
For anyone who is curious how this will work, the Chromium-based version of Connect is currently in Open Beta and we would greatly appreciate any feedback. You should be able to download it through the Web Activation Manager if you have an active license. Note that we recommend installing it on a VM.
