Draw Guide 7.6
Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes
This document is Copyright © 2023 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are listed below. This document maybe distributed and/or modified under the terms of either the GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later. All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.
Contributors for this edition:
Peter Schofield
Contributors for previous editions:
Claire Wood
Elzett Kotze
Hazel Russman
Jean Hollis Weber
John A Smith
John Cleland
Kees Kriek
Martin Fox
Peter Schofield
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team mailing list: loguides@community.documentfoundation.org.
Note
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Published November 2023. Based on LibreOffice 7.6 Community.Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions used in this document. For a detailed list, see LibreOffice Help.
|
Windows or Linux |
macOS equivalent |
Effect |
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Tools > Options |
LibreOffice > Preferences |
Access setup options |
|
Right-click |
Control+click, Ctrl+click, or right-click depending on computer setup |
Open a context menu |
|
Ctrl or Control |
⌘ and/or Cmd or Command, depending on keyboard |
|
|
Alt |
⌥ and/or Alt or Option depending on keyboard |
Used with other keys |
|
F11 |
⌘+T |
Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar |
In LibreOffice the term Line indicates a freestanding segment (line), outer edge or border of a shape, or an arrow. The properties of a line that can be modified are style (solid, dashed, invisible, and so on), width, color and type of arrowhead.
Note
For more information on using color when formatting lines, line styles, arrows, and arrow styles, see “Working with area fills”.
1) Select a line in the drawing.
2) If necessary, go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and select Line and Filling from the drop-down list to open the Line and Filling toolbar (Figure 1):
3) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Style and select a line style from one of the options in the drop-down list.
4) Either type the line width in the Line Width text box, or use the up and down arrows to change the line width.
5) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color and select a color from one of the available color palettes.
6) If necessary, click on Shadow to add a shadow to the line. The shadow applied uses the settings set in the Line dialog (Figure 23).
7) If necessary, select from the Select start and end arrowheads for lines drop-down list the arrowhead type for each end of the line and change the line into an arrow. The left drop-down list adds an arrow head to the beginning of the line. The right drop-down list adds an arrow head to the end of the line.
8) Deselect the line to save the changes to the line.
1) Select a line in the drawing.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar to open the Properties deck.
3) Click on Line to open the Line panel (Figure 2).
4) If required, in Line, click on Select start and end arrowheads for lines to open the drop‑down lists for arrowhead types for each end of the line and change the line into an arrow. The left drop-down list adds an arrowhead to the beginning of the line. The right drop-down list adds an arrowhead to the end of the line.
Figure 1: Line and Filling toolbar
Figure 2: Line panel in Properties deck on Sidebar
5) In Line, select the type of line required from the Line Style drop-down list.
6) In Width, select a line width from the options available in the Width drop-down list, or enter a width in the Custom Line Width text box.
7) In Color, click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color and select a color from one of the available color palettes.
8) If required, in Transparency enter a percentage amount for line transparency.
9) If required, in Corner style select a corner style for the line from the drop-down list.
10) If required, in Cap style select a cap style for line ends from the drop-down list.
11) Deselect the line to save changes made to the line.
12) If necessary, click on More Options on the right of the title bar and open the Line dialog for more control over formatting lines.
1) Make sure a line is selected on a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog (Figure 3) using one of the following methods:
Go to Format > Line on the Menu bar.
Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
Click on More Options on the right of the Line panel title on the Sidebar.
3) Format the line using the options available in the Line dialog. A preview box at the bottom of the dialog shows the effect of the changes on a line.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog.
Figure 3: Line dialog — Line page
The Line page in the Line dialog is where the basic parameters of the line are set. It is divided into three sections as follows.
Line properties
Style
Select a line style from the drop-down list.
Color
Select a predefined color from one of the available color palettes.
Width
Specifies the thickness of the line.
Transparency
Sets the transparency of a line. Figure 4 shows the effects of different percentages in transparency levels to lines when placed over an object.
Start style
Select from the drop-down list an arrow style or arrowhead for the start of a line.
End style
Select from the drop-down list an arrow style or arrowhead for the end of a line.
Width
Specifies the thickness of the arrow endings.
Center
Moves the center of the arrow endings to the end point of the line. Figure 5 shows the effects of selecting this option.
Figure 4: Example of line transparencies
Synchronize ends
Makes the two line ends identical.
Corner and Cap Styles
Corner style
Select the shape to be used at the corners of the line. For a small angle between lines, a mitered shape is replaced with a beveled shape.
Cap style
Select the style of the line end caps. The caps are added to inner dashes as well.
The Shadow page (Figure 6) of the Line dialog provides options to add and format a shadow to a selected line. The settings on this dialog page are the same as those for shadows applied to other objects. See “Working with shadows” for more information.
To quickly apply a shadow to a line, click on Shadow on the Line and Filling toolbar. Using the Shadow tool creates a shadow using the settings from the Shadow page in the Line dialog.
Figure 6: Line dialog — Shadow page
Figure 7: Line dialog — Line Styles page
When adding several lines using the same format, line styles reduce the need to format individual lines. LibreOffice includes line styles that can be used in a drawing. Also, line styles can be created, saved, and deleted. The Line Styles page in the Line dialog (Figure 7) provides options to use predefined line styles and to create or change line styles.
1) Create a line in a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog using one of the following methods:
Go to Format > Line on the Menu bar.
Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
3) Click on the Line Styles tab in the Line dialog to open the Line Styles page.
4) In the Line style drop-down list, select a pre-defined line style similar to the style to be created. An example of the line style selected is displayed at the bottom of the dialog page. This example changes as changes are made to the line style.
5) In the Type drop-down menus, select either Dots or Dash.
For one type for the line, select the same type in both Type boxes.
To alternate two line types within a single line, select different types in both Type boxes.
6) In the Number boxes, specify the number of dots or dashes selected in Type. For different sized groups of dots or dashes, set a different quantity in each Number box.
7) In the Length boxes, specify the Dash length as a percentage of the line. The Length option is not available for Dots.
8) In the Spacing box, specify the spacing between the dashes and/or dots as a percentage of the line. The Spacing option is not available when the option Fit to line width is selected.
9) If necessary, select Fit to line width so that the new style fits the line width when used in a drawing.
10) For the current document only, create a new line style, or modify a line style as follows:
a) Click on Add or Modify to open the Name dialog.
b) Enter a unique name for the new or modified line style.
c) Click on OK to save the new or modified line style and close the Name dialog.
11) Click on OK to close the Line dialog and the new line style is ready for use in the current drawing only.
Notes
To use the new or modified line style in other drawings, the line style must be saved using Save Line Styles. See "Saving line styles" below for more information.
When creating or modifying a line style, it is recommended to use a unique name for the line style. This prevents one of the LibreOffice line styles from being overwritten and causing formatting problems in other drawings or documents that use LibreOffice line styles.
1) Create a new line style, described in “Creating line styles” above, but do not close the Line dialog.
2) Click on Save Line Styles at the bottom right of the Line Styles page to open a file browser window at the correct location for line styles.
3) Enter a unique filename using the file extension SOD for the line style in the Name box.
4) Click on Save to save the line style and close the file browser window. The new line style is now available for use in new drawings and documents.
LibreOffice line styles are available when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. However, compatible line styles can be imported and used in LibreOffice. Any line styles loaded into LibreOffice must use the file extension SOD.
1) Create a line in a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog and click on the Line Styles tab to open the Line Styles page.
3) Click on Load Line Styles at the bottom right of the Line Styles page to open a file browser window at the correct location for line styles.
4) Select a style from the list of saved styles in the file browser window. The file extension for line styles is SOD.
5) Click Open to load the line style into LibreOffice. The line style becomes available for other LibreOffice drawings and documents.
6) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Line Styles tab to open the Line Styles page.
2) Select the line style for deletion from the Line style drop-down list.
3) Click on Delete and confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog.
4) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.
Note
When deleting line styles, make sure the line style has not been used in another document. It is recommended to only delete line styles that have been created, or imported. Do not delete a LibreOffice predefined line styles. This prevents any formatting problems in other documents where the line style has been used.
Figure 8: Line dialog — Arrow Styles page
Figure 9: Example of a created arrowhead
Use the Arrow Styles page (Figure 8) in the Line dialog to create new arrow styles, modify existing arrow styles, or load previously saved arrow styles.
Any shape can be used as an arrowhead, but the shape must be convertible to a curve. A curve is something drawn without lifting a pencil. For example, a star can be converted to a curve, but a smiley face cannot.
Notes
The part of the shape being used as the point in an arrowhead must be at the top of the shape when creating a new arrowhead. If necessary, rotate the shape until the point is at the top of the shape.
Some shapes cannot be used as an arrowhead. This is indicated by rectangular blocks appearing at each end of the line in the preview box on the Line Styles page in the Line dialog.
When creating an arrow style, it is recommended to use a unique name for the arrow style. This prevents one of the standard arrow styles in LibreOffice from being overwritten and causing formatting problems in other drawings that use the standard arrow styles.
The new arrow style created is available only for use in the current drawing. To use the new arrow style in other drawings, the arrow style must be saved using the Save Arrow Styles option.
1) Select a shape, or create a shape that can be converted to a curve for use as a new arrowhead. The part of the shape that is going to be point of the arrowhead must face upward. An example of a new arrowhead is shown in Figure 9.
2) Select the shape and convert to a curve using one of the following methods:
Right-click on the shape and select Convert > To Curve from the context menu.
Go to Shape > Convert > To Curve on the Menu bar.
3) With the shape selected, open the Arrow Styles page in the Line dialog.
4) Click on Add and type a unique name for the new arrow style in the Name dialog that opens, then click OK. The new arrowhead style is displayed in the preview box of the Line dialog and at the bottom of the Arrow style drop-down list.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Line dialog. The new arrow style is available only in the current document.
1) Create a new arrow style as described in “Creating arrow styles” on page 1, but do not close the Line dialog.
2) Click on Save arrow styles at the bottom right of the Arrow Styles page to open a file browser window at the correct location for arrow styles.
3) Enter a unique filename using the file extension SOE for the arrow style.
4) Click on Save to save the arrow style and close the file browser window. The new arrow style is now available for use in new documents.
LibreOffice provides standard arrow styles when installed on a computer. However, compatible arrow styles can be imported and used in LibreOffice. Any arrow styles loaded into LibreOffice must use the file extension SOE.
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Arrow Styles tab to open the Arrow Styles page.
2) Click on Load arrow styles at the bottom right of the Arrow Styles page to open a file browser window at the correct location for arrow styles.
3) Select an arrow style from the list of saved styles in the file browser window
4) Click Open to load the arrow style into the drawing. The arrow style also becomes available for other LibreOffice documents.
5) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Arrow Styles tab to open the Arrow Styles page.
2) Select the arrow style for deletion from the Arrow style drop-down list.
3) Click on Delete and confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog that opens.
4) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.
Note
When deleting arrow styles, make sure the arrow style is not used in another document. It is recommended to only delete arrow styles that have been created, or imported, and not to delete one of the LibreOffice predefined arrow styles. This prevents formatting problems in other documents using LibreOffice arrow styles.
Area fill refers to the inside of an object that has an unbroken border, for example a rectangle, circle, star, pentagon and so on. An area fill can be none, color, gradient, image/bitmap, pattern, or hatch/hatch, as shown by the examples in Figure 10. Also, an area fill can be partly or wholly transparent and throw a shadow.
Figure 10: Examples of area fill types
None
Color
Gradient
Image or Bitmap
Pattern
Hatch or Hatching
Figure 11: Area dialog — Color page
The Area dialog provides tools and options for selecting and editing area fills. Area fills are also available in drop-lists in the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar and in Area Style/Filling on the Line and Filling toolbar, but have reduced options and different fill types.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog (Figure 11) using one of the following methods:
Go to Format > Area on the Menu bar.
Click on Area in the Line and Filling toolbar.
Right-click on the selected object and select Area from the context menu.
Click on More Options on the right of the Area section title on the Sidebar.
3) Click on the Area tab to open the Area page.
4) Select the type of area fill from the available options (None, Color, Gradient, Image, Pattern, or Hatch).
5) Select the required area fill options that become available for each type of area fill selected.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes to the area fill.
1) Make sure an object with an area fill is selected in a drawing.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar, then click on the down chevron ˅ on the left of the Area titlebar to open the Area panel (Figure 12).
3) Select a fill type (None, Color, Gradient, Hatching, Bitmap, or Pattern) from the Fill drop‑down list.
4) Select a fill effect from the options available for each fill type from the Fill drop‑down list.
5) If required, select a transparency type and a transparency percentage from the Transparency drop-down lists.
6) Deselect the object to save the changes to the area fill.
Note
The type of transparency effect selected for an area fill changes the options available for a transparency in the Area panel on the Sidebar.
Figure 12: Area panel in Properties deck on Sidebar
Figure 13: Line and Filling toolbar
1) If Line and Filling toolbar (Figure 13) is not open, go to View > Toolbars > Line and Filling on the Menu bar.
2) Select an object so that the selection handles are displayed.
3) Select a fill type (None, Color, Gradient, Hatching, Bitmap, or Pattern) from the Area Style/Filling drop‑down list.
4) Select a fill effect from the options available for each fill type from the Select the effect to apply drop‑down list.
5) Deselect the object to save the changes to the area fill.
The following instructions for area fills use the Area dialog as the main method of selecting and editing an area fill. The tools and options available in the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar and on the Line and Filling toolbar are similar, but have reduced options and different names.
The following procedures to select and format colors for area fills uses the Area dialog. Using the tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is similar, but have fewer options available.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog (Figure 11), then click on Color to open the options available for a color fill.
3) In Colors, select the required palette from the available options in the Palette drop-down list.
4) Click on the color required in the selected palette. All color fills available are solid colors. The Active preview box shows the present color fill of a selected object. After selecting a color, a preview of the selected color appears in the New preview box.
5) Alternatively, use one of the following methods to select a color.
Enter the RGB values on a 0 to 255 scale, or Hex number of a color in the appropriate text box.
If a color has been used before, then select the required color from the colors available in Recent Colors.
6) To revert back to the original color, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The color area fill is then changed in the selected object.
1) Select a filled object to create a color.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color to open the options available for a color fill.
3) Create a custom color using one of the following methods:
Specify the values of Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) on a 0 to 255 scale.
Click on Pick to open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 14), see “Creating custom colors using Pick a Color dialog” below.
4) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The new custom color appears as a fill in the selected object and is available for use in other drawings or documents.
1) Select a filled object to create a color.
2) Open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 14) using one of the following methods:
Click on Pick on the Colors page of the Area dialog.
Figure 14: Pick a Color dialog
Click on the triangle ▼ next to Fill Color in the Area panel of the Properties deck on the Sidebar and select Custom Color.
Click on the triangle ▼ next to Fill Color on the Line and Filling toolbar and select Custom Color.
3) Create a custom color using one of the following methods. A preview of the color being created is shown on the left side of the original color box below the color selection box.
Select a color range from the colored bar, then, using the cursor, move the target in the colored box until the cursor is on the color required.
Enter values for Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) in the RGB text boxes.
Alternatively, if known, enter the Hex# number in the text box. Hex numbers are normally used when a specific color has been created for a company logo or company name.
Alternatively, enter values for Hue (H), Saturation (S), and Brightness (B) in the HSB text boxes. HSB values do not change the color, but how a color looks.
Alternatively, enter values for Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Key (K) (black) in the CMYK text boxes.
Note
Changing one set of color values also changes the color values in the other sets of color values.
4) Click OK to close the Pick a Color dialog and save the changes.
5) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that opens.
6) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
7) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The new color appears as a fill in the selected object and is available for use in other drawings or documents.
1) Select a filled object that uses the color fill for deletion.
2) Open the Area dialog using one of the following methods:
Go to Format > Area on the Menu bar.
Right-click on the object and select Area from the context menu.
Click on More Options on the right of the Area section title on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Area, then click on Colors to open the Colors page.
4) In Colors, select Custom from the Palette drop-down list.
5) Select the color for deletion and click on Delete. There is no confirmation given when deleting a color.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
Only custom colors available in the custom palette can be deleted using the Area dialog. Colors that are available in LibreOffice color palettes cannot be deleted.
Figure 15: Area dialog — Gradient page
Several predefined gradients are included when LibreOffice is installed. It is recommended to create custom gradients that match the requirements rather than modifying the installed predefined gradients. Predefined gradients may have been used in other objects in a drawing or other documents.
Custom gradients are saved with a unique name allowing the custom gradient to be used in other drawings or documents. Custom gradients are placed at the end of the gradients displayed in the Gradient box on the Gradient page of the Area dialog (Figure 15).
The following procedure to select a gradient for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is a similar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object to be filled is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient to open the options available for a gradient fill.
3) In Gradient, select the required gradient from the list of available gradients and the gradient appears in Preview.
4) To override the default gradient transition of a selection, deselect Automatic in Options and then enter the values for Type, Increment, Center, Angle, Border, From Color and To Color to modify the gradient to the requirements. As changes are made, the gradient displayed in Preview also changes indicating how the gradient will look. For more information on gradient options, see “Table 1: Gradient options” below.
5) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The gradient area fill then appears in the selected object.
Note
Selecting and modifying a gradient only allows the gradient to be used in the drawing being created. If a modified gradient is to be used in other drawings or documents, then create a custom gradient and save it with a unique name. See “Creating custom gradients” below.
Table 1: Gradient options
|
Gradient property |
Meaning |
|
Linear gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a straight line. |
|
Axial gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from the object center to the object edges in two opposite directions. |
|
Radial gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a circular pattern. |
|
Ellipsoid gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in an elliptical pattern. |
|
Quadratic gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from the object edges to the object center in four directions. |
|
Square gradient |
The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from the object edges to the object center in a square pattern. |
|
Increment |
Enter the number of steps for blending the two colors of the gradient. By default this is set to Automatic. |
|
Center X |
For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify these values to set the horizontal offset of the gradient center. |
|
Center Y |
For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify these values to set the vertical offset of the gradient center. |
|
Angle |
For all gradient types, modifies the angle of the gradient axis. |
|
Border |
Increase this value to make the gradient start further away from the border of the shape. |
|
From Color |
The start color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of the color: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color. |
|
To Color |
The end color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of the color: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color. |
To use a modified gradient in other drawings or documents, a custom gradient has to be saved with a unique name.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient to open the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select a gradient and modify it using the options given in “Table 1: Gradient options” above. As changes are made, the gradient displayed in Preview also changes indicating how the modified gradient will look.
4) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
5) Enter a unique name for the new gradient, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The custom gradient is placed at the end of the gradients displayed in Gradient and becomes available for use in other drawings and documents.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient to open the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select a custom gradient in Gradient. Custom gradients appear below the predefined gradients in Gradient.
4) Enter the new values for the gradient options that need to be changed. See “Table 1: Gradient options” above for more information on gradient options. Depending on the type of gradient selected, some options may not be available.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original gradient, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom gradient. There is no confirmation given when modifying a custom gradient.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
Note
Using the Modify option on the Gradient page in the Area dialog permanently changes a gradient and cannot be undone. It is recommended to only modify custom gradients and not the installed LibreOffice gradients.
1) Select the object that uses the gradient that is going to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient to open the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Right-click on the gradient and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a name for the gradient in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
1) Select an object that uses a gradient fill.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Gradient.
3) In the Gradient box, select the custom gradient for deletion.
4) Right click on the gradient and select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
It is recommended to only rename or delete custom gradients that have been created. Deleting or renaming a predefined gradient that is installed in LibreOffice may cause problems in drawings and documents that use one of the gradients.
LibreOffice provides advanced gradient controls on the Transformations toolbar (Figure 16).
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Gradient.
3) Go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the Menu bar, or click on the Transformations tool on the Line and Filling toolbar to open the Transformations toolbar.
4) Click on Interactive gradient tool in the Transformations toolbar. This displays a dashed line connecting two colored squares (Figure 17). The colors show the From Color and To Color used for the selected gradient.
5) Select the type of gradient required for the object from the options in the Type drop-down list. Properties available for adjustment depend on the gradient type selected, as explained below. Moving the squares has different effects depending on gradient type.
Linear — move From Color square to change where the gradient starts (border value). Move the To Color square to change the orientation (angle value).
Axial — move the To Color square to change both the angle and border properties of the gradient. Only the To Color square can be moved.
Radial — move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the width of the gradient circle. Move the To Color square to change the point where the gradient ends (Center X and Center Y values).
Ellipsoid — move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the size of the gradient ellipsoid. Move the To Color square to change the angle of the ellipsoid axis and the axis itself.
Figure 16: Transformations toolbar
Figure 17: Example of using interactive gradient
Quadratic — move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the size of the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move the To Color square to change the center of the gradient.
Square — move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the size of the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move the To Color square to change the center of the gradient.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
Moving the squares creates different effects depending on the type of gradient. For example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient are always situated either side of the center point of the object.
Several predefined images are included when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. The content of the supplied images cannot be edited, but the display settings can be changed. Also, images can be imported from other sources.
The following procedure to select an image for an area fill uses the Image page of the Area dialog (Figure 18). Using the tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is a similar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Image to open the options available for an image fill.
Figure 18: Area dialog — Image page
3) In Image, select the required image from the list of available images and it appears in Preview. Alternatively, click on Add/Import to open a file browser window, then select a file to use as an image fill.
4) If necessary, change the values in Style, Size, Position, Tiling Position, and Tiling Offset to modify the image to the requirements. For more information on image options, see “Table 2: Image options” below.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original image, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The image fill then appears in the selected object.
Table 2: Image options
|
Bitmap option |
Meaning |
|
Style — Custom position/size |
When this option is selected, the position and size of the image in the object can be specified. |
|
Style — Tiled |
When this option is selected, the image is tiled to fill the area. The size of the image used for the tiling is determined by the Size settings |
|
Style — Stretched |
When this option is selected, an image is stretched to fill the object area. |
|
Size — Width |
Sets the width of the image. For example, 100% means that the image is resized to occupy the whole fill area width, 50% means that the width of the image is half that of the fill area. |
|
Size — Height |
Sets the height of the image. For example, 100% means that the image is resized to occupy the whole fill area height, 50% means that the height of the image is half that of the fill area. |
|
Size — Scale |
When selected, image size is given as a percentage for Width and Height. When deselected, the actual size of the image is given for Width and Height. |
|
Position |
Specifies the anchoring point of the image. |
|
Tiling Position — X-Offset |
Sets the offset for the width of the image in percentage values. 50% offset means that Draw places the middle part of the image width at the anchor point and start tiling from there. |
|
Tiling Position — Y-Offset |
Sets the offset for the height of the image in percentage values. 50% offset means that Draw places the middle part of the image height at the anchor point and start tiling from there. |
|
Tiling Offset |
Offsets the columns of tiled images by the percentage entered in the box so that two subsequent columns of images are not aligned. |
1) Select an object for editing that contains an image as a fill, or insert an image into a selected object
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Image to open the options available for an image fill.
3) Select an image from the options available in Image to use and edit as a fill. Note that imported images are also available. The selected image appears in Preview.
Figure 19: Examples of image fills
Original image.
Width and height 25% scaled. Anchor top left corner. No offset.
Width and height 25% scaled. Anchor top right. Row offset 50%.
4) Change the values for Style, Size, Position, Tiling Position, and Tiling Offset to the requirements. For more information on image options, see “Table 2: Image options” above. Examples of image or bitmap fills and the properties used are shown in Figure 19.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original image, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
Supplied images cannot be edited, but the display settings for placement and tiling can be changed.
1) Select an object to import an image into the object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Image to open the options available for an image fill.
3) Click on Add/Import and a file browser window opens.
4) Navigate to the directory containing the image file, then select the file and click Open.
5) Enter a unique name for the new image in the Name dialog that opens, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The imported image appears at the bottom of the images displayed in Image.
6) Select the imported image in Image.
7) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The imported image fill appears in the selected object.
1) Select an object that uses an image.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Image to open the options available for an image fill.
3) Right-click on the selected image and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a new name for the image in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
1) Make sure the object containing an image fill is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Image.
3) Right click on the selected image being deleted, then select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
It is recommended to only rename or delete images that have been created or imported. Renaming or deleting images that are installed with LibreOffice may cause problems in documents that uses one of these images.
Several LibreOffice pattern fills are installed during a LibreOffice installation. Custom patterns can also be created and modified in LibreOffice.
The following procedure selects a pattern for an area fill using the Area dialog. The tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar have a similar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern to open the options available for a pattern fill (Figure 20).
3) In Pattern, select the required pattern and the selected pattern appears in Preview.
4) If necessary, change the foreground and background colors, or the pattern itself, as described in “Creating custom patterns” below. As changes are made, the pattern displayed in Preview also changes indicating how the pattern will look. Any changes will affect only the object being filled.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The pattern fill then appears in the selected object.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page.
Figure 20: Area dialog — Pattern page
3) Select the required pattern in Pattern to use as a starting point and the selected pattern appears in Preview.
4) In Options, select a color from the available color palettes for the Foreground Color and Background Color. The pattern remains the same, but the colors change.
5) In Pattern Editor, click on individual squares to change the color from Foreground Color to Background Color, or from Background Color to Foreground Color creating a new pattern.
6) In Preview, check the pattern being created to see if the desired effect is being achieved.
7) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
8) Enter a unique name for the new pattern, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The custom pattern is placed at the end of the patterns displayed in Pattern and becomes available for use in other drawings and documents.
9) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
10) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
Note
To use a modified pattern in other drawings or documents, the custom pattern has to be saved with a unique name.
Using the Modify option on the Pattern page in the Area dialog permanently changes a pattern and cannot be undone. It is recommended to only modify custom patterns and not the LibreOffice patterns that were installed.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern.
3) Select a custom pattern from the patterns displayed in Pattern and the selected pattern appears in Preview. Custom patterns are located below the predefined patterns in the Pattern.
4) In Pattern Editor, click on each square to change the color from Foreground Color to Background Color, or from Background Color to Foreground Color modifying the selected pattern.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom pattern. There is no confirmation given when modifying a custom pattern.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern to open the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for renaming in Preview and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a name for the pattern in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renaming and close the Name box.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern to open the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for deletion in the Preview box and select Delete from the context menu.
4) Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
It is recommended to only modify, delete or rename custom patterns that have been created. Modifying, deleting or renaming one of the LibreOffice patterns that are installed may cause problems in drawings and documents using one of the patterns.
Hatch fills are similar to pattern fills, but use lines instead of squares. Several predefined hatch fills are included when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. Custom hatch fills can also be created and modified.
Figure 21: Area dialog — Hatch page
The following procedure to select a hatch for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is similar, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch to open the options available for a hatch fill (Figure 21).
3) Select a hatch from the options shown in Hatch and the selected hatch fill appears in the Preview.
4) If necessary, change the colors or other options, as described in “Creating custom hatch fills” below. As changes are made, the hatch fill displayed in Preview also changes.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original hatch fill, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The hatch fill then appears in the selected object.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch to open the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Select the required hatch fill in Hatch as a starting point and the selected hatch fill appears in Preview.
4) Change the values for Spacing, Angle, Line type, Line color, and Background color to edit the hatch fill to the requirements. For more information on hatch fill options, see “Table 3: Hatch fill options” below.
5) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
6) Enter a unique name for the new hatch fill, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The custom hatch fill is placed at the end of the hatch fills displayed in Hatch and becomes available for use in other drawings and documents.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The new hatch fill appears in the selected object.
Table 3: Hatch fill options
|
Hatching option |
Meaning |
|
Spacing |
Determines the spacing between two lines of the hatch fill. As the value is changed, the preview window is updated. |
|
Angle |
Use the mini map below the numerical value to quickly set the angle formed by the line to multiples of 45 degrees. If the required angle is not a multiple of 45 degrees, enter the desired value in the edit box. |
|
Line type |
Set single, double, or triple line for the style of the hatch fill. |
|
Line color |
Use the list to select the color of the lines that will form the hatch fill. |
|
Background color |
When selected, adds a color fill behind the lines used for the hatch fill. |
Using the Modify option on the Hatch page in the Area dialog permanently changes a hatch fill and cannot be undone.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch to open the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Select a custom hatch fill in Hatch and the selected hatch fill appears in Preview. Custom hatch fills are located below the predefined hatch fills in Hatch.
4) Change the values for Spacing, Angle, Line type, Line color, and Background color to edit the hatch fill. For more information on hatch options, see “Table 3: Hatch fill options” above.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original hatch fill, click on Reset and any changes made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom hatch fill. There is no confirmation given when modifying a custom hatch fill.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
1) Select the object that contains the hatch fill that is to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch to open the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Right-click on the hatch fill displayed in Hatch and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a name for the hatch fill in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renaming and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
1) Select an object that uses the hatch fill for deletion.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Hatch.
3) In the Hatch box, select the custom hatch fill for deletion.
4) Right-click on the hatch fill and select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.
Note
It is recommended to only modify, rename or delete hatch fills that have been created. Modifying, renaming or deleting hatch fills that were installed with LibreOffice may cause problems in documents that use one of these hatch fills.
Background image fills are used to allow an object create windows in a drawing and display a background image that has been placed on the drawing. Figure 22 shows an example of an ellipse, the topmost object, being used as a window through the underlying pentagon and rectangle objects to show a portion of the background image.
1) Select a page in a drawing that uses a background image.
2) Insert several objects onto the drawing page and position the objects into a stack.
3) Add an object that is going to be used as window onto the object stack as the topmost object and make sure it is selected.
4) Change the fill of the selected object to a background image fill using one of the following methods:
On the Line and Filling toolbar, select Use Slide Background from the options available in the Area/Style Filling drop-down list.
In the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar, select Use Slide Background from the options available in the Fill drop-down list.
5) Deselect the object and the background image appears in the object creating a window.
Figure 22: Example of using Background Fill
Notes
There are no options available for using a background image fill. When a background image fill is applied to an object, the whole of the object area is used for the area fill.
The option Use Slide Background is not available as an option for area fills in the Area dialog.
Shadows can be applied to objects such as lines, shapes and text. The options available for shadows are as follows:
Position – select one of nine points determining the direction in which the shadow is cast.
Distance or Angle – determines the offset distance between the object and the shadow.
Color – sets the color used for the shadow.
Blur – sets how much the edges of a shadow are blurred or softened.
Transparency – determines the amount of transparency for the shadow: 0% opaque shadow, 100% transparent shadow.
To quickly apply a shadow to an object, select the object and click on Shadow in the Line and Filling toolbar. The shadow applied to an object uses the default shadow settings in LibreOffice.
Note
For more control when applying shadows, use the Shadow page in Area or Line dialogs. The following information uses the Shadow page in the Area dialog (Figure 23), but can also be applied to the Shadow page in the Line dialog.
For a more control when adding shadows to an object, use the Shadow page on the Area or Line dialog as follows:
Figure 23: Area dialog — Shadow page
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Shadow to open the Shadow page (Figure 23).
3) Select Use shadow in Properties and the shadow options become active.
4) Select from one of nine points the direction in which the shadow is going to be cast in relation to the object.
5) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and then select the color required for the shadow.
6) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
7) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.
8) In Transparency, enter a percentage for the shadow transparency.
9) Click OK to close the Area or Line dialog and save the changes.
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Click on Properties to open the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Shadow to open the Shadow panel (Figure 24) in the Properties deck.
4) Select Enable and the shadow options become active.
Figure 24: Shadow panel in Properties deck on Sidebar
5) In Angle, select from one of the options in the drop-down list to set the direction of where the shadow is going to be cast in relation to the object.
6) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and then select the color required for the shadow.
7) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
8) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.
9) In Transparency, move the slider or enter a percentage in the text box to set the shadow transparency.
10) Deselect the object to save the changes made.
Transparencies can be applied to objects and shadows that have been applied to an object. In Draw, two types of transparencies can be applied to an object – uniform transparency and gradient transparency. For more information on gradient transparencies, including an example of combining a color gradient with a gradient transparency, see “Gradient fills” on page 1.
Transparencies can be applied to area fills as well as shadows and lines.
To use transparencies on lines, refer to “Formatting lines” on page 1 for more information.
To use transparencies on shadows, refer to “Working with shadows” on page 1 for more information.
The following procedure applies a transparency to an object area fill using the Area dialog (Figure 25):
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog, then click on Transparency to the open the Transparency page and access the available options.
3) To create a uniform transparency, select Transparency and enter a percentage in the text box.
Figure 25: Area dialog — Transparency page
4) To create a gradient transparency so that the area becomes gradually transparent, select Gradient and select the type of gradient transparency from the drop-down list: Linear, Axial, Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic or Square. See “Table 1” on page 1 for more information on gradient types.
5) Set the parameters for the type of the gradient transparency selected above. Refer to “Table 4: Transparency parameters” below for a description of the properties. The parameters available depends on the type of gradient transparency selected above.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
Table 4: Transparency parameters
|
Transparency parameters |
Meaning |
|
Centre X |
For Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The values to set the horizontal offset of the gradient center. |
|
Center Y |
For Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The values to set the vertical offset of the gradient center. |
|
Angle |
For Linear, Axial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. Specifies the angle of the gradient axis. |
|
Border |
Increase this value to make the gradient start further away from the border of the object. |
|
Start value |
Value for the starting transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque, 100% means fully transparent. |
|
End value |
Value for the ending transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque, 100% means fully transparent. |
If the same area fill, line thickness, and border are to be applied to a set of objects, this repetitive process is simplified by using styles. Styles allows format to be defined and applied to multiple objects. For more information on styles, see the Writer Guide.
Note
The drawing styles included with LibreOffice Draw cannot be deleted or renamed, but can be modified to the drawing requirements. Drawing styles can be hidden when not required, except for drawing styles that have been used in a drawing.
All Styles
Applied Styles
Hierarchical Styles
Tips
Hierarchical styles are used when multiple objects differ in one or two options but are otherwise identically formatted. Create a parent style for the objects including borders, area fill, font, and so on. Then create a hierarchical or child styles, which differ, for example, in fill color. If the font size or the thickness of a border needs to be changed, it is sufficient to change the parent style and all the child styles are changed accordingly.
At the bottom of the Styles deck on the Sidebar there is a drop-down list allowing selection of the style category. The style categories available are Hierarchical, All Styles, Hidden Styles, Applied Styles, and Custom Styles.
Custom Styles
Hidden Styles
Note
When an object is placed into a drawing, the Default Drawing Style is automatically applied.
Figure 26: Styles deck on Sidebar
Styles can only be selected and applied to objects using the Styles deck on the Sidebar (Figure 26).
1) Select the object for style application.
2) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar using one of the following methods:
Go to View > Sidebar on the Menu bar, then click on Styles at the right side of the Sidebar.
Click on Show the Styles Sidebar on the Line and Filling toolbar.
Go to View > Styles on the Menu bar.
Use the keyboard shortcut F11.
3) Select a style category from the drop-down list at the bottom of the Styles deck.
4) In the Styles deck, double-click on the style required for the selected object.
5) If necessary, create a custom style or modify the selected style to the requirements.
Note
It is recommended to create custom styles rather than modify the drawing styles installed with LibreOffice. Modifying drawing styles installed with LibreOffice may cause problems if the style has been used in other drawings.
After creating a custom style, it is placed in All Styles and Custom Styles categories in the Styles deck of the Sidebar. When the custom style is applied to an object, the custom style also appears in Applied Styles.
1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar.
2) Right click on the style required as a starting point to create a custom style and select New from the context menu to open the Graphic Styles dialog (Figure 27).
3) Click on the Organizer tab to open the Organizer page in the Graphic Styles dialog.
4) In the Name text box, enter a unique style name.
Figure 27: Graphic Styles dialog — Organizer page
5) In Inherit from text box, select None from the drop-down list if the new drawing style is NOT going to be linked. When the object was created, it was allocated the Default Drawing Style and this new drawing style is linked by default to the Default Drawing Style.
6) If the new style is to inherit settings from an existing style, select a style from the Inherit from: drop-down list.
7) Use the options on the various pages of the Graphic Styles dialog to format and categorize a new style.
Organizer – contains a summary of the style and its hierarchical position.
Font, Font Effects, Indents & Spacing, Alignment, and Tabs – sets the attributes of the text inserted into a text box or graphic object.
Dimensioning – sets the style of dimension lines when used on an object.
Text, Text Animation, Connector, Line, Area, Shadowing, Highlighting and Transparency – sets the attributes for the object format..
8) Click OK to save the new style and close the Graphic Styles dialog.
Note
Any new drawing style created is automatically placed in the Custom Styles category.
Using New Style from Selection allows all formatting to be made to an object first and then create a drawing style from the formatting changes.
1) Select an object to create a new style from, or create a new object in a drawing.
2) Format the object using the tools and options from the Graphic Styles dialog, Area dialog, Line dialog, Properties deck on the Sidebar, or Line and Filling toolbar.
3) Make sure the object is selected and create the new style using one of the following methods:
Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on New Style from Selection at the top right of the deck.
Go to Format > Styles > New Style from Selection on the Menu bar.
4) In the New Style from Selection dialog, type a unique name for the new style. This dialog also shows existing custom styles.
5) Click OK to save the new style and close the New Style from Selection dialog.
1) Select an object in a drawing.
2) Click on Styles on the left of the Sidebar to open the Styles deck.
3) Open the Graphic Styles dialog using one of the following methods:
Go to Format > Styles > Edit Style on the Menu bar.
Right-click on the object and select Edit Style from the context menu.
Right-click on the style that is highlighted in the Styles deck on the Sidebar and select Modify from the context menu.
4) Use the options on the various pages of the Graphic Styles dialog to modify the style.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog.
Note
It is recommended to only modify custom styles. Modifying styles installed with LibreOffice may cause problems in other documents using one of these styles.
If an object uses a style that is linked to a hierarchical or parent style, then it is possible to edit the hierarchical or parent style.
1) Select an object in a drawing that uses a linked style.
2) Open the Graphic Styles dialog and click on Organizer to open the Organizer page in the Graphic Styles dialog.
3) Check that the style name in the Inherit from text box is the hierarchical or parent style for editing, then use the options on the various pages in the Graphic Styles dialog to edit the style.
4) If the hierarchical or parent style is NOT the one required:
a) Click on Edit Style to the right of the Inherit from text box until the name of the style is displayed.
b) Use the options on the various pages in the Graphic Styles dialog to edit the style.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog.
Note
It is recommended to create custom hierarchical styles rather than modify the LibreOffice hierarchical styles. Modifying hierarchical styles installed with LibreOffice may cause problems if the style has been used in other drawings.
Using Update Style allows all the formatting to an object to be made first and then update the drawing style used by the object.
1) Select the object to modify the drawing style the object uses.
2) Format the object using the tools and options from the Graphic Styles dialog, Area dialog, Line dialog, Properties deck on the Sidebar, or Line and Filling toolbar.
3) Update the drawing style using one of the following methods. There is no confirmation when updating a drawing style.
Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Update Style at the top right.
Go to Format > Styles > Update Selected Style on the Menu bar
Note
Make sure to only update custom styles that have been created. Updating styles that are part of the default installation of LibreOffice could cause problems in other documents that use LibreOffice drawing styles.
Drawing styles are applied to an object using the Styles deck on the Sidebar as follows:
1) Select the object to apply a drawing style.
2) Click on Styles on the Line and Filling toolbar, or click on Styles on the Sidebar.
3) Double click on the style name to apply the drawing style to the selected object.
Predefined styles in LibreOffice cannot be deleted, even if the styles are not being used. Only custom styles can be deleted.
1) To open a list of styles, use one of the following methods:
Click on Styles on the Line and Filling toolbar.
Click on Styles on the Sidebar.
2) Select Applied Styles from the drop-down list at the bottom of the Styles deck on the Sidebar.
3) Right click on the style name in the styles list and select Delete from the context menu.
4) If the style is used on an object, a warning message appears stating that the selected object will revert back to the default drawing style. Select Yes to confirm deletion of the style.
5) If the style is not in use, select Yes to confirm deletion of the style and there is no confirmation message.
Note
Before deleting a custom style, it is recommended to make sure the drawing style is not in use by checking the list of drawing styles in the Applied Styles category.
As well as the basic actions of moving and resizing an object, a number of special effects can also be applied to objects in Draw. Several of these effects are readily available in the Transformations toolbar. If the Transformations toolbar (Figure 16) is not open, go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the Menu bar and select Transformations.
Figure 28: Example of manual rotation
The tools on the Transformations toolbar are described in the following sections with the exception of the In 3-D Rotation Object tool, which is described in Chapter 7, Working with 3D Objects.
1) Select an object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Use one of the following methods to switch the selected object into rotation mode. The selection handles change shape and color when in rotation mode (Figure 28).
Click again on the selected object.
Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Transformations on the Line and Filling and select Rotate from the context menu.
If the Transformations toolbar is open, click on Rotate.
3) Move the cursor over one of the corner handles and the cursor changes shape. Only corner selection handles are active for rotation.
4) Click and hold on a corner selection handle and drag the object to rotate it.
5) To restrict the rotation angles to multiples of 15 degrees, press and hold the Shift key while rotating the object. This is useful for rotating objects through 90 deg.
6) When satisfied with the rotation, release the corner selection handle.
7) By default, the rotation pivot point is a small circle in the center of the selected object. To change the center of object rotation, click and hold the rotation pivot point, then drag it to a new position. The rotation pivot point can be positioned outside of the selected object.
Figure 29: Position and Size panel in Properties deck on Sidebar
1) Select the object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Open the Position and Size panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 29).
3) Rotate the object using one of the following options:
4) After rotating the object, click outside the object to deselect the object and save the changes.
1) Select the object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Open the Position and Size dialog (Figure 30) using one of the following methods:
Use the keyboard shortcut F4.
Select Format > Position and Size on the Menu bar.
Right-click on the object and select Position and Size from the context menu.
3) Click Rotation to open the Rotation page.
4) If required, in Pivot Point enter a value for Position X and Position Y to move the position of the pivot point. The default position of the pivot point is the center of the object. Alternatively, select a pivot point from one of the 9 positions in Default settings.
5) In Rotation Angle, rotate the object using one of the following methods:
In the Angle text box, enter the degrees of rotation required.
Figure 30: Position and Size dialog — Rotation page
Click on and drag the rotation indicator in Default settings.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Position and Size dialog.
1) Select the object for flipping to display the selection handles.
2) Use one of the following methods to flip the object vertically or horizontally:
Right click on the object and select Flip > Horizontally or Flip > Vertically from the context menu.
In the Position and Size panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar, click on Flip Vertically or Flip Horizontally.
In the Line and Filling toolbar, click on Vertically or Horizontally.
Go to Shape > Flip > Vertically or Horizontally on the Menu bar.
Using Flip on the Transformations toolbar (Figure 16), the position and angle that the object flips over can be changed, as shown by the example in Figure 31.
1) Select the object for flipping to display the selection handles.
2) Click on Flip on the Transformations toolbar and the symmetry axis appears as a dashed line through the middle of the object. The object is flipped about this symmetry axis.
3) Click and drag one or both ends of the symmetry axis setting the axis orientation.
4) Place the cursor over one of the object selection handles until it changes shape.
5) Click and hold the selection then drag the object across to the other side of the symmetry axis until the object appears flipped over. The angle and position of the flip depends on the angle and position of the symmetry axis.
6) Release the selection handle and the object is flipped.
Note
Pressing and holding the Shift key while moving the symmetry axis allows rotation in 45 degree increments.
At the moment there is no mirror command available in Draw. However, mirroring an object can be emulated by copying and flipping the object as follows:
1) Select the object to copy the object to the clipboard.
2) Flip the object using the procedures in “Flipping objects” above.
3) Click in an empty area on the drawing to deselect the object.
4) Paste the copy of the original object back into its original location creating a mirror copy.
5) If necessary, select both objects and align them using one of the following methods:
Go to Shape > Align on the Menu bar and use one of the alignment options.
Right-click the selected objects and select Align from the context menu, then select one of the alignment options.
Three tools on the Transformations toolbar allow an object to be distorted.
Distort – distorts an object in perspective.
Set to circle (slant) and Set in Circle (perspective) – both create a pseudo 3D effect.
Note
Before distorting an object, the object must be converted to a curve. Transforming an object into a curve is a safe operation, but cannot be reversed other than by clicking Format > Undo on the Menu bar.
An example of distorting an object with the Set in Circle (perspective) tool is shown in Figure 32.
1) Select an object and click on the Set in Circle (perspective) in the Transformations toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does not appear.
3) Click and drag one of the selection handles to give a pseudo 3D perspective using the opposite side as an anchor point. A ghosted image appears as the object is distorted to give an indication of how the resulting object will look.
Figure 32: Example of using Set in Circle (perspective) tool
Original object
Set in Circle (perspective) distortion
An example of distorting an object with the Set to circle (slant) tool is shown in Figure 33.
1) Select an object and click on the Set to circle (slant) in the Transformations toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does not appear.
3) Click and drag one of the selection handles to give a pseudo 3D perspective using the opposite side as an anchor point. A ghosted image appears as the object is distorted to give an indication of how the resulting object will look.
Examples of distorting an object with the Distort tool are shown in Figure 34.
1) Select an object and click on Distort on the Transformations toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does not appear.
Figure 33: Example of using Set in circle (slant) tool
Original object
Set in circle (slant) distortion
Figure 34: Example of using Distort tool
Original object
Corner distortion
Vertical distortion
Horizontal distortion
3) Click and drag a corner selection handle to distort the object using the opposite corner selection handle as an anchor point for the distortion.
4) Click and drag the vertical selection handles to distort the object using the opposite vertical side as an anchor point for the distortion.
5) Click and drag the horizontal selection handles to distort the object using the opposite horizontal side as an anchor point for the distortion.
Transparency gradients are controlled in the same manner as color gradients and both types of gradient are used together. With a transparency gradient, the direction and degree of object fill color changes from opaque to transparent. In a color gradient, the fill changes from one color to another, but the degree of transparency remains the same.
Two icons on the Transformations toolbar dynamically control transparency and color gradients. Even if an object with a color fill is not assigned transparency, the transparency can be controlled by clicking on Interactive transparency tool. This defines a transparency gradient and a dashed line connecting two squares appears on the object. Move the two squares to modify the gradient. Define the direction of the gradient (vertical, horizontal, or at any angle) and the spot at which the transparency begins.
A regular color gradient is defined in the same manner. Select an object, then select a gradient area fill (see “Gradient fills” on page 1 for more information). The Interactive gradient tool is now active on the Transformations toolbar. When clicking on Interactive gradient tool, a dashed line connecting two squares appears on the object, just as it does for a transparency gradient.
In both transparency gradient and gradient fill, click outside the object to set the gradient.
In the example shown in Figure 35 there is a single color object and a transparency gradient, covering part of the underlying object. This gradient transparency can be dynamically adjusted. Direction of transparency is changed by moving the white square and the distance over which it is applied by moving the green square.
Note
Moving the squares has different effects, depending on the type of gradient. For example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient are always situated on either side of the center point of the object.
Figure 35: Example of a dynamic gradient
