Program Settings

In “Settings” on the main menu bar, there are some basic settings for the Bob Designer Pro software where you can make changes.

If you are not an experienced computer user and everything is working the way it should, it is a good idea to leave the settings as they are. Some options are only available if specific products are available.

If one of the options described here is not listed in your software, the corresponding photo product is therefore not available.

The left side of the option window is subdivided into various sections.

"General"

Appearance

User interface: In 5 different shades of grey, you can set the background of the workplace here.

System Dialogs
"Start assistant for photo books automatically"

Specifies whether or not you want to be given the option to create a photobook using the Wizard tool.
If you prefer to always create your photobooks manually, you can permanently turn off the Wizard here.

"Photo Sources"

Preferred location for photos
Select a folder with which to start the Photo Explorer (left)

Here you can define the so-called home directory, a directory where the file browser should start looking for photos.
The default is "My Pictures" (the path may look different).
Click on the "Browse" button to open a directory map, where you can select a different directory.

Related resources

Define what cloud services you are shown in the photo Explorer that you have stored online photo collections.

View Options in Photo Explorer

"Show file names" - Here you can set the option if the photos are displayed with their file names in Photo Explorer. By default this is switched off.

"Editor"

Storyboard

Set which position the Storyboard window is displayed.
"Automatic" determines the storyboard to the position that you remain the ultimate space for your workspace in the editor.

Positioning Aids
Position Photos and Clipart automatically if they are too close to the edge?

This is to set the behaviour of an inserted picture if it is too close to the margin.

Usually if a photo is too near to the edge, it may cause issues in production so we advise to leave enough space

Position the text automatically when it is too close to the edge?

To set the behaviour of a text field, if it is too close to the margin.

How would you like clipart to be positioned when the layout is changed?

To set the behaviour of the clipart when the page gets a different page layout.

What will happen when changing the layout of maps?

To set the behaviour of the generated maps, when the page gets a different page layout.

Show tool tips

When you have too many elements in your photo book, so-called "tool tips" appear when you leave your mouse inactive for a while. These tooltips can be switched on and off here.

Advanced position information while moving objects

If this option is turned on, a special tool tip displaying position and size information of a selected placeholder appears when moving or resizing a photo.

When changing the selection, jump to the layout, which is to the left or top of the product.

When changing to a different side of your photo product offers the choice of site layouts only the layout that corresponds to the current number of photos or photo placeholders on the respective page.
This sets whether the current layout selection made is retained.

Display a warning when deleting a QR Code (for videos)

If this checkbox is active, then you will be warned when you delete a QR code that the corresponding video will not be uploaded.

Auxiliary Grid and Magnetic Alignment
Draw auxiliary grid

Here you can enable and disable the display of the auxiliary grid.

Gridline spacing

To set the distance of the grid lines.

Colour and Line Thickness

To set a better visibility of the grid lines.

Align objects to other objects on the Auxiliary Grid

Turn on or off the "Snap" function.
If this is turned on, then snaps element vertically and horizontally in line with other elements in a moving or resizing.
With switched auxiliary grid element snaps at his crossing points.

Sensitivity

Use the slider to set how close an object when you move to the edges of the other elements or the grid has to come so that it clicks into place.

Spell Check

Switch automatic spell check on or off.

"Photo Enhancements"

Automatic Image Optimisation within the software

Here you can set up "Red-eye Correction" for images that need retouching. You can also choose to toggle this individually per image. When a photo is taken with flash on, the program recognizes the EXIF data, which in turn will prompt the "Red-eye Correction" tool by default.

Automatic Image Optimisation for photos in the lab
Apply Automatic Image Optimisation to all new images.

You can use the "Automatic image optimization" or turn it off completely.
Especially for images that have been processed by an image editing program (read from the metadata of the photo), you can set whether this prompt will appear for each image, no image or all images.

Automatic red-eye correction.

Whether the "red-eye correction" will once again performed in the laboratory, can be switched on and off here.

Behaviour when inserting photos

Here we provide for various photo products options to affect the behaviour of the photo placeholder if the aspect ratios of photo place holder and an inserted picture do not match.

You can set the behaviour for multiple products separately.

"Maintain frame size, crop and centre the photo"

Sets the image centred in the photo place holder, without changing the aspect ratio of the frame (see picture below middle). Protruding parts of the photo are no longer visible. You can move the photo inside the photo placeholder to bring important image content in the visible range.

"Change size of the photo placeholder, so that the picture fills the frame perfectly"

Fits the photo placeholder aspect ratios of the photo (see below right). The longest side of the photo is optimally scaled in the frame.

Examples:

Empty photo placeholder

Leerer Fotoplatzhalter

Maintain frame size

Rahmengröße beibehalten

The original photo is cropped by the photo placeholder

Change photo placeholder

Fotoplatzhalter verändern

The photo place holder assumes the aspect ratio of the original image

Faces should not be touched if possible

This option uses automatic face recognition.
If this function detects a face or several faces in the photo, it will attempt to move the photo within the photo placeholder so that all faces are kept visible.

Maps available for geo-referenced photos

Includes photo spatial data to automatically offer you a suitable map for your photo book.

Apply to all other 3D photo in JPS format as well

In 3D / stereo photos in JPS format (JPEG Stereo) there is no standard which photo is responsible for which eye.
Therefore there is a dialog window where, using appropriate goggles, you can check the depth and adjust the assignment.

"Frames & Shadows"

Frames

Enable or disable the general application of colour frames around the images and sets the thickness and colour.

Shadows

In order to present your images with a drop shadow you will need to turn this option on.

The distance of the shadow determines how far the shadow will spread behind the image.
The intensity is the opacity of the shadow. You can choose whether it should be lighter or darker.
With the help of the sun symbol, you can move the mouse to define the direction of the shadow.
The blur makes the shadows softer (at 0%, the shadow has a hard edge).
The size determines the size of the shadow. At 100%, the shadow is the same size as the shadow-casting photo.
In the preview the effects of the shadow attributes are displayed graphically.

This is a global setting for all the photos that are newly added
and does not affect previously been inserted photos

 

"System"

Temporary Files
Select the directory in which the program should store its temporary files

Here you can define the so-called working directory in which the program stores its temporary data required for the project.
Click on the "Browse" button opens a directory browser where you can select a different directory.

Graphic Settings
"Pull preview from EXIF Data"

Many cameras and image processing programs save a small preview (thumbnail) in the EXIF data of digital photos.
With this option, the software uses the preview photo data from the EXIF data of the photo and therefore does not have to generate its own preview thumbnail.
This displays the images slightly faster, but depending on the quality of the EXIF thumbnails, the display can be worse.

Image cache

By setting the "size of the cache for Photos", you can influence the processing speed of the Bob Designer Pro Software.
The cache is the amount of RAM that a program is reserved from the memory of the computer.
The larger the cache, the faster the program since it can hold more data (photos) in memory and it does not have to reload from the slower hard disk. But if less memory is available then other currently running programs will work slower.

Reduce memory requirements

Export deleted files from the hard disk.

"Network"

Here, the access of the program is configured to the Internet.

Proxy Settings

A proxy is an intermediary between different networks.

Select "No proxy" if you do not need a proxy for this program.

If you have a reliable Internet access to your computer, then you can turn the proxy settings off, as the program will then automatically use the existing settings of your computer on the Internet connection.

Select the "use own proxy" setting if you intend to use the software within a larger network with its own proxy or a firewall. Check with your system admin for the correct settings if you are unsure.

Test Connection

When you click the "Start" button, a number of connection attempts are started.
If there are problems, you can look in the "Details" tab at the results.
For support requests these details can be saved in a file to send as an attachment.

"About..."

Copyright

Information on this program, for example: version number, creation date, program name, and various copyright details.

Support

The customer service contact information, such as a contact email address or telephone number.

You can also set up how a debug output is generated and stored in case of issues.
Using this debug output in case of any problems with the software can determine when and possibly where the error may have occurred.

"Privacy Policy"

Privacy and legal information, detailing what information is collected and how we will handle your data.