A limitation with the import of XML files is removed. Previously XML tags/names with special characters (UTF-8) blocked importing and that works nicely now. You find this feature under Data > XML Source… .
Working on the next major release
Our engineers work hard on preparing the new major 21-version of Collabora Office, that will come with a whole lot of improvements and new features, with business support by the experts and with regular updates.
Do keep an eye on our announcements, or actually test the features with the Collabora Office 21 Snapshot.
Read all about the latest developments of Collabora’s business version of LibreOffice in the release notes. And the main 6.4 announcement; shows how Collabora Office helps to improve your control over documents and privacy.
Version 6.4-33 of Collabora Office introduces the new Gutter Margins feature developed by Collabora to the desktops and includes several fixes regarding the PPTX import, improving the way Collabora Office handles shaped Bitmaps.
The latest developments around our business-hardened and supported LibreOffice distribution are documented inside the release notes. Learn more about how Collabora Office can help you to control your data and business in our 6.4 announcement; or order a free demo!
Improving printed publications with Gutter Margins
Collabora Office 6.4-33. Add Gutter Margins to text documents
The Gutter Margin feature has first been published in Collabora Online 6.4.6. The new Writer feature adds an extra space to the side margin, top margin, or inside margins of documents. The gutter margin makes sure that the text of a printed publication is not obscured by the binding. Since the Gutter Margins feature is also available in Microsoft Word, this feature is an interoperability improvement, too.
How to use Gutter Margins
Access the Gutter Margin feature via the menu option Format > Page Styles… and select the page tab. Alternatively, you can access the Page Style though a right-click or via a left-click on the style button in the status bar at the bottom. Inside the Page Style dialog you will find several new options to adjust the size and the position of the gutter.
Gutter Margins: The new settings are available inside the Page Style dialog
PPTX import improvements for shaped bitmaps
Collabora Office 6.4-33 includes improvements on the PPTX import of shaped images
Collabora Office 6.4-33 includes various code stability fixes and improvement regarding the import of shaped bitmap images created in MS Office. Earlier, shaped bitmap graphics of PPTX presentations could be rendered inaccurately, or in some cases the shape could get lost. Thank you to SUSE for sponsoring this work. This is fix is another great interoperability improvement that will also become available in the next version of LibreOffice.
Original: shaped image produced in MS Office
Earlier: Shaped images might not be imported accurately into LibreOffice & Collabora Office
Collabora Office 6.4-33: true to the original PPTX import of shaped images
Read more about Collabora Office 6.4
Read all about the new Collabora Office 6.4. Or try it yourself! Just head to the Collabora Office page and request your demo today, or simply click the button below.
Collabora Online 6.4.6 makes it easier to produce professionally printed materials and at the same time more fun to work with. The two new features responsible for this are the Gutter Margins, currently only available in Online, the newly added Fontwork objects and more fixes. These features, first released in CODE 6.4.6, have been tested extensively and are now also available in the business-hardened version of Collabora Online. You can find additional information on GitHub and inside the Collabora Online 6.4 release notes.
Professional page formatting with Gutter Margins
Writer now features improved support for gutter margins. This is often requested for government documentation and really popular among our users in Asian countries. Mind that this new feature is not yet available for Writer on desktop. You can test it on desktop though, with the unstable snapshot of our supported Collabora Office version. This work is of course also being committed to the next LibreOffice release.
How to use the new gutter margins
This margin type can be specified explicitly, and it is also possible to select whether the gutter should be located on the left or at the top. The feature works with mirrored margins as well and is very useful for printed publications. To utilize this feature, access the Page Style dialog through the Layout tab. In the Page dialog you will find a new Gutter option below the Margin settings. On the right-hand side there is a drop-down menu that lets you choose the Gutter position (left or top). The small page icon in the dialog renders a preview of the margin size.
Microsoft Word also includes a gutter margin option, so this feature is also an interoperability improvement. When importing or exporting documents, this feature is now supported with DOCX, DOC, ODP, and RTF formats. While the feature has been primarily developed for Collabora Online, it is also available in the desktop version. If you are interested in more, and technical, details of this implementation, please take a look at the blog by developer Miklos Vajna.
1. Define the size of the gutter margin
2. Choose the position of the gutter margin
3. A preview of the gutter margin’s size and position is rendered in the dialog
Fontwork – graphical text art for your documents
Fontwork objects are fun to work with and are a good way to add some visual highlights to your documents. Using them in Collabora Online is very straightforward. After choosing a Fontwork object from the gallery, double-click the object to update the text. When selected, the colour, transparency, and the orientation of the graphical text can be adjusted through the Sidebar. The new Fontwork panel makes it easy to work with the characters’ height, or change the alignment and the character spacing. If you are using Collabora Online via your mobile phone’s browser you will benefit from the mobile-friendly interface, as shown in these images.
The main colour of the Fontwork object is defined by the Area colour, similar as to when working with Shapes. You can also choose from different types of fills (e.g. colour, gradient, bitmap, pattern) and set the transparency. Secondary or tertiary colours of Fontwork can be defined through the Line or Shadow colour.
Mobile optimized Fontwork interface. Click to enlarge!
1. Choose Fontwork from the Galery
2. Edit shape, letter height and alignment in the Sidebar panel.
3. Define Colour, Type of fill & transparency level in the Area panel
New configuration option for integrators
Collabora Online now does support the FileUrl property of WOPI. This is a URI to the file location that the WOPI client uses to get the file and can be used to get the file instead of a GetFile request. FileUrl brings better performance in some configurations and has been implemented in cooperation with partners.
Collabora Productivity is the driving force behind putting LibreOffice in the cloud, providing Collabora Online and a range of products and consulting to enterprise and government. Powered by the largest team of certified LibreOffice engineers in the world, it is a leading contributor to the LibreOffice codebase and community. Collabora Office for Desktop and Collabora Online provide a business-hardened office suite with long-term, multi-platform support. Collabora Productivity is a division of Collabora, the global software consultancy dedicated to providing the benefits of Open Source to the commercial world, specializing in mobile, automotive and consumer electronics industries. For more information, visit www.collaboraoffice.com or follow Collabora Office on Twitter .
The latest version of the Collabora Online Development Edition (CODE) 6.4.6 introduces new features and improvements. The newly introduced Fontwork feature, allows you to create the well known graphical text art objects inside Collabora Online. The feature can be accessed via the Insert tab, both on the NotebookBar and in the classic UI. The Fontart Gallery allows you to choose from a set of different text art objects, each of which can be customized via the Sidebar. It is now also possible to define gutter margins. And of course there is more!
Use the latest features now – and do give your feedback
CODE gives you the latest and greatest features in online collaboration earlier than the supported version Collabora Online. Of course, we would love to hear about your experiences. Please leave your feedback on CODE in the community forum or report any possible issues on GitHub.
How to use the attractive Fontwork objects
Working with Fontwork in Collabora Online is very straightforward. After choosing a Fontwork object from the gallery, double-click the object to update the text. When selected, the colour, transparency, and the orientation of the graphical text can be adjusted through the Sidebar. The new Fontwork panel makes it easy to work with the characters’ height, or change the alignment and the character spacing. If you are using Collabora Online via your mobile phone’s browser you will benefit from the mobile-friendly interface, as shown in these images.
The main colour of the Fontwork object is defined by the Area colour, similar as to when working with Shapes. You can also choose from different types of fills (e.g. colour, gradient, bitmap, pattern) and set the transparency. Secondary or tertiary colours of Fontwork can be defined through the Line or Shadow colour.
Mobile optimized Fontwork interface. Click to enlarge!
1. Choose Fontwork from the Galery
2. Edit shape, letter height and alignment in the Sidebar panel.
3. Define Colour, Type of fill & transparency level in the Area panel
Easier and better page formatting in Writer with Gutter Margins
Writer now features improved support for gutter margins. This is often requested for government documentation and really popular among our users in Asian countries.
Mind that this new feature is not yet available in the Writer on desktop. You can test it on desktop though, with the unstable snapshot of our supported Collabora Office version. And the work is of course also committed for the next LibreOffice release.
How to use the new gutter margins
This margin type can be specified explicitly, and it is also possible to select whether the gutter should be located on the left or at the top. The feature works with mirrored margins as well and is very useful for printed publications. To utilize this feature, access the Page Style dialog through the Layout tab. In the Page dialog you will find a new Gutter option below the Margin settings. On the right-hand side there is a drop-down menu that lets you choose the Gutter position (left or top). The small page icon in the dialog renders a preview of the margin size.
Microsoft Word also includes a gutter margin option, so this feature is also an interoperability improvement. When importing or exporting documents, this feature is now supported with DOCX, DOC, ODP, and RTF formats. While the feature has been primarily developed for Collabora Online, it is also available in the desktop version. If you are interested in more, and technical, details of this implementation, please take a look at the blog by developer Miklos Vajna.
1. Define the size of the gutter margin
2. Choose the position of the gutter margin
3. A preview of the gutter margin’s size and position is rendered in the dialog
New configuration option for integrators
Collabora Online now does support the FileUrl property of WOPI. This is a URI to the file location that the WOPI client uses to get the file and can be used to get the file instead of a GetFile request. FileUrl brings better performance in some configurations and has been implemented in cooperation with partners.
About CODE
CODE is the Collabora Online Development Edition. It contains the latest developments and is perfect for home users. It enables them to regain control of their own online documents and to host them themselves in a secure and private environment. For tech-enthusiasts, it is a low-threshold way to get involved and familiar with our online office solution. CODE will be improved continuously and our next supported and maintained Collabora Online product will be built from it. All of our code is Open Source, and a vibrant community in participating in growing Collabora Online. Would you like to be part of the story? Join the community!
