Google Drive Blog
The latest news and updates from the Google Drive team.
Re-size your images in the new document editor
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A few weeks ago we
introduced
a new version of the document editor in Google Docs. While the new editor is in preview, we will continue adding features you miss like drawings, the web clipboard, and table of contents.
Today we’re adding the ability to re-size images right inside the document. After you insert an image into a document, click on the image to bring up controls that let you scale the image’s size in any direction.
Once you’re happy with the size, you can click the
Fixed
option to place the image at a fixed place, relative to your paragraph. When an image is fixed, any text you enter will flow around it.
As mentioned previously, if you want to try out the new editor, visit the
Editing
tab in the
Google Docs settings
. Check the box next to “New version of Google documents,” and all new and uploaded documents will be created in the new editor. For now, old documents will remain in the old editor. Let us know what you think in the
forums
.
Posted by: Michael Thomas, Software Engineer
Spotlight: Google Sites templates
Monday, April 19, 2010
In November, we launched
site templates
, making it easier to get started when creating a Google site. We've enjoyed watching the gallery grow. We have been particularly impressed by some of the recent templates created by
Over the Top Marketing
, including the
Mom's club
,
travel journal
,
wine club
,
PTA
,
daycare center
,
bible study
, and
home project
site templates.
SADA Systems
has also created some great templates to help businesses get started on common sites, including
project tracking workspace
,
client engagement
,
crisis management
,
team site
,
training
,
extranet
, and
intranet
site templates.
To get started with a new site click on the "use this template" button in the header of any template, or browse our gallery for more templates at sites.google.com.
Posted by: Scott Johnston, Product Manager, Google Sites
A rebuilt, more real time Google documents
Thursday, April 15, 2010
It’s been almost 4 years since we launched Google Docs. Back then people were excited about being able to access their documents from anywhere and edit those documents collaboratively online. But as Google documents became more mainstream, we started to hear more and more of you asking for features like margins, tabs, and floating images that were only available in desktop word processors. To make these features possible, we started working on a complete rewrite of Google documents over a year ago.
This week we released a preview of that new document editor for anyone who wants to try it out. This version supports a brand new ruler, alignment features, per-paragraph line spacing and more.
You’ll also notice a huge improvement in the import quality when uploading and importing documents from desktop word processors into Google Docs.
But we didn’t want to just bring you traditional word processing features. We also wanted to extend collaboration capabilities in documents. We added a sidebar that lets you see who else is editing at the same time, and, if you click the sidebar, you can chat with collaborators right next to the document. And when other editors type, you can now see their edits as they happen character-by-character.
You’ll notice that some features, like drawings, the web clipboard, and table of contents, aren’t in the new editor yet. We’ll be adding them really soon, before we turn on the new editor for everyone. Other features like offline
will take longer
to get working again but are a high priority.
If you want to try out the new editor, visit the Editing tab in the
Google docs list settings
. Check the box next to “New version of Google documents,” and all new and uploaded documents will be created in the new editor. For now, old documents will remain in the old editor. Let us know what you think in
the forums
.
Posted by: Olga Belomestnykh, Software Engineer
Preview the faster, more feature rich Google spreadsheets
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
On
Monday
we launched a preview version of the new Google spreadsheets. We completely rebuilt the user interface to be faster, stabler, and more feature-rich, while maintaining the real-time collaboration that has made Google spreadsheets a powerful tool for the past four years.
In this new version you will find a host of highly requested new features, as well as performance and usability improvements. The new UI also gives us engineers a better platform to build on in the coming months, so stay tuned for more exciting developments.
You can now edit cells using the formula bar, which is ideal for working with complicated formulas.
Cell auto fill makes duplicating an entry as easy as pressing Enter. Just type the first few characters and the rest will show up as you type.
You can now move columns by dragging them with your mouse. You can also sort a column with the drop-down menu on the column header.
Our changes even made it down to the bottom of the spreadsheet, where we’ve re-designed the links to sheets so they're clearer and easier to use. Sheet titles are bigger and easier to click. And for those of you with a lot of sheets in one doc, we added a quick way to view a list of all your sheets.
At Google, we believe every millisecond counts and we’re happy the new technological foundation allows for faster loading and a smoother scrolling experience. Initial loading, cell freezing, scrolling, and edits from collaborators are all improved. And getting where you want in a spreadsheet is faster too: you can provide direct links to any sheet in a spreadsheet.
To give the new spreadsheets a try, click the
New version
link in the top right corner of every spreadsheet. And let us know what you think on the
forums
.
Posted by: Zach Loyd, Staff Software Engineer
Introducing Google Docs drawings
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
As we announced
yesterday
, we just launched a new tool for making drawings in Google Docs. You can use Google Docs drawings to make charts, diagrams, designs, and more. We’ve been using this tool at Google to create everything from project timelines to launch plans. Here are some examples of what you could make:
Create a drawing now!
Many of you previously tried the
Insert Drawing
feature in Google Docs and said you wanted to be able to collaborate on drawings. We heard you, and collaboration is what this launch is about. The new drawing editor lets you share drawings just like you share spreadsheets, documents, and presentations. You can also simultaneously edit drawings with your friends and chat with them right in the editor. Here’s what we mean:
With drawings, you can insert text, shapes, arrows, scribbles, and add images from your hard drive or from the Web. You can also use alignment guides, snap to grid, and auto distribution to lay out drawings with precision.
Once you’ve perfected your drawing, use it pretty much anywhere -- copy and paste your drawings into other document types using the web clipboard and then make edits with the embedded drawing editor, publish them as images hosted by Google, insert them into other web pages, or download them as PNGs, JPGs, PDFs, and SVG. Note: the new Google documents editor doesn’t have support for drawings yet, but we’re working on it.
Already have a drawing in another Google doc that you want to share with others? Just use the web clipboard to copy and paste it into the new drawing editor.
Please note that if you want to edit your drawings in the new editor, you need a browser that supports the
SVG standard
, like the latest versions of Safari, Firefox, or Chrome, or to install Chrome Frame if you are using Internet Explorer. You can learn more about browser requirements
here
.
We’re excited to hear how you and your friends use Google Docs drawings. If you have a cool drawing, share the publish URLs in comments or tell us what you think in the
forums
.
Posted by: Chris Nokleberg, Software Engineer
A new Google Docs
Monday, April 12, 2010
They say a house is only as good as its foundation, and we believe the same holds true for web applications like Google Docs. With our old foundation, we could continue delivering most features you wanted quickly, but over time it became clear that some just weren’t possible. So we decided to rebuild the underlying infrastructure of Docs to give us greater flexibility, improved performance and a better platform for developing new features quickly.
Today, we’re pleased to announce preview versions of the new Google document and spreadsheet editors and a new standalone drawings editor, all built with an even greater focus on speed and collaboration. To get a taste of what’s new today, check out our video:
A better document editor
We’ve brought the responsive, real-time editing experience you’ve come to expect from our spreadsheets over to documents, which means you can now see character-by-character changes as other collaborators make edits. We also added another popular feature from spreadsheets: sidebar chat, so you can discuss documents as you work on them with colleagues.
The new technical foundation also helped us improve document formatting, which means better import/export fidelity, a revamped comment system, real margins and tab stops, and improved image layout within documents. These improvements have been highly requested, but previously impossible to create with the older documents editor on older browsers.
A faster spreadsheet editor
With the new spreadsheets editor, you’ll see significant speed and performance improvements -- spreadsheets load faster, are more responsive and scroll more seamlessly. We’ve also added a host of often requested features, like a formula bar for cell editing, auto-complete, drag and drop columns, and simpler navigation between sheets. And as always, real-time collaboration in spreadsheets is easy with sidebar chat and the ability to see which cell each person is editing.
A new collaborative drawing editor
In the
year since we launched
the Insert drawing tool, we’ve received many requests for the ability to collaborate on drawings and make them accessible directly from the docs list. The new standalone drawings editor lets you collaborate in real time on flow charts, designs, diagrams and other fun or business graphics. Copy these drawings into documents, spreadsheets and presentations using the
web clipboard
, or share and publish drawings just like other Google Docs.
Please note, these new editors are not compatible with Gears (the technology that powers offline access), so they do not have offline support today. However, we plan to bring back offline support in the future, taking advantage of new technologies like HTML5 and advancements in modern browsers.
The drawings editor will be available later today, and preview versions of spreadsheets and documents will roll out to all individual users over the next few days. To try them out, click “New version” at the top of any spreadsheet or go to the ‘Document Settings’ page and select ‘New version of Google documents.’ To learn more about using the new editors in your business, school or organization, check out the
Google Enterprise blog
.
We’re excited to take advantage of this new foundation to bring you even more new features in the future. Stay tuned for in-depth looks at Google documents, spreadsheets and drawings over the next few days on this blog.
Update (12:35 PM PST):
Drawings are now available for everyone.
Update (2:46 PM PST):
The "New version" link in spreadsheets is now available on
docs.google.com
.
Update (4:40 PM PST):
The "New version of Google documents" setting is now available at
http://docs.google.com/settings
on the 'Editing' tab.
Posted by: Jonathan Rochelle, Group Product Manager
Upload and store anything in the cloud with Google Docs
Thursday, April 1, 2010
In January, we added the ability to
upload and store any file in Google Docs
, and in response to your feedback, we increased the
maximum file size to 1 GB
a couple weeks later. Based on the overwhelming response to this feature, we're happy to announce a big update. Starting today, you can upload and store anything in Google Docs. With this change, you'll be able to store items in the cloud and access them from any computer - all you need is an Internet connection and a Google Account.
As with documents, spreadsheets, and files, you also share objects you've uploaded to Google Docs with anyone in the world. For example, do you ever wish you could CTRL+F your house keys or your TV remote? Store your keys, remotes, rail passes, and other objects you commonly lose with Google Docs, and you'll never have to worry about finding them again. Having trouble moving your piano from New York to California? Upload it from your home in New York, then download it once you're in California. Change your mind and want to share it with your friend in England instead? No problem. With one click you can have your piano delivered to anyone you choose, anywhere in the world.
With simple pricing at $0.10 per kg, along with free pickup and delivery from any location on the planet, it’s hard to pass up. To learn more about this new feature and how to join the beta test, head to
our informational site.
As always let us know what you think on the
forums
.
Posted by: Peter Harbison, Product Marketing Manager, Google Docs
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