Contents

For Help on Help, Press F1

Line Module

Lines are the simplest, but perhaps the most important graphic element in a document. They are used to separate tables into columns and rows, to separate footnotes from text, and to add structure to a layout.

Unlike text, raster and vector graphic frames, line frames are complete as soon as they are created. There is no need to import data, since the frame cannot hold anything but the line.

The Line module gives you the ability to control the appearance of lines, including their direction, type, color, fill pattern, weight, shadow, and ends. When you select the Line icon in the Frame Tools command group, the pointer changes to a cross hair allowing you to immediately draw the line type currently selected in the Line module.

When you click a line frame, the line's settings will appear in the various command groups. To change the appearance of a line, click an icon or edit an input field. After each click, Calamus will immediately display the line with its new characteristics. If no frame is selected, any change in line settings will apply to the next line frame created.

Line frames are dynamically linked. This allows you to change the characteristics of several line frames at the same time. Select the line frames to be modified and click any command icon. All selected line frames will change to the selected type, style, line end, weight, and color settings.

Line Type Command Group

Line Shadow Command Group

Line Style Command Group


Line Type Command Group

The Line Type command group displays the 18 line types available. The first four rows display line types which, in various ways, use both the height and width of a frame. You can make a line slanted, rounded or angled by selecting the appropriate icon. The line will appear in the direction of the arrow; that is, the line end will appear at the point of the arrow, while the line start will be in the opposite corner. To modify line ends, see Line End.

In the two bottom rows, you can select a vertical or horizontal line. You can decide whether a vertical line will be displayed on the left, in the middle, or on the right of the frame. Similarly, you can place a horizontal line at the top, middle or bottom of the frame.


Line Shadow Command Group

Functions:

Color List

Shadow Settings

The functions in this group control the appearance of a line shadow.


Line Style Command Group

Functions:

Line Color List

Line Weight

Line Style

Line End

Use the functions of this command group to set line color, weight, style and end.


Color List

While you cannot change the 36 pre­set fill patterns, you can customize new colors. Calamus recognizes up to 16,777,216 colors. For a description of color and fill patterns, refer to Color Settings, chapter 4.


Shadow Settings

This function lets you control the direction and offset of a line's shadow. The measurement unit is that selected in Set Units of Measure in the Page module. For more information, see Shadow Settings in Standard Elements, chapter 1.


Line Weight

You can choose from one of eight pre­set line weights or you can set a weight up to 999.99 points. The measurement unit is that selected in Set Units of Measure in the Page module. To set line weight, click the input field and enter a value.

To select one of the pre­set line weights, click the desired icon which will then be framed. The value in the input field will show the line weight in the chosen unit of measure.

The line shown on the far left is called a hairline. Hairlines are always one pixel wide in the resolution of the output device. If you print a hairline on an imagesetter, consider that it would be only 1/2540 inch if the resolution of the imagesetter was set at 2540 dpi, which would be difficult or impossible to see.


Line Style

This function allows you to choose a line style from these options:

 	Solid

 	Long Bar

 	Dash/Space

 	Bar/Dash

 	Bar

 	Bar/Dash/Dot

 	Dot

 	Dash

The currently­selected line style appears will be framed.


Line End

Calamus can display the beginning and end of a line in straight, rounded or arrow form. The first three icons define the beginning of a line; the second three icons define the end. See the Line Style icons, above, to determine which terminus is the beginning and which is the end.

With a rounded line end, the center of the semi­circle is at the edge of the frame. The same applies to arrows, in which case the middle of the arrow is at the frame's edge. As a result, part of the line will extend beyond the frame's edge. Arrows may appear much larger on screen than they do when printed; change to Printer 1:1 magnification to preview output.


Line Color List

You can set the color and fill pattern of a line. For a complete description refer to Color Settings, chapter 4.