Cropping tool does not function

[Brian]

Cropping tool allows me to select area of scanend photo on page. However. according to help file the outer area should be grayed out which it isn't. Unable to actually execute the cropping of selection on a HP L:aserjet 4570c. Pressing enter, clicking off with my mouse or pressing save does not work. USing Ububtu 14.04 using SANE backend sane-hp5590.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: simple-scan 3.12.1-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-35.62-generic 3.13.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-35-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.3
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Thu Sep 4 04:00:58 2014
DriverPackageVersions:
 libsane 1.0.23-3ubuntu3.1
 libsane-extras 1.0.22.3ubuntu1
 hplip 3.14.3-0ubuntu3.2
 hpoj N/A
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-02-27 (188 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MachineType: Hewlett-Packard HP Compaq dx2400 Microtower PC
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.13.0-35-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
SourcePackage: simple-scan
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-05-11 (115 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 01/12/2009
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: 5.36
dmi.board.name: 2A73h
dmi.board.vendor: PEGATRON CORPORATION
dmi.board.version: 1.01
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: 2UA9120FWC
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Hewlett-Packard
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr5.36:bd01/12/2009:svnHewlett-Packard:pnHPCompaqdx2400MicrotowerPC:pvr:rvnPEGATRONCORPORATION:rn2A73h:rvr1.01:cvnHewlett-Packard:ct3:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: HP Compaq dx2400 Microtower PC
dmi.sys.vendor: Hewlett-Packard

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Have you tried a double-click on the area selected to be cropped?

[oliver schirmer (oliverschirmer)]

Hi Brian,
the frame you draw is your selection. You can save the selection (STRG + S).

Usefull if you want to scan more than one picture.

Hope this late reply helps.

[JohnWashington (ubuntu-johnwash)]

I've no idea what 'STRG' means.

I've used Simple Scan for years. It's really handy. Really REALLY handy. My thanks to its author. Indeed it's open on my desktop at the moment, I was interspersing some scans with answering mail, and one of my mails was this bug update notification.

However, I've long meant to look at the source, because it took me longer than it should have for me to figure out how to use it, and the UI definitely needs a rework (IMHO).

My normal workflow:
* Item in scanner, press ctrl+1, scan completes on scanner, data is still xferring.

* Take item out of scanner, position the next one ready.

* When data has arrived, click on Crop (why no shortcut??), slide rectangle to top left (why can't I set prefs so that it always starts at top left?), pull bottom right to fit image.

* Hit Enter (I'm unsure whether I need to do this, but it's become a mantra that works for me).

* Press ctrl+1 as above, repeat all above except don't need to hit Enter again. Each scan will have the same crop.

* Finally, press ctrl+S and get Save dialog. Save dialog ALWAYS assumes pdf (grrr, why can't I set prefs?) although usually I want to override it and save as multiple jpg, which works provided I select jpg as file type.

* Press ctrl+N to completely reset, losing the crop setting, which often I would prefer to keep. Maybe there's a less severe reset which would retain the crop setting, but I don't know of it.

So that's my normal workflow, and I don't feel that I fully understand what's inside the black box, concerning cropping and photo vs text. Unlike some much more complex programs (Gimp, Office, ...) where I really feel in charge, with Simple Scan I've arrived at a method of doing things by rote which gets the job done, but which I'm fearful of deviating from. I feel that's a symptom of a badly designed UI.

But since I've never invested the time to examine the source, I don't feel I'm in any position to complain about it. I'm writing the above in the hope that it helps someone else to use the program reliably and get the job done, rather than (as almost happened with me), throwing in the towel and using Gimp even for very mundane scans. I'm ever so grateful Simple Scan exists.