Image placeholder - how not to stretch images by default

[cgokul]

Captivate 8.0.1.242 - Windows 7

How do I make the image placeholder to not to stretch images by default and rather when I add the image using the + symbol, it should maintain the aspect ratio of the image and resize only based on either width or height?

Or still maintain aspect ratio of the image but crop of the excess beyond the current placeholder size.

I want this by default as when I create my courses, my images vary in aspect ratios and sizes quite a bit. Thus investing time on each image through "edit image" in the properties isn't efficient.

[Lilybiri]

One of the reasons I never use image placeholders at all. Have no solution.

[cgokul]

Do you have any suggestions for what I can do instead? I just don't want to spend couple of minutes for each picture which obviously gets multiplied for each of the 3 different responsive views. This is lead to hours wasted for each course work. Am I forced to find only pictures of same aspect ratio and size for the future or is there any workaround?

[TLCMediaDesign · Accepted solution]

Like Lilybiri, we never use the placeholder either, but you can create Photoshop templates for your images that have the same canvas size as your placeholders. We have done this when we created templates for SME's to use in one of our series of courses. The images are scaled and cropped in Photoshop, quick and easy.

[Captiv8r]

And if you aren't a Photoshop user, just configure whatever image editor you like to use with the same aspect ratio and ensure your images are always created with that aspect ratio.

Cheers... Rick

[Lilybiri]

Same for me, I like to keep all images in one Photoshop file.

But for a responsive project, if you keep the size (and position) in %, you'll have only to check breakpoint views for tablet and mobile in case you want to change the layout. I can imagine this would be necessary for mobile, not always for tablet.

[iDoNotBelieveIt]

I have just come across this issue when experimenting with master slides, fluid boxes and Captivate 2017.  There appears to be no simple way to specify that the image place holder should maintain the aspect ratio of the image file.

Using your recommendation for using rulers and grids, I have managed to create a place holder of the correct aspect ratio that matches the image, so thank you Lieve .

This should be a feature request for a future version: maintain aspect ratio of the image, not the place holder.

[Lilybiri]

You already could read that I rarely use those Placeholders, exactly for that reason

Glad that my last blog post was helpful,  too many CP-users ignore how helpful Rulers and Guides can be.

[iDoNotBelieveIt]

Indeed!

It would also be useful to do the same for other media types e.g. video. It would save a lot of time if I could specify a master slide for video files that set properties like the type (event vs multislide), autoplay, skin etc.