Polaroid My Memories Suite Review #2

I played around for awhile yesterday in My Memories Suite. There are a few things that are quite annoying with it--the biggest thing is that my keyboard shortcuts won't work (I'm a keyboard person rather than a mouse person).

Second, I can't select multiple objects and do the same function to them all at the same time. For example, I had a layout with three photos on it, and I wanted to add a drop-shadow to them all. I had to individually select the photos and mash the drop-shadow button for each one. It's not a big deal, but that could be better. Plus, I had some alpha letters that were embellishments. I can't select all of them and resize them at the same time so they're the same size--I have to select each one individually and resize them. And, on the same letters, I wanted to rotate them slightly. I made them a group so I could rotate the entire "piece." Unfortunately, I can't do that since they're all grouped together. What a pain!

Also, I can't center text within a shape. For example, I made a shape to use as a journal block/background and then I typed my text on top of it. I wanted to perfectly center the text vertically and horizontally within the box, but I can't do that.

I also wish I could resize objects to a specific size. I need 1/8" brads to be placeholders for the real brads I want to add after I print the page. I know I can resize the object with the arrows, but I want EXACTLY 1/8".

I wish the text could be resized by dragging the corner of the box as Corel Draw does. Instead I have to choose the font size in a dialog box.

And, I wish I could rotate objects as I can in Picture It! which has a little arrow at the top of the box when an object is selected. Instead, I have to poke in a rotation number from -180 to 180.

Also, I don't like that I can't type a font's name and go directly to the font--I have to scroll through all of the fonts to select one. That could definitely be better.

I haven't been able to find a way to work on a 2-page spread either, and that's frustrating; I can only work on a single page at a time. I'd like to be able to see two pages side-by-side so that I can align all the elements that need to match from one page to the next. For example, if I want to make stair-stepping elements that go from left to right, and I've run out of room on the left-hand page; how am I supposed to know exactly how tall to put the first element on the right-hand page (without being able to still see the left hand page...?). (Does any of that make sense?)

Finally, I wish I could distribute the spacing of objects so they're equal distance apart as I can in Corel Draw. I have some letter embellishments I want to use that I can't get the spacing just right. That doesn't sound like a big deal to do it manually, but I shouldn't have to!

I did find out that I can copy .wmf files from the Microsoft clipart gallery into Picture It!; crop the images to size then save them as .pngs, and they can be opened in MMS with transparent backgrounds. I did this on the layout of Ozzy on the shoes. It takes a little bit of manipulating, but it definitely can be done!