Copyright: Copyright ® 1994, Abracadata Ltd.


SUPER SKETCH MAIN INDEX

Menu Index

Tools Menu

Super Sketch Glossary

Tips and Techniques


MENU INDEX

Essential features of Super Sketch are found in the menus across the top of the window. Some menus have an ellipsis following the item (e.g., Font...) When you select a menu item with an ellipsis, a new window with special options or instructions appears (a dialog box). Sometimes a menu option is dimmed (shown in gray text instead of black) and you cannot select it. This usually means you need to do something else first. To receive more information on a particular menu, click on one of the following:

File Menu

Edit Menu

Arrange Menu

Text Menu

Layout Menu

Options Menu


TOOLS MENU

Arc Tool

Rectangle and Rounded Box Tools

Chart Tool

Circle/Ellipse Tool

Line and Constrained-Line

Picture Tool

Polygon Tool

Selector Tool

Sketch Tool

Text Tool


SUPER SKETCH GLOSSARY

C

click

clipboard

color palette

cross hairs

D

delete

dimmed

double-click

drag

F

flexible box

K

keyboard shortcut

L

line palette

M

menu bar

P

pattern palette

S

scroll arrow

scroll bar

scroll box

select

selector

status bar

T

title bar

tool palette

W

working fill pattern

working line pattern

working pattern box


FILE MENU

New

Open

Save

Save As

Print

Printer Setup

Exit


NEW

Opens a new drawing window and assigns it the name "Untitled". Whenever you start Super Sketch, it starts with the file "Untitled."

To start a new file: Choose New from the File menu. If you have made changes to the current file, a dialog box appears telling you that your file has changed and asks if you want to save it before closing that window and opening a new one. If you change your mind and don't want to close the current drawing, click Cancel. If you don't want to save the file, click No. The drawing is removed from the screen and a new, "Untitled" window is opened.

If the file already has a name it is automatically saved if you click OK. It's then removed from the screen, and a new, "Untitled" window is opened. If the file's name is "Untitled" and you click OK, the Save As dialog appears.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+N

See also:

Open


OPEN

This option brings an existing Super Sketch file from the disk to the drawing window.

To open an existing file: Select Open from the File menu. If you have made any changes to the current file, a dialog box appears, asking whether you want to save those changes before opening a different file. If you change your mind and don't want to close the current drawing, click Cancel. If you don't want to save the file, click No. The drawing is removed from the screen and then the Open Drawing dialog box appears. If the file already has a name, it is automatically saved when you click OK. It's removed from the screen, and the Open Drawing dialog box appears. To save the file, click Yes. If the drawing name is "Untitled," the Save As dialog box appears.

Your file is saved to disk, removed from the screen, and the Open Drawing dialog box appears.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+O

See also:

New

Save As


THE OPEN DRAWING DIALOG BOX

The Open Drawing dialog box displays the names of all files in the current directory that have the extension *.sig. To display all files in the current directory, select All Files from the List Files of Type box. Change directories and disk drives by clicking in the appropriate boxes. When you have found the file you want to open, double-click the file name, or click the file name and then click OK.

To open more than one drawing at a time, you'll need to open Super Sketch again. It's easy: click the minimize button at the top right of the window to reduce Super Sketch to an icon (or you can leave the window fully open) and return to the Program Manager (Ctrl+Esc), open the Parsons group, then double-click the Super Sketch icon. You can then open another file using the procedure previously described. When you press Ctrl+Esc to select between applications, you'll know which is which because each Super Sketch in the list will also list a file name.

See also:

New


SAVE

Saves the current drawing to a disk file.

To save a file: Choose Save from the File menu.

If the drawing name is "Untitled," the Save As dialog box appears. To save to a different drive, select the drive you want from the Drives box. To save the file in a different directory, double-click the directory in which you want to save the file. Click on a file name in the File Name box if you want to write over an existing file on disk. For a new file, type a name in the File Name box, then click OK. File names are limited to 8 characters, followed by a 3-letter extension. An example of a file name is MYDRAWNG.SIG. You do not need to type the .sig extension. The program will automatically add it to your file name.

If you have already named the drawing, the file is automatically saved without any confirmation or dialog.

Save replaces any previous version, use Save As to give the file a different name.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+S

See also:

Save As

Export


SAVE AS

Selecting Save As brings up the Save As dialog box, allowing you to name a new drawing, rename the one currently open, or overwrite the current drawing to one already on disk.

The Save As dialog also appears whenever you tell the program you want to Save and the current file name is "Untitled." When the dialog appears you can select options to save files to any drive by clicking the drive you want in the Drives box. To save to a different directory, double-click the directory where you want to save the file. Type a name for the file in the File Name box, then click OK. If you want to overwrite an existing file, you can click on a gray name in the File Name box and it will appear in the entry box. File names are limited to 8 characters, followed by a 3-letter extension. An example of a file name is MYDRAWNG.SIG.

Note: You need only type the first 8 characters of a file name. The .sig extension will be added to it automatically.

When you click OK, the file saves to disk. And depending on where you were before the Save As dialog appeared, different things will happen after the Save. If you have selected New, after the save the file is removed from the screen, and a new, "Untitled" window is opened. If you've selected Open, after the save the Open dialog appears. If you've selected Exit, the file is saved and the program closes. If you've selected Save As, you return to your current drawing.

If you have elected to overwrite an existing file you'll get a message telling you that the file already exists, and you are asked if you want to replace the existing file. Click Yes to replace the existing file. If you click No, you can enter a new name in the File Name box.

See also:

Save

Export


EXPORT

The Export command on the File menu brings up the Export Drawing dialog.  This dialog lets you save your drawing, or selected objects from your drawing, in a number of popular formats that can be imported into other graphics and word-processing programs.

See also:

Save

Picture Tool


PRINT

This option prints the current drawing on a printer device you have set up in Windows.

The Print Drawing dialog box appears.  You'll see your current printer listed on the upper left.  Beneath that, you'll see a small image of your drawing, covered with one or more gray page outlines.  Click on the pages to turn the outlines off and on to select the page(s) you want to print.  From the keyboard, you can TAB over to the image, move from page to page with the arrow keys, and use the space bar to select and unselect the pages you want to print.

In this dialog you can also select an alternative printer quality configuration. The possible choices depend on your printer. You can also choose Print to File. If you select this, you'll get an additional dialog requesting file name and directory information. You can also tell the printer to Collate Copies. This means, if you have several pages and you've requested more than one copy, the printer will print them in sequential groups rather than in groups of numbered pages.

Click OK to start printing. Make sure your printer is turned on and on-line.

To check or change the paper size and other settings for your printer, click the Setup button. The Print Setup dialog box appears.

To interrupt the printing process, click Cancel or press Enter while the Cancel dialog is on the screen.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+P

See Also

Show Page Breaks


PRINTER SETUP

This option brings up the Print Setup dialog box, allowing you to select a printer and set printer options before printing. The options available depend on the printer you select. This option and the one in the Print dialog connect you to the Windows Setup options which may be familiar to you already. Consult your Windows documentation if you need detailed information on setting up your printer.

Printing with a Laser Printer or Ink Jet Printer

Laser printers and Ink Jet printers have "unprintable regions" around the edge of the page. Typically the unprintable region is between 1/8 & 1/4 of an inch. Each individual printer has its own alignment characteristics which can affect these unprintable regions. Therefore, if you are trying to center a drawing on a page for one of these printers, it may require some experimentation on your part to determine what type of margins you need to give your drawing in order to center it on a page.

We suggest using the default page size shown in the drawing layout dialog. The page size that you see in the drawing layout dialog indicates the maximum printable area for your currently selected default printer for the current paper size. Then make sure to leave 1/8" to 1/4" margins around the drawing. Once your drawing is finished, you can group the whole drawing and move it up, down, right, or left to center it with respect to your individual printer.


EXIT

Closes the file you have been working on and quits Super Sketch. If you have made any changes to the current file, this item asks whether you want to save those changes before quitting. If you select yes and your drawing already has a title, it will be saved and you will exit the program. If your drawing does not have a name you will go to the Save As Dialog to enter a name.

Keyboard Shortcut - Alt+F4

See also:

New

Save


EDIT MENU

Undo

Redo

Flush Undo

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete

Duplicate

Select All

Repaint


UNDO

Reverses the last change made to a drawing.

To undo your last action, select Undo from the Edit menu. You can undo many changes in your drawing. The number of undos available to you depends on available computer memory. It is not unusual to be able to undo 10 changes, and in some cases, you may be able to undo hundreds of changes.

Redo allows you to change your mind again.

Caution: Although Super Sketch can remember more than your last change, it is good practice to Undo a change right away if you don't want to keep the change.

Keyboard shortcut - Alt+Backspace

See also:

Redo

Cut

Paste

Delete

Flush Undo


REDO

Cancels the last Undo action.

Undo lets you reverse the last change made to your drawing; Redo allows you to change your mind again. You can redo as many undos as you have done.

Keyboard shortcut - Alt+Shift+Backspace

See also:

Undo

Cut

Paste

Delete

Flush Undo


FLUSH ALL
FLUSH UNDO

This menu command clears your computer's memory of all the Undo and Redo information. It is particularly useful if you have inserted and deleted a number of bitmaps in the current drawing, because bitmaps use up a great deal of memory.

To flush the buffer, simply select this menu item. You'll notice that the Undo and Redo commands become gray.


CUT

Removes all selected objects from the current window and moves them to the clipboard. This is the same clipboard shared by other Windows applications, so you can use this option to export objects or groups of objects into other programs or into another open Super Sketch window.

To Cut one or more objects:

Select one or more objects that you want to remove, then choose Cut from the Edit menu. All selected objects are removed from your drawing and moved to the clipboard.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+X or Shift+Delete

See also:

Copy

Delete

Duplicate

Paste


COPY

Copies all selected objects to the clipboard without removing them from your drawing.

To copy objects: Select the objects that you want to copy, then choose Copy from the Edit menu. A copy of all selected objects is placed on the clipboard. Your original stays on the screen.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert

See also:

Cut

Delete

Duplicate

Paste


PASTE

Places a copy of the clipboard's contents in the current window. This object can be something you just cut or copied to the clipboard, or it might be an object from another application.

To paste the clipboard's contents into the current drawing: Choose Paste from the Edit menu. A copy of the clipboard's contents appears in the drawing.

You can use Copy and Paste together to copy objects from one drawing into a different drawing or from one Windows application into another. Copy the object(s) to the clipboard, then open another drawing or application and paste the object(s) into it. You can perform dozens of Pastes after one Copy or Cut. So use this option if you need to duplicate an object many times.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert

See also:

Copy

Cut

Delete

Duplicate


DELETE

Removes all selected objects from the current window, but does not move them to the clipboard. Use delete to permanently remove an object from the drawing.

To remove objects from the current drawing: Select the objects you want to remove, then choose Delete from the Edit menu, press the Delete key, or press Ctrl+Delete.

Keyboard shortcut - Delete key or Ctrl+Delete

See also:

Copy

Cut

Duplicate

Paste


DUPLICATE

You can perform the equivalent of a copy and paste in one operation by using the Duplicate option.

To duplicate objects: Select the objects that you want to duplicate, then choose Duplicate from the Edit menu. A copy of all selected objects is placed on the clipboard, your original stays on the screen, and a copy of the selected objects appears in the drawing.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+D

See also:

Copy

Cut

Delete

Paste


SELECT ALL

This option selects every object in the current drawing. Every object will have handles. You can then perform any of the Edit menu operations on all of the objects at once, provided none of the objects are locked. (See "Lock" under the Arrange Menu). You can change colors, line sizes, line pattern and fill pattern. This command can also be handy if you want to move your whole drawing to a different screen location.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+A

See also:

Group

Ungroup


REPAINT

Repaint redraws the Super Sketch screen. Select Repaint when you see parts of objects or other items on the screen that shouldn't be there. This sometimes happens after rotating or dragging certain types of objects, or under certain scrolling conditions.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+T


ARRANGE MENU

Bring To Front

Send To Back

Rotate Left

Rotate Right

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)

Flip Horizontal

Flip Vertical

Group

Ungroup

Lock

Unlock


BRING TO FRONT

Places selected objects in front of any objects that overlap them.

Select one or more objects that are behind other objects.  Choose Arrange: Bring to Front to bring the objects to the front of the drawing.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+F

See also:

Send To Back


SEND TO BACK

Places selected objects behind any objects that they overlap.

Select one or more objects that are in front of other objects.  Choose Arrange: Send to Back to send the objects to the back of the drawing.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+B

See also:

Bring To Front


ROTATE LEFT

Rotates selected objects 90 degrees to the left.

Select the objects you want to rotate, then choose Rotate Left from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+L

See also:

Rotate Right

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)

Restrictions on Rotation


ROTATE RIGHT

Rotates selected objects 90 degrees to the right.

Select the object(s) you want to rotate, then choose Rotate Right from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+R

See also:

Rotate Left

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)

Restrictions on Rotation


ROTATE LEFT 1 DEGREE(S)

Rotates selected objects a given number of degrees to the left. To set the number of degrees, see Preferences under the Options menu.

Select the object(s) you want to rotate, then select Rotate Left 1 Degree(s) from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+1

See also:

Rotate Left

Rotate Right

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)

Restrictions on Rotation


ROTATE RIGHT 1 DEGREE(S)

Rotates selected objects a given number of degrees to the right. To set the number of degrees, see Preferences under the Options menu.

Select the objects you want to rotate, then choose Rotate Right 1 Degree(s) from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+2.

See also:

Rotate Left

Rotate Right

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Restrictions on Rotation


RESTRICTIONS ON ROTATION

Note: Some objects, such as bitmaps and charts, cannot be rotated.  If you select a non-rotatable object, the rotation options on the Arrange menu will be gray, indicating that the options are not available for that object.  If you rotate a non-rotatable object as part of a group, the object will move to maintain its position within the group, but the object itself will not rotate.


FLIP HORIZONTAL

Flips selected objects from side to side.  (Note that some objects, such as charts and text, cannot be flipped.)

Select the object(s) you want to flip horizontally, then choose Flip Horizontal from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+H

See also:

Flip Vertical

Restrictions on Flipping

Rotate Left

Rotate Right

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)


FLIP VERTICAL

Flips selected objects from top to bottom.  (Note that some objects, such as charts and text, cannot be flipped.)

Select the objects you want to flip vertically, then choose Flip Vertical from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+I.

See also:

Flip Horizontal

Restrictions on Flipping

Rotate Left

Rotate Right

Rotate Left 1 degree(s)

Rotate Right 1 degree(s)


RESTRICTIONS ON FLIPPING

Note: Some objects, such as text objects and charts, cannot be flipped.  If you select a non-flippable object, the flipping options on the Arrange menu will be gray, indicating that the options are not available for that object.  If you flip a non-flippable object as part of a group, the object will move to maintain its position within the group, but the object itself will not flip.


GROUP

Converts 2 or more selected objects to a single grouped unit. Any changes made to the grouped unit will affect all the component objects.

Select the objects you want in the group. Choose Group from the Arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+G.

See also:

Ungroup

Lock

Unlock


UNGROUP

Separates a grouped unit into its individual component objects.

Select a grouped object and choose Ungroup from the arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+U.

See also:

Group

Lock

Unlock


LOCK

Prevents selected objects from being changed, moved, grouped, ungrouped, or deleted.

Select the objects you want locked and choose Lock from the Arrange.  A locked object will have hollow handles when you select it.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+K

See also:

Unlock

Group

Ungroup


UNLOCK

Unlocks selected locked objects, enabling you to move and rotate them, change their colors, etc.

Select the objects you want to unlock and choose Unlock from the arrange menu.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+J.

See also:

Lock

Group

Ungroup


TEXT MENU

The text menu allows you to set the size, style, font, and alignment of text objects. You can make changes to styles, sizes and fonts from the Font dialog box and you can make style and alignment changes directly from the Text menu. Note: You cannot change the size, style, or font of only a portion of a text object. If you need a font, style, or size change in the middle of a phrase or paragraph, simply complete the text before the change. Make the appropriate change in the Font dialog and start a new text object right next to the first text object. You can continue to alternate between styles, fonts, and sizes if you need to. For more information on a particular menu item, click on one of the following:

Font

Normal

Bold

Italic

Underline

Strikeout

Left

Centered

Right

See also:

Text Tool

Editing Text


THE FONT DIALOG

When you select Font... the Select Font dialog pops up. The font, size, and style you choose in this dialog affect all selected text objects and the text tool. With the option you can set a default for the size you want your text to start out with. If you change Fonts, Styles, or Sizes, they'll stay that way until you change them.

To choose a font, size, or style: Choose Font... from the Text menu. Select the font you want from the Select Font box, select a size from the Size box. You can also select a Style if you want to set a particular default style. Click OK. The next text you type will be according to the specifications you set. If you have some text selected while you change the options in the Select Font box the selected text will take on the new settings.


NORMAL TEXT STYLE

The normal text style cancels all current font style selections.  The font selection, size and alignment options remain the same.

See also:

Font Dialog


BOLD TEXT STYLE

Boldface letters are slightly larger than normal and they appear thicker.

Click Bold on the Text menu to embolden a selected text object and to affect the Text tool.

When the Bold menu item is chosen, a check mark appears by it to show it is in use. To turn Bold typing off, click on the menu item again, or click on Normal.

See also:

Font Dialog


ITALIC TEXT STYLE

An italicized word consists of letters leaning slightly to the right. Italics are often used to show emphasis on a word or idea.

Click Italic in the Text menu to italicize a selected text object and to affect the Text tool.

When the Italic menu item is chosen, a check mark appears by it to show it is in use. To turn italic typing off, click on the menu item again, or click on Normal.

See also:

Font Dialog


UNDERLINE

Choosing the Underline option from the Text menu causes text to be underscored. Click Underline to underline selected text and to affect the Text tool.

When the Underline option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn underline typing off, click on the menu item again, or click on Normal.

See also:

Font Dialog


STRIKEOUT

The Strikeout item on the text pull down menu allows you to type text with a solid line crossing all of the letters.

Click Strikeout to affect a text object and to affect the Text tool.

When the Strikeout option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn off the Strikeout option, click on the menu item again, or click on Normal.

See also:

Font Dialog


LEFT JUSTIFY

To Left Justify selected text and to affect the Text tool, click Left on the Text menu.

This paragraph is an example of left justified text. Note: Unless you have two or more lines of text, selecting a justification may not change the way text looks on screen.

See also:

Font Dialog

Right Justify

Centered


CENTERED

To Center a block of text and affect the Text tool, click Center on the Text menu.

Unless you have two or more lines of text, selecting a justification may not change the way text looks on screen.

See also:

Font Dialog

Left Justify

Right Justify


RIGHT JUSTIFY

To Right Justify a block of text and to affect the text tool, click Right on the Text menu.

Note: Unless you have two or more lines of text, selecting a justification may not change the way text looks on screen.

See also:

Font Dialog

Centered

Left Justify


CHART TOOL MENU

Settings

Drawing the Chart

Making Chart Labels

Entering Data in Bar Charts and Column Charts

Entering Data in Pie Charts

Changing Chart Types

Customizing Charts


SETTINGS
CHART OPTIONS

Super Sketch allows you to draw vertical bar, horizontal bar, pie, and column charts. You can select one of these types by clicking the type in the Chart menu or by going to the Options... menu.  The Options... menu Chart Options dialog also allows you to set the number of data points you want in your next chart and the value format desired. The Data Points option enables you to determine how many bars, pie pieces, or column segments you have in your chart. Thirty data points is the maximum allowed by Super Sketch. The value format entry box enables you to enter a decimal format, dollars, cents, or other text. For example, if you enter $0.00 in the Value Format box, your chart value labels will have that format. When you stretch a bar to adjust it, the values will change by one hundredths. You can enter up to eight digits, either before or after the decimal point. If you type "00 widgets", you'll see double digit value labels and a widget descriptor. The chart will increment in whole numbers when you stretch the individual sections.

The next chart you create will have these settings. If you change the chart type by selecting a different type in the Chart menu, the number of data points will be the number last set in the Chart Options dialog.

If you have a chart selected when you go to the Options... Chart Options dialog, you cannot change the number of data points of the selected chart. The Data Points setting affects only the chart tool, so be sure you set the proper number of data points before drawing your chart.

In the Chart Options dialog enter the number of Data Points, select the Chart Type and the value format desired and then click OK.

See also:

Customizing Charts


DRAWING THE CHART

Draw your chart (after setting the data points, value format, and selecting the type) by clicking the Chart Tool and stretching an outline across the drawing window. After the chart is placed you can stretch it to the width and height that looks best.  Don't worry about overlapping labels or numbers.


MAKING CHART LABELS

Now that you've drawn a chart, to label it correctly, select the text tool and then place the text cursor on the label you want to change. Use standard text editing methods to replace Super Sketch's default labels with your own labels. If the text is too large or too small, before editing select the chart, then use the Font option in the Text menu to change the font size. You can also select italic or bold, or any of the other text options in the Select Font dialog to apply to your chart. Use any of the options in the Text menu. Once you've got the correct font and style selected change all the labels to conform to your chart's specifications.

See also:

Font

Style

Normal

Bold

Italic

Underline

Strikeout

Text Tool

Editing Text

Entering Bar and Column Chart Data

Entering Pie Chart Data


ENTERING DATA IN BAR CHARTS AND COLUMN CHARTS

There are two ways to enter your chart data. One is to use text editing techniques. Select the text tool, place the text cursor on the number you want to change, and edit the number to match your data. When you click the text tool on the next number, or press Esc, the chart will adjust to reflect the new number.

You can also apply your numbers to the chart by doing the following: Shift-click on the chart (once if it's already selected, twice if it isn't selected) to add handles to each bar or column section. Click and drag a handle to appropriately enlarge or reduce the size of the bar or column piece. Watch the numbers change as you drag and stop dragging when the number is correct. Repeat this with each segment that needs to be changed.

See also:

Entering Data in Pie Charts

Editing Text

Text Tool


ENTERING DATA IN PIE CHARTS

Select the pie chart, and then shift-click on the chart to get a handle on each piece. Drag the pieces so that the percentages are correct.

If you need to work with values rather than percentages for pie charts, the best way to proceed is as follows:

Create the pie chart, then select it and change it to a vertical bar chart by clicking Vertical Bar on the Chart menu.  You will see numbers and percentages. Shift-click or edit the numbers (see Entering Data in Bar Charts and Column Charts). Then select the chart and click Pie Chart in the menu to convert it back to a pie chart.

If you decide to change a bar chart or column chart into a pie chart, you will notice that there are no percentages on the converted pie. To obtain them, simply type in any percent figure at the end of any of the chart's labels. The correct percentage will appear on that label and on all the remaining labels after you press ESC.

If you want to convert a pie chart to a chart of any other type, you need to remove the percentages from the labels. Use the text tool to delete the percentage numbers and percent sign from one label. All percents will be removed. You cannot change the percentages on a pie chart by editing the labels.

See also:

Editing Text

Text Tool


CHANGING CHART TYPES

Perhaps you've defined your chart, and you want to see how it looks as a different type. It's easy to change the chart type:

Select the chart, then select a chart type from the Chart pull down. You can try all of the different types to see which presentation of your data looks best.

If you change to or from a pie chart, see Entering Data in Pie Charts for special instructions.

See also:

Chart Settings


CUSTOMIZING CHARTS

When your chart is final, you can further customize it with colors and patterns, label differentiation, additional labels, or whatever you need to make it complete. Remember though, once you ungroup it to do the customization, it is no longer a chart, and cannot be edited as a chart. So before you ungroup the chart, be sure it's accurate and the type of chart you want. (To safeguard your work this might be a good time to make a copy of the chart. Use the copy feature and copy the chart to another part of your drawing. Now you can play around with customization, and if you find an error or something you need to change in the original chart, you can go back to the copy.)

To customize your chart, use the Ungroup option in the Arrange menu. You'll see handles around each part of the chart, including the text. Click somewhere outside the chart to deselect all the handles then select any part of the chart and make changes. You might want to change the colors of the bars or segments for a better looking printout. Or you might prefer a patterned interior. You might want to emphasize some of the text (labels and numbers) with underlining, italic, or bold style. You can also explode a segment or two of a pie chart for emphasis.

When you've customized the chart, we suggest that you group it again, even though it won't be a chart per se, but you probably want to keep it intact once it's customized to your liking. (Remember, if you want to change something later, you can always ungroup it.)


LAYOUT MENU

Drawing Size

Show Rulers

Show Ruler Lines

Show Page Breaks

Show Status Bar

Show Grid

Snap to Grid

Grid Spacing

Zoom

Unzoom

Whole Drawing

Restore


DRAWING SIZE

This option lets you change the size your drawing. The size will always be a whole number of pages, based on the paper size and orientation you have chosen for your printer.  The numbers that appear in the Width and Height boxes tell you the total printable area of the drawing.  (Depending on the type of printer, the printable area of a page is often less than the full size of the page.)

The Drawing Size dialog also allows you to select the units of measure you want to use: inches, centimeters, or millimeters. To change the units of measure, click the button for the unit system you want to use. If you have Show Rulers selected, the rulers will change to the selected units when you close the Drawing Size dialog.

To change the drawing size or units of measure: Choose Drawing Size from the Layout menu. Use the arrow keys or the arrow buttons on the Width and Height boxes to change the number of pages in the drawing.  Use the lists of available printers and paper sizes at the bottom of the dialog to determine the size of each page.  Use the Units buttons to change between English units (inches/feet) and metric units.

See also:

Print

Rulers

Show Page Breaks


SHOW RULERS

This option displays or removes the on-screen rulers. A check mark next to this option indicates that it is in effect. Rulers are handy for more accurate drawing layouts and when you want to draw a specific sized object. Ruler measurements are set according to the Ruler Type you have selected in the Drawing Size dialog. They can be English-Inches, Metric-Centimeters, or Metric-Millimeters.


SHOW RULER LINES

This menu option lets you show or hide ruler lines, a handy drawing aid.

When the Show Ruler Lines option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn off the ruler lines, click on the menu item again.

See also:

Drawing Size Dialog


SHOW PAGE BREAKS

This menu option lets you show or hide page breaks.  Page breaks appear as light gray lines across your drawing area. These lines are for reference only and will not print.

When you first enter the Super Sketch program, the drawing size is automatically set to the maximum printable region for one sheet of paper based on the paper specified for your currently set default printer.  If you increase your drawing size beyond that set by the default printer, Super Sketch will break up your drawing area into separate pages. Choosing the Show Page Breaks option causes the outlines of each page to display.

To learn how to change your drawing size, see the Drawing Size command under the Layout menu.

When the Show Page Breaks option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn off the page breaks, click on the menu item again.

See also

Drawing Size

Print


SHOW STATUS BAR

The status bar is the gray bar that runs along the bottom of the drawing window. It displays information about the currently selected object, or the number of selected objects if more than one object is selected. Depending on the object, you might see what type it is, or other pertinent information.

Click on the Show Status Bar option to display or hide the status bar. A check mark next to this option indicates that the status bar will display. Click on an object to see its information.


SHOW GRID

This menu option lets you show or hide grid points, a handy drawing aid. If Snap to Grid is enabled, any object you draw and any object handle you move will automatically be snapped to the nearest grid point.

Note that if you have chosen a very fine grid spacing, or if you have zoomed out so that the grid points become very close to each other on the screen, the program may not display every grid point.  Instead, it may display only every other point, or every fourth point, etc.  This prevents the grid display from slowing the rest of the program down too much.  The undisplayed grid points are still functional as snap points, if you have enabled the Snap to Grid option.

When the Show Grid option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn off the grid points, click on the menu item again.

Use the Layout menu option Grid Spacing to set the spacing of the grid points.

See also:

Grid Spacing

Snap to Grid


SNAP TO GRID

When grid snap is enabled, any object you draw or resize will automatically be snapped to the nearest grid points, using the coordinates of the object's upper left corner.

When the Snap to Grid option is chosen, a check mark appears by it to indicate it is in use. To turn off the grid snap, click on the menu item again.

Use the Layout menu option Grid Spacing to set the spacing of the grid points.

See also:

Grid Spacing

Show Grid


GRID SPACING

This menu option allows you to set the spacing of the grid points. The grid points are the little dots that appear on the screen, spaced at regular intervals, when you turn on the Show Grid option. For each scale, there is a minimum and maximum number of inches (centimeters, millimeters) at which the grid points can be spaced. Both the vertical and horizontal spacing can be changed.

To change the grid spacing, press and hold the left mouse button on the up arrow (to increase the amount of space between grid points) or the down arrow (to decrease the amount of space).

See also:

Show Grid

Snap to Grid


ZOOM

Use the Zoom on the Layout menu to get a close-up view of your drawing.  You can draw and edit just as you normally do.  Each execution of the command increases the magnification of the drawing by 10%.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+Z

See also:

Unzoom

Whole Drawing

Restore


UNZOOM

Use the Unzoom command on the Layout menu to get a more distant view of your drawing.  You can draw and edit just as you normally do.  Each execution of the command decreases the magnification of the drawing by 10%.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+Y

See also:

Zoom

Whole Drawing

Restore


WHOLE DRAWING

Use the Whole Drawing command on the Layout menu to zoom your drawing out so that you can see the whole drawing on the screen at once.  You can draw and edit just as you normally do at other levels of magnification.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+W.

See also:

Zoom

UnZoom

Restore


RESTORE

Use the Restore command on the Layout menu to restore your drawing to the default 1-to-1 magnification on the screen.

Keyboard shortcut - Ctrl+E

See also:

Zoom

Unzoom

Whole Drawing


OPTIONS MENU

Edit Pattern

Edit Color

Save/Load Color Palette

Preferences

Show Clipboard


EDIT PATTERN

This menu option provides you with a utility to add patterns to the pattern palette. You can have a custom pattern and color palette for each drawing.

Or, if you wish to set up a set of default patterns for all drawings, simply edit or add patterns, and then save the empty drawing as "default" or "mypalett." Then, when you start a new drawing, open "default" or "mypalett" to access all your custom patterns.

Be sure to use Save As when you save that drawing the first time so that you don't overwrite your default drawing.

For details on how to edit patterns, see Creating New Patterns.

See also:

Creating New Colors

Edit Color


EDIT COLOR

This menu option provides you with a utility to add colors to the color palette. You can have a custom color palette (and custom pattern palette) for each drawing.

You can save the new palette by using the Save/Load Color Palette menu option.

For details on how to edit colors, see Creating New Colors.

See also:

Creating New Patterns

Edit Pattern


SAVE/LOAD COLOR PALETTE

This menu option allows you to save or load a custom color palette.

To save a color palette: Choose the Save Color Palette menu option from the Options menu. The Save Color Palette dialog appears.

To save to a different drive, select the drive you want from the Drives box. To save the file in a different directory, double-click the directory in which you want to save the file. Click on a file name in the File Name box if you want to write over an existing file on disk. For a new file, type a name in the File Name box, then click OK. File names are limited to 8 characters, followed by a 3-letter extension. An example of a file name is MYPALETT.PAL. You do not need to type the .PAL extension. The program will automatically add it to your file name.

To load a color palette: Choose the Load Color Palette menu option from the Options menu. The Load Color Palette dialog appears.

This dialog box displays the names of all files in the current directory that have the extension *.pal. To display all files in the current directory, select All Files from the List Files of Type box. Change directories and disk drives by clicking in the appropriate boxes. When you have found the file you want to open, double-click the file name, or click the file name and then click OK.


USER PREFERENCES
PREFERENCES

This dialog lets you set the rotation factor and drag handle size, and to choose whether to display object dimensions while drawing and whether to use "smooth drawing".

Rotation factor: Lets you specify the number of degrees of rotation for the Arrange menu options Rotate Left 1 degree(s) and Rotate Right 1 degree(s). There is a limit of 90 degrees.

Handle size: Lets you specify the size of the drag handles that appear on objects you have selected.

Display Object Dimensions: This item allows you to show or hide object size measurements that appear when you draw or resize an object. Object dimensions are displayed in the working unit of measurement (English or metric). To change the working unit, see Drawing Size under the Layout menu.

Smooth Drawing: This option eliminates the "flicker" as you move objects around the drawing.


SHOW CLIPBOARD

This option lets you view, save, and delete the contents of the clipboard. See your Windows User's Guide for details.


ARC TOOL

Draws an arc.

To draw an arc:

Select line pattern and fill pattern. Set line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon on the line palette, then click the arc icon on the tool palette.

Move the cross hairs to the place on the drawing area where you want to begin drawing the object. Press the left mouse button to anchor one end of a flexible arc. Drag the cross hairs. The flexible arc stretches from the anchor point to the mouse position. If you pull the arc down and to the right, it will curve out to the right. Pull it down and to the left to make it curve to the left. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the arc off the edge of the current window.

When the arc is the size and shape you want, release the mouse button.

To draw a wedge or pie piece, hold down the Shift key when you click the left button to start drawing.

To draw a chord, hold down the Ctrl key when you start drawing.

To force an arc, wedge or chord to be circular (i.e. to be a section of a circle), press the Ctrl key after you have started to draw it.

You can change an existing arc in two different ways. You can resize it the same way you resize other objects, but you can also adjust the position of its vertices.

To adjust the vertices of an existing arc, position the selector tool over the object, hold down the shift key and click. If the arc was not already selected, standard handles will appear. Shift-click again and handles will appear at each vertex. (A third Shift-click makes all handles disappear.) You can drag each vertex to increase or decrease the amount of arc.  As you move a vertex, the angle of the vertex to the X-axis (i.e. from the line that points in the 3-o'clock direction) is displayed at the center-point of the arc.

To make an existing arc circular, press the Ctrl key while you move one of its four standard handles.


RECTANGLE AND ROUNDED RECTANGLE TOOLS

These tools draw rectangles with straight or rounded corners.

To draw a rectangle or box:

First, select line pattern and fill pattern. Set the line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon on the line palette, then select one of the rectangle tools by clicking the appropriate icon in the tool palette.

Move the cross hairs to where you want to begin drawing the rectangle. Press the left mouse button to anchor one corner. Drag the cross hairs. A flexible box stretches from the anchor point to the mouse position. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the rectangle off the edge of the current window.

To make a perfectly square box, press the Ctrl key while you drag.


CIRCLE_ELLIPSE TOOL
CIRCLE/ELLIPSE TOOL

Draws a circle or ellipse.

To draw an ellipse:

Select a line pattern and a fill pattern, set a line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon in the line palette, then click the ellipse icon on the tool palette to select it.

Move the cross hairs to where you want to begin drawing a circle. Press the left mouse button to anchor one side of a flexible circle. Drag the cross hairs. The flexible circle stretches from the anchor point to the mouse position. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the circle off the edge of the current window.

When the circle is the size and shape you want, release the mouse button.

To make an ellipse a perfect circle, press the Ctrl key as you drag.


LINE AND CONSTRAINED LINE

Both tools draw lines. The constrained-line tool draws lines at vertical, horizontal, and 45 degree angles.

To draw a line:

Select a line color by clicking the right mouse button on a color on the top row of the color/pattern palette. Set line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon on the line palette, then select the line or constrained-line tool by clicking the corresponding icon on the tool palette.

Move the cross hairs to the place on the drawing area where you want to begin the line. Press the left mouse button to anchor one end of the line. Drag the cross hairs. A flexible line stretches from the anchor point to the mouse position. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the line off the edge of the current window.

When the line is the length and orientation you want, release the mouse button.

To constrain an already existing line, or to constrain a line after you've begun to draw, press the Ctrl key while you edit and drag the line by one of its handles.

See also:

Line Ends


PICTURE TOOL

The Picture tool is one of Super Sketch's most powerful features, and it's what makes Super Sketch special. You'll use this tool to insert Super Sketch libraries or bit-mapped pictures into your art work. You can import numerous file types that you've created with other programs. With it you also create your own libraries.

To insert a picture: Click the picture icon on the tool palette. Move the cross hairs to the place on the drawing area where you want the picture to be. Drag the cross hairs over the drawing area until the insertion box is the size and shape you want. (The insertion box will be a dashed rectangle that won't stay on your drawing. It's just an outline for the picture you select from the Select Picture dialog.)

Note: You can constrain the insertion (picture) box by holding the Ctrl key down while dragging the box.

When you release the mouse button, the Select Picture dialog appears.

Caution: An imported object may consist of dozens of small shapes. You'll know the magnitude of the number of shapes when you ungroup the object. If you see dozens of handles, you'll know there are a lot of component shapes. Regroup the object before you do anything, move it to a clear part of your drawing window, then ungroup it again. It will be easier to manipulate the individual parts of the shape and regroup it if you don't have any other objects from your drawing in the vicinity.

See also:

Creating Super Sketch Libraries

Importing Other File Types

Selecting A Picture

Export


SELECTING A PICTURE

When you first see the Select Picture to Insert dialog box, you probably won't see any files listed. Notice that the default extension in the File Name box is *.SSL. This is the extension for the Super Sketch Windows libraries. You'll also have access to the Super Sketch DOS libraries (*.SDL). See also Creating Super Sketch Libraries.

You'll also see BMP, JPG, PCT, PCX, DCX, TGA, TIF, WMF, WPG, DXF extension options. These are for files created with other programs. Be sure to click the directory where your files reside in order to list them.

To select a Super Sketch picture:

1. First be sure you're in the directory where the Super Sketch library files (.SSL) are. If you don't see any file names under the file name dialog, use the directory dialog in the center to click on the Super Sketch directory (or another directory, if you have libraries in another location).

2. Click once on a file name. The available picture(s) in the file will appear in the viewer on the right-hand side of the dialog.

3. If the file contains more than one picture, TAB over to the picture list and use the arrow keys to select the picture you want, or click on the picture with the mouse.  A scroll bar will appear in the viewer if the file contains more pictures than can be displayed at one time.

4. Click other file names on the left and look at more pictures on the right. When you find one you like, click the Paste button, or double-click on the picture itself.  The picture pastes into the drawing where you drew the frame, and a message box appears to tell you that the picture was pasted.  You can paste any number of pictures into your drawing this way.  When you are done, click the Close button.

See also:

Importing Other File Types

Creating Super Sketch Libraries

Picture Tool


CREATING SUPER SKETCH LIBRARIES

You can easily create your own libraries of Super Sketch pictures. To do so you must first have an object or grouped object on the screen. Select the object you want to place in a library and then Ctrl+click on the picture frame icon. You'll see a special dialog where you can either create a file for your library or select an existing library file to add your picture to.

In the File Name box you see *.ssl, which is the default extension for Super Sketch Windows Libraries. If there are existing *.ssl libraries in the drive, path, and directory selected, you'll see a list. You might want to change the path if you don't see any *.ssl files listed. You should also see your shape in the Selected Object box.

To create a new library file, type a name for the new file in the File Name box and hit Enter.  (You do not need to type the SSL extension; it will be added automatically.)

When you select a library file name, the objects (if any) in that library appear in the viewer on the right hand side of the dialog.

To add the new object to the new or to an existing library click the Add button. The Enter Object Name dialog box appears. Enter a name for your object and press Enter, or click OK.  Your object is now available to use over and over with Super Sketch's Picture Tool.

To change the name of an object, select the object and click the Edit button.

To delete an object from the library, select the object and click the Delete button, and reply Yes when the program asks you to confirm that you want to delete the object.  Be careful -- there is no Undo for this operation.

If you get a "File Full" message when you are adding a picture to an existing file, it means that you need to start a new file. Each library file's size is based on the size and complexity of the component pictures or objects in it.

See also:

Importing Other File Types

Picture Tool

Selecting A Picture


IMPORTING OTHER FILE TYPES

1. After you've drawn the picture frame and you see the Select Picture to Insert dialog, select the directory where you have placed the file that you want to import.

2. If you don't have any particular file you want to import, select the Windows directory for an example.

3. To see any files listed, go to the List Files of Type box, click the little arrow, and then select Windows Bit map (.BMP). Several .BMP files should appear in the File Names list. Or select another file type if you want to import another type of file.

4. Select a file and you'll see a picture in the picture box. Select OK to place the picture in your Super Sketch drawing.

See also:

Selecting A Picture

Creating Super Sketch Libraries

Picture Tool


POLYGON TOOL

Draws polygons from connected straight lines.

To draw a polygon:

Select a line pattern and a fill pattern. Set line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon on the line palette, then click the polygon icon on the tool palette.

Move the cross hairs to the place on the drawing area where you want to begin drawing the polygon. Press and release the left mouse button to anchor one end of a flexible line, then move the mouse. The flexible line stretches from the anchor point to the mouse position. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the line off the edge of the current window.

When you have stretched the line to the length you want, click the left mouse button again and the first segment is set. Move the cursor (don't drag) and then click for each additional segment. When you have completed the last segment, click the right mouse button. The last point will automatically connect to the first point and any fill pattern or color that shows in the working rectangle will fill the polygon.

You can change existing polygons in two different ways. You can resize it the same way you resize other objects, but you can also adjust the position of its vertices.

To adjust the vertices of an existing polygon, position the selector tool over the object, hold down the shift key and click. If the polygon was not already selected, standard handles will appear. Shift-click again and handles will appear at each vertex. (A third Shift-click makes all handles disappear.) You can drag each vertex to a new position.

See also:

Sketch Tool


SELECTOR TOOL

The selector tool is the arrow-shaped pointer that is displayed when you're choosing a drawing tool, pattern, line thickness, selecting an object, or using the menus. The selector tool moves in response to movement of the mouse. To select the selector, click in the top left corner of the tool menu. Your cursor should become an arrow and the arrow on the tool bar should be highlighted.

To select an object: First, select the selector tool. Position it over the object you want to select and click. Four black handles will appear around the object, indicating that it's been selected.

To select an additional object: Position the selector tool over the next object you wand to select, hold down the Shift key and click.

To select several objects: Drag a box with the selector tool that surrounds the objects completely.

See also:

Nudging Objects

Arc Tool

Rectangle and Rounded Box Tools

Circle/Ellipse Tool

Line and Constrained-Line Tools

Picture Tool

Polygon Tool

Sketch Tool

Text Tool


SKETCH TOOL

Draws a freehand object.

To sketch an object: Select a line color. Set line thickness or style by clicking the appropriate icon on the line palette, then click the sketch icon on the tool palette.

Move the cross hairs to where you want to begin sketching. Press and hold the left mouse button to drag the cross hairs into a shape. When the sketch is to your liking, release the mouse button. Notice that the screen scrolls smoothly if you try to extend the line off the edge of the current window.

Note: The sketch tool will not fill with a fill pattern. You'll find it useful for signing your name or writing messages, or sketching custom shapes.

See also:

Polygon Tool


TEXT TOOL

You can type text of any line color with any fill pattern or color.

To use the text tool: Select a fill pattern (left-click) as the background, right-click for the text color, then select the text tool. Next, move the cross hairs into the drawing area and click where you want to begin typing. If you make a mistake while typing, just backspace and press delete to remove an incorrect letter. You can highlight several letters to delete or replace them (see Editing Existing Text). Use Ctrl + right and Ctrl + left arrows to jump from word to word in your text, or just click the cursor next to the offending letter and delete it. You can also use the Home and End keys.

With the mouse only, if you want to continue typing but at a different location, move the pointer to the new location and click. The last text you typed is kept as an object and you can begin typing a new text object.

Super Sketch lets you easily experiment with text to get the effect you're looking for. Select a text object. Left-click in various locations along the pattern and color palettes to change the background. Right-click on several different colors to change the text. Change the patterns with Ctrl + right-click and Ctrl + left click.

To type white on a color, left-click red or black or another dark color and then right-click white for a nice effect.

To block out your text when you want it to stand out from the background color of another object, you can use the reverse process just described or you can select a white fill (left-click) and a dark text (right-click).

You can manipulate an existing text object with items from the Text and Edit menus. Options in the Edit menu operate on selected text objects just like any other object. First, select the text object using the selector tool, then select the item you want from the Edit menu.

See also:

Changing Text Styles

Choosing Fonts and Sizes

Font Dialog

Left Justify

Right Justify

Centered

Normal

Bold

Italic

Underline

Strikeout


CHANGING TEXT STYLES

You can use bold, italic, underline and strikeout styles for the text you type. Except for normal, which cancels all others, the styles are cumulative. The styles you choose affect all selected text objects and the text tool.

1. Select a text object.

2. Go to the Text pull-down menu and select Bold, Italic, Underline, or Strikeout to change the text.

3. To cancel any style (except for Normal), choose the style again. To cancel all current style selections, choose Normal.

You can also select a style in the Font Dialog box.


CHOOSING FONTS AND SIZES

Fonts and font sizes affect all selected text objects and the Text tool.

To choose a font or font size: Choose Font... from the Text menu. Select a font from the font box, select a size from the Size box, then click OK. You can use this option before typing to set up your text correctly; or you can select one or more text objects to change. You can also select a style from the Style box. Try this too with a selected text object.


EDITING EXISTING TEXT

To edit existing text, select the text tool, then click the cursor at the place within the text object where you want to start editing. A blinking cursor will appear.

You can also highlight a part of the text to delete or replace it. Drag the cursor over the letters you want to replace. While text is highlighted you can press the delete key to remove it, or type correct replacement letter(s).


LINE ENDS

There are several different line end styles. To see all the styles and to select one, simply double-click the line palette several times. Each time you double-click you'll cycle through the available line end types: shallow arrow, deep arrow, x-end, vertical end, slash right, slash left, ball, solid shallow arrow, solid deep arrow. Once you see the end type you want, simply select the specific line, then click the line tool and the line you draw on the screen will have that type of end.

See also:

Line and Constrained Lines


LINE PALETTE

Line thicknesses and styles apply to both the thickness and style used for lines and to thickness and style used for other drawing-tool objects' borders. The line-end styles (the four lines on the bottom of the palette) apply only to objects drawn with the line and constrained-line tools.

A bullet appears beside the currently selected line thickness or style, and line-end style. To change to a different thickness, style, or end, just click a new one.

Note: the funny-looking "line" at the top is the invisible line. Use it when you don't want an object to have a border (especially if you have an object background that is a pattern and you want the whole object to be filled with the pattern from edge to edge).

The three lines below the "invisible" line may look the same on your monitor and printouts. However, they are different from each other. The top one is the thinnest possible line that will show up on any monitor or printer. It will show up as one pixel thick on your screen, and it will show up as 1/600 thick on a 600 dpi laser printer, 1/300 thick on a 300 dpi, 1/150 on a 150 dpi, etc. Use Zoom (Ctrl+Z) after drawing a line of each thickness to see the difference.

See also:

Line Ends


PATTERN/COLOR PALETTE

The box at the left end of the pattern/color palette contains a rectangle that displays the working line color and the working fill pattern or color. Call this the "working rectangle."

The line color is used for object borders, text colors, and interior lines. The fill pattern or color is used for object interiors and text background. The minus symbol at the bottom left position in the palette lets you create objects with transparent interiors. To create a transparent border see Line Palette.

You can use patterns or colors for filling object interiors. You can use colors for drawing lines and object borders.

Note: Colors operate the same for both line and fill, but patterns work differently. You cannot use a pattern for a line or border.

To change a fill color or pattern:

Click a color or pattern with the left mouse button and you will see the working rectangle change color or pattern.

To change a line color:

Click a color with the right mouse button to see the working line color change.

To change the fill color of the pattern palette:

Hold down the Ctrl key and click the left mouse button on the color you want to use. If you have mixed (dithered) colors in the top row of the color palette, you won't be able to change the fill color to one of these, but the fill color will approximate the dominant color in each mixed color as you click on it.

To change the line color of the pattern palette:

Hold down the Ctrl key and click the right mouse button on the color you want to use.

To see more colors and patterns on the palette:

Click and hold the arrow keys at the right end of either the color palette or the pattern palette.

See also:

Creating New Patterns

Creating New Colors


CREATING NEW PATTERNS

You can create a new pattern or edit an existing one with Edit Pattern. . . in the Options menu. Select this option and the Edit Bitmap Pattern Dialog appears. The scroll bar at the bottom of the dialog shows all the current patterns in the pattern palette from left to right.

To edit a pattern or create a new one:

Select one of the patterns. Next, clear the selected pattern by clicking the Clear Pattern button or just start with the selected pattern and make changes to it by moving the cursor to any square and clicking it. A black square will change to white. A white square will change to black. On the right you'll see the effect on the pattern. Changing even one square can have a startling effect on a pattern. Try it.

Once the pattern is the way you like it, you need to decide if you want to replace the pattern you started with or save a new pattern.

To save a new pattern:

Click Add. A dialog asks if you want to create a new fill pattern. Click Yes.

To replace a pattern:

Click Replace. A dialog asks if you want to modify the selected fill pattern. Click Yes. The pattern you changed will replace the original pattern. Click OK to close the dialog. The new pattern will replace the original one.

Note: When you change the pattern palette you must save your drawing in order to save the new palette. This way you can have a custom palette for each drawing. If you wish to save a default palette to use with all of your drawings, we suggest the following:

Modify the pattern palette so it is the way you want it. Then save a drawing (with one object only) called "mypalett" or "default." Choose a name that means something to you. Then each time you start the program you can open that file, delete the one object in it and start a new drawing. Be sure to use Save As to save the new drawing so you don't overwrite your default file.

See also:

Pattern/Color Palette

Creating New Colors


CREATING NEW COLORS

You can create a new color or edit an existing one with Edit Colors. . . in the Options menu. A color is defined by its hue (its position in the color spectrum), saturation (the purity of the hue-from very gray to the pure color), and luminosity (its brightness-from black to white).

To define a new color select Edit Colors. . . in the option menu and the Edit Color Dialog appears.

The existing palette colors show in the Palette Color box.  If you click on any of the existing colors you'll see the color refiner cursor move to different areas of the color refiner box on the right, and you'll see the vertical luminosity indicator move on the vertical luminosity bar-to the right of the color refiner box.

To modify an existing color:

Select a color and drag the color refiner cursor to the color that you want. Then drag the arrow next to the vertical luminosity bar up or down to adjust the brightness.

As you change the color, the new color is displayed on the left side of the Color|Solid box. The right side of the box shows the solid color that is closest to the color chosen.

Once you have a color you want, you need to decide if you want to replace the color you started with or save a new color.

To save a new color:

Click Add. A dialog asks if you want to create a new color. Click Yes and the new color will appear in the Palette Colors box. If you don't see the new color, scroll the bar below the box. Click OK to close the dialog and you'll see your new color at the rightmost end of the color palette. Scroll the palette with the right arrow to see it.

To replace a color:

Click Replace. A dialog asks if you want to modify the selected color. Click Yes. The color you originally selected will be replaced by the new color. Click OK to close the dialog. The new color will replace the original one in the Color Palette.

Note: You can save the new palette by using the Save/Load Color Palette menu option.

See also:

Pattern/Color Palette

Creating New Patterns


DEFINE_CLICK
CLICK

Quickly press and release the mouse button once.


DEFINE_CLIPBOARD
CLIPBOARD

A temporary storage area in memory, used to hold and transfer information from one document or application to another.


DEFINE_COLOR PALETTE
COLOR PALETTE

The boxes containing different colors and patterns that appears at the top of the Super Sketch drawing area.

See also:

Pattern/Color Palette


DEFINE_CROSSHAIR
CROSS HAIRS

The plus-sign shaped pointer that appears when you're working with one of the drawing tools.


DEFINE_DELETE
DELETE

Completely removes an object from the drawing.


DEFINE_DIMMED
DIMMED

Indicates that a particular option is not available until after another action is performed. An option or button shown in light gray text, instead of black, is unavailable and cannot be chosen.


DEFINE_DOUBLE CLICK
DOUBLE-CLICK

Quickly press and release a mouse button twice without moving the mouse.


DEFINE_DRAG
DRAG

To drag an object, or to stretch an object, first select it, then position the pointer over part of the object, or on a handle, press and hold the left mouse button, and move the mouse.


DEFINE_FLEXIBLE BOX
FLEXIBLE BOX

A rectangular box that is a special indicator for magnifying an area of your drawing, and importing library pictures. In the previous instances, the flexible box is indicated by dotted lines. Flexible boxes also appear on initiating the drawing of a box or rectangle. Flexible circles appear when drawing circles or ellipses.


DEFINE_KEYBOARD SHORTCUT
KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

A key or combination of keys that you can press to carry out a particular command. Keyboard shortcuts are listed to the right of commands in a menu.


DEFINE_LINE PALETTE
LINE PALETTE

The arrangement of line thicknesses and patterns in the lower left corner of the window.


DEFINE_MENU BAR
MENU BAR

The horizontal bar containing the names of Super Sketch's menus. The menu bar is located just under the title bar.


DEFINE_PATTERN PALETTE
PATTERN PALETTE

The double row of patterns and colors just under the menu bar.

See also:

Pattern/Color Palette


DEFINE_SCROLL ARROW
SCROLL ARROW

An arrow at either end of the scroll bar which enables you to scroll through the windows contents. Click the scroll arrow to scroll one line at a time, or press and hold the mouse button on the scroll arrow for continuous scrolling.


DEFINE_SCROLL BAR
SCROLL BAR

A bar that appears along the right and/or bottom of a window whose contents are not completely visible. Each scroll bar contains a scroll box and two scroll arrows which enable you to scroll through the window's contents.


DEFINE_SCROLL BOX
SCROLL BOX

A box within the scroll bar that indicates the window's visible contents' position relative to the entire drawing. Drag the box (scroll thumb) along the scroll bar to move to a different location in the drawing.


DEFINE_SELECT
SELECT

To mark an object so that a subsequent action can be carried out on that object.  In Super Sketch, you select an object by positioning the selector over the object, then clicking the left mouse button.  Four black handles will appear around the object, indicating selection.

To select a menu item or option, click the left mouse button on the option you want, or highlight the option and press Return.


DEFINE_SELECTOR
SELECTOR

The arrow-shaped pointer that is displayed when you're choosing a drawing tool, pattern, line thickness, selecting an object, or using the menus.


DEFINE_STATUS BAR
STATUS BAR

The bar at the bottom of the window that displays information about the object.


DEFINE_TITLE BAR
TITLE BAR

The horizontal bar at the top of a window that contains the name of the application or dialog box. The Super Sketch title bar also contains the Control menu box and Maximize and Minimize buttons.


DEFINE_TOOL PALETTE
TOOL PALETTE

The arrangement of tool icons along the left side of the window.


DEFINE_WORKING FILL PATTERN
WORKING FILL PATTERN

The pattern shown in the center of the rectangle within the working pattern box.  You choose a fill pattern by clicking the left mouse button on a square in the pattern palette.


DEFINE_WORKING LINE PATTERN
WORKING LINE PATTERN

The pattern shown in the border of the rectangle within the working pattern box.  You choose a line pattern by clicking the right mouse button on a color in the color palette.

See also:

Line Ends


DEFINE_WORKING PATTERN BOX
WORKING PATTERN BOX

The rectangular area on the left side of the window just under the menu bar.  This box contains a rectangle whose color and pattern indicate the working fill pattern and working line pattern.


TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

The following messages provide you with information on Super Sketch features that may not have made it into the manual.

SUPER SKETCH

IMPORTING FILES FROM SUPER SKETCH for DOS.  Super Sketch can import files from Super Sketch for DOS. To import a file, simply select Open, select the drive and directory where your Parsons Super Sketch for DOS files are, and then choose All files in the List Files of Type box. Select your DOS file, click okay and it will import into the Windows program.  Note: Before opening the DOS file, be sure the current font and style is what you want for your plan. The import function uses the current font for all text that is imported.


NUDGING OBJECTS

You can use your mouse and the various tools to draw, move, and resize objects. If you need more precise drawing or placement, however, you can use the keyboard in combination with your mouse and the tools. The instructions below are for moving an object, but you can use the same technique to draw and resize objects, too.

To nudge an object: Select the object you want to move, then hold down the shift key and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to fine-tune your object's position.