Bug 168713 - Calc: persistent thin gray bounding rectangle shown for images (UI-only) — no user option to hide; ObjectGraphic ExpertSetting ineffective
Summary: Calc: persistent thin gray bounding rectangle shown for images (UI-only) — no...
Status: NEEDINFO
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Calc (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
25.2.6.2 release
Hardware: All macOS (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-10-06 08:57 UTC by Tobias Haertel
Modified: 2025-11-02 19:10 UTC (History)
3 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Picture with unwanted frame (47.58 KB, image/png)
2025-10-06 09:38 UTC, Tobias Haertel
Details
25.8.2.2 OK on macOS 15.7.1 (789.83 KB, image/png)
2025-10-22 10:49 UTC, steve
Details

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Description Tobias Haertel 2025-10-06 08:57:26 UTC
Description:
When inserting an image into a Calc sheet, a thin gray rectangular bounding box is always displayed around the image in the Calc editing view — even when the image is not selected. The rectangle is UI-only (it does not appear in print or in exported PDF), but there is currently no user-visible option to disable these bounding rectangles in Calc. Attempts to change the relevant ExpertSetting do not affect the behavior.


Steps to Reproduce:
Steps to reproduce

Open LibreOffice Calc (25.2.6.2) on macOS.

Create a new spreadsheet.

Insert → Image → From File, choose any image.

Observe that a thin gray rectangular outline is drawn around the image in the sheet view, even when the image is not focused/selected.

(Optional) Print preview or Export as PDF → the rectangle is not present in print/PDF.

Actual Results:

Actual result
A persistent thin gray bounding rectangle is rendered around inserted images in Calc view. There is no menu option or control in Calc preferences to hide these UI rectangles.

Expected Results:
Expected result
There should be a preference (GUI option and/or effective ExpertSetting) allowing users to hide object/image bounding rectangles in Calc view. Changing the ExpertSetting for object graphics should affect the display, or a dedicated View/Calc preference should be available (for example: View → Show object boundaries toggle, or Calc → View → Show object boundaries).


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: Yes

Additional Info:
Workarounds tried

Changed ExpertSettings: org.openoffice.Office.Calc → Content → Display → ObjectGraphic from int 0 to int 1 — no effect.

Looked for ObkectBoundaries/DrawView settings in ExpertSettings — not present / ineffective.

Using Writer/Draw does not show forced bounding boxes (useful but not acceptable as a Calc replacement).

Additional technical details

The rectangle is not printed or exported; it is purely visual in the Calc editor.

The ExpertSetting shown in Tools → Options → Advanced → Expert Configuration org.openoffice.Office.Calc/Content/Display/ObjectGraphic is present as int 0 but changing to 1 does not remove the rectangle in this build.

Reproducible in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.6.2 on macOS (reported by user). Screenshot available (attach).

Suggested fix / feature request
Provide a user-controllable preference to hide object bounding rectangles in Calc (e.g. View menu toggle and/or Calc → View preference). Ensure the ExpertSetting controlling object graphic boundaries (or a new explicit ExpertSetting) is honored. This should be a UI-level preference because many users rely on a clean worksheet view when composing layouts.
Comment 1 Buovjaga 2025-10-06 09:32:09 UTC
(In reply to Tobias Haertel from comment #0)
> The ExpertSetting shown in Tools → Options → Advanced → Expert Configuration
> org.openoffice.Office.Calc/Content/Display/ObjectGraphic is present as int 0
> but changing to 1 does not remove the rectangle in this build.

The description for that option is: "Indicates whether objects and graphics are shown, hidden or replaced by a placeholder" with values being 0 for Show, 1 for Hide and 2 for Show placeholders. So I doubt you want to touch that option at all in this case.

> Reproducible in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.6.2 on macOS (reported by user).
> Screenshot available (attach).

Can you attach the screenshot?

Seems to be macOS only unless it's some system-specific glitch as I don't see such a border on Linux.
Comment 2 Tobias Haertel 2025-10-06 09:38:55 UTC
Created attachment 203158 [details]
Picture with unwanted frame
Comment 3 Tobias Haertel 2025-10-06 09:41:11 UTC
Thank you! I attached an example. 

"So I doubt you want to touch
> that option at all in this case."

I doubt that, too. It was suggested by ChatGPT, but ChatGPT seemed to be quite idealess.  


(In reply to Buovjaga from comment #1)
> (In reply to Tobias Haertel from comment #0)
> > The ExpertSetting shown in Tools → Options → Advanced → Expert Configuration
> > org.openoffice.Office.Calc/Content/Display/ObjectGraphic is present as int 0
> > but changing to 1 does not remove the rectangle in this build.
> 
> The description for that option is: "Indicates whether objects and graphics
> are shown, hidden or replaced by a placeholder" with values being 0 for
> Show, 1 for Hide and 2 for Show placeholders. So I doubt you want to touch
> that option at all in this case.
> 
> > Reproducible in LibreOffice Calc 25.2.6.2 on macOS (reported by user).
> > Screenshot available (attach).
> 
> Can you attach the screenshot?
> 
> Seems to be macOS only unless it's some system-specific glitch as I don't
> see such a border on Linux.
Comment 4 m_a_riosv 2025-10-07 00:26:55 UTC
Maybe Menu>View>Boundaries?
Comment 5 Tobias Haertel 2025-10-18 08:50:18 UTC
(In reply to m_a_riosv from comment #4)
> Maybe Menu>View>Boundaries?

That doesn't work either.
Comment 6 steve 2025-10-22 10:49:00 UTC
Created attachment 203481 [details]
25.8.2.2 OK on macOS 15.7.1

Version: 25.8.2.2 (AARCH64)
Build ID: d401f2107ccab8f924a8e2df40f573aab7605b6f
CPU threads: 12; OS: macOS 15.7.1; UI render: Skia/Metal; VCL: osx
Locale: en-US (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded

Can't reproduce.

@Tobias: Are you able to reproduce with 25.8.2.2? Which macOS version are you running?