GrafEq - Draw Tools
Macintosh ManualAppendix C. Draw Tools
Draw tools are for adding labels, explanations, descriptions, and drawings to
graph views and pages.
The tools are accessible from the view buddy window,
by first clicking on the buddy mode pop-up (at the top of the floating window),
to open the pop-up menu, and then selecting “draw” from the menu.
There are four kinds of drawing tools, as well as a selection tool.
The drawing tools include:
- a selection tool, for selecting objects;
- an arrow tool, for drawing arrows and lines;
- a box tool, for drawing rectangular boxes;
- a text tool, for adding text annotations; and
- a formula tool, for adding formula annotations.
Each draw tool is accessed by clicking on a button in the draw buddy window,
and presents its options and controls using a separate floating window.
If an object is currently selected, a tool’s controls will modify that
object; otherwise, the controls will modify the default settings for that
tool, which affect all objects subsequently created.
The Selection Tool
The selection tool is for selecting an object to
move, edit, or delete.
This section will first list the
characteristics of the selection tool, and then describe the common attributes
of selected objects. Following are some characteristics of the selection tool:
- At most one object can be selected at a time.
- A new object is selected by first ensuring you have the selection tool
as the current tool, and then clicking on the desired object.
The cursor will change into a hand with a pointing finger when you
are using the selection tool, and you are over an unselected object.
- The selected object can be edited using the tools provided in
the draw tools floating window
- The draw tool floating window associated with the type of object selected
automatically comes up to provide you with tools for editing.
For an explanation of a drawing tool’s controls,
refer to the manual pages for that tool.
- With the selection tool as the current mode, a selected object can be deselected by:
- selecting another object,
- pressing the return key, or
- clicking on an area where there are no objects to select.
- If no object is selected, no drawing tools will be displayed.
Following are some common attributes of selected objects:
- An object is automatically selected after it is created.
- Any drawing object can be selected with the selection tool by clicking on the object.
- Control points are found in all selected objects. They characterize
the selected object, and denote its limits.
- Unselected objects do not display any control points.
- For formulae, text, and boxes, control points denote the object’s
four corner points and four edge midpoints.
- For arrows, control points denote the arrow’s starting (source)
and ending (destination) points.
- Control points are used for resizing and re-orienting objects.
- For formulae, text, and boxes, the corner points
control the two adjacent edges, while the midpoints control
just the one immediate edge.
- For arrows, control points are for changing the length, and endpoints, of the arrow.
- To use a control point: first place the cursor directly above a control point, so
that the cursor changes into a small triangle pointer, and then drag the control
point to its new position.
- The selected object can be the top object, or in a layer underneath other objects.
- The selected object can be brought up to the topmost layer by
pressing the up arrow key once.
The selected object can be pushed down to the bottom layer by pressing the
down arrow key once.
Fitting into specific layers in between the topmost and the bottom layer
is not supported in current versions. But you can bring one object to
the top, and then bring other objects on top of it, to relayer objects as desired.
- The selected object can be moved by first placing
the cursor over the object, but away from any control points or other objects,
and then dragging the object to a new location. When dragging is possible,
the cursor will change into an open (grabbing) hand.
- The selected object can be deleted by pressing the del key or the
delete key once.
Arrow Tools
The arrow tool is for drawing lines, single-headed arrows, and double-headed arrows.
To draw a simple arrow, select the arrow tool, and then
bring the mouse to the desired starting point (the source) of the arrow, press, and hold down,
the mouse button while dragging the mouse to the desired ending point (the destination)
of the arrow. Release the mouse button once the final position is correct.
To resize, re-orient, move, or delete an arrow, refer to
the selection tool manual section.
Line or arrow drawing can be customized using the arrow tools,
displayed and explained as follows:
Figure C.1: Arrow tools floating window
- Source radio buttons are on the left; destination radio buttons on the right.
Choose an appearance for the source point using a source button;
choose an appearance for the destination point using a destination button.
- Arrowhead Size pop-up menu - click on this pop-up menu to open the arrowhead
size menu to select a desired size. Different sizes have
the same proportion between width and length. The selected size applies to
both source and destination ends.
- Arrowhead Width pop-up menu - click on this pop-up menu to access the
width pop-up menu, to select a desired width. Different width have
the same length. The selected width applies to both source and destination ends.
- Line Thickness pop-up menu - click on this pop-up menu to access the thickness
popup list, to select a desired thickness. The selected thickness
applies to the source, the line, as well as the destination.
Formula Tools
Formula tools are for writing formatted mathematical formulae.
To add a formula, have the formula draw tools window upfront,
click the mouse once at the center of where the formula is desired,
an easy button floating window will appear to provide help in formula entry,
and the formula can be entered.
To resize, move, or delete a formula, refer to
the pointer control and active objects manual sections.
Formula entry and editing can be customized using formula tools, displayed and
explained as follows:
Figure C.2: Formula Tools Floating Window
- Font size pop-up menu and finetune arrows -
each click on the finetune up arrow increases the font size by 1;
each click on the finetune down arrow reduces it by 1.
- Transparent background checkbox
- Use bitmap checkbox
- Resolution pop-up menu
Text Tool
Text tools are for adding text.
To add a text object, have the text draw tools window upfront,
click the mouse once at the center of where the text is desired,
A text editing window will appear automatically for entering text contents, as follows:
Figure C.3: A Text Editing Window
- The text region is for entering and displaying the text.
- The Cancel button cancels adding text, and closes the text editing window.
- The Ok button completes text editing, closes the text editing window,
and adds the text to the graph view or page.
To resize, move, or delete a text object, refer to
the pointer control and active objects manual sections.
Text entry and editing can be formatted using text tools, displayed and
explained as follows:
Figure C.4: Text Tools Floating Window
- Font pop-up menu
- Font Size pop-up menu and finetune arrows
each click on the finetune up arrow increases the font size by 1;
each click on the finetune down arrow reduces it by 1.
- Text format checkboxes for Bold, Italic, and Outline fonts
- Text alignment radio buttons for
Left, Center, and Right alignment
- Edit Text button - click on this edit button to return to the text editing
window, to change the text contents. This button is greyed out (inactive) when the text
tool is first accessed and a text object has not been entered yet.
- Transparent background checkbox
Box Tools
The box tools are for drawing rectangle boxes.
To add a box object, have the box draw tools upfront, bring the mouse to one corner of
the desired box, hold down the mouse and drag it to the opposite corner to release the mouse.
To resize, move, or delete a box object, refer to
the pointer control and active objects manual sections.
Box drawing can be customized using box tools, displayed and explained as follows:
Figure C.5: Box Tools Floating Window
- Box background radio buttons for
Transparent background radio button,
Colour background radio button and colour pop-up menu, and
Pattern background radio button and pattern pop-up menu.
- Line Thickness pop-up menu - The line thickness affects the
border of the box.