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DrawPlus Help Contents


Help on Help
Help on Help: A quick overview

The DrawPlus online help system is designed to work for you.  For suggestions based on your specific needs, see the Where do I begin...? section below. Whatever your background, you'll find it easy to navigate through online help:

•	To begin learning about DrawPlus tools and menus, just move the mouse pointer around the screen. Watch the HintLine window at the lower right for capsule descriptions of each feature.

•	Choose Contents to display the main help menu screen, including links to the Welcome and Support pages.

•	Choose Index to pop up the alphabetical list of help topics.

•	Choose QuickTours ("View a QuickTour" from startup or the Help menu) to see a menu of illustrated overviews covering DrawPlus features:

1 	Introducing DrawPlus

2 	Meet the Wizards

3 	Working with Lines and Shapes

4 	Advanced Effects

5 	Creating Animations

•	Choose Visual Reference or How To to peruse help information using either a graphical or step-by-step approach—whichever you prefer. Each section displays its own table of contents in the main window, while help topics appear in a second window. Extensive cross-references make sure all the information is interlinked.

Where do I begin...?

...If you're just getting started with draw programs or with DrawPlus in particular, we suggest you begin with the DrawPlus QuickTours. These are a series of informative, illustrated screens that will introduce you to basic terms and concepts, as well as key DrawPlus features and procedures. It's the quickest way to familiarize yourself with the tools and graphic possibilities at your disposal. And we'd strongly recommend the DrawPlus Companion—a carefully sequenced user's manual with valuable hands-on project sequences and plenty of illustrations.

...If you're the sort who likes to dive in and try things, chances are you've already tried some Design Wizards and created a document or two. By now, you've probably picked up on the help that's available right at the interface: tooltips, the HintLine, and popup Hints on specific tools and operations. But since we've got your attention—may we suggest the Visual Reference here in online help. There you'll find more information on every aspect of the interface, conveniently cross-referenced to procedural (How To) help. For folks who like to learn by doing, it's a great place to learn by browsing.

...If you've worked with another high-level draw program, you may be more interested in knowing "How can I make objects transparent?" or "How can I create an animated GIF for my Web page?" If so, go directly to the Index or the How To section.

Whatever your starting level, don't overlook the next topic, Welcome to DrawPlus.


Welcome to DrawPlus 5.0

 Welcome to DrawPlus from Serif!

From decorative page elements and logos to full-page illustrations and animated Web graphics—and everything in between—DrawPlus 5.0 does it all. With the power of scalable vector graphics at your command, you'll see the creative possibilities open up right before your eyes! Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll find Wizards and tools you can use right away. With version 5.0, DrawPlus has improved on a product already unrivaled in price-performance for its feature set.

If you have comments or suggestions—or samples of the work you create with DrawPlus—we'd like to hear from you. For complete contact information, see the Support topic.

What's New in DrawPlus 5.0...

•	Chain Lines
Here's the ultimate in decorative line effects: easy to apply from the scores of pre-supplied choices, just as easy to edit or create from scratch! Chains take drawn objects and link them in sequence along a designated line, for marching footprints, themed borders—uniquely patterned, endlessly variable effects anywhere you want to apply them.

•	Dimension Lines and Scale Setting
Click a couple of times to take linear or angular measurements of any object on the page—DrawPlus displays the dimension using your choice of ruler units, at your specified scale (say, one inch to two feet). Dimensions update when objects are moved or resized! Design room layouts, make maps, draw scale models... the choice is yours.

•	Connectors
For drawing dynamic flow diagrams, schematics, family trees, and org charts, connector objects let you link your boxes and symbols and then rearrange at will. Connection points stay put on each object... keeping connections intact. Auto Connectors intelligently display bridges at line crossings, and even route themselves around obstructive objects.

•	Drag-and-Drop Fill and Transparency Editing
DrawPlus 4.0 introduced multi-color, gradient fills... now 5.0 makes them even more versatile. Simply drag solid colors from the Studio onto a fill path to add or replace colors for more subtle gradients. And achieve multi-level transparency the same way—just by dragging grayscale tones to set levels.

•	New Fill and Transparency Types
Look on the Studio's Fill and Transparency tabs, and you'll find an expanded selection of effects, such as 3-Color, 4-Color, and Square. Best of all, we've introduced Mesh Fills for impressively varied gradients using a path-node network—easy to customize with the special toolbar.

•	Web Image Slices and Image Maps
Beat the pros at their own game by using these techniques to add links to your Web graphics! With a few clicks, divide images into segments —each with its own hyperlink and popup text—or add hotspots to specific regions. Of course, DrawPlus outputs all the necessary HTML code to wrap the segments together.

•	Rollover States for Web Buttons
Take image slicing even further—let DrawPlus create interactive Web graphics that highlight or change state when users mouse over or click! Just create your variant graphics on the special layers, then export as usual.

•	Web Browser Preview
One click lets you see how your graphics will display in a Web browser, so you can quickly check quality, transparency, hyperlinks, and rollover behavior prior to final export.

•	Image Export Optimizer
The Export Optimizer lets you see how your image will look (and how much space it will take up) before you save it! Its multi-window display provides side-by-side WYSIWYG previews of image quality at various output settings, so you can make the best choice every time.

•	Studio Enhancements
Especially for working at high zoom levels, the new Navigator tab affords a thumbnail of your entire drawing with the visible area shown as a draggable view box. The new Color tab stores DrawPlus solid colors for easy access when editing either lines or fills. And the Library (formerly Wizards) tab adds scores of new pre-built elements so you can take advantage of new tools and features.

•	Soft Shadows
The improved DrawPlus shadow tool now adds a blur component to flat or slanted drop shadows for more professional results. (Yet another reason to forget all about needing a paint program!)

•	Professional Print Output
Now your artwork can be prepared for professional printing straight from DrawPlus.  Whether you're creating color-separated PostScript® output or printing from your desktop, process color (CMYK) separations for full color printing will save money and time, every time.

•	Design CD
Let's not forget the optional DrawPlus 5.0 Design CD-ROM, jam-packed full of over 750 ready made automatic documents, all ready to use—and now easier to access with the new, branching Wizard selection interface.

Plus these established features...

•	Great Display, Performance, and Output
With anti-aliased screen display and smooth color blending, jaggies and banding are a thing of the past. You'll get superior printed results, with smooth color blending. And DrawPlus supports Transparent GIF, Animated GIF, and PNG for forward-looking Web page design.

•	Total Ease-of-Use
DrawPlus makes powerful features available to anyone with a host of ease-of-use features designed to zap that learning curve. You'll find accelerated learning tools like ToolTips, context-sensitive Hints & Tips and colorful QuickTours. The tabbed Studio—storing hundreds of preset lines, fills, transparencies, fonts, and design elements—is always convenient and ready to use.

•	QuickShapes
Can't draw? Won't draw? QuickShapes are the answer! They work like intelligent clipart… or the most powerful set of drawing tools you've ever envisaged. Even extremely complex shapes like spirals, petals, and webs are simple to draw and customize using QuickShapes.

•	Professional-Standard Drawing Features
Features like converting text to curves, defining custom envelopes, automatic shadows, layers, and scalable vector graphics give complete creative power. Plus special commands like Contour for outlining and edge effects... Add to composite two shapes into one... Subtract for cropping and masking... Intersect to carve out unique shapes and regions.

•	Advanced Fill Support
Apply high-end conical, ellipse, and Plasma fills to any text or shape for exciting, professional results. Use Bitmap fills—with over 200 supplied bitmap images in a range of categories for textures and backgrounds. Even import your own bitmaps and use them as fills on DrawPlus objects!

•	Transparency Effects
Transparency can make the difference between flat, ordinary visuals and sparkling realism! And DrawPlus provides it all—a full range of transparencies for shading, shadows, reflections, depth effects, and more.

•	Intelligent Colors
With DrawPlus, you can define new color sets as shades of a base color, then transform the color scheme of a whole image instantly—just by altering the base color. Let intelligent colors do the work for you!

•	Natural Curve Editing
No need to fumble with Bezier nodes... Simply click and drag to break and redraw a curve at any point. Apply smoothing selectively to freeform curves to eliminate that "shaky hand" appearance. Who says you can't draw like a pro?

•	Animation Mode
Tap the power of QuickShapes and Wizards to turn out Web animations in no time—using advanced features like onion skinning, backgrounds, overlays, and frame management. Use the time you save to make more movies!

•	Backdrop and Watermark Elements
Adding abstract or themed backgrounds, for dazzling presentations or space-styled scenes, is easy with Backdrop elements. And Watermark elements make a notoriously difficult effect a snap to create with a wide range of customizable watermark designs on hand. Access both Wizards via the Studio's Library tab.

•	Border Wizard
Vastly flexible Border Wizard instantly adds borders to the page or to individual objects. Choose a border from the extensive library, or be creative and let Border Wizard guide you through building a unique design.

With its combination of functionality, simplicity, and low price point, addressing the everyday needs of individuals and growing businesses, DrawPlus is the drawing, graphics, and illustration program for everyone!


Visual Reference

MENUBAR - Click a menu name for details:

TOOLBARS AND TABS - Click a labeled element for details.

LAYOUT TOOLS - Click a layout tool for details.


File Menu
Commands for opening, saving, and printing documents.
Shortcut: Alt+F

New	Displays the Startup Wizard, which gives you five options: (1) make a new drawing using a Design Wizard; (2) create a new animation; (3) create a new drawing; (4) open a saved document; or (5) view a QuickTour. (See the How To topic Starting with a new drawing or animation.) Tip: You can also use the New button on the Standard toolbar, press Ctrl+N, or right-click on a blank area of the page.
Open...	Displays a standard Windows dialog which allows you to open an existing DrawPlus (.DPP or .DPA) document. (See the How To topic Opening a saved document.) Tip: You can also use the Open button on the Standard toolbar, press Ctrl+O, or right-click on a blank area of the page.
Save	Saves the current document under its current name. If it's still unsaved, the Save As... dialog automatically appears. (See the How To topic Saving your work.) Tip: You can also use the Save button on the Standard toolbar, press Ctrl+S, or right-click on a blank area of the page.
Save As...	Displays a dialog prompting you to enter a directory and file name for the document, then saves it under that name.
Properties	Displays a dialog that lets you enter additional details about your document (such as author and keywords) and view statistics (such as revision date and number of pages).
Convert to  Animation	Switches DrawPlus from Drawing Mode to Animation Mode, and converts your current drawing to an animation. As the conversion can't be reversed, you'll be prompted to save your drawing before conversion. (See the How To topic Getting started with animation.)
Page Setup...	Displays a dialog that lets you set page dimensions and margins for your document.
Print Preview	Changes the screen view to display the document as it will appear when printed, without guides, rulers, and other screen items. Tip: You can also use the Print Preview button on the HintLine toolbar.
Print...	Displays a dialog box providing options for selecting a printer and various print options. Click the Options button to control scaling, tiling, and other useful features. (See the How To topic Basic printing.) The Properties button displays a standard Windows printer setup dialog. Tip: You can also use the Print button on the Standard toolbar, press Ctrl+P, or right-click on a blank area of the page.
Export…	Displays the Export Optimizer, which lets you use a split-screen view to determine optimum quality and file size settings for any export format. Then click Close to record the preferred export settings, or Export to create a new graphic file using these settings. (See the How To topic Exporting objects and drawings.)
Preview in  Browser	Exports the drawing or animation as a temporary file, then opens the file for preview in your World Wide Web browser. Use the Export Optimizer (see above) to specify preferred export settings.
Send...	Sends the document through electronic mail.
Recent Files List	Lists the documents most recently opened. To open a document, select its file name.
Exit	Closes DrawPlus. You'll be prompted to save changes made since the last save.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Edit Menu
Commands for Clipboard (cut & paste) and OLE.
Shortcut: Alt+E

Undo <action>	Undoes the most recent change to the current document. Undo is grayed out when not available. To set the number of levels of Undo, choose Tools/Options.../General.  Tip: You can also use the Undo button on the Standard toolbar, or press Ctrl+Z.
Redo <action>	Reapplies a change which has just been undone.  Tip: You can also use the Redo button on the Standard toolbar, or press Ctrl+Y.
Cut	Deletes the selected object(s) from the page or pasteboard AND places a copy on the Windows Clipboard. Tip: You can also use the Cut button on the Standard toolbar, or right-click on the object, or press Ctrl+X.
Copy	Copies the selected object(s) to the Windows Clipboard. Tip: You can also use the Copy button on the Standard toolbar, or right-click on the object, or press Ctrl+C. Or click to select an object, then hold down the Ctrl key and drag.
Paste	Inserts the contents of the Windows Clipboard. Defaults to the DrawPlus object format, if available. To paste as a particular format, use Paste Special. Tip: You can also use the Paste button on the Standard toolbar, press Ctrl+V, or right-click on on a blank area of the page.
Paste  Special...	Displays a dialog box that lets you choose one of several formats (e.g. Picture, Bitmap, OLE) to be used when pasting. Then inserts the contents of the Windows Clipboard, using the selected format.
Clear	Deletes the selected object(s) without placing a copy on the Windows Clipboard.  Tip: You can also press the Delete key. If you accidentally delete a selection, immediately choose Undo from the Edit menu.
Select All	Creates a multiple selection, including all the objects in the current document. To select only objects of the same type as a selected object, hold down the Shift key when you choose Select All.  Tip: You can also press Ctrl+A.
Links...	Opens linked documents or changes links.
Text...	Opens the Edit Text window, which lets you edit the selected text object. (See the How To topic Editing text.) Tip: You can also click on a letter within the text object with the Text tool, double-click the object with the Pointer tool, or right-click on the object.
Object	Allows editing of an OLE object. This is the standard OLE Object menu command; it changes according to the type of object selected.
Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


View Menu
Commands for setting view and zoom options.
Shortcut: Alt+V

Fit Page	Adjusts the zoom percentage so the entire page is displayed in the window.  Tip: You can also click the Fit Page button on the HintLine toolbar.
Actual Size	Displays the document at a zoom percentage of 100%.  Tip: You can also click the Actual Size button on the HintLine toolbar.
Selection	Sets the view to display the selected object.
Toolbars and Tabs...	Displays a dialog that lets you control which toolbars and tabs are displayed, or turn tooltips on and off.
Layout Tools>	Displays a submenu to let you hide or show rulers, guides, and the snapping grid. When the Snapping feature is turned on, objects you move or resize will jump to align with the nearest visible layout guide line.
Zoom In	Increases the current zoom percentage (makes objects appear larger). Each click increases the current zoom percentage by about half.  Tip: You can also click the Zoom In button on the HintLine toolbar.
Zoom Out	Decreases the current zoom percentage (lets you see more of the page). Each click decreases the current zoom percentage by about two-thirds.  Tip: You can also click the Zoom Out button on the HintLine toolbar.
Zoom...	Displays a dialog that lets you set zoom options. Tip: You can also click the Current Zoom box on the HintLine toolbar.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Insert Menu
Commands for inserting objects, pictures, and borders.
Shortcut: Alt+I

Object...	Displays the standard Windows Insert Object dialog for inserting an OLE object. (See the How To topic Importing an OLE object.) Tip: You can also right-click on a blank area of the page.
PhotoCD...	Displays the PhotoCD Gallery of a PhotoCD disc in your CD-ROM drive. Use the Next and Previous buttons to find the picture to import, then click OK. (See the How To topic Importing PhotoCD images.)
Scanner	Lets you bring pictures directly into DrawPlus using the TWAIN standard. Choose Acquire from the submenu to open a file selection dialog. Choose Select Source to specify a particular TWAIN-compatible device as the source. (See the How To topic Scanning.)
Other Picture...	Displays a file selection dialog that lets you locate a specific picture to import.  Tip: You can also use the Import Picture button on the Drawing toolbar.
Border Wizard...	Displays the Border Wizard, for adding borders to the page or to individual objects. (See the How To topic Creating borders.)

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Tools Menu
General program tools, functions, and options.
Shortcut: Alt+T

Replicate Wizard	Displays the Replicate Wizard, which lets you make copies of the selected object(s) in a grid pattern (for printing labels and so on). If the Wizard is turned off (using Tools/Options.../Ease of Use), the menu choice becomes Replicate..., which displays a single dialog instead. (See the How To topic Cloning an object.)
Transform Wizard	Displays the Transform Wizard, which lets you make copies of the selected object(s), applying a transform such as rotation or offset. If the Wizard is turned off (using Tools/Options.../Ease of Use), the menu choice becomes Transform..., which displays a single dialog instead. (See the How To topic Cloning an object.)
Convert to  Bitmap...	Converts the selected object(s) to a bitmap-filled box. (See the How To topic Converting an object to a bitmap.)
Photo Wizard	Runs Photo Wizard, a special effects tool for bitmap-filled objects. (See the How To topic Using Photo Wizard.) Tip: You can also double-click any bitmap-filled object.
Convert to  Curves	Converts the selected object(s) to a collection of line objects, which can then be edited with the Node tool and Curve toolbar. (See the How To topic Converting a shape to editable curves.) Tip: You can also use the Convert to Curves button on the Standard toolbar.
Clean Curves	Smoothes the curves of the selected object(s) for faster display and easier editing.
Join Curves	Connects two selected lines. The end node of the first line connects to the starting node of the second with a straight line segment. (See the How To topic Editing lines and shapes.)
Create Contour...	Displays a dialog that lets you reproduce a single object slightly smaller or larger than the original. (See the How To topic Cloning an object).
Envelope Wizard	Displays the Envelope Wizard for instant access to special envelope effects. If the Wizard is turned off (using Tools/Options.../Ease of Use), the menu choice becomes Apply Envelope, which applies a plain envelope to the selected object(s). (See the How To topic Applying envelopes.) Tip: You can also use the Envelope Flyout button on the Standard toolbar.
Curve Text Wizard	Displays the Curve Text Wizard for special text effects. If you have a text object selected, the Wizard will curve that text in a pattern you select. If another type of object is selected, the Wizard will wrap text you enter around the object's outline.  If the Wizard is turned off (using Tools/Options.../ Ease of Use), the menu choice becomes Curve Text; to curve text to a specific line, select both the text object and the line, then choose Curve Text. (See the How To topic Creating text effects and logos.) Tip: You can also use the Curve Text Flyout button on the Standard toolbar.
Blend	Merges two selected objects in a series of steps. (See the How To topic Creating blends.)
Options...	Displays a dialog that lets you customize a wide range of DrawPlus settings, including display options, ease-of-use features, etc. (See the How To topic Setting program options.)
Save Settings...	Displays a dialog that lets you record changes you've made to such settings as options, page size and margins, object defaults, and Studio gallery entries. (See the How To topic Recording master settings.)

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Arrange Menu
Commands for manipulating objects in the document.
Shortcut: Alt+A

Align Items...	Displays a dialog that lets you align the objects in a multiple selection relative to each another. If only one object is selected, it aligns with the page edge. (See the How To topic Aligning objects.) Tip: You can also right-click the object(s) and choose Align Items....
Size Items...	Displays a dialog that lets you make all selected objects the same size as the last object added to the selection. (See the How To topic Resizing objects.)
Flip>	Displays a submenu that lets you flip your selection vertically, horizontally or both. (See the How To topic Flipping objects.) Tip: You can also use the Horizontal Flip and Vertical Flip buttons on the Standard toolbar.
Rotate>	Displays a submenu that lets you rotate the selected object through a predefined angle or (using Custom) through a specified rotation angle. (See the How To topic Rotating and shearing objects.) Tip: You can also use the Rotate 90º button on the Standard toolbar.
Order Objects>	Displays a submenu that lets you change the selected object's position in the stacking order. (See the How To topic Ordering objects.) Tip: You can also right-click on an object or use the Forward One or Back One button on the Standard toolbar.
Layers>	(Drawing Mode only) Displays a submenu that lets you add, view, edit, and reorder layers in your drawing, access the Layer Manager, or move objects between layers. (See the How To topic Working with layers.) Tip: You can also right-click on any layer tab.
Frames>	(Animation Mode only) Displays a submenu that lets you add, delete, and move frames in your animation, or access the Frame Manager. (See the How To topic Working with animation frames .) Tip: You can also right-click on any frame tab.
Group/ Ungroup>	Turns a multiple selection (two or more selected objects) into a group object, or vice versa. (See the How To topic Grouping objects.) Tip: You can also click the Group/Ungroup button on the Standard toolbar.
Combine/ Break Apart	Combines the outlines of two or more selected objects, or restores the original separate outlines. Combining is a masking effect that produces a more complex shape with a single interior and "holes" where the outlines overlap. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.) Tip: You can also click the Combine/Break Apart button on the Standard toolbar.
Join>	Displays a submenu that lets you choose from three ways (Add, Subtract, or Intersect) of creating a new object from a multiple selection. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.) Tip: You can also click the Add, Subtract, or Intersect buttons on the Standard toolbar.
Lock/ Unlock Position	Locks or unlocks the position and size of the selected object. Convenient in situations where many objects overlap, or to avoid accidental changes.
Snapping	When checked, the snapping feature is on, and objects you move or resize will jump to align with the nearest grid point or visible guide line. Uncheck to turn snapping off. (See the How To topic Using the snapping grid.) Tip: You can also use the Snapping button on the HintLine toolbar.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Help Menu
Help, hints, tips, and options for learning DrawPlus.
Shortcut: Alt+H

Contents	Displays the Help Contents page.
Index	Displays the index of Help topics.
Visit  VisualCities.com	Connects to the World Wide Web and displays the home page of VisualCities, the one-stop source for free Web space and e-mail, clipart, photos, and other visual communications resources. Hint: You can also access VisualCities via the Startup Wizard's Online Resources option.
Visit the DrawPlus Web Site	Web Site Connects to the World Wide Web and displays the 3DPlus Web site section in your Web browser. Hint: You can also access the DrawPlus Web site via the Startup Wizard's Online Resources option.
View Serif Web Site	Connects to the World Wide Web and displays the Serif Home Page in your Web browser. Hint: You can also access the Serif Web site via the Startup Wizard's Online Resources option.
View a QuickTour	Displays the menu of QuickTours.
Insert PageHint...	Displays a dialog that lets you type the text of a PageHint (reminder or comment) and insert it into your publication. Click a PageHint icon on the publication page to view, edit, or delete it. (See the How To topic Using PageHints.)
Registration Wizard...	Helps you to register your own personal copy of DrawPlus.
About DrawPlus...	Displays version and copyright information.


 Standard toolbar
Click a tool icon:
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

	New Displays the Startup Wizard, which gives you five options: (1) make a new drawing using a Design Wizard; (2) create a new animation; (3) create a new drawing; (4) open a saved document; (5) view a QuickTour; or view a sample document. Same as menu command File/New. You can also right-click on a blank area of the page. (See the How To topic Starting with a new drawing or animation.)
	Open Click to display a standard Windows dialog which allows you to open an existing DrawPlus document (.DPP or .DPA) file. Same as menu command File/Open. You can also right-click on a blank area of the page. (See the How To topic Opening a saved document.)
	Save Click to save the current document under its current name. If it's still unsaved ("Untitled"), the Save As... dialog automatically appears. Same as menu command File/Save. You can also right-click on a blank area of the page. (See the How To topic Saving your work.)
	Print Displays a dialog box providing options for selecting a printer and various print options. Click the dialog's Options button to control scaling, tiling, and other useful features. Same as menu command File/Print. You can also right-click on a blank area of the page. (See the How To topic Basic printing.)
	Print Preview  Changes the screen view to display the document as it will appear when printed (without frames, guides, rulers, and other screen items). Same as menu command File/Print Preview.
	Cut Click to delete the selected object(s) from the page or pasteboard AND place a copy on the Windows Clipboard. Same as menu command Edit/Cut. You can also right-click on a blank area of the page. You can also right-click on an object.
	Copy Click to copy the selected object(s) to the Windows Clipboard. Same as menu command Edit/Copy. You can also right-click on an object.
	Paste Click to insert the contents of the Windows Clipboard. Defaults to the DrawPlus object format, if available. To paste as a particular format, use Edit/Paste Special. Same as menu command Edit/Paste. You can also right-click on an object or a blank area of the page.
	Format Painter Click to apply one object's formatting to another. When you click the button, the selected object's formatting is "picked up." Click another object to apply the first object's formatting to it. To select another object without pasting the formatting, click it with the Shift key down. To exit Format Painter mode, press Esc or click any tool button or blank region of the screen. (See the How To topic Copying an object's formatting.)
	Undo Click to undo the most recent change to the current document. Double-click (or choose Tools/Options.../General) to set the number of levels of Undo. Undo is grayed out when not available. Same as menu command Edit/Undo.
	Redo Reapplies a change which has just been undone. Same as menu command Edit/Redo.
	Horizontal Flip Click to flip the selected object left to right. Top and bottom stay the same. Same as menu command Arrange/Flip/Horizontal. (See the How To topic Flipping objects.)
	Vertical Flip Click to flip the selected object top to bottom. Left and right stay the same. Same as menu command Arrange/Flip/Vertical. (See the How To topic Flipping objects.)
	Rotate 90º  Click to rotate the selected object 90º counterclockwise. Same as menu command Arrange/Rotate/90º. (See the How To topic Rotating and shearing objects.)
	Forward One  Click to shift the selected object one layer forward (towards the front). Double-click to bring the selected object all the way to the front. For other layer options, choose the Layers submenu from the Arrange menu. Same as menu command Arrange/Layers/Move Forward One Layer. (See the How To topic Ordering objects.)
	Back One  Click to shift the selected object one layer back (behind). Double-click to send the selected object all the way to the back. For other layer options, choose the Layers submenu from the Arrange menu. Same as menu command Arrange/Layers/Move Back One Layer. (See the How To topic Ordering objects.)
	Group/Ungroup  Click Group to turn a multiple selection (when two or more objects are selected) into a group object. Click again to turn a group object back into a multiple selection. Same as menu commands Arrange/Group or Ungroup. (See the How To topic Grouping objects.)
	Combine/Break Apart  Click Combine to combine the outlines of the selected objects, producing a more complex shape with a single interior and "holes" where the outlines overlap. Click again to restore the original separate outlines. Same as menu commands Arrange/Combine or Break Apart. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.)
	Add Click to create one new object that is the sum of its component objects. Same as menu command Arrange/Join/Add. Grayed out unless two suitable objects are selected. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.)
	Subtract Click to create a new object from two overlapping objects by discarding the overlapping portion and keeping the rest. Same as menu command Arrange/Join/Subtract. Grayed out unless two suitable objects are selected. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.)
	Intersect Click to create a new object from two overlapping objects by keeping the overlapping portion and discarding the rest. Same as menu command Arrange/Join/Intersect. Grayed out unless two suitable objects are selected. (See the How To topic Combining objects into new shapes.)
	Shadow  Click to display the Shadow flyout menu, then choose one of the available shadow effects to apply it to the selected object. The toolbar button displays the selected object's shadow type. Grayed out if no object is selected. • Click the top left choice in the flyout to remove the shadow.  • Click the second icon (User Defined) to use a dialog to define a custom effect. You can also double-click the Shadow button, or right-click an object and choose Shadow....  (See the How To topic Creating Shadows.)
	Envelope Click to display the Envelope flyout menu, then choose one of the available envelopes to apply it to the selected object. The toolbar button displays the selected object's envelope type. Grayed out if no object is selected. • Click the top left choice in the flyout to remove the envelope.  • The top right choice (User Defined) auto-selects if you've edited an envelope, and updates to "remember" the setting of the most recently selected user-defined envelope, so you can apply it to another object. (See the How To topic Applying envelopes.) Tip: You can also use the Envelope Wizard on the Tools menu.
	Curve Text Click to display the Curve Text flyout menu, then choose one of the available curves to apply it as a baseline to the selected text object. The toolbar button displays the selected text object's baseline curve. Grayed out if no text object is selected. • The second choice (User Defined) auto-selects if you've edited a baseline curve, and updates to "remember" the setting of the most recently selected user-defined baseline, so you can apply it to another text object. (See the How To topic Creating text effects and logos.) Tip: You can also use the Curve Text Wizard on the Tools menu.
	Convert to Curves  Click to convert the selected object (for example, text or a QuickShape) to editable curves. Same as menu item Tools/Convert to Curves. See the How To topic Converting a shape to editable curves.)

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Animation toolbar
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Animation toolbar is visible only in Animation Mode. For details on working in Animation Mode, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations." See also the series of How To topics beginning with Getting started with animation.

	New Frame Click to create a new empty frame, which becomes the last frame in the sequence. Same as menu item Arrange/Frames/New Frame. Tip: You can also right-click on a frame tab (below the Edit window) and choose New Frame.
	Clone Frame Click to duplicate the current frame's contents in a new frame, which becomes the last frame in the sequence. You can build sequences by cloning a frame at a time, editing each new frame so it differs slightly from the preceding frame. Same as menu item Arrange/Frames/Clone Frame. Tip: You can also right-click on a frame tab and choose Clone Frame.
	Delete Frame Click to delete the current frame. Same as menu item Arrange/Frames/Delete Frame. Tip: You can also right-click on a frame tab and choose Delete Frame.
	Previous Frame Click to view the previous frame in the sequence.  Tip: You can also click the frame tab to the left of the current tab.
	Next Frame Click to view the next frame in the sequence.  Tip: You can also click the frame tab to the right of the current tab.
	Preview Animation  Click to play back the animation sequence in the Preview window.
	Frame Properties  Click to display a dialog that lets you view and change the properties of the current frame: Name, Display Style (Normal, Overlay, or Background), and Duration. Tip: You can also right-click on a frame tab.
	Animation Properties  Click to display a dialog that lets you view and change the properties of the sequence as a whole: Loop/Repeat and Duration. Note: Changing the Duration setting here resets any individual frame durations you've set with Frame Properties.  Tip: Right-click any frame tab and choose Frame Manager to display a dialog that lets you add, delete, or reorder frames.
	Export Animation Click to display the Export Optimizer, which lets you save the frame sequence as a multi-part GIF file. Same as menu command File/Export....

LOCATED BELOW EDIT WINDOW:

	Frame Tabs Click a specific frame's tab to view the frame. Right-click to display a submenu that lets you add, clone, or delete frames, or access the Frame Manager (see Tip above).

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Drawing toolbar
Click a tool icon:
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

	Pointer Tool  Choose this to select, move, copy, and resize objects.  • To select an object, click on it. To move the selected object, drag it.  • To copy the selected object, drag it while holding down the Ctrl key.  • To resize the selected object, drag one of its handles.  • To add the selected object to a group, click on it while holding down the Shift key. (See the How To topic Selecting one or more objects.)
	Rotate Tool  Choose this to rotate or shear objects around a center point. First select the object. To adjust the center point, click and drag the [image] center marker. To rotate the object, drag one of its corner handles. To shear the object, drag one of its edge handles. • To rotate by 15-degree steps, hold down the Shift key.  • Double-click to unrotate. You can also use the Rotate tool to move or copy objects. (See the How To topic Rotating and shearing objects.)
	Node Tool  Choose this to manipulate the shape of objects. First select the object, then drag from a control node or the middle of a curved line segment. The Node tool can also move or copy objects. (See the How To topic Editing lines and shapes.)
	Line Tools Click to display the flyout menu, then select one of the three available line tools (see below). The toolbar button displays the last selected line tool. Double-click it to choose that tool again. (See the How To topic Drawing lines and shapes.)
	Freehand Line Tool  Choose this tool to sketch lines in a freeform way.  • Select the tool from the flyout, then click and drag the pointer over the page area to draw. The curve will follow your mouse movements. When you release the mouse button, the line will automatically smooth out using a minimal number of corner nodes.  • To extend an existing line, click and drag from either of the line's end points.  • To redraw part of a selected curve, click anywhere on the curve and draw the new segment so as to connect it with another part of the curve. The original portion is replaced by the newly drawn portion.  • To draw a shape, extend a line to connect one of its end points with the other. • You can also reshape a line or shape by dragging its corner nodes with the Node tool.
	Straight Line Tool  Choose this tool to create straight line segments.  • Select the tool from the flyout, then click where you want the line to start, and drag to the end point. • To extend an existing line, click and drag from either of the line's end points.  • To redraw part of a selected curve, click anywhere on the curve and draw the new segment so as to connect it with another part of the curve. The original portion is replaced by the newly drawn portion. • To constrain the line's angle to 15-degree increments, hold the Shift key down while dragging. This is an easy way to create lines that are exactly vertical or horizontal.
	Curved Line Tool  Choose this tool to draw a mixture of large, sweeping curves and straight line segments.  • Select the tool from the flyout. • For a straight line segment, click where you want the line to start, then click again where you want the segment to end. • For a curved line segment, click and drag out an attractor node from the initial point, then click (or click and drag) again where you want the segment to end. • To extend an existing line, repeat the process for each new end point.  • To end the line, press Esc, double-click anywhere or choose a different tool.
	QuickShapes Click to display the QuickShapes flyout menu, then select one of the available QuickShapes. The toolbar button displays the last selected QuickShape type. Double-click it to choose that shape again. Click and drag on the page to draw the shape, and use the sliding controls on the shape to adjust it. For additional details, see the How To topic Using QuickShapes.
	Text Tool  Choose this to add text to your document or edit existing text.  • To add text, select the tool and click on the page.  • To set the size of the new text, drag out before you begin typing.  • Click on existing text to edit it using the Edit Text window.  • Double-click on the page to open a blank Edit Text window.  • To apply formatting to existing text, select it with the Pointer tool and use the Text tab. (See the How To topic Entering text.)
	Blend Tool Choose this to blend two objects in a series of steps, creating a single new object. Select the tool, then click and drag from the first object to the second object. Same as menu item Tools/Blend. (See the How To topic Creating blends.)
	Fill Tool  Choose this once you've applied a fill to an object (with the Studio's Fill tab), to adjust where the gradient begins and ends. (See the How To topic Applying a fill.)
	Transparency Tool  Choose this once you've applied a transparency to an object (with the Studio's Transparency tab), to adjust where the gradient begins and ends. (See the How To topic Using transparency effects.)
	Import Picture Click to import pictures from a variety of sources. Use the file selection dialog to locate the picture to import. When the "import picture" cursor appears, click and drag to place the picture on the page. (See the How To topic Importing pictures.)
	Border Wizard  Click to run the Border Wizard, for adding borders to the page or to individual objects. (See the How To topic Creating borders .)
	Connector Tools Click to display the Connector Tools flyout menu, then select one of the available tools. The button displays the icon of the last selected tool. (Double-click to reselect the same tool.) When you choose a Connector tool, connection points become visible on page objects. Click any one connection point on the first object, then drag to a connection point on the other object, as if drawing a line between the two points. (See the How To topic Working with connectors.)
	Direct Connector Tool  Choose this tool to draw a single, straight-line connector between any two connection points.
	Right Angle ConnectorTool Choose this tool to draw a connector with only vertical and horizontal segments—for example, if you're creating a flow chart, organization chart, or tree diagram.
	Auto Connector Tool Choose this tool to draw an adaptible connector that intelligently adjusts its shape to route around "obstructive" objects. Unlike the other connectors, Auto connectors automatically form "bridges" when crossing each other, so they're perfect for complex diagrams with interwoven pathways.
	Connection Point Tool Choose this tool to add a new connection point. Click where you want to place the connection point, either on a particular object or on the page. To create a connection point on the nearest edge of an object, hold the Ctrl key down when you click.
	Dimension Tools Click to display the Dimension Tools flyout menu, then select one of the available tools. The button displays the icon of the last selected tool. (Double-click to reselect the same tool.) Dimension lines are usually drawn between connection points on page objects, which become visible when a Dimension tool is selected. (See the topic Adding dimension lines and labels.)
	Vertical Dimension Tool Choose this tool to draw a vertical dimension line. Click at the starting point and drag to the ending point. Click again to position the line and its label.
	Horizontal Dimension Tool  Choose this tool to draw a horizontal dimension line, following the steps for a vertical dimension line.
	Slanted Dimension Tool  Choose this tool to draw a dimension line in any direction, following the steps for a vertical dimension line.
	Angular Dimension Tool  Choose this tool to draw a dimension line as an arc between two sides of an angle. Click along one side of the angle, then drag and release on the other side. Click again at the vertex. Finally, click to position the arc and its label.
	Image Slice Tool Click to use the Image Slice tool to divide the image into segments which can be exported separately as GIFs or JPGs (to be reassembled seamlessly in a Web browser). Drag out a rectangle with the tool to create a slice object, then right-click the blue-shaded slice object and choose Properties to set optional link and rollover properties. You can move or resize slice objects with the Pointer tool DrawPlus subdivides the page area into additional regions as needed.  Tip: To insert a slice object fitted to an existing object, right-click the object and choose Insert Slice Object. (See the How To topics Creating image slices and Creating JavaScript rollovers.)
	Image Map Tools Click to display a flyout menu of tools for creating and editing image maps—that is, graphics with overlaid hotspots for use on Web pages. Right-click the hotspot and choose Properties to set optional link properties. You can move, resize, rotate, or reshape hotspots. Tip: To insert a hotspot fitted to an existing object, right-click the object and choose Insert Hotspot Object.  (See the How To topic Creating image maps.)
	Image Map Rectangle Choose this tool to draw a rectangular hotspot. • To constrain the hotspot to a square, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging.
	Image Map Circle Choose this tool to draw a circular hotspot.
	Image Map Polygon Choose this tool to draw a polygonal hotspot as a series of line segments. Drag and release the mouse button to define each segment. Double-click to close the polygon.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 HintLine toolbar
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

	Zoom Out Click to view more of the page in the window. Each click decreases the current zoom percentage by about two-thirds.
	Current Zoom box Displays the current zoom percentage, with 100% representing an actual-size page. Click to display a dialog that lets you type in any zoom percentage up to 1000%. Tip: You can also right-click on a blank area of the page and choose Zoom....
	Zoom In  Click to view the page area more closely. Each click increases the current zoom percentage by about half.
	Zoom Tool Click the button, then drag out a rectangular marquee on the page to define a region to zoom in to. The zoom percentage adjusts accordingly, fitting the designated region into the window. To zoom out, hold down the Shift key when dragging. Double-click the button to display the page at actual size (100%)
	Actual Size Click to display the page at a zoom percentage of 100%. Tip: You can also right-click on a blank area of the page.
	Fit Page Click to adjust the zoom percentage so the entire page area is displayed in the window. Tip: You can also right-click on a blank area of the page.
	Snapping Click to turn the snapping feature on and off. When the button is down, snapping is on, and objects you move or resize will jump to align with the nearest grid point or visible guide line. When the button is up, snapping is off. Double-click to display the Snapping tab of the Tools/Options dialog, which lets you set the grid and guide features. Same as menu command Layout/Snapping. (See the How To topic Using the snapping grid.)
	Status Tab Click to show or hide the Status tab, a floating tab which lets you specify exact size, position, and rotation values, or change object ordering.
	HintLine readout Displays helpful, context-sensitive messages about DrawPlus interface elements, as well as status information for selected operations.
	Show/Hide Studio Click to show or hide the Studio, a set of tabs offering tools and built-in choices for text, lines, fills, and transparency, as well as predesigned elements. (See the Visual Reference entries for each Studio tab.)
	Show/Hide Web Objects Click to show or hide image slices and image map (hotspot) regions on the page, for convenience when selecting and editing standard objects.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Curve toolbar
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Curve toolbar is used in conjunction with the Node tool (on the Drawing toolbar) to edit lines and envelopes. It automatically appears after you've drawn a line with the Freehand tool or applied an envelope. For details, see the How To topics Drawing lines and shapes, Editing lines and shapes, and Applying envelopes.

	Delete Node Select the node with the Node tool, then click this button. The node will be deleted, along with any associated attractor nodes, and the line or shape will jump to its new shape.  Note: You cannot delete nodes from an envelope.
	Close Curve Turns a line into a closed shape. Select the line with the Node tool, then click this button to connect the line's two end nodes.
	Break Curve Breaks open a curve (creating two lines) or a closed shape (creating a curved line). Select the corner node where you want the break to occur, then click this button.
	Straighten Line Turns a curved line segment into a straight line segment. With the Node tool, select the leading corner node of the segment (the node nearer the start of the line), then click this button.
	Sharp Corner Changes a corner node so the segments on either side are completely independent, and the corner can be pointed. With the Node tool, select the leading corner node of the segment (the node nearer the start of the line), then click this button.
	Smooth Corner Changes a corner node so the slope of the segments on either side is the same, but the depth of the two joined segments can be different.  With the Node tool, select the leading corner node of the segment (the node nearer the start of the line), then click this button.
	Symmetric Corner Changes a corner node so the segments on either side have equal slopes and equal depth. With the Node tool, select the leading corner node of the segment (the node nearer the start of the line), then click this button.
	Curve Smoothness Drag the slider to decrease or increase the number of nodes on the line most recently drawn with the Freehand tool. The fewer nodes, the smoother the line.

Note: To hide or show specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on inactive toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Library tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Library tab includes a wide variety of predesigned elements—graphics that you can customize and use as a starting point for your own designs. These include Backdrops, Banners, Shape Art, Stamps, Text Art, and Watermarks.

	Library categories Click a category or sub-category name to expand it and display the corresponding thumbnail gallery.
	Gallery  Displays the choices for the selected category or sub-category. To use an element, double-click a thumbnail or drag it onto the page.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Color tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

Use the Studio's Color tab to apply a solid color to a closed shape's fill, set the color of an open line, or assign a color to one or more nodes of a gradient or Mesh fill. (For details, follow the links below.)

	Gallery Displays thumbnails showing available colors, including the standard colors and any new colors you've added. • To apply a solid color fill to one or more objects, select the object(s), then click the desired color thumbnail. You can also drag from a color thumbnail onto any object, whether or not it's selected. (See the topic Applying a fill.) • To set the line color of a closed shape, select the shape and Shift-click a color thumbnail. You can also select the shape, right-click on a color thumbnail, and choose Set Line Color. (See the topic Applying a line.) • To set a plain line's color, select the line and click a color thumbnail. You can also drag from a color thumbnail onto the line. (See the topic Applying a line.) • To change a fill's tint (lightness), display the Fill tab and drag the slider. • To set the "key" color of a node in a gradient or Mesh fill, select the object and display the Fill tool. Either select the node first and then click the desired thumbnail on the Color tab, or drag from the thumbnail to a node. (See the topics Working with gradient fills and Working with Mesh fills.) • To edit or delete a gallery color, right-click on its thumbnail and choose from the menu. (For details on editing colors, see Defining line and fill colors..)

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Fill tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Fill tab lets you apply a non-solid fill to a shape or text object (see the How To topic Applying a fill). To apply a solid fill, use the Color tab. Use the Fill tool to adjust the fill effect on an object. To change the default fill to be used by new objects, change the fill settings when no object is selected.

	Fill Type Displays a scrolling list of available fill types, with that of the selected object shown. To change the fill type, click another type in the drop-down list.
	Add Fill to Gallery Click to add the fill of the selected object, including color and tint settings, to the gallery as a new fill, so it will be available to use later. • To edit or delete a fill, right-click on its gallery thumbnail.  • Solid fills appear on the Color tab's gallery. Also, use the Color tab if you want to add a new or linked solid color.
	Color Tint Drag the slider to adjust the tint (shading) of the selected object's fill.
	Tint Value To set a specific tint (shading) percent for the selected object's fill, type a tint value from -100 to 100 and press Enter. To reset the value, type 0.
	Fill Gallery Displays thumbnails showing available choices for the current non-solid fill types, including the standard choices and any new non-solid fills you've added.  • To change the selected object's fill, click a different thumbnail. (You can also click and drag any fill onto any object, whether or not it's selected.)  • To edit or delete a gallery fill, right-click on its thumbnail and choose from the menu.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Line tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Line tab lets you set the line properties of lines and shapes (see the How To topic Applying a line). To change the default line (line properties applied to the next new object you create), change the fill settings when no object is selected. To change the line color, use the Color tab.

	Line Categories Select a category to display the corresponding thumbnail gallery and line controls. The "Plain" category shows standard solid and dashed lines. Other categories contain decorative chain lines. To add your own categories, right-click in a gallery and choose Add Category.
	Color Tint Drag the slider to adjust the tint (shading) of the selected object's line.
	Tint Value To set a specific tint (shading) percent for the selected object's line, type a tint value from -100 to 100 and press Enter. To reset the value, type 0.
	Line Weight  Displays the weight (thickness) of the selected line. To change the weight, click a different value in the drop-down list, or type a value and press Enter.
	Dimension Precision Select the number of decimal places to display in a selected dimension line's label. (Appears only when a dimension line is selected.)
	Dimension Units  Select a measurement unit to be used by a selected dimension line. "Ruler Units" (the default setting) applies the current ruler unit as set on the Layout or Drawing Scale tab of the Tools/Options... dialog. (Appears only when a dimension line is selected.)
	Dimension Label Alignment Click one of the three choices to position a dimension line's label with respect to the line itself. (Appears only when a dimension line is selected.)
	Line Style  Displays the style of the selected line. To change the style, click a different example in the drop-down list.
	Line Start Style Displays the style of the start point of the selected line. To change the style, click a different example in the drop-down list.
	Line End Style  Displays the style of the end point of the selected line. To change the style, click a different example in the drop-down list.
	Line Gallery Displays a selection of different line style/start/end combinations. Click an example to apply it to the selected line, or drag and drop it onto any line.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Text tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Text tab lets you change the properties of existing text objects (see the How To topic Editing text). To change the default text to be used by new objects, change the text settings when no object is selected.

	Font style buttons "Down" buttons indicate font style properties of the selected text object (Bold or Italic). To apply or remove a style, click the appropriate button.
	Pointsize Displays the pointsize of the selected text object. To change the text size, click a new pointsize in the drop-down list, or type in a value and press Enter.
	Alignment buttons The "down" button indicates the paragraph alignment of the selected text object (Left, Centered, Right, or Justified). To change the alignment, click a different button. Grayed out unless text object has more than one line.
	Font List Displays available fonts. To change the font of the selected text object, click a new font name in the list. You can also drag and drop a font onto any text object.

Note: To hide or show specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on inactive toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Transparency tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Transparency tab lets you apply transparency effects to an object, for highlights, shading, shadow, and enhanced realism. (See the How To topic Using transparency effects.) Use the Transparency tool to adjust the effect on an object. The default transparency for new objects is initially "None." To change the default, change the transparency settings when no object is selected.

	Transparency Type Displays a scrolling list of available transparency types. To change the transparency type, click a different type in the drop-down list.
	Add Transparency to Gallery Click to add the transparency setting of the selected object (including type, path, and level) to the gallery as a new item, so it will be available to use later. • To delete a transparency, right-click on its gallery thumbnail and choose Delete Transparency.
	Transparency Gallery Displays thumbnails for a selection of transparency settings, including various types (solid, linear, radial, etc.).  • To apply a preset transparency to the selected object, click a thumbnail. (You can also click and drag from a thumbnail onto any object, whether or not it's selected.)  • To delete a transparency from the gallery, right-click on its thumbnail and choose Delete Transparency. Note: The Bitmap transparency type features its own gallery of preset "texture maps," based on the Bitmap fills available on the Fill tab.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Studio: Navigator tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Navigator tab lets you quickly see different parts of the image and change the zoom view.

	View Box The red-bordered region shows the portion of the image currently displayed in the image window. Drag the view box to change the view.  Tip: You can also click on the Navigator image to reposition the image in its window.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


 Status tab
To show/hide toolbars and tabs: Right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs.

The Studio's Status tab lets you adjust the position, size, and ordering of one or more objects. Dimensions are expressed in current ruler units (see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale).

To change an object property, select the object and alter the Status tab setting. There is no OK button—selected objects change "on the fly" as you adjust their properties. To undo a change, press Ctrl+Z or click the [image] Undo button on the Standard toolbar.

To make adjustments using the Status tab:

•	Click the small up or down "nudge" buttons to adjust in increments; OR

•	Click in the text box, then press the up or down arrows on the keyboard to adjust values incrementally; OR

•	Type a value into the text box and press Enter.

	Horizontal Position Change the horizontal placement of the object's top left corner, with respect to the ruler's zero point. The higher the value, the further to the right.
	Vertical Position  Change the vertical placement of the object's top left corner, with respect to the ruler's zero point. The higher the value, the lower on the page.
	Object Width Move the object's right edge with respect to its left edge. The left edge stays the same.
	Object Height  Move the object's bottom edge with respect to its top edge. The top edge stays the same.
	Object Rotation Rotate the object's bottom right corner counter-clockwise around its top left corner.
	Ordering Level Set the object's level in the ordering of objects from back to front (that is, bottom to top) on the current document layer, with "1" representing the back, or bottom, level.

Note: To show or hide specific toolbars and tabs, right-click on toolbar regions or Studio tabs and check or uncheck your options. You can also use the View/Toolbars and Tabs... dialog. For details, see the How To topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


How To... Menu
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

 Customize DrawPlus


SBS Start, Save, and Close Documents
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

Starting with a Design Wizard

Starting with a new drawing or animation

Opening a saved document

Saving your work

Closing DrawPlus

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Set Up the Page and Screen
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

Setting page dimensions

Using the page and pasteboard

Setting measurement units and drawing scale

Using the snapping grid

Changing views

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Draw Lines, Curves, and Shapes
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

Selecting one or more objects

Using QuickShapes

Drawing lines and shapes

Editing lines and shapes

Working with connectors

Converting a shape to editable curves

Applying envelopes

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Enter and Edit Text
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

Entering text

Editing text

Adding dimension lines and labels

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Work with Objects
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

Copying, pasting, cutting, and deleting objects

Cloning an object

Copying an object's formatting

Moving objects

Resizing objects

Rotating and shearing objects

Flipping objects

Converting an object to a bitmap

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Arrange Objects
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

Grouping objects

Combining objects into new shapes

Aligning objects

Ordering objects

Working with layers

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

Applying a fill

Applying a line

Defining line and fill colors

Working with gradient fills

Working with Bitmap and Plasma fills

Working with Mesh fills

Using linked colors

Using transparency effects

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Create Animations
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

Getting started with animation

Working with animation frames

Using Background and Overlay frames

Previewing and exporting animations

Adjusting animation properties

Animation tips and tricks

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Import Pictures and Objects
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

Importing pictures

Importing PhotoCD images

Scanning

Importing an OLE object

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Create Special Effects
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

Creating shadows

Creating text effects and logos

Creating backdrops and watermarks

Creating borders

Creating blends

Creating chains

Using Photo Wizard%Using_Photo_Wizard>(w95sec)

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Create Web Objects
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

Creating image slices

Creating image maps

Creating JavaScript rollovers

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Output and Print Your Drawing
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

Exporting objects and drawings

Using OLE with other applications

Previewing the printed page

Basic printing

Printing posters

Printing color separations

Customize DrawPlus


SBS Customize DrawPlus
Step by Step: How to...

 Start, Save, and Close Documents

 Set Up the Page and Screen

 Draw Lines, Curves, Shapes, and Connectors

 Enter and Edit Text

 Work with Objects

 Arrange Objects

 Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency

 Create Animations

 Import Pictures and Objects

 Create Special Effects

 Create Web Objects

 Output and Print Your Drawing

 Customize DrawPlus

Using the toolbars and tabs

Updating defaults

Setting program options

Recording master settings

Using shortcuts

Using right-click menus

Using PageHints


Troubleshooting and support

Troubleshooting a problem

Don't panic! Remember that all technical problems, no matter how bizarre they may seem, have a cause and a solution. By patiently applying a logical approach, you can often identify the source of the problem and fix it yourself. In general, try simplifying your PC's setup until the problem is no longer present. Then, incrementally restore the original setup, testing to see which component makes the problem re-occur. Be careful!

Initially, try to establish:

•	Is the problem most likely arising within DrawPlus?

•	Is it a Windows problem?

•	Or is it a "hardware" problem having to do with your PC or its peripherals?

•	Have you made any recent changes to your system configuration that might be responsible for the problem?

If it's a DrawPlus issue, perhaps there's a procedure you need to know more about. Check online help for information on the specific task you're trying to accomplish.

For Windows or hardware issues, click the Start button and choose Help for troubleshooting information—or check the specific manuals for the peripheral.

Printing problems with Windows are generally caused by using an incorrect or outdated printer driver, or a third-party printer driver. Make sure that you use the Windows printer driver designed specifically for your printer. To check printer drivers, click Start, choose Settings > Printers.

Contacting Serif technical support

Our support mission is to provide fast, friendly technical advice and support from a team of on-call experts. Serif customers are entitled to free, unlimited telephone or e-mail technical support for the first 30 days following receipt of the product. After that time, pricing policies (per-call or per-year) go into effect.

To reach Serif Technical Support, use the following numbers. (And see below for additional Serif contact information.)

USA Technical Support	(603) 886-6642
	e-mail: support@serif.com
UK Technical Support	Call (0115) 914 9090
	e-mail: support@serif.co.uk

On the World Wide Web, you can check up-to-date technical bulletins at

http://www.vizacom.com/techsupp/custmain.htm

Additional Serif contact information

Main office (USA, Canada):

The Software Center, PO Box 803, Nashua NH 03061, USA

Main	(603) 889-8650
Registration	(800) 794-6876
Sales	(800) 55-SERIF or 557-3743
Customer Service	(800) 489-6720
General Fax	(603) 889-1127
Sales Fax	(603) 886-4919

European office (UK, Europe):

The Software Centre, PO Box 2000, Nottingham, NG11 7GW, UK

Main	(0115) 914 2000
Registration	(0500) 454 645
Sales	(0800) 376 4848
Customer Service	(0115) 914 9090
General Fax	(0115) 914 2020

On-line product and company information

Internet	http://www.serif.com

International enquiries

Please contact our main or European office as apporopriate.


Credits

All Serif product names are trademarks of Serif, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks acknowledged.

Serif DrawPlus 5.0 © 2000 Serif, Inc. All rights reserved.

Portions clipart and graphic content © 2000 Nova Development Corporation and its licensors. All rights reserved.

TrueType font samples from Serif FontPacks © Serif, Inc.

Portions graphics import/export technology © LEAD Technologies, Inc. & Eastman Kodak Company & INSO Corporation.

ImageStream® Graphics and Presentation Filters, Copyright © 1991-2000 INSO Corporation. All Rights Reserved.


Starting with a Design Wizard

The first time you launch DrawPlus, you'll see the Startup Wizard, with a menu of choices. The first of these is Use a Design Wizard. Note that this option will only be available to you if you've installed the DrawPlus Design CD-ROM. (For more details about the Design CD-ROM, contact Serif.)

The DrawPlus Design Wizards provide a variety of colorful and creative possibilities, ready for you to customize or use "as is." Once you've started your drawing or animation, you can use the Studio to access a wide range of designs and special effects, including backdrops, banners, shape art, stamps, and text art. For details, see the Visual Reference topic Studio: Library tab.

To create a drawing or animation with a startup Design Wizard:

1	Launch DrawPlus, or choose New from the File menu. You'll see the Startup Wizard menu.

2	Select the Use a Design Wizard option and click Next. You'll be prompted to select a category, choose from a wide range of design options, and enter basic text, if required.

3	Click Finish and let DrawPlus create an instant masterpiece for you!

Note: If you choose File/New and the Startup Wizard fails to appear, choose Options... from the Tools menu, click the Ease of Use tab, and check Startup Wizard—then try again.

Of course, you can now customize the design as you see fit, using any of the DrawPlus tools and Wizards.

If you've created a new animation, you'll need to export it as an animated GIF file before it's ready to use in other software packages. (See the Visual Reference topic Animation toolbar, and the How To topic Getting started with animation.)


Starting with a new drawing or animation

The first time you launch DrawPlus, you'll see the Startup Wizard, with a menu of choices. The second and third of these are Create an Animation and Create a Drawing. Either choice takes care of the initial setup for the particular type of work you'll be doing.

To start a new animation from scratch using the Startup Wizard:

1	Launch DrawPlus, or choose New from the File menu. You'll see the Startup Wizard menu.

2	Select the Create an Animation option and click Next.

3	Specify the page size and orientation and click Finish.

A new document window opens, with DrawPlus in Animation Mode.

To start a new drawing from scratch using the Startup Wizard:

1	Launch DrawPlus, or choose New from the File menu. You'll see the Startup Wizard menu.

2	Select the Create a Drawing option and click Next.

3	Specify the page size and orientation and click Finish.

A new document window opens, with DrawPlus in Drawing Mode.

Note: If you click Cancel from the Startup Wizard, a new document window opens in Drawing Mode.

To start a new animation or drawing during your DrawPlus session:

1	Choose New from the File menu.

OR

Click the [image] New button on the Standard toolbar.

You'll be prompted to save changes to the current document, if any.

2	If the Startup Wizard is turned on, choose either Create an Animation or Create a Drawing (see above).

3	If the Startup Wizard is turned off, a new document window opens in Drawing Mode.

To switch from Drawing Mode to Animation Mode:

•	Choose Convert to Animation from the File menu.

Note: Once you're in Animation Mode, you can't switch back to Drawing Mode. Instead, choose File/New to start a new drawing.

If you turn off the Startup Wizard, you'll get a new drawing from scratch each time you choose File/New.

To turn off the Startup Wizard:

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu.

•	Click the Ease of Use tab and uncheck Startup Wizard.

Note: You'll have to turn the Startup Wizard back on to be able to access the startup Design Wizards.


Opening a saved document

If you want to work on a DrawPlus document (.DPP or .DPA file) you previously saved, you can do so either from the Startup Wizard when you launch DrawPlus, or from the File menu later in your session.

To open a saved document using the Startup Wizard:

1	Launch DrawPlus. If the Startup Wizard is turned on, you'll see the Startup Wizard menu. If not, use the File menu to open your scene, as explained below.

2	Select the Open Saved Work option.

3	In the Open dialog, select the folder and file name and click the Open button.

The saved document appears, with DrawPlus in either Animation Mode or Drawing Mode, depending on the document.

To open an existing document during your DrawPlus session:

1	Choose Open... from the File menu.

OR

Click the [image] Open button on the Standard toolbar.

You'll be prompted to save changes to the current document, if any.

2	In the Open dialog, select the folder and file name and click the Open button.

The saved document appears, with DrawPlus in either Animation Mode or Drawing Mode, depending on the document.


Saving your work

DrawPlus saves its documents as .DPP (Drawing) or .DPA (Animation) files.

To save your work:

•	To save the document under its current name, choose Save... from the File menu.

OR

To save under a different name, choose Save As... from the File menu.

OR

Click the [image] Save button on the Standard toolbar.

Obviously, it's good practice to save your work frequently. DrawPlus periodically autosaves your work to a temporary file, so that you'll be able to recover as much as possible in the event of a system failure. You can set the autosave frequency using the General tab of the Tools/Options... dialog.

You can also export your work to an external file format, as opposed to saving it in the native .DPP (Drawing) or .DPA (Animation)  format. In Drawing Mode, you can export to various picture (bitmap) formats, including GIF and PNG. In Animation Mode, you can export as an animated GIF file. For details, see the topics Exporting objects and drawings and Previewing and exporting animations.


Closing DrawPlus

To close DrawPlus:

•	Choose Exit from the File menu.

You'll be prompted to save any changes made since the last save.


Setting page dimensions

Page dimensions include width, height, orientation (wide or tall), and margins. These settings usually are defined when you first create the document, but they can be changed. You can also select the page units to be used—for example, you might choose inches in Drawing Mode and pixels in Animation Mode. Page margins are represented on the page area by solid dark magenta guide lines (top, bottom, left and right).

To adjust the page dimensions of the current document:

•	Choose Page Setup... from the File menu.

•	Select a preset page size from the submenu or enter custom units for page width and height.

•	Choose Wide or Tall as the page orientation.

•	Choose values for left, right, top, and bottom margins.

Note: The maximum page size is 150" x 150" or 14,400 x 14,400 pixels.

Once you've established the document's dimensions, you can convert its original page units to ruler units using either the Layout or Drawing Scale tab of the Tools/Options... dialog (see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale). For new documents, the scale is always 1:1, and ruler units are the same as page units. But for example, if you're doing a scale drawing you might choose to set one page inch equivalent to ten feet, and the ruler markings would adjust accordingly. Note that while setting different ruler units doesn't change the actual dimensions of the underlying document, the Page Setup dialog will now show ruler units as opposed to page units. To avoid confusion, always set your document dimensions first and then, if necessary, change ruler units second.

To double-check the document dimensions (expressed in page units):

•	Choose Print... from the File menu and click the Options button.

The page size and margin settings are automatically saved with the document. Normally, they are also recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Using the page and pasteboard

Most of the DrawPlus display is taken up by a page or "artwork" area and a surrounding pasteboard area. This arrangement is an electronic equivalent of the system used by traditional graphic designers. They kept design tools and bits of text and graphics on a large pasteboard, and then carefully pasted final arrangements of text and graphics onto a page-sized "artwork" sheet pinned down in the middle of the board.

The page area is where you put the text and graphic elements that you want to be part of the final output. The pasteboard area is where you generally keep any elements that are being prepared or waiting to be positioned on the page area.

Document layers

In Drawing Mode, new drawings initially have a single layer. You can add extra layers, each of which will have its own page and white pasteboard areas. Normally, you view objects on all layers at once, but work on only one layer's objects at a time. It's easy to change these defaults if desired. (For details, see the topic Working with layers).

 Click a layer tab to switch layers.

In Animation Mode, you work with frames instead of layers, normally viewing and working on a single frame at a time. Each frame has its own page and yellow pasteboard regions, and you can change frame properties to view more than one frame's contents at a time. (For details, see the topic Working with animation frames.)

 Frame tabs appear in Animation Mode.

Page size

The maximum page size is 150" x 150" or 14,400 x 14,400 pixels. In reality, you're likely to be limited to a far smaller size due to the capabilities of your desktop printer or screen display.

Once you've established the document's dimensions, you can convert its original page units to ruler units using the Layout tab or Drawing Scale tab of the Tools/Options... dialog (see the next topic). Setting different ruler units doesn't change the actual dimensions of the underlying document, but the Page Setup dialog will now show ruler units as opposed to page units. To avoid confusion, always set your document dimensions first (see the previous topic) and then, if necessary, change ruler units second.

When printing, anything which overlaps your page is printed, while anything entirely on the pasteboard is not. Objects which partially overlap the page, known as "bleeds," will be printed in entirety. Only if the size of the desktop printer's page is insufficient will they be cropped.


Setting measurement units and drawing scale

The DrawPlus rulers mimic the paste-up artist's T-square, and serve two basic purposes:

•	To act as a measuring tool

•	To create ruler guides for aligning and snapping

Ruler units and drawing scale

For new documents, the ruler units correspond at a 1:1 ratio to the page units that define the document's actual dimensions (see the topic Setting page dimensions). For example, at 100% zoom, one ruler inch equals one inch on the printed page. The actual interval size of the ruler marks depends on the current zoom percentage. In zoomed-out view, for example at 50%, there's more distance between ruler marks than when zoomed-in to 150%. To handle work where you want finer control, click a zoom button to magnify the page.

You can change the ruler units without altering the document's dimensions.

To change the basic measurement unit used by the rulers:

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Layout tab, then make a selection in the Ruler Units box.

You can also create scale drawings (such as a house plan or model diagram) by setting a ratio other than 1:1 between page units and ruler units. For example, you might wish to set one page inch equivalent to ten (ruler) feet.

To change the drawing scale:

1	Choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Drawing Scale tab.

2	Use the boxes to set the drawing scale as a proportion between the Page Distance (in units that define the document's actual dimensions) and the Ruler Distance (in ruler units currently displayed). You can change either (or both) units of measurement, or the ratio between them.

Note: Changing the ruler unit here automatically updates the ruler unit shown on the Layout tab. Once you've made the change, ruler markings, dimension lines, and other onscreen units appear in the selected ruler units and scaled accordingly onto the page. The scale setting is saved with the document, but not recorded as a default setting for new documents; new documents are always created at 1:1 scale.

Tip: When creating graphics for the computer screen, as opposed to the printed page, it's useful to set a drawing scale ratio of one inch (Page Distance) to 96 pixels (Ruler Distance).

Moving rulers

By default, the horizontal ruler lies along the top of the DrawPlus window and the vertical ruler along the left edge. The default ruler intersection is the top left corner of the pasteboard area. The default zero point (marked as 0 on each ruler) is the top left corner of the page area.

To move either ruler to a different position, click and drag on the ruler intersection.

Double-click on the ruler intersection to make the rulers' zero point jump to the top left-hand corner of the selected object. This comes in handy for measuring page objects. If the rulers have already been moved, double-clicking on the intersection will send the rulers back to the default position.

To lock the rulers and prevent them from being moved, choose Options... from the Tools menu, click the Layout tab, and check the Lock Rulers box. If the ruler intersection is blank, the rulers are currently locked.

Normally, when you move the rulers their zero point changes too. To keep the zero point unchanged, hold down the Shift key when you drag. To reset the zero point to match the current ruler intersection, click on the intersection.

Hiding the rulers

If you don't need to display the rulers, you can turn them off. Choose Layout Tools from the View menu and uncheck Rulers on the submenu. Check the item to turn rulers back on.

Rulers as a measuring tool

The most obvious role for rulers is as a measuring tool. As you move the mouse pointer, small arrows along each ruler display the current horizontal and vertical cursor position. When you click to select an object, white ruler indents indicate the object's edges.

Creating ruler guides

DrawPlus lets you set up horizontal and vertical ruler guides—non-printing, red lines you can use to align one object with another.

To create a ruler guide, simply click on a ruler. The red ruler guide line appears.

To move a guide, click and drag it—it will follow the current cursor position. To remove a guide, drag and drop it anywhere outside the page area.

To lock the guides and prevent them from being moved, choose Options... from the Tools menu, click the Snapping tab, and check the Lock Guides box.

Snapping

When the snapping feature (see the next topic) is turned on, objects you create, move, or resize will jump to align with nearby, visible ruler guides. To prevent objects from snapping to ruler guides, hide the guides. Double-click the [image] Snapping button on the HintLine toolbar and uncheck Display Guides in the dialog (or choose Layout Tools from the View menu and uncheck Guides.)

Note: Hiding the ruler guides also hides the margin guides.


Using the snapping grid

	The Snapping Grid is a matrix of dots covering the page and pasteboard areas. It's especially useful as an alignment aid. When the snapping feature is turned on, objects you create, move, or resize will jump to align with nearby grid dots and with visible margin and ruler guides (see the previous topic).
With snapping on, objects always snap to the grid, whether or not it's visible.

To turn snapping on and off:

•	Click the [image] Snapping button on the HintLine toolbar.

OR

•	Check or uncheck the Snapping item on the Arrange menu.

OR

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu and select the Snapping tab. Check or uncheck the Snapping box.

To show or hide the snapping grid:

•	Choose Layout Tools from the View menu and check or uncheck Snapping Grid on the submenu.

OR

•	Double-click the [image] Snapping button (or choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Snapping tab). Check or uncheck the Display Grid box.

The points in the snapping grid are spaced relative to the ruler unit setting, for example 8 per inch or 10 per yard. For details on units, see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale. If you reset the scale of your drawing, you may need to change your grid spacing as well.

To change the grid spacing:

•	Double-click the [image] Snapping button (or choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Snapping tab).

•	Enter new value(s) for horizontal and/or vertical spacing.

See also the topics Moving objects, Resizing objects, and Aligning objects.


Changing views

The HintLine toolbar at the bottom of the screen includes a number of controls to let you zoom in and out to view and/or edit the page at different levels of detail. You can also use the Navigator tab which lets you quickly see different parts of the image and change the zoom view.

To review the various page viewing options:

•	See the Visual Reference topics Hintline toolbar and Studio: Navigator tab.

DrawPlus stores many of its controls in toolbars and tabs which you can drag to reposition and "dock" (join) together in various combinations as separate, floating windows. For details, see the topic Using the toolbars and tabs.


Selecting one or more objects

Before you can change an object, you need to select it. Three of the tools on the Drawing toolbar let you select objects:

	Pointer tool Click to use the Pointer tool to select, move, copy, and resize objects.
	Rotate tool Click to use the Rotate tool to rotate an object around a center point. You can also use the Rotate tool to move or copy objects.
	Node tool  Click to use the Node tool to manipulate the shape of objects, or move or copy objects.

To select an object:

•	Choose a selection tool (see above).

•	Click on the object. Small "handles" appear defining the object's corners and edges.

•	If objects overlap, click repeatedly (without double-clicking) until the desired object is selected.

Tip: You can also press Tab repeatedly to cycle through every object in the drawing, so that you can even get to objects you can't see. Pressing Tab+Shift cycles in the opposite direction.

Selecting multiple objects

Selecting more than one object at a time (creating a multiple selection) lets you:

•	Position, resize, rotate, shear, or flip all the objects at the same time.

•	Combine or join separate objects into new shapes

•	Align objects with each other

•	Create a group object from the multiple selection, which can then be treated as a single object, with the option of restoring the individual objects later.

To select more than one object (multiple selection):

•	Choose a selection tool (see above).

•	Click in a blank area of the page and drag a "marquee" box around the objects you want to select.
Tip: To begin the marquee box over a particular object without including that object in the multiple selection, click while pressing the Alt key.

OR

•	Hold down the Shift key and click each object in turn.

Handles (or a bounding box, depending on the tool) appear around the multiple selection.

To add or remove an object from a multiple selection:

•	Hold down the Shift key and click the object to be added or removed.

To deselect all objects in a multiple selection:

•	Click in a blank area of the page.

To create a group from a multiple selection:

•	Choose Group from the Arrange menu or click the [image] Group button on the Standard toolbar. (To change the group back into a multiple selection, choose Ungroup or click the button again.)

For details, see the topic Creating groups.

Ruler indents

When you click to select an object, white indents on each ruler indicate the left, right, top, and bottom edges of the object.

For details on using the rulers, see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale.


Using QuickShapes

QuickShapes are pre-designed objects that you can instantly add to your page, then adjust and vary using control handles. The QuickShape flyout contains a wide variety of commonly used shapes, including boxes, ovals, arrows, polygons and stars. (For a tutorial, see Chapter 6 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

To create a QuickShape:

1	Click the QuickShape button on the Drawing toolbar and select a shape from the flyout. The button takes on the icon of the shape you selected. (To select the previous shape again, double-click the button.)

2	Using the QuickShape tool, drag out a region over the page. The QuickShape fills the area you drag. To constrain the aspect ratio (for example, to obtain a square or circle), hold down the Ctrl key while dragging.

3	When the shape is the right size, release the mouse button. The QuickShape tool reverts to the Node tool, ready for the shape to be altered by dragging on its handles.

All QuickShapes can be positioned, resized, rotated, and filled. What's more, you can adjust their designs using the Node tool. Each shape changes in a logical way to allow its exact appearance to be altered. The ability to alter the appearance of QuickShape objects makes them more flexible and convenient than clipart pictures with similar designs.

For example:

•	Dragging the handles on a QuickPolygon will change the number of sides to make a triangle, pentagon, hexagon, or other polygon.

•	Dragging the handles on a QuickBox alters the box corners to make them more or less rounded.

•	Dragging the handles of a QuickOval will alter the oval into a "pie" shape.

To adjust the appearance of a QuickShape:

1	Select it with the Node tool. Sliding handles appear next to the shape. Different QuickShapes have different handles.

2	To find out what each handle does for a particular shape, move the Node tool over the handle and read the HintLine.

3	To change the appearance of a QuickShape, drag its handles.

Note: For a real-time (interactive) display update when editing QuickShapes, check the Real-time Editing box on the Tools/Options.../General tab.


Drawing lines and shapes

Lines can be either straight or curved. They have properties like color and weight (thickness). When a line (or series of line segments) forms a complete, enclosed outline, it becomes a new closed object called a shape. Because shapes have an interior region that can be filled (for example, with a solid color or a bitmap), they have fill properties as well as line properties.

You can also create instant shapes—see the previous topic Using QuickShapes.

(For an overview, see QuickTour 3, "Working with Lines and Shapes." For a tutorial, see Chapter 4 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

It's easy to draw straight lines and curves, and connect lines into shapes. Click the Line flyout on the Drawing toolbar and choose one of the line tools shown below. (The toolbar button displays the last selected line tool. Double-click it to choose that tool again.)

	The Freehand tool to sketch curved lines and shapes in a freeform way
	The Straight Line tool to draw straight lines
	The Curved Line tool to create a series of connected lines (curved or straight) using a "connect the dots" series of mouse clicks
Note: You can also convert any shape (such as text or a QuickShape) to editable lines and nodes using Convert to Curves on the Tool menu. (See the topic Converting a shape to editable curves.)

Lines are drawn using default line settings (see the topic Applying a line). As soon as you draw a line, or choose one of the line tools when a line is selected, you'll see the line's nodes appear. Nodes show the end points of each segment in the line. Curves have many nodes; straight lines have only two. You can make a shape by extending a line back to its starting point.

Drawing lines

To draw a freeform line (with the Freehand tool):

1	Click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar and choose the [image] Freehand tool from the flyout. Notice that the Curve toolbar appears when you select the Freehand tool.

2	(optional) To set the degree of smoothing to be applied to the line, set the Curve Smoothness slider on the Curve toolbar. For details, see the next topic.

3	Click where you want the line to start, and hold the mouse button down as you draw. The line appears immediately and follows your mouse movements.

4	To end the line, release the mouse button. The line will automatically smooth out using a minimal number of corner nodes.

5	To extend the line, position the cursor over one of its red end nodes. The cursor changes to include a plus symbol. Click on the node and drag to add a new line segment.

6	To redraw a portion of the line, click on one of its corner nodes. The line breaks at that point. Click and drag to connect the node with another node, and a new freeform line appears.

To draw a straight line (with the Straight Line tool):

1	Click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar and choose the [image] Straight Line tool from the flyout.

2	Click where you want the line to start, and drag to the end point. The line appears immediately.

Note: To constrain the angle of the straight line draw a horizontal or vertical line to 15 degree increments, hold the Shift key down as you drag. (This is an easy way to make exactly vertical or horizontal lines.)

3	To extend the line, position the cursor over one of its red end nodes. The cursor changes to include a plus symbol. Click on the node and drag to add a new line segment.

To draw a series of connected lines and/or curves (with the Curved Line tool):

1	Click the Line button on the Drawing toolbar and choose the [image] Curved Line tool from the flyout.

2	Click where you want the line to start.

3	For a straight line segment, don't drag—click again where you want the segment to end. A straight line appears after the second click.

4	For a curved line segment, click and drag out an attractor node from the initial point. (Attractor nodes act like "magnets," pulling the curve into shape. The distance between attractors determines the depth of the resulting curved line.) Click again where you want the segment to end. A curved line appears after the second click.

5	To extend an existing line, repeat the process for each new end point.

6	To end the line, press Esc, double-click anywhere, or choose a different tool.

Drawing shapes

You can make a shape by closing a curve—extending a line back to its starting point. Shapes have an interior which is filled with the current default fill (see the topic Applying a fill) when the shape is closed. New shapes have a permanent default line value of "None" (but you can alter line properties after the shape has been drawn; see the topic Applying a line). In the numbered sequence below, note how the cursor changes to indicate the result of your next mouse click.

To turn a line into a shape:

•	Click the [image] Close Curve button on the Curve toolbar.

OR

1	Select the previously created line with any selection tool (for example, the Pointer tool). The line's nodes appear.

2	Choose one of the line tools and position the cursor over a red end node. The cursor changes to include a plus symbol; drawing from this point will extend the line.

3	Click and draw a line from one end node to the other. When you reach the other node, the mouse cursor will change to include a square symbol; releasing the mouse button here will create a shape.

4	Release the mouse button. The Curve toolbar appears.

DrawPlus fills the new shape with the current default fill.


Editing lines and shapes

As objects, lines and shapes are composed of line segments (which can be straight or curved) that meet at corner nodes. Each line has two end nodes. To edit the line or shape, you manipulate its line segments and/or nodes. (For a tutorial, see Chapter 5 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

The previous topic covered how to extend a line (by drawing a line segment out from an end node) and turn a line into a shape (by connecting its two end nodes). Here's a quick summary of some other editing operations you can carry out. Click highlighted text to jump to that section of this topic.

To:	Do this:
Move a whole line	Using any selection tool, drag the line.
Redraw part of a curve	Draw a new portion with the Freehand tool or Straight Line tool.
Reshape a line (or curve)	Drag nodes with the Node tool. (Curved lines only) Using the Node tool, click and drag on a curved line segment.
Simplify a line (remove nodes)	Use the Curve Smoothness slider. Select and delete nodes with the Node tool.
Enhance a line (add nodes)	Double-click a line segment with the Node tool.
Change the type of node or line segment	Use the Curve toolbar.
Adjust a shape	Drag nodes with the Node tool. Use the Curve toolbar to break open the shape, then add line segments.
Join two lines together	Select two lines, then choose Join Curves from the Tools menu.

Redrawing part of a curve

With the Freehand tool or Straight Line tool, it's easy to redraw any portion of a curve.

To redraw part of a selected curve:

1	Move the Freehand tool or Straight Line tool over the line where you want to begin redrawing. The cursor changes to indicate you can begin drawing.

2	Click on the line, and a new node appears. Keep the mouse button down.

3	Draw the new portion, connecting it back with the existing line. Again, the cursor changes to indicate where you can make a connection.

4	When you release the mouse button, the original portion is replaced by the newly drawn portion.

Reshaping a line

The two companion tools for editing lines and shapes are the Node tool and the Curve toolbar. In general, you first use the Node tool to select a corner node or segment on the object, then use the buttons on the Curve toolbar. (If all the Curve toolbar's buttons are grayed out, you need to select a part of the line or shape to work on.)

Selecting a line or shape with the Node tool reveals node handles at each corner (or end) node. To select an individual node, click on it with the Node tool. The selected node is drawn slightly larger, with a red center. You can then reshape the object by dragging the node handles to move the nodes around, or by applying other techniques.

To reshape a selected curved line segment:

3	Move the Node tool's pointer over the middle of the curve. The cursor changes to include the word "DRAG."

4	Drag the segment into a new shape.

Note: Dragging from the middle of a a straight line segment with the Node tool doesn't reshape the segment—it moves the whole line. To reshape a straight line segment, first convert it to curved (see below).

To fine-tune a selected curved line segment:

1	Adjust the segment (as above).

OR

Select either of the segment's smooth corner nodes with the Node tool. The cursor changes to include the word "SHAPE."

Handles appear for the attractor nodes which control the shape of the curved line segment. These are drawn as smaller, hollow handles attached to the corner nodes by a blue line. (See the illustrations below.)

2	Drag the attractor handle(s) to fine-tune the curve.

Simplifying or enhancing a line

The more corner nodes there are on a line or shape, the more control over its shape you have. The fewer nodes there are, the simpler (smoother) the line or shape. You can use the Curve Smoothness slider to refine the curve most recently drawn with the Freehand tool (as long as the line is still selected), and use other controls to add or delete corner nodes as needed.

 The Curve Smoothness slider

To adjust the smoothness of the most recent freehand line, while the line is still selected:

1	To make the curve smoother, drag the Curve Smoothness slider right to decrease the number of nodes.

2	To make the curve more complex, drag the slider left to increase the number of nodes.

To add or delete a corner node:

1	To add a node, double-click a line segment with the Node tool to add a new node at that point. The new node will be created and selected, complete with attractor nodes as necessary.

OR

To delete a node, select it with the Node tool and press the Delete key or click the [image] Delete Node button on the Curve toolbar. The node will be deleted, along with any associated attractor nodes, and the line or shape will jump to its new shape.

3	You can now use the Node tool to reposition the nodes, and reshape the line or shape, by dragging on the new handles.

Note: You cannot add or delete envelope corner nodes—envelopes have a fixed number of line segments.

Changing nodes and line segments

For fine-tuning lines and shapes, you can change its corner nodes and/or segments. Corner nodes can be sharp, smooth, or symmetric. You can quickly identify a node's type by selecting it and seeing which button is selected in the Curve toolbar. Each type's attractor handles behave a bit differently, as you can tell with a bit of experimentation. To change a node to a different type, simply click one of the other node buttons.

	Sharp means that the lines to either side of the node are completely independent so that the corner can be quite pointed.
	Smooth means that the slope of the line is the same on both sides of the node, but the depth of the two joined segments can be different.
	Symmetric nodes join line segments with the same slope and depth on both sides of the node.

You can also use the Curve toolbar to define a line segment as either straight or curved.

To change a line segment from straight to curved, or vice versa:

•	With the Node tool, select the leading node of the line segment (the node nearer the start of the line).

•	To make a line segment straight, click the [image] Straighten Line button on the Curve toolbar.

•	To make a line segment curved, click one of the three node buttons on the Curve toolbar: Sharp Corner, Smooth Corner, or Symmetric Corner.

Adjusting a shape

As described in the previous topic, you can easily turn a curve into a shape by connecting its end nodes. You can go the other way, too—break open a shape in order to add one or more line segments.

To break open a line or shape:

1	With the Node tool, select the corner node where you want the break to be.

2	Click the [image] Break Curve button on the Curve toolbar. A line will separate into two lines. A shape will become a line, with the selected node will be split into two nodes, one at each end of the new line.

3	You can now use the Node tool to reposition the nodes and reshape the line by dragging on the handles.

Note: You cannot break open envelopes—envelopes are always shapes.

Joining lines together

You can connect any two lines with a straight line segment to form a new line.

To join two lines together:

1	Select both lines by Shift-clicking with any selection tool.

2	Choose Join Curves from the Tools menu. The end control node of one line is connected with the start control node of the other, by a straight line segment.

For other combinatorial effects you can achieve with DrawPlus, see the topic Combining objects into new shapes.


Working with connectors

The Connector tools let you create dynamic link lines between any two objects. These connectors remain anchored to the objects, even if either or both of them are moved or resized. You can edit connector properties (like thickness, color, and line end) just like those of standard lines. So, for example, it's easy to create a flow chart with connectors between boxes, then freely rearrange the layout while preserving the directional relationships!

Each DrawPlus object has default connection points, displayed whenever you select one of the Connector tools. These default points (which can't be moved or deleted) include one fixed connection point on each side plus an Auto Select point in the center. As explained below, you can create additional connection points if necessary with the Connection Point tool.

To create a connection:

1	Decide on a connector type and choose the appropriate tool from the Connector Tool flyout (Direct, Right Angle, or Auto—see below). Connection points (both default points and any you've created) become visible on all objects.

2	Click any one connection point on the first object, then drag to a connection point on the other object, as if drawing a line between the two points. You can also connect an object to a specific point on the page.

Note: If you choose the Auto Select (center) point, the connector attaches to the nearest point on the object, adapting instantly if either object is moved or changed.

To format the connecting line:

•	Use the standard controls on the Studio's Line tab and Color tab.

Note: Connectors have their own default properties (color, weight, style, etc.). To update the defaults from an existing connector, right-click it and choose Update Defaults.

Connector types

	Choose the [image] Direct Connector tool to draw a single, straight-line connector between any two connection points.
	Choose the [image] Right Angle Connector tool for a connector with only vertical and horizontal segments—for example, if you're creating a flow chart, organization chart, or tree diagram.
	Choose the [image] Auto Connector tool for an adaptible connector that intelligently adjusts its shape to route around "obstructive" objects. Unlike the other connectors, Auto connectors automatically form "bridges" when crossing each other, so they're perfect for complex diagrams with interwoven pathways.
By default, new closed objects are obstructive—that is, Auto connectors route themselves around the object. New open curves and lines are unobstructive—Auto connectors route across the object. If you wish, you can change this property for a given object.

Obstructive object	Non-obstructive object

To set whether Auto connectors route around or across a particular object:

•	Right-click the object and choose Connectors. To route Auto connectors across the object, uncheck Obstructive Object. To route Auto connectors around the object, check the property.

You can set a default value for the standoff or minimum clearance between a connector and any adjacent obstructive object. The illustration compares smaller and larger standoff values:

If two Auto connectors cross, a semicircular bridge appears at a default size called the bridge radius. You can set smaller or larger bridge radius values:

If one Auto connector crosses two or more others, the number of bridges formed depends on the minimum separation or bridge gap you've specified. If the bridge gap is set too small to fit multiple bridges in a given space, then one larger bridge is formed:

To set Auto connector defaults:

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu and adjust the settings for Standoff, Bridge Radius, and Bridge Gap on the Layout tab.

Tip: Auto connector defaults are expressed in ruler units of measurement. If you change ruler units—for example when creating a scale drawing—check at the same time to make sure your Auto connector defaults are still sensible. If you find that line endings (arrowheads, for example) overlap objects, try increasing the Standoff setting slightly to eliminate the overlap. For details, see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale.

The Auto connector settings are automatically saved with the document. Normally, they are also recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.

To add a new connection point:

1	Choose the [image] Connection Point tool from the Connector Tools flyout.

2	Click on the object where you want to place the connection point. To create a connection point on the nearest edge of an object, hold the Ctrl key down when you click. (If you want to create a connection point on the page itself, create an actual connector from an object to the page, as described above.)

Connection points you've added appear in a different color. You can also use the Connection Point tool to move or delete connection points (see below).

Editing connection points and connectors

•	To move a connection point, drag it with the Connection Point tool. You can select multiple points to be moved by Shift-clicking or drawing a marquee around the points. To "snap" a connection point to the nearest edge of an object, hold the Ctrl key down when you drag the node.

•	To delete a connection point you've added, select it and press Delete. Default nodes are fixed and can't be deleted. You can select multiple points for deletion by Shift-clicking or drawing a marquee around the points.

•	To move, reshape, or detach/reattach a connector, use the [image] Node tool to drag individual nodes. Drag the end node of a connector to detach or reattach it. Changing a connector's shape converts it to a Custom connector. (See the topic Editing lines and shapes.) Unlike standard lines, you cannot resize or rotate connectors.

•	To convert a connector from one type to another, right-click the connector and choose Connectors, then select the desired type.

Note: If you draw a connector with either or both ends unconnected, the free ends stay anchored to the page as drawn. Of course, you can still move, reattach, or edit the connector just as if it were connected to an object.


Converting a shape to editable curves

In order to edit shapes with the Node tool and Curve toolbar, as described in the previous topic, the shape must consist of nodes and line segments. To gain this kind of control over text objects or QuickShapes, you can convert the object to curves.

To convert an object into curves:

1	Select the object.

2	Click the [image] Convert to Curves button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Convert to Curves from the Tools menu.

However they were created, all converted objects behave in a similar manner. For example, you can create some text with the Text tool, convert it to curves, then use the Node tool to edit the curves that make up the letters, just as if you had drawn the letter shapes by hand using the line tools.

Note: The new object—now a collection of line segments—will no longer have its old type. For example, you can't change the font of text that's been converted to curves.

The Clean Curves feature automatically reduces the number of nodes in converted objects, producing a smoother (but slightly less defined) graphic than if all nodes were preserved. If you're converting an object and wish to preserve maximum definition, you can turn automatic curve-cleaning off by unchecking the Clean Curves box on the General tab of the Tools/Options... dialog. And you can apply curve-cleaning at any time to an object with too many nodes.

To clean a curve (remove extra nodes):

1	Select the curve with any selection tool.

2	Choose Clean Curves from the Tools menu. The curve structure is simplified and smoothed.

Note: The cleaned curve gives a very good (but not 100% accurate) reproduction of the original shape.


Applying envelopes

An envelope is a shape with an editable outline made up of curves. Envelopes are used as boundaries into which objects are stretched or squeezed. This can produce interesting effects. For example, you can use envelopes to bend text into a wave, arch, trapezoid, or just about any other shape. You can edit envelopes into custom shapes and apply them to other objects for corresponding effects.

You can use either the Envelope Wizard or the Envelope flyout on the Standard toolbar. The toolbar button displays the selected object's envelope type.

To apply a preset envelope:

(Using the Envelope Wizard)

•	Choose Envelope Wizard from the Tools menu. Follow the onscreen questions and enter your own information.

Note: If the Envelope Wizard is turned off, you can choose either Apply Envelope or Remove Envelope from the Tools menu. The former applies a plain envelope,  the latter removes the selected object's envelope.

(Using the Envelope flyout)

1	Select the object(s) you want to be enveloped.

2	Click the [image] Envelope button on the Standard toolbar and select an envelope from the flyout.

	The No Envelope item removes an existing envelope from the selected object.
	The second item stores the most recently selected "user-modified" envelope (see below).
	The third item creates a plain envelope, which is used as a base for creating new envelopes.
The rest of the palette is filled with predefined envelopes of various shapes.

When you apply an envelope to an object or multiple selection, a single-envelope object is created. This object behaves like a group object, allowing most normal object operations.

DrawPlus selects the Node tool and displays the Curve toolbar when an envelope is applied. You can use these to reshape the envelope by dragging its corner nodes and attractor nodes, as when editing curved lines. (To review these concepts, see the topic Editing lines and shapes.) The only difference is that you cannot add or delete corner nodes to an envelope. Envelopes always have exactly four line segments, one on each side.

You can edit any of the predefined envelopes once they have been applied, thereby creating a user-defined envelope. The top right item in the flyout ( [image] "User Defined") auto-selects if you've edited an envelope, and updates to "remember" the setting of the most recently selected user-defined envelope, so you can apply it to another object.

To apply a user-defined envelope to a second object:

1	If the second object currently has a user-defined envelope, remove it by choosing the [image] "No Envelope" item from the Envelope flyout.

2	Select the object with the envelope you wish to use again.

3	Select the second object and choose the [image] "User Defined" item from the Envelope flyout. This applies the envelope stored there to the second object.


Entering text

Text objects in DrawPlus have the same text attributes you would expect to find in any text application—such as font, font style, and pointsize. In DrawPlus, however, text (like other graphic objects) can be stretched, rotated, sheared, enveloped, and combined with other objects. In most respects, text works just like a QuickShape! (For a tutorial, see Chapter 4 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

See the next topic for details on editing text.

To enter new text:

1	Click the [image] Text Tool button on the Drawing toolbar.

2	To create text at the current default pointsize, click where you want to start the text.

OR

For text that will be automatically sized into an area, drag out the area.

New text automatically takes on the default settings for font, size, style, line color, fill color, line weight, letterspacing, line spacing (leading), and justification. You can define some of these defaults using the Text tab, and all of them by updating the defaults from a predefined text object.

To set the default font, size, and style for new text:

1	Deselect all objects by clicking on a neutral area of the page or pasteboard.

2	Display the Studio's Text tab.

Click to change font, size, and/or style. The new defaults will automatically apply to the next new text object you create.

If you want to use specific settings for new text, create a sample of text with the desired properties, then update the defaults from this text object. This is the only method for updating the default text line and fill colors, line weight, letterspacing, line spacing (leading), and justification.

To update text defaults from a selected text object:

•	Right-click the text object and choose Update Defaults.


Editing text

Once you've entered text (see the previous topic), you can change its attributes (font, style, pointsize, etc.) or reshape the letters as graphic objects. (For a tutorial, see Chapter 6 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

To begin editing text:

•	Using the [image] Text tool, click on a letter within the text object.

OR

•	Using the [image] Pointer tool, double-click on the text object.

OR

•	Right-click the text object and choose Edit Text....

OR

•	Select the text object and choose Text... from the Edit menu.

The Edit Text window appears with the text ready for editing.

To edit text in the Edit Text window:

•	Click in the text for a selection point and drag to select text.

•	To cut, copy, and paste, use the toolbar buttons or standard Windows keyboard shortcuts.

•	To apply or remove Bold or Italic formatting, click the corresponding toolbar button.

•	To enlarge or reduce text size, use the "Text Size" drop-down list.

•	To switch between Draft mode (the default) and Layout mode (showing actual text font and size), click the [image] Show Formatting button.

•	To start a new line, press the Enter key. (DrawPlus doesn't support word wrap.)

•	To return to DrawPlus, click the [image] Accept button to update or the [image] Cancel button to abandon changes.

To adjust text spacing properties:

•	With a text object selected, click on the Node tool. Right- and down-arrow controls appear.

•	To adjust tracking (space between characters), drag the right arrow.

•	To adjust leading (space between lines), drag the down arrow.

•	To move a single character around, drag the handle just to its left.

•	To rotate a single character, click its handle and drag the upper node (blue dot) to either side.

To adjust text alignment:

1	Right-click on the text object and choose Spacing.... The Spacing dialog appears.

2	Select Left, Center, Right, or Justify to set text alignment.

Note: The Spacing dialog also affords control over tracking and leading.

For greater control over the shape of the text characters, try converting the text to curves. As curves, you can position every character individually and even edit the character shapes, exactly as if you had drawn the character shapes by hand using the line tools. For details, see the topic Converting a shape to editable curves.

DrawPlus offers a variety of special effects that can produce remarkable results starting with plain text. For details, see the topic Creating text effects and logos.


Adding dimension lines and labels

DrawPlus lets you add dimension lines with text labels showing the distance between two fixed points in a drawing, or the angle formed by three points. For example, you can draw a dimension line along one side of a box, measuring the distance between the two corner points. If you resize the box, the line automatically follows suit, and its label text updates to reflect the new measurement. You'll find dimension lines indispensable for creating technical diagrams, floor plans, or any drawing where exact measurements and scale are important.

The Dimension Tool flyout on the Drawing toolbar includes four tools that let you draw vertical, horizontal, slanted, or angular dimension lines.  Slanted dimension lines can be drawn at any angle. To draw a dimension:
1	Choose the appropriate tool from the Dimension Tool flyout on the Drawing toolbar. (The toolbar button shows the icon of the most recently selected tool.)

Although they can be drawn anywhere on the page, dimension lines are usually attached to connection points on objects. When you choose one of the Dimension tools, connection points on page objects become visible. When you move the mouse pointer directly over a connection point, a small box appears around it when a connection can be made.

2	For a linear dimension, click where you want to start the dimension line (for example, on a connection point), then drag and release the mouse button where you want to end the line. The illustration below shows the result of dragging between connection points A and B. A pair of parallel extension lines appears from the two points. Between the two extension lines, the dimension line and its label "float," awaiting final positioning.

OR

For an angular dimension, click a point along one side of the desired angle, then drag and release the mouse button at a point along the other side of the angle (points A and B in the illustration below). Click again at the vertex of the angle (point C below). These three points define the starting and ending sides of the angle. Between the two sides, the angle's arc and its label "float," awaiting final positioning. Note: Angles are measured counter-clockwise from the starting to the ending side, so choose your three nodes accordingly.

3	To complete the dimension line, move the mouse again to position the floating line or arc and its label—note that they respond independently—and click when they are where you want them. (You can always change the positions later.) The dimension line appears.

Once you've added a dimension line, you can use the [image] Node tool to freely adjust its node or label positions if necessary. Settings on the Studio's Line tab also let you change the style, font, and position of the label text, format the line, or select different measurement units or decimal precision. The Text tab and Color tab let you format the label's font, style, and color.

To adjust the node or label positions:

1	Choose the Node tool and click on the dimension line to select it. Control handles appear, one on each of the dimension line's nodes and another on its label.

2	Drag the handles to reposition the line and/or label.

•	 You can also click one of the label alignment buttons on the Studio's Line tab to set the position of the label relative to a linear dimension line (the buttons are grayed out for angular dimensions).

To edit the line and label text:

•	Choose the Node tool and click on the dimension line to select it.

•	On the Studio's Line tab, use the Precision list to select the number of places displayed after the decimal point, and the Unit of Measurement list to select units.
Note: By default, linear dimension labels use the "Ruler Units" choice—that is, the current ruler unit of measurement—but you can override this by choosing a different unit from the list. For angular dimension labels, the Line tab provides a choice of angular units. For details on ruler units, see the topic Setting measurement units and drawing scale.

•	Use the Line tab's style controls to adjust the line's weight, style, and start/end terminators. The settings are applied to both the dimension line and extension lines.

•	Use settings on the Studio's Text tab to change the label font and style.

•	Use the Studio's Color tab to change the color of the label text.

•	Dimension lines have their own default properties (color, weight, style, etc.). To update the defaults from an existing connector, right-click it and choose Update Defaults.

To add a new connection point to an object:

1	Choose the [image] Connection Point tool from the Connector Tools flyout.

2	Click on the object where you want to place the connection point. To create a connection point on the nearest edge of an object, hold the Ctrl key down when you click.

For more information on connection points, see the topic Working with connectors.


Copying, pasting, cutting, and deleting objects

To copy one or more objects to the Windows Clipboard:

•	Select the object(s) and press Ctrl+C, or choose Copy from the Edit menu, or click the [image] Copy button on the Standard toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click on the object(s) and choose Copy.

Note: To create an identical copy of a DrawPlus object, select it while holding down the Ctrl key, then drag when the word "COPY" appears in the cursor. For variations on "cloning" objects, see the next topic.

To paste a selection from the Clipboard:

•	Press Ctrl+V, or choose Paste from the Edit menu, or click the [image] Paste button on the Standard toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click on a vacant part of the page or pasteboard and choose Paste.

Note: To select the type of object to be pasted from the Clipboard, choose Paste Special... from the Edit menu.

To cut one or more objects to the Clipboard:

•	Select the object(s) and press Ctrl+X, or choose Cut from the Edit menu, or click the [image] Cut button on the Standard toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click on the object(s) and choose Cut.

The object is deleted from the scene and a copy is placed on the Windows Clipboard.

To delete one or more objects:

•	Select the object(s) and press the Delete key or choose Clear from the Edit menu.

No copy is placed on the Windows Clipboard.

Note: To undo a Copy, Paste, Cut, or Delete operation, choose Undo from the Edit menu or click the [image] Undo button. You can set the program's number of undo's using the General tab of the Tools/Options... dialog.


Cloning an object

DrawPlus provides several ways to "clone" an object or multiple selection. Pick the method that's right for your particular need (see details below):

To:	Do this:
Create an exact copy	Select the object while holding down the Ctrl key, then drag when the word "COPY" appears in the cursor.
Make a grid of multiple copies	Select the object, then choose Replicate Wizard (or Replicate...) from the Tools menu.
Make copies that are slightly different from each other	Select the object, then choose Transform... (or Transform Wizard) from the Tools menu.
Make a copy that is larger or smaller	Select the object, then choose Create Contour... from the Tools menu.
Apply the object's formatting to another object	Use the Format Painter button (see the next topic).

Making multiple copies

The Replicate Wizard lets you fill a grid with identical copies of one or more selected objects. For example, you can specify three columns and four rows, for twelve identical copies. You also have the option of letting DrawPlus determine the grid layout for you. The tool comes in handy for creating repetitive patterns or producing artwork for label sheets.

To turn the Replicate Wizard on or off, choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Ease of Use tab, then check or uncheck Replicate Wizard.

If the Wizard is off, you'll see the Replicate... command instead. This brings up a single dialog that lets you specify the number of rows and columns, as well as the X and Y spacing (horizontal and vertical gap) between objects.

Applying a transform

The Transform Wizard lets you make multiple copies of one or more selected objects, with a transformation applied to each successive copy in the series. You can choose from predefined transforms, or specify the type of transformation (rotation and/or scaling), the number of copies, and a positional offset between copies. It's a quick way to generate elements for an animation sequence involving rotation or directional changes (see the topic Animation tips and tricks).

To turn the Transform Wizard on or off, choose Options... from the Tools menu and click the Ease of Use tab, then check or uncheck Transform Wizard.

If the Wizard is off, you'll see the Transform... command instead. This brings up a single dialog that lets you set the transformation options.

Making a larger or smaller copy for contouring

The Create Contour function lets you reproduce a single object slightly larger or smaller than the original, for border or perspective effects. For example, you can create outlines around text or create a second object to blend with the first (see below).

To make a larger or smaller copy of an object:

1	Select the object you want to reproduce.

2	Choose Create Contour... from the Tools menu.

3	Use the dialog to specify the degree of difference and position of the new object with respect to the original, and click OK.

A reduced copy appears in front of the original object; an enlarged copy appears behind it. The new object always has a black line and white fill.

Making "in-between" copies of two objects

Blending is yet another useful way of making multiple copies by in-betweening two different objects for a "morphing" effect. Impressive 3D effects can be achieved. For details, see the topic Creating blends..


Copying an object's formatting

To apply one object's formatting to another:

1	Select the object whose formatting you wish to copy.

2	Click the [image] Format Painter button on the Standard toolbar. When you click the button, the selected object's formatting is "picked up."

3	Click another object to apply the first object's formatting to it. The second object becomes selected.

4	To select another object without pasting the formatting, click it with the the Shift key down.

5	To cancel Format Painter mode, press Esc, click on a blank area, or choose any tool button.


Moving objects

To move one or more objects:

1	Select the object(s) with one of the selection tools (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

2	Click within the selection (not on a handle) and drag its outline to the new location while holding down the left mouse button. To move the selection with full display, pause a moment between clicking and starting to drag.

To constrain the movement to horizontal or vertical:

•	Select the object(s) and use the keyboard arrows (up, down, left, right). These move the selection by a fraction of the selected ruler unit per keypress (for example, 10 increments per inch or 8 per centimeter).

OR

1	Press and hold down the Shift key after you begin dragging the selection.

2	Release the Shift key after you release the left mouse button.

To prevent an object from accidentally being moved:

•	Select the object and check Lock Position on the Arrange menu.

Specifying position with the Status tab

The Status tab includes controls for fine-tuning the position of one or more selected objects:

	Horizontal Position Change the horizontal placement of the object's top left corner, with respect to the ruler's zero point. The higher the value, the further to the right.
	Vertical Position  Change the vertical placement of the object's top left corner, with respect to the ruler's zero point. The higher the value, the lower on the page.

To make adjustments, use any of these techniques:

•	Click the small up or down "nudge" buttons to adjust in increments.

OR

•	Click in the text box, then press the up or down arrows on the keyboard to adjust values incrementally.

OR

•	Type a value into the text box and press Enter.


Resizing objects

To resize an object (in general):

1	Select the object(s) with one of the selection tools (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

2	Click one of the selection's handles and drag it to a new position while holding down the left mouse button.

Dragging from an edge handle resizes in one dimension, by moving that edge. Dragging from a corner handle resizes in two dimensions, by moving two edges, while maintaining the selection's aspect ratio (proportions).

To allow free resizing of an object to any aspect ratio:

•	Hold the Shift key down and drag from a corner handle.

To resize an object using the keyboard:

•	Select the object(s) and use the keyboard arrows (up, down, left, right) while holding down the Shift key.

The top left corner of the selection remains fixed, while the opposite edge moves closer or farther.

To make two or more items the same size:

1	Shift-click to select all the objects to be resized (multiple selection).

2	Last of all, select the object to use as a template.

3	Choose Size Items... from the Arrange menu and use the dialog to specify horizontal and/or vertical matching. Click OK.

All the selected objects are resized to match the last object you selected.

To prevent an object from accidentally being resized:

•	Select the object and check Lock Position on the Arrange menu.

Specifying size with the Status tab

The Status tab includes controls for fine-tuning the dimensions of one or more selected objects:

	Object Width Move the object's right edge with respect to its left edge. The left edge stays the same.
	Object Height  Move the object's bottom edge with respect to its top edge. The top edge stays the same.

To make adjustments, use any of these techniques:

•	Click the small up or down "nudge" buttons to adjust in increments.

OR

•	Click in the text box, then press the up or down arrows on the keyboard to adjust values incrementally.

OR

•	Type a value into the text box and press Enter.


Rotating and shearing objects

The Rotate tool lets you both rotate and shear (slant) one or more objects.

To rotate one or more objects around a center point:

1	Click the [image] Rotate Tool button on the Drawing toolbar.

2	Click to select the object(s), then drag one of the selection's corner handles. (You'll see the ROTATE cursor.)

Note: You can also use the Rotate tool to move and copy objects.

To change the center point of rotation:

•	Drag the selection's [image] center marker to the desired position.

To shear an object:

1	Click the [image] Rotate Tool button on the Drawing toolbar.

2	Click to select the object(s), then drag one of the selection's edge handles. (You'll see the SHEAR cursor.)

DrawPlus also provides the following methods for controlling rotation. (These don't apply to shear.)

To constrain rotation in 15-degree steps:

•	Hold down the Shift key as you drag a handle, and release it after you release the mouse button.

To rotate an object 90º counterclockwise:

•	Select the object(s) with any selection tool and click the Rotate 90º button on the Standard toolbar.

To rotate an object by a numeric value:

1	Select the object(s) with any selection tool and choose Rotate from the Arrange menu.

2	Select a specific rotation value from the submenu, or select Custom... to display a dialog that lets you enter a precise numeric value.

To unrotate (restore the original orientation):

1	Double-click the object.

2	To restore the rotated position, double-click again.

To fine-tune rotation:

1	Display the Status tab and, using the [image] Rotation control...

2	Click the small up or down "nudge" buttons to adjust in increments.

OR

Click in the text box, then press the up or down arrows on the keyboard to adjust values incrementally.

OR

Type a value into the text box and press Enter.

To prevent an object from accidentally being rotated:

•	Select the object and check Lock Position on the Arrange menu.


Flipping objects

To flip an object:

•	Select the object(s) with one of the selection tools (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

•	To flip the selection left to right, click the [image] Horizontal Flip button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Flip Horizontal from the Arrange menu. (Top and bottom stay the same.)

•	To flip the selection top to bottom, click the [image] Vertical Flip button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Flip Vertical from the Arrange menu. (Left and right stay the same.)


Converting an object to a bitmap

The Convert To Bitmap function deletes the selected object or group and replaces it with a bitmap-filled object (specifically, a QuickBox with a bitmap fill). In this way, you can your own bitmap fill pattern out of DrawPlus objects and apply it to other objects. (See the topic Working with Bitmap and Plasma fills.).) Bear in mind that conversion is a one-way process, so any objects which are converted will no longer exist as separately editable objects.

To convert one or more objects to a bitmap:

1	Select the object, or Shift-click (or drag a marquee) to select multiple objects.

2	Choose Convert To Bitmap... from the Tools menu.

3	In the dialog, set format, size, dithering, and palette options as desired, and click OK. (For details on these export options, see the topic Exporting objects and drawings.)


Grouping objects

You can easily turn a multiple selection (see the topic Selecting one or more objects) into a group object. When objects are grouped, you can position, resize, rotate, or shear all the objects at the same time.

To create a group from a multiple selection:

•	Click the [image] Group/Ungroup button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Group from the Arrange menu.

To ungroup (turn a group back into a multiple selection):

•	Click the [image] Group/Ungroup button again, or choose Ungroup from the Arrange menu.

The objects that comprise a group are intact, but can't be edited individually.

In general, any operation you carry out on the group affects each member of the group. Property changes applied to a group—such as changing line or fill—will alter all the objects that make up the group. The exceptions are:

•	Group objects cannot be combined with other objects using Arrange/Combine.

•	Group objects cannot be edited using the Node tool.

•	Text within a group object cannot be edited or converted to curves.


Combining objects into new shapes

You can vary the shape of a single object in a great variety of ways using the Node tool (see the topic Editing lines and shapes). Using the Combine and Join commands, a great many more shape effects are possible:

•	Use Combine to create a special composite object, similar to a group, with one or more "holes" on the inside where two or more component objects overlapped one another—useful for creating mask or stencil effects. Combining can be reversed using the Break Apart command.

•	Join/Add creates a single new object that's the sum of any two selected objects. The other two Join commands work only on two objects that overlap. Join/Subtract removes the overlapping portion and leaves the rest (useful for cropping objects), while Join/Intersect retains the overlap and discards the rest. Unlike Combine, the three Join comands can only be reversed using the Undo command.

To combine two or more objects:

1	Create a multiple selection containing the objects to be combined, using any selection tool (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

2	Click the Combine button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Combine from the Arrange menu.

3	If you want to uncombine the object, select it and click the Combine button again, or choose Break Apart from the Arrange menu.

Note: If only one object, rather than a multiple selection, is selected, Combine automatically creates a rectangle just bigger than the selected object and uses this rectangle as a second object for the combination.

To add two objects:

1	Create a multiple selection containing both objects, using any selection tool (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

2	Click the Add button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Join from the Arrange menu and select Add from the submenu. The new object is the sum of the previously selected objects.

To subtract two objects:

1	Create a multiple selection containing both objects, using any selection tool (Pointer, Rotate, or Node). Be sure the objects are overlapping

2	Click the Subtract button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Join from the Arrange menu and select Subtract from the submenu. The new object consists of the non-overlapping portions of the previously selected objects.

Note: The Subtract command has no effect on objects that don't overlap.

To intersect two objects:

1	Create a multiple selection containing both objects, using any selection tool (Pointer, Rotate, or Node).

2	Click the Intersect button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Join from the Arrange menu and select Intersect from the submenu. The new object consists of the overlapping portions of the previously selected objects.

Note: The Intersect command has no effect on objects that don't overlap.

Notes:

•	In general, only text, QuickShapes, and shapes (including those with Bitmap fills) can be combined or joined.

•	The temporary object resulting from a Combine operation behaves like a group object, except that all the objects in the combination take on the same line and fill properties—those of the bottom object in the ordering sequence. When the combination is broken apart, the line and fill of the original components are restored. The combined object's transparency reverts to None, but you can apply a new transparency effect to the object.

•	The permanent object resulting from a Join operation acquires the line and fill properties of the bottom object in the ordering sequence.

•	The Combine command ignores any open lines, enveloped objects, or curved text within the selection, but does handle any valid objects within the selection. The Join menu entries and buttons stay grayed out unless exactly two valid objects are selected.

•	As for group objects, the Combine command can handle a selection consisting of a single group (it will be ungrouped automatically and the resulting collection of objects will be combined). Combine ignores groups that are part of a multiple selection. The Join command does not accept groups.


Aligning objects

You can use menu commands to align the edges of any two or more objects with one another, or align objects with a page edge.

In addition, layout tools such as rulers and the snapping grid provide guides to assist you in placing objects on the page. Snapping lets you align objects with nearby guides. For details, see the topics Setting measurement units and drawing scale and Using the snapping grid.

To align the edges of two or more objects:

1	Using the Pointer tool, Shift-click on all the objects you want to align, or draw a marquee box around them, to create a multiple selection.

2	Choose Align Items... from the Arrange menu, or right-click the object(s) and choose Align Items....

3	In the dialog, check one or more options for vertical and/or horizontal alignment, and click OK.

To align one or more objects with a page edge:

•	Follow the steps above, but check the Include Page option. (If only one object is selected, page-edge alignment is automatic.)


Ordering objects

If the concept of ordering is new to you, think of the objects on a page as being stacked or piled on top of each other. The frontmost object is the one on top of the stack. Each time you create a new object, it goes in front of the objects already there. But you can move any object to any level in the ordering sequence, and obtain sophisticated drawing effects by learning how to manipulate the front/back relationship of objects.

As an example, here's a dissected view of the object order used to create a picture of a corkscrew.

All the component objects have been detached from the completed drawing. Notice how the artist achieved a "3D" look for the handle and cork by blending, resulting in "stacks" of progressively smaller shapes, using differently colored fills graded from dark to light. Effects like reflections, metallic highlights, shadows, and contours are just a few of the possibilities that you can explore using object ordering.

Note: Don't confuse the concept of object ordering with that of layers in the document (see the next topic).

To bring a selected object forward by one level:

•	Click the [image] Forward One button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Forward One from the Arrange menu.

To send a selected object back by one level:

•	Click the [image] Back One button on the Standard toolbar, or choose Back One from the Arrange menu.

To bring a selected object to the front level (on top):

•	Choose Bring to Front from the Arrange menu.

OR

•	Double-click the [image] Forward One button.

To send the selected object to the back level (on the bottom):

•	Choose Send to Back from the Arrange menu.

OR

•	Double-click the [image] Back One button.

To view or change an object's numeric level:

•	Use the Ordering Level control on the Status tab. The object's level appears as a value.

•	To change the object's level, click the up and down arrows, or type in a new value and click in a different Status tab field.

The extent to which one object actually obscures another is affected by the fill and transparency of the front object. You can apply a wide range of fills, using solid colors or gradients, and an equally varied assortment of transparency effects. For details, see topics in the section, How to Define Fills, Lines, Colors, and Transparency.

Another related set of techniques involves using the Combine command to create masks with transparent "holes", and the Join commands (Add, Subtract, and Intersect) to create special composite objects. When objects with different fill and/or line properties are combined or joined, the new object takes the properties of the bottom object in the ordering sequence—the one behind the others.


Working with layers

New DrawPlus documents consist of a single layer with a page and pasteboard. Objects created on this layer are stacked in order, from back to front, with each new object in front of the others (see the previous topic). Several of the Library tab categories (Watermark, Backdrop, and Border) create objects on a separate bottom layer called the Paper layer.

Layers are useful when you're working on a complex design where it makes sense to separate one cluster of objects from another. You can work on one layer at a time without worrying about affecting elements on a different layer.

For much of your work in Drawing Mode, you may not need to create additional layers—but DrawPlus makes it easy to do so if the occasion arises. Animation in DrawPlus, on the other hand, is based entirely on layers, which become separate frames in Animation Mode. This topic will cover the basics of layers in Drawing Mode; to learn about frames, see the topic Working with animation frames..) Special layers are created if you're adding rollover states to Web graphics; see the topic Creating JavaScript rollovers.

Each layer has its own tab, located on the scrollbar below the edit window. To edit a particular layer, click (or right-click) its tab.
To see a menu of layer options, right-click any layer tab.

Note: You can also use the Layer Manager (see below) to set layer properties.

 Layer tab: Right-click menu (upper portion)

To create a new layer:

•	Right-click the layer's tab and choose Add Layer... from the menu.

OR

•	Choose Layers from the Arrange menu and select Add Layer... from the flyout.

To delete a layer:

•	Right-click the layer's tab and choose Delete Layer from the menu.

To rename a layer:

•	Right-click the layer's tab and choose Rename Layer... from the menu.

 Layer tab: Right-click menu (center portion)

For added convenience in working with multiple layers, you can use the right-click menu to toggle several properties of individual layers:

•	To hide or show specific layers to prevent visual clutter, check or uncheck Visible.

•	To prevent one or more layers from printing, in order to isolate other layers on your printout, check or uncheck Printable. (Note: Layers not checked as visible will still print, as long as they are checked as printable.)

•	To lock a particular layer so its objects cannot be moved, deleted, or resized until the layer is unlocked, check or uncheck Locked.

 Layer tab: Right-click menu (lower portion)

Right-clicking any tab lets also you set several properties that affect all layers.

•	If the View All Layers setting is checked (the default), all layers checked as visible appear in the edit window, regardless of which layer you're currently working on. Unchecking this setting lets you see only objects on the current layer, as long as it's visible. (If both Visible and View All Layers are unchecked, you won't see anything!)

•	If the Edit All Layers setting (available only if View All Layers is checked) is unchecked (the default), you can only select objects in the current layer. Checking this setting lets you select any object in any visible layer. Remember, you can press the Tab key repeatedly to select objects in order.

•	The Layer Manager dialog lets you review the sequence of layers in scrolling list form, and change the layer sequence if you wish. You can set layer properties as well as add or delete frames. As a shortcut to display the Layer Manager, double-click any layer tab.

Note: These three right-click options are also available on the Arrange/Layers flyout.

Although you have the option of editing all layers simultaneously (by checking Edit All Layers), the standard object ordering commands (Forward One, Back One, etc.) only affect an object's level within the layer it currently occupies. Separate commands are available to move objects between layers.

To move one or more objects to a different layer:

•	Right-click the object or selection and choose Move Object(s) to Layer....

OR

1	Select the object(s) to be moved.

2	Choose Layers from the Arrange menu.

3	Select one of the following commands from the flyout submenu: Move Object(s) to Layer..., Move Forward One Layer, Move Backward One Layer.


Applying a fill

Any closed shape, QuickShape, or text object has an interior region that can be filled. This topic explains how to apply a fill to an object using the Studio's Color tab and Fill tab, which provide a choice of various fill types. (For a tutorial, see Chapter 7 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

These eleven fill types fall into three basic categories:

•	Solid fills, as their name implies, use a single color.

•	Gradient fills provide a gradation or spectrum of colors between two or more "key" colors.

•	Bitmap and Plasma fills apply bitmapped images or patterns to the object.

To apply a solid fill color to one or more objects:

1	Display the Studio's Color tab.

2	Select one or more objects, then click the desired color on the tab.

OR

Drag from the color thumbnail onto any object, then release the mouse button.

To apply a gradient, Bitmap, or Plasma fill to one or more objects:

1	Display the Studio's Fill tab.

2	Choose a fill type from the drop-down list. You'll see the gallery for the fill type, displaying available choices.

3	Select one or more objects, then click the gallery thumbnail for the fill you want. The fill is applied to the object(s).

OR

Drag from the gallery thumbnail onto any object (the cursor changes to include a plus sign over suitable objects), and release the mouse button. The object takes the fill and becomes the selected object.

Once you've applied a fill, you can then adjust its color(s), tint (lightness), and/or path (coverage) on the object.

To edit an object's fill color(s):

•	Right-click the object and choose Edit Object Fill....

To change a fill's tint (lightness):

•	With the object selected, drag the slider on the Fill tab: left to darken, right to lighten the effect. You can also type a value directly in the "Tint Value" box. To reset the value to the mid-position, enter "0."

To adjust a non-solid fill's path:

•	Click the [image] Fill Tool button on the Drawing toolbar and drag the fill's nodes.

Specific adjustment techniques and Fill tool options differ for each of the three basic fill categories.

•	For details on solid fills, see Defining line and fill colors..

•	For details on gradient fills, see Working with gradient fills.

•	For details on Bitmap and Plasma fills, see Working with Bitmap and Plasma fills.

Tip: You can use the [image] Format Painter button to copy one object's line and fill properties directly to another object. See the topic Copying an object's formatting..

Note: Transparency is also applied locally to each object; the default is "None." Applying different transparency effects (using the Studio's Transparency tab) won't alter the object's fill settings as such, but may significantly alter a fill's actual appearance. For details, see the topic Using transparency effects.

Setting the default fill

If you click a color thumbnail or fill thumbnail when no object is selected, you update the default fill—that is, the fill type and attributes that will be applied to the next new object you create. It's often easier to set up the defaults before you create new objects, rather than changing the properties later. Shapes and text objects have separately defined default fills. You can define the default fill for shapes using Fill or Color tab settings or an existing object. For text, you can only use an existing text object.

To set the default fill (for shapes) using the Studio:

1	Deselect all objects by clicking on a neutral area of the page or pasteboard.

2	Display the Studio's Fill tab (or Color tab for a solid fill).

3	• For non-solid fills, choose a fill type from the drop-down list on the Fill tab. You'll see the gallery for the fill type, displaying available choices. Click the gallery thumbnail for the default fill you want.
• For solid fills, click a color thumbnail on the Color tab.

4	If desired, you can alter the default fill's tint by dragging the slider, or right-click any gallery thumbnail for other edit options. (For details, follow the topic links above for each fill category.)

To use the fill of a selected object (either shape or text) as the default:

•	Right-click the object and choose Update Defaults.

Note: This action also updates the line defaults, and (if a text object was selected) other text properties such as font and size.

Normally, the default fill settings are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Applying a line

All lines, including those that enclose shapes, have several properties, including color, weight (width), style, and termination. Using the Studio's Line tab, you can apply a line to an existing object. In addition to plain lines (solid or dashed), the Line tab offers many categories of decorative chain lines which use repeating elements "strung" along the length of the line.

For details on adding or editing plain line colors, see the next topic. For details on constructing and customizing your own chain lines, see the topic Creating chains. For a tutorial, see Chapter 7 of the DrawPlus Companion.

To apply a line from the Line tab to one or more objects:

1	Display the Studio's Line tab and select a line category from the drop-down list to display the corresponding gallery.

To apply a particular line, you can either select the object(s) first, then click Line tab settings, or simply drag a line preset onto any object.

2	To apply a gallery line to an unselected object, click on the thumbnail and drag it from the gallery to the object (the cursor changes over suitable objects), then release the mouse button. The object takes the line settings and becomes selected. (If the object was already selected, just click on the thumbnail.)

To set properties of a plain line:

1	To set line weight (width), select a value from the drop-down list. To turn off the line, select "None."

2	To set other line properties, either click one of the gallery thumbnails, or make separate selections for Line Style, Line Start, and Line End from the drop-down lists.

Note: You can't set these properties for a chain line because only its elements (not the line itself) are visible. To "turn off" a chain line, switch to the "Plain" category and select "None" as the line weight.

You can set a plain line's color and fine-tune its color overall tint (lightness). The method depends on whether it's a separate line object, or one that encloses a filled object—in which case it's referred to as the object's line.

To set a plain line's color:

•	For a separate line object, select the line, display the Studio's Color tab and click a color thumbnail.
OR
Drag from a Color tab thumbnail onto the line.

•	For a filled object (closed shape), select the object and Shift-click a thumbnail on the Studio's Color tab.
OR
Select the object, right-click on a color thumbnail and choose Set Line Color.

•	To edit an object's line color, right-click the object and choose Edit Line Color.... For details, see the next topic.

To set a plain line's tint (lightness):

•	With the object selected, drag the slider on the Line tab: left to darken, right to lighten the effect. You can also type a value directly in the "Tint Value" box. To reset the value to the mid-position, enter "0."

Tip: You can use the [image] Format Painter button to copy one object's line and fill properties directly to another object. See the topic Copying an object's formatting.

Setting the default line

If you click a setting on the Line tab when no object is selected, you update the default line—that is, the properties of the line that will be applied to the next new object you create. Open lines and text objects have separately defined default lines. You can define the line default for open lines using either Line tab settings or an existing object. For text, you can only use an existing text object. The default line can be either a plain line or chain line.

Note: The permanent default line setting for most closed shapes and QuickShapes is "None." You can still use the Line tab (see above) to alter any object's line properties after it's been drawn.

To set the default line properties (for open lines) using the Line tab:

1	Deselect all objects by clicking on a neutral area of the page or pasteboard.

2	Display the Studio's Line tab and select a category.

3	If you want to use one of the line presets, click its thumbnail in the gallery, or (for plain lines) make separate selections for Line Style, Line Start, and Line End from the drop-down lists.

•	To set the default tint of a plain line, drag the slider on the Line tab: left to darken, right to lighten the effect. You can also type a value directly in the "Tint Value" box.

•	To set the default line weight (width) of a plain line, select a value from the drop-down list.

•	To use no line as the default, select "None."

•	To set the default line color of a plain line, Shift-click a color thumbnail on the Studio's Color tab.

To use a selected (line, shape, or text) object's line as the default:

•	Right-click the object and choose Update Defaults.

Note: This action also updates the fill defaults, and (if a text object was selected) other properties such as font and size, to match the object's settings.

Normally, the default line settings are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Defining line and fill colors

Color is just one of many fill and line properties that DrawPlus objects can have. To review the different fill types, and how to apply fill and line properties, see the topics Applying a fill and Applying a line.

When you're applying a solid fill or line color using the Studio's Color tab, you choose a color from the built-in set of DrawPlus colors, displayed as a gallery of color thumbnails. Each color is a unique mixture of red, green, and blue (RGB). These same gallery colors also appear in dialogs you use to edit all types of fills on existing objects.

(See the next topic for details on "key colors" in gradient fills.)

When you adjust a line or fill color locally on an object (for example, by varying its tint with the "Color Tint" slider), you create a new RGB mixture that's only defined for that object. We'll call these colors object colors to distinguish them from those available in the gallery. If you expect to reuse an object color later, you can always add it to the gallery so it will be available when you need it. And you can change the RGB definitions of gallery or object colors at any time.

For convenient reference, all gallery colors have names (often just their RGB values), which appear as you move the mouse pointer over their thumbnails. You can change the names of gallery colors, too.

To apply a gallery color to an object:

•	To apply a fill, or to set the color of a line object, select the object and click a thumbnail on the Color tab.

OR

With no object selected, drag from a Color tab thumbnail onto the target object.

•	To set the line color of a filled object, select the object and Shift-click a thumbnail on the Color tab.

Changing the set of gallery colors

You can add, delete, redefine, or rename gallery colors where you see the color gallery displayed: either on the Color tab or in the Edit Object Fill dialog. (You can also add new colors that are linked to other existing gallery colors. For details, see the topic Using linked colors.)

To add a new gallery color:

•	Right-click any solid color thumbnail in the gallery and choose Add New Color.... Use the dialog to define RGB values and a name for the new color, then click OK.

OR

•	Start with an object already filled with the color you want to add to the gallery. Select the object, then display the Fill tab and click the [image] Add Fill to Gallery button.

A new thumbnail is immediately added at the bottom of the gallery on the Color tab.

To delete a gallery color:

•	Right-click its solid color thumbnail in the gallery and choose Delete Color.

If any existing objects use the color, you'll see a dialog reminding you that the color is in use. If you delete the color anyway, the objects will retain it, but only as a local (object) fill.

To redefine and/or rename an existing gallery color:

1	Right-click its solid color thumbnail in the gallery and choose Edit Gallery Color....

2	Use the dialog to define new RGB values and/or a new name for the color.

The gallery thumbnail and any objects using the color are updated immediately.

The solid colors shown in the gallery are automatically saved with the document. Normally, they are also recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.

Note: Dragging the "Color Tint" slider on the Fill or Line tab doesn't redefine the gallery color. It does update the local fill or line of any object(s) currently selected, or (if no objects are selected) the default color value to be used for new fills or lines. For details on setting defaults, see the topics Applying a fill and Applying a line.

Adjusting an object's applied line or fill

To adjust the tint (lightness) of an applied line or fill:

1	Select the object and display either the Line tab or Fill tab. (Lines and fills have separate tint properties.)

2	Drag the slider to adjust the line or fill's tint: left to darken, right to lighten the effect. You can also type a value directly in the "Tint Value" box.

To adjust the color(s) in an object's applied line or fill:

1	Right-click the object and choose Edit Line Color... or Edit Object Fill....

2	Use the dialog to set new color properties.

Depending on the object, you'll see one of two basic dialogs. If it's a line, or a shape with a solid fill, the dialog resembles the Edit Gallery Color dialog described above. For objects using a non-solid fill, see the topics Working with gradient fills and Working with Bitmap and Plasma fills.


Working with gradient fills

Gradient fills are those that use use gradients—small "spectrums" with colors spreading between at least two defined key values. Specifically, gradient fills include the Linear, Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Square, Three Color, and Four Color types. (Plasma fills and Mesh fills also use gradients, but have their own special properties and are covered separately.) Once you've applied a gradient fill to an object using the Fill tab (see Applying a fill ), you can adjust the fill's tint with the Fill tab slider, and use the Fill tool to edit the object's fill path, defining the placement of the spectrum across the object.

Editing the fill path

When you select a filled object, the Fill tool becomes available (otherwise it's grayed out). If the object uses a gradient fill, you'll see the fill path displayed as one or more lines, with nodes marking where the spectrum between each key color begins and ends. Adjusting the node positions determines the actual spread of colors between nodes. You can also edit the fill by adding, deleting, or changing key colors (see below).

To adjust the gradient fill path on a selected object:

1	Click the [image] Fill Tool button on the Drawing toolbar. The object's fill path appears.

2	Use the Fill tool to drag the start and end path nodes, or click on the object for a new start node and drag out a new fill path. The gradient starts where you place the start node, and ends where you place the end node.

3	To constrain the fill path in 15-degree increments, hold down the Shift key while dragging. To constrain AND reset the gradient's origin to the default, hold down the Ctrl key. On Ellipse fills, Ctrl-constraining also forces the gradient's aspect ratio to match the object's bounding box.

Note: For a real-time (interactive) display update when changing the fill path, check the Real-time Editing box on the Tools/Options.../General tab.

Each gradient fill type has a characteristic path. For example, Radial fills have single-line paths, with the gradient initially starting at the object's center. Ellipse fills likewise begin at the center, but their paths have two lines so you can adjust the fill's extent in two directions away from the center. Radial fills are always evenly circular, while Ellipse fills can be skewed in one direction or another.

Experiment to discover new effects! For example, you can widen or narrow the gradient's extent, even drag either node completely outside the object. Or, for Radial and Ellipse fills on a round shape, try placing the start node near the figure's upper edge, off-center, to create a reflection highlight.

Editing the fill spectrum

Whether you're editing a fill that's been already been applied to an object, or redefining one of the gallery fills, the basic concepts are the same. Whereas solid fills use a single color, all gradient fills utilize at least two "key" colors, with a spread of hues in between each key color, creating a "spectrum" effect. You can either edit the fill spectrum directly using the Fill tool in conjunction with the Studio's Color tab, or use a dialog.

To edit a gradient fill directly:

	1 Select the filled object and select the Fill tool to display the object's fill path. Nodes mark the key colors where color spread(s) begin and end.
	2 Display the Studio's Color tab.
	3 To add a key color, drag from a color thumbnail onto a portion of the fill path where there is no node. A new node appears. Note: Be sure the tip of the pointer is over the node or path (watch the cursor) when you release the mouse button. Otherwise the color will be applied to the whole object as a solid fill.
	4 To change a key color, click its node, then click a color thumbnail.  OR
	Drag from a color thumbnail onto any node to change the key color of the node. Note that the node doesn't need to be selected.
5	To move a key color (except the end colors), simply use the Fill tool to drag its node to a new position along the fill path.

6	To delete a key color (except the end colors), select it and press Delete.

To edit a gradient fill via dialog box:

	1 (On an object) Right-click the filled object and choose Edit Object Fill.... OR (Gallery fill) Right-click the fill thumbnail and choose Edit Gallery Fill....  In either case, a dialog appears.
	2 The dialog displays the gradient spectrum, with pointers marking the key colors where color spread(s) begin and end. In this example, the gradient has just one spread, between blue and yellow key colors. Note: The color of the gradient's start node appears at the left, and that of the end node at the right.
	3 The dialog also includes the solid color gallery.
	4 To add a key color for more complex banding, click either on the spectrum or just below it, where you want to place the new key color. A new pointer appears, using black as the default key color. Note that the new pointer's arrow is also black, indicating that it's selected; unselected pointers have white arrows.
	5 To change a key color, click to select its pointer, then click the gallery thumbnail for the color you want. In this example, we've changed the new key color to red. Note that the pointer shows the new key color, and is still selected.
6	To move a key color (except the end colors), simply drag its pointer to a new position along the spectrum.

7	To delete a key color (except the end colors),  right-click its pointer or select the pointer and press Delete.
Note: Key color deletion is not reversible using Undo.

8	Click OK to accept changes, or Cancel to abandon changes.

Note: If the color gallery doesn't contain precisely the right colors for the gradient effect you want, you can add, delete, or redefine gallery colors as needed. For details, see the previous topic.

Changing the set of gallery fills

If you've defined a new gradient fill by setting fill path and/or key colors, you can add it to the set of gallery fills shown on the Fill tab so that it will be available to use again. You can also delete, redefine, or rename any of the gallery fills.
Note: You can't redefine gallery Mesh fills.

To add an object fill to a fill gallery:

1	Select an object that uses the fill.

2	On the Fill tab, click the [image] Add Fill to Gallery button.

To delete a gallery fill:

•	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Delete Fill.

Deleting a gallery fill doesn't affect any objects that have already been given that fill.

Note: There's no Undo for this action.

To redefine and/or rename an existing gallery fill:

1	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Edit Gallery Fill....

2	Use the Gallery Fill dialog to define new key colors and/or a new name for the color. (See "Editing the fill spectrum" above.)

The gallery thumbnail is updated immediately.

Normally, the contents of the fill gelleries are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Working with Bitmap and Plasma fills

A Bitmap fill uses a named bitmap—often a material, pattern, or background image. DrawPlus supplies over 200 preset Bitmap fills on the Fill tab, and you can import your own. A Plasma fill, sometimes called a fractal fill, is a bitmapped pattern with dark and light regions, useful for simulating cloud or shadow effects.

Once you've applied either type of fill to an object using the Fill tab (see Applying a fill), you can adjust the fill's tint with the Fill tab slider, and use the Fill tool to edit the object's fill path, defining the placement of the fill across the object.

Editing the fill path

When you select a filled object, the Fill tool becomes available. If the object uses a Bitmap or Plasma fill, you'll see the fill path displayed as two lines joined at a center point. Nodes mark the fill's center and edges (see above).

Unlike the other fill types, Bitmap and Plasma fills don't simply "end" at the edges of their fill path. Rather, they tile (repeat) so you can fill indefinitely large regions at any scale. By dragging the edge nodes in or out with the Fill tool, you can "zoom" in or out on the fill pattern. For example, these two QuickBoxes use identical Bitmap fills with different fill path settings:

To adjust the path of a Bitmap or Plasma fill on a selected object:

1	Click the [image] Fill Tool button on the Drawing toolbar. The object's fill path appears.

2	Use the Fill tool to drag the center and/or edge nodes, or click on the object for a new center node and drag out a new fill path.

3	To reposition the fill's center, drag the center node.

4	To adjust the fill's extent and tiling, drag one or both edge nodes in or out with respect to the center.

5	To create a skewed or tilted fill region, drag one or both edge nodes sideways.

6	To constrain the fill path in 15-degree increments, hold down the Shift key while dragging. The fill's aspect ratio is preserved. To constrain AND reset the path's origin to the default, hold down the Ctrl key. The fill path is unskewed and "regularly sized"—that is, its size jumps in steps.

Note: For a real-time (interactive) display update when changing the fill path, check the Real-time Editing box on the Tools/Options.../General tab.

Tip: The Ctrl-constrain technique mentioned above is convenient if you want a Bitmap fill to extend to fill a box without tiling. One of the "regular" steps includes a setting where the fill matches the object's bounding box.

Editing fill properties

You can apply colors to both Bitmap and Plasma fills, but in different ways. Bitmap fills applied to an object can be tinted with a solid color, while Plasma fills use complex gradients with many "key" colors (see the previous topic).

While you can edit the Plasma fills stored in the Fill tab's gallery, you cannot edit the preset Bitmap fills; you can, however, add your own bitmaps to use as fills (see below).

To edit a Bitmap or Plasma fill:

1	(On an object) Right-click the filled object and choose Edit Object Fill....
OR
(Gallery Plasma fill only) Right-click the fill thumbnail and choose Edit Gallery Fill....
In either case, a dialog appears.

2	(Plasma fills only) To change colors in a Plasma fill, follow the steps outlined in the previous topic under "Editing the fill spectrum."

3	(Bitmap fills only) To apply a color to a Bitmap fill, click a thumbnail in the dialog's gallery. Here's the same Bitmap fill as shown above, now  with a light gray color applied for a grayscale fill effect:

When you apply the color, DrawPlus remembers the original colors and checks the Recolor box. To restore the original color scheme, uncheck Recolor.
Note: If the color gallery doesn't contain precisely the right color(s) for the effect you want, you can add, delete, or redefine gallery colors as needed. For details, see the topic Defining line and fill colors.

4	If the fill pattern is being tiled (repeated) within the object, check Tile Inverted if you want the patterns to flip alternately so tops will touch tops where two fills meet, lefts will touch lefts, etc. Leave the option unchecked (the default) to tile patterns normally, without flipping.

5	(Plasma fills only) For different effects, experiment with the Seed and Grain settings. Seed is a random number where each value entered produces a different pattern. Grain controls the flow of the pattern, with lower values yielding a smoothly flowing ("cloudy") pattern, and higher values displaying more image grain. Use a larger value for Size for better appearance if the fill is being applied to a larger object.

Changing the set of Bitmap gallery fills

The Bitmap gallery on the Fill tab provides a large selection of bitmaps, grouped into categories like Abstract, Material, Patterns, and so on. You can add or delete a bitmap or an entire category. In addition, if you've imported a bitmap onto your DrawPlus page, you can add that bitmap to the gallery to be used as a fill.

To add a category to the Bitmap fill gallery:

1	Right-click any thumbnail and choose Add Category....

2	Type a category name into the dialog, and click OK. A new empty gallery category appears.

To delete a category from the Bitmap fill gallery:

1	Choose the category to delete in the drop-down list.

2	Right-click any thumbnail and choose Delete Category.... Click Yes to confirm deletion.

Note: There's no Undo for this action. To restore deleted categories, run the DrawPlus Setup again, choosing the "Studio Bitmaps and Colored Fills" option on the Custom install.

To delete a Bitmap fill from the gallery:

•	Right-click the thumbnail and choose Delete Bitmap. Click Yes to confirm deletion.

Deleting a gallery fill doesn't affect any objects that have already been given that fill.

Note: There's no Undo for this action. To restore the original set of Bitmap fills, run the DrawPlus Setup again, choosing the "Colors and Fill Galleries" option on the Custom install.

To import a bitmap image file to the Bitmap fill gallery:

1	Choose the category to which you want to add a bitmap.

2	Right-click any thumbnail and choose Add Bitmaps to Gallery....

3	Use the dialog to locate the image file to import, and click Open.

A bitmap thumbnail appears, labeled with the image file name, in the selected gallery.

When you import a bitmap (paint-type) image using the Import Picture button or an Insert Picture command (see the topic Importing pictures), it becomes the bitmap fill for a new QuickBox object. You can think of an imported bitmap as a "local object" fill in that it's defined only for the object to which it's attached. As with other object fills, you can add these bitmaps to the Bitmap fill gallery to be used as fills for other objects.

To add an imported bitmap to the Bitmap fill gallery:

1	In the Bitmap fill gallery, choose the category to which you want to add the bitmap.

2	Select the object with the bitmap as its fill.

3	Click the [image] Add Fill to Gallery button.

4	Supply a name for the bitmap and click OK.

5	Use the dialog to specify where the bitmap (in .JPG format) should be saved on your hard drive, and click Save.

A bitmap thumbnail appears, labeled with the image file name, in the selected gallery.

Normally, the contents of the fill galleries are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.

Tips for creative effects with Bitmap fills...

•	Try using Photo Wizard, the built-in DrawPlus photo editor, to adjust an object's Bitmap fill. Just double-click the object to run Photo Wizard! (See the topic Using Photo Wizard and Photo Wizard's online help.)

•	To combine bitmap-filled objects for a montage effect, experiment with transparency settings to allow one image to merge with another. (See the topic Using transparency effects.)

Changing the set of Plasma gallery fills

If you've defined a new Plasma fill on an object, you can add it to the set of gallery fills shown on the Fill tab so that it will be available to use again. In addition, you can delete, redefine, or rename any Plasma gallery fill.

To add an object's Plasma fill to a fill gallery:

1	Select an object that uses the fill.

2	On the Fill tab, click the [image] Add Fill to Gallery button.

To delete a Plasma gallery fill:

•	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Delete Fill.

Deleting a gallery fill doesn't affect any objects that have already been given that fill.

Note: There's no Undo for this action.

To redefine and/or rename an existing Plasma gallery fill:

1	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Edit Gallery Fill....

2	Use the Gallery Fill dialog to define new key colors and/or a new name for the color. (See "Editing the fill spectrum" in the previous topic.)

Normally, the contents of the fill galleries are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Working with Mesh fills

A Mesh fill works like a gradient fill but uses a more complex fill path, with a grid or "mesh" of many nodes representing separate key colors. The overall effect, especially useful for multifaceted highlighting, arises from the color gradients that spread between each of these nodes. Once you've applied a Mesh fill to an object using the Fill tab (see Applying a fill ), you can edit the mesh itself with a special toolbar to achieve unique results. As with other fill types, you can edit key colors and store your customized fills in the gallery for later use.

Editing a Mesh fill

The path lines that connect nodes in a Mesh fill are actually curves, and editing the mesh is similar to editing curved lines with the Curve toolbar.

The Mesh Fill toolbar automatically appears whenever you select an object with a Mesh fill and also select the [image] Fill tool. You can then reshape the curved path lines by adjusting individual nodes, as well as add, delete, and move nodes. The toolbar even provides fine control over the colors displayed in the fill.

To edit a Mesh fill:

	1 Select an object with a Mesh fill, and also select the Fill tool. You'll see the mesh as a grid of nodes, each node representing a key color. The line connecting each pair of nodes shows the path of the gradient fill between them.
	2 With the Fill tool, click the node you want to edit (Shift-click or drag a marquee to select multiple nodes). One or more attractor handles appear on the selected node(s) and on any adjacent nodes. The number of handles per node varies, depending on the number of adjacent nodes.
	3 To adjust the placement of the fill on the object, you can move any node simply by dragging it.
	4 To redistribute the gradient (color spread) between two adjacent nodes, adjust the curve that connects them by dragging the nodes' attractor handles.  The type of node determines how the curve changes on each side of the node.
A quick glance to see which Mesh Node button on the toolbar is selected tells you whether the node is sharp, smooth, or symmetric. To change a node to a different type, simply click one of the other node buttons. Experiment, and you'll begin to appreciate the fine control that these settings afford.

	Sharp means that the curves on either side of the node are completely independent, so the gradients can be adjusted separately.
	Smooth means that the slope of the curve is the same on both sides of the node, but the depth of the two curves (that is, extent of the two color spreads) can differ.
	Symmetric nodes join curves with the same slope and depth on both sides of the node.
	5 To add a new node, click anywhere on the object. A round marker appears.  To add the node, click the marker a second time, or click the [image] Add Node button on the toolbar.
	The new node appears, along with extra nodes where the new connecting lines intersect existing lines.  Note: Adding a new node subdivides the mesh into new cells. Once the new node has been added, you can proceed to set its key color using the Color tab (see below under "Changing Mesh fill colors").
6	To delete one or more nodes, click to select it (Shift-click or drag a marquee to select multiple nodes) and press Delete, or click the [image] Delete Node button on the toolbar.
Note: Deleting a node also deletes lines and nodes connected to it. If you delete a corner or edge node, the overall mesh area willl decrease.

7	To delete a specific grid line and its nodes, click to place a marker on the line, then press Delete.

8	To reset the mesh to a regular grid (so that all curved paths become straight), click the [image] Reset Mesh button. The Mesh fills the original area of the object.

9	To hide the mesh for a better preview of the object's colors, click the [image] Hide/Show Mesh button. Click again to reveal the mesh for editing.

Changing Mesh fill colors

Although Mesh fills use more complex node patterns, editing their key colors is similar to working with simpler gradient fills. You can alter the key colors directly using the Fill tool in conjunction with the Studio's Color tab.

To change a key color:

•	Click a node to select it (Shift-click or drag a marquee to select multiple nodes), then click a thumbnail on the Studio's Color tab.

OR

•	Drag from a thumbnail on the Studio's Color tab onto any node to change the key color.
Note: Be sure the tip of the pointer is over the node (watch the cursor) when you release the mouse button. Otherwise the color will be applied to the whole object as a solid fill.

To change multiple key colors at the same time:

•	Drag from a thumbnail on the Studio's Color tab onto a cell (gap) in the mesh. The selected color is applied to each of the adjacent nodes.

For fine control over the fill effect, the Mesh Fills toolbar provides Quality and Interpolation settings. (Interpolation refers to the method of comparing adjacent pixel values to achieve displayed colors.)

To adjust the quality of the Mesh fill:

•	Drag the Quality slider to the right for more complexity (less blur) in the fill.

At lower values, curves become more like straight lines, and bicubic interpolations (see below) become more like bilinear ones. Higher settings take longer to render.

To set the interpolation model:

•	Select Bilinear interpolation for a fast effect more like a linear gradient fill.

The two Bicubic models resemble radial gradient fills and take a bit longer to process.

•	Select Global bicubic to use the whole mesh to determine colors (recommended for continuously varying color schemes).

•	Select Local bicubic to use a smaller area to determine colors (recommended for sharply varying color schemes).

Changing the set of Mesh gallery fills

If you've defined a new Mesh fill on an object, you can add it to the set of gallery fills shown on the Fill tab so that it will be available to use again. In addition, you can delete or rename any Mesh gallery fill.

To add an object's Mesh fill to a fill gallery:

1	Select an object that uses the fill.

2	On the Fill tab, click the [image] Add Fill to Gallery button.

To delete a Mesh gallery fill:

•	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Delete Fill.

Deleting a gallery fill doesn't affect any objects that have already been given that fill.

Note: There's no Undo for this action.

To rename an existing Mesh gallery fill:

•	Right-click its thumbnail and choose Edit Gallery Fill..., then enter a new name for the color.

Normally, the contents of the fill galleries are recorded as "master settings" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.


Using linked colors

A linked color is a special color you define as a shade of any existing solid color (the "base color"), then save separately in the Studio's Color tab gallery. You can use linked colors just like regular solid colors to fill objects throughout your document, and to define other types of fills. Since the colors are linked back to the base color, if you want to update all the linked fills, you simply modify the base color. When you're creating a complex drawing with numerous shades, for example an illustration of a car with subtle surface curvature and modeling, linked colors can be a real time-saver if you need to change the overall color from red to blue.

Tip: To see a great example of linked colors, run the Startup Wizard and choose View Samples. Select the sample titled, "Drinks On Us." Follow the steps for updating linked colors (see below) to experiment with varying the base color in the illustration!

Typically, you'll create a set of linked colors for a particular illustration, consisting of a new base color (with a unique name of your choosing) plus various linked shades of that color.

To define a new linked color:

1	In the Studio's Color tab gallery, right-click the thumbnail of the color that will serve as a base color, and choose Add Linked Color.... A dialog appears with side-by-side thumbnails of the base color, both initially with the same tint.

2	In the dialog, drag the slider to change the tint (shade) of the thumbnail on the right, which will become the linked color.

3	Type a name for the linked color to make it easier to locate in the gallery. You can use the names suggested by the dialog, which follow in series: "Shade 1 of <base color>", "Shade 2 of <base color>", etc.

4	When you're done, click OK. A new thumbnail appears in the gallery, showing the linked color with a small icon denoting its status.

To update linked colors:

1	In the Studio's Color tab gallery, right-click the linked color and choose Edit Base Color....
OR
Right-click the base color's thumbnail and choose Edit Color....

2	Use the Edit Color dialog to define new RGB values, and click OK.

The gallery thumbnails, and any objects using the linked colors, are updated immediately.


Using transparency effects

Transparency effects are great for highlights, shading and shadows, and simulating "rendered" realism. They can make the critical difference between flat-looking illustrations and images with depth and snap. (For a tutorial, see Chapter 7 of the DrawPlus Companion.)

Transparency may seem a bit tricky because by definition, you can't "see" it the way you can see a color fill applied to an object. In fact, it's there all the time in DrawPlus. Each new object has a transparency property: the default just happens to be None—that is, no transparency (opaque).

In this illustration, the pentagonal shape has had a Linear transparency applied, with more transparency at the lower end of the path and less at the upper end.

If you understand the notion of a grayscale gradient fill—that is, a simple gradation from dark to light, with no color—then transparency shouldn't pose a problem. Where a fill would determine which shades of gray you saw across various portions of an object, transparency determines which portions of the object you can see through. The more transparency in a particular spot, the more vanishing takes place there, and the more the object(s) underneath show through. Just as a grayscale fill can vary from light to dark, a transparency can vary from less to more, i.e. from clear to opaque.

In DrawPlus, transparency effects work very much like grayscale fills. Just like fills...

•	Transparency effects are applied from the Studio—in this case, using the Transparency tab.

•	You apply transparency effects by clicking gallery thumbnails or dragging them onto objects.

•	The available transparency types are named Solid, Linear, Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Bitmap, Plasma, Square, Three Point, and Four Point.

•	Most transparency effects have a path you can edit—in this case, with the Transparency tool.

As for the effects available on the Transparency tab, all are comparable to the fills of the same name:

•	Solid transparency distributes the transparency equally across the object.

•	Linear, Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Square, Three Point and Four Point transparencies provide a simple gradient effect, with a range from clear to opaque. The Plasma type produces a mottled, "cloud" effect.

•	The Bitmap gallery includes texture maps based on the Fill tab's selection of bitmaps.

Note: If these comparisons have only confused you, you may need to review the basic concepts of fills (see the topic Applying a fill).

Editing a transparency effect applied to an object is actually simpler than editing a fill. Again, it's because the concept of "color" doesn't exist in transparency. When it comes to adjusting a transparency effect that's been applied to an object, you don't have to worry about editing a color gradient—only tweaking the path and (for Solid transparencies) varying the level of transparency with a slider.

To apply a transparency effect to one or more objects:

1	Display the Studio's Transparency tab. You'll see the Transparency gallery, displaying available choices.

2	Choose a transparency type from the drop-down list. A default transparency is immediately applied to any selected object(s).

3	Select one or more objects, then click the gallery thumbnail for the transparency you want. The transparency is applied to the object(s).

OR

Click the desired thumbnail, then drag it from the gallery to an object (the cursor changes to include a plus sign over suitable objects), and release the mouse button. The object takes the transparency and becomes the selected object.

Once you've applied a transparency, you can adjust its path on the object, and the level of transparency along the path. You can even create multi-level transparency effects by adding extra nodes to the path and assigning different levels to each node.

To adjust the transparency path:

1	Select the object and click the [image] Transparency Tool button on the Drawing toolbar. The object's transparency path appears.

2	Use the tool to drag individual nodes nodes, or click on the object for a new start node and drag out a new transparency path. The effect starts where you place the start node, and ends where you place the end node. For Bitmap and Plasma transparencies, the path determines the center and two edges of the effect.

To adjust the level of a Solid transparency:

•	With the object selected, drag the Level slider on the Transparency tab: left toward opaque, right toward clear. You can also type a value directly in the "Value" box.

Adding a level of transparency means varying the transparency gradient by introducing a new node and assigning it a grayscale value. For transparencies with multiple nodes, each node has its own level, comparable to a key color in a gradient fill. The darker the grayscale value assigned to a transparency node, the more transparent the effect at that point.

To create multi-level transparency:

1	Select the object and click the [image] Transparency Tool button. The object's transparency path appears, with start and end nodes.

2	Display the Studio's Color tab.

3	To add a node, drag from a color thumbnail on the Color tab to the point on the path where you want to add the node. Note: The hue of the color doesn't matter, only its grayscale value—so it's much easier just to choose from the set of gray thumbnails. Just make sure you're using the Color tab—if you click a thumbnail on the Transparency tab, you'll reset the entire transparency!

4	To change the grayscale/transparency value of any existing node, including the start and end nodes, drag the "Level" slider on the Transparency tab: left toward opaque, right toward clear. You can also type a value directly in the "Value" box, or (as in the preceding step) drag from a color thumbnail.

5	To move a node you've added, simply drag it to a new position along the transparency path.

6	To delete a node you've added, select it and press Delete.

To adjust Plasma transparency settings:

•	Right-click the object and choose Edit Plasma Transparency....

As with Plasma fills, Seed is a random number where each value entered produces a different pattern. Grain controls the flow of the pattern, with lower values yielding a smoothly flowing ("cloudy") pattern, and higher values displaying more image grain. Use a larger value for Size for better appearance if the transparency is being applied to a larger object.

If you've defined a new transparency by setting path and/or level, you can add it to the set of gallery transparencies shown on the Transparency tab so that it will be available to use again. You can also delete any of the gallery transparencies.

Changing the set of gallery transparencies

To add a new gallery transparency:

1	Select the object with the transparency you wish to add.

2	Click the [image] Add Transparency to Gallery button.

A new thumbnail is immediately added to the gallery.

To delete a gallery transparency:

•	Right-click its thumbnail in any of the galleries and choose Delete Transparency.

Deleting a gallery transparency doesn't affect any objects that have already been given that transparency.

Note: There's no Undo for this action.

Normally, the contents of the transparency galleries are automatically recorded as a "master setting" which will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document. You can change which settings become master settings. For details, see the topic Recording master settings.

Using transparency in exported GIFs

The GIF file format, commonly used for both static and animated Web graphics, supports binary transparency. That is, any portion of the image may be either fully opaque or fully transparent. Typically, this is used to eliminate the box-shaped frame around the graphic that would otherwise be present. Elements with rounded edges, such as characters or shapes, preserve their contours over any background color or pattern.

When DrawPlus exports a document or object as a GIF, and you check Transparent under GIF Options in the export dialog, any unfilled regions of the graphic will become transparent in the GIF. All other regions (including those with a white fill) will become opaque.

Tip: If you want portions of your graphic to appear white, but don't want them transparent, use a slightly off-white fill, rather than pure white. This will fool the eye, and the export filter as well!

When editing or viewing transparent GIFs in another program, note that many standard paint editors don't support transparency as such—if yours doesn't, the transparent region will appear as black or some other color. One program that does render transparency is Microsoft Photo Editor (v3.0 or later). There are plenty of other specialized GIF-editing programs available.

For details on exporting GIFs, see the topics Previewing and exporting animations and Exporting objects and drawings.

Using transparency in exported PNGs

For Web graphics, the new PNG (Portable Network Graphics, pronounced "ping") format has a number of advantages over GIF—the main ones, from an artist's perspective, being "lossless" truecolor (24-bit) images and support for variable transparency. Whereas GIF supports simple binary ("on-off") transparency, PNG allows up to 254 levels of partial transparency for normal images. The image file includes an "alpha channel" that directs pixels in the foreground image to merge with those in a background image. Most commonly used with truecolor images, such as those exported by DrawPlus, anti-aliasing creates the illusion of smooth curves by varying pixel colors-—for rounded images that look good against any background, not just against a white background. It's especially useful for the small graphics commonly used on Web pages, such as bullets and fancy text.

Note: PNG's most obvious drawback at the present time is that the major Web browsers don't yet provide full PNG support—but this will change, we hope, as more graphic artists become aware of the format's advantages.

For details on exporting PNGs, see the topic Exporting objects and drawings. For comprehensive coverage of the PNG format, point your Web browser to http://www.cdrom.com/pub/png/.


Getting started with animation

With DrawPlus, it's easy to create GIFs with multiple images, stored as frames that a Web browser can play back in series. Animation Mode provides a special toolbar and a tabbed interface so you can create individual frames, preview the animation, and export it as a standalone GIF file.

For an introduction to basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations." For a tutorial, see Chapter 10 of the DrawPlus Companion.

This topic details the three basic ways of beginning your work in Animation Mode. The following five topics cover additional DrawPlus animation techniques in depth. Click a link to jump to a topic:

•	Working with animation frames

•	Using Background and Overlay frames

•	Previewing and exporting animations

•	Adjusting animation properties

•	Animation tips and tricks

If you've installed the DrawPlus Design CD-ROM, you can use a Design Wizard to create animation. (For more details about the Design CD-ROM, contact Serif.)

To create an animation using a startup Design Wizard (if the Design CD-ROM is installed):

1	Launch DrawPlus, or choose New from the File menu. You'll see the Startup Wizard menu.

2	Select the Use a Design Wizard option and click Next. Choose the Animations category, pick from a range of design options, and enter basic text, if required.

3	Click Finish and let DrawPlus create a new animation for you.

Note: If you choose File/New and the Startup Wizard fails to appear, choose Options... from the Tools menu, click the Ease of Use tab, and check Startup Wizard—then try again.

To begin a new animation from scratch:

(If the Startup Wizard is turned on)

1	Launch DrawPlus, or choose New from the File menu. You'll be prompted to save changes to the current document, if any. You'll see the Startup Wizard menu.

2	Select the Create an Animation option and click Next.

3	Specify the page size (we suggest using pixels as page units) and orientation and click Finish. Choose a smaller page size for faster preview. Otherwise, page size doesn't matter—any extra border area will be removed automatically when you export the final animation.

A new document window opens, with DrawPlus in Animation Mode.

(If the Startup Wizard is turned off)

1	Choose New from the File menu.

OR

Click the [image] New button on the Standard toolbar.

You'll be prompted to save changes to the current document, if any. A new document window opens in Drawing Mode.

2	Choose Convert to Animation from the File menu. The new document appears in Animation Mode.

To convert an existing drawing to animation (enter Animation Mode):

1	Choose Convert to Animation from the File menu.

2	You'll be prompted to save changes (if any) to your existing drawing. Select Yes to save your work, No to convert to an animation or Cancel to continue working on your current drawing.

Notes:

•	Once your work has been converted to animation, it cannot be converted back to a drawing—so be sure to save the drawing if you'll need to use it again.

•	With the exception of drawings that have a "paper layer" (see the topic Using Background and Overlay frames), all layers in your drawing will be combined into a single frame.


Working with animation frames

If you're not yet familiar with basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations." See the previous topic for three ways to begin creating animations.

In most cases, your new animation will have a single frame. Each frame has its own tab, located on the scrollbar below the edit window.

To create new frames, you can either clone the current frame or generate a blank frame. Choose the Clone option if you will be reusing the current frame's contents with a transformation of some kind (the most common way of simulating change or movement). Either way, the new frame now becomes the current frame.

To clone the current frame as a new frame:

•	Click the [image] Clone Frame button on the Animation toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click the frame's tab (or choose Frames from the Arrange menu) and choose Clone Frame from the (sub)menu.

The new frame appears at the end of the frame sequence.

Note: In Animation Mode, each frame has its own page and pasteboard, so cloning the current frame also copies anything on the pasteboard to the new frame's pasteboard.

To generate a new blank frame:

•	Click the [image] New Frame button on the Animation toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click the frame's tab (or choose Frames from the Arrange menu) and choose New Frame from the (sub)menu.

The new frame appears at the end of the frame sequence.

If you want to move a newly-created frame from the last position to somewhere else in the frame sequence, use the Frame Manager. See the topic Adjusting animation properties.

To view or edit a particular frame:

•	Click the frame's tab.

OR

•	To step to an adjacent frame, click the [image] Previous or [image] Next button on the Animation toolbar.

To rename a frame:

1	Display the frame, then click the [image] Frame Properties button on the Animation toolbar.

2	Type in the new name and click OK.

To delete a frame:

•	Click the [image] Delete Frame button on the Animation toolbar.

OR

•	Right-click the frame's tab (or choose Frames from the Arrange menu) and choose Delete Frame from the (sub)menu.

Onion skinning is a standard animation technique derived from cel animation, where transparent sheets enable the artist to see through to preceding frame(s). It's useful for enabling precise registration and controlling object movement from frame to frame. You can turn the feature on or off (the default is off) as needed, and set the number of previous frames that will be visible (normally one).

To set onion skinning options:

1	Right-click any frame tab (or choose Frames from the Arrange menu) and choose Frame Manager....

2	Check the Onion Skin box to turn onion skinning on.

3	Set the Previous Frames control to the number of frames you want to see.

To turn onion skinning on or off:

1	Right-click any frame tab, or choose Frames from the Arrange menu.

2	Check or uncheck Onion Skinning on the (sub)menu.


Using Background and Overlay frames

If you're not yet familiar with basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations."

DrawPlus supports two methods of reusing elements in more than one frame: Background frames and Overlay frames.

Background frames

You can designate any frame as a Background frame, which remains visible while the following frames animate "over" it. Typically, this would be the first frame in your sequence—for example, a clock face that remained static while hands (on the following frames) revolved around the dial. A Background frame remains visible until superseded by another frame with the Background attribute.

To see an example of how a background frame can be useful in composing animation, see the topic Animation tips and tricks.

To make the current frame a Background frame:

•	Click the [image] Frame Properties button and check the Background style in the dialog.

Note: If you create a backdrop, watermark, or border in Drawing Mode (see these categories on the Studio's Library tab), the resulting object is placed on a special bottom layer technically called the "paper layer." If you convert such a drawing to animation, you'll start with two frames rather than the usual one. Quite reasonably, the paper layer becomes an initial Background frame, while the rest of your drawing goes onto the second frame. Likewise, if you use one of these three effects in an animation, the result will automatically go onto a new first frame. In either case, the first frame will have the default name "Paper" on its tab label.

Overlay frames

The white portions of Overlay frames become "transparent," so the contents of the preceding frame show through. The effect is cumulative, so Overlays are most useful in a series where each frame builds on the contents of all the previous overlay frames. For example, you could show a series of footprints being laid down, starting with the first footprint in Frame 1, the second in Frame 2, and so on. Using Overlay frames, since all the footprints would remain visible, you wouldn't have to place more than one object in each frame. And of course, you can use Overlays in combination with a Background frame.

Note: The Overlay effect resembles that of onion skinning (discussed in the previous topic), but it's actually a frame property that becomes part of the final animation.

To make the current frame an Overlay frame:

•	Click the [image] Frame Properties button and check the Overlay style in the dialog.


Previewing and exporting animations

If you're not yet familiar with basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations."

The GIF format commonly used for Web animation stores each frame as a separate part of a single image file, along with playback settings for individual frames and the file as a whole. As with single-frame GIFs, if you opt to export your animation with the Transparency setting turned on, any unfilled regions of the graphic will become transparent in the GIF. All other regions will become opaque. For details on using transparency in GIFs, see the topic Using transparency effects.

You can preview your animation at any time either in the Preview window or in a Web browser.

To preview in the Preview window:

•	Click the [image] Preview button on the Animation toolbar. The animation loads into the Preview window and begins playing.

•	Use the control buttons (Play, Stop, Back, and Forward) to review individual frames.

Browser preview and export

Previewing an animation in your browser is a quick way of checking it prior to export (for preview, DrawPlus exports a temporary version and loads it directly into the browser). Whether you're previewing or doing a final export, use the Export Optimizer to select the output settings.

To export or set preview settings:

•	Click the [image] Export Animation button on the Animation toolbar.

OR

Choose Export... from the File menu.

The Animated GIF format is preselected on the Format tab; if you choose another format, only the current frame will be exported. The Settings tab lets you scale the image down as needed.

•	Leave the dpi setting at 96 for standard screen resolution. As a rule, for Web GIFs you should use the Web-safe palette (the default choice) to use only those reproducible in the 216-color palette used by Web browsers. This will ensure that an image you place on a Web page won't change its appearance when viewed by users of most other systems or browsers. The other choice is Optimized, which lets the DrawPlus export filter determine the best colors to apply, without regard for standard colors.

•	Check Transparent to turn unfilled regions of your graphic into transparent regions in the GIF so any Web page background will show through, and Interlaced to have the graphic appear progressively (line by line) in a browser. Keep Anti-aliased checked to retain the smooth appearance of your DrawPlus graphic, which will be anti-aliased to the background color(s) around its edges when it's exported; uncheck for a sharp edge. For full details on GIF export options, consult the main topic on Exporting objects and drawings.

On the Animation tab, which only appears in Animation Mode, you can preview single frames or run the animation sequence, and make some final playback adjustments to the animation properties.

•	If certain frames seem to go by too quickly or slowly, you can select any frame and enter a value greater than 0 (milliseconds) in the Duration box. The initial value matches the global duration setting (discussed in the next topic) and any new value you enter overrides the global setting, just for that particular frame.

•	If you want the sequence to play through only once and end displaying the first frame, click the [image] Fixed Loop button and type "1" in the box. Enter a higher value to repeat the sequence a fixed number of times.
Click the [image] Endless Loop button to have the sequence repeat indefinitely.

•	When all the settings are correct, click the Export button (or Close to simply record the settings if you plan to preview in a browser first). Provide a file name and folder location, and click Save. Don't worry if you have extra white space around your image. Any unused border area will be cropped automatically, just as you saw in the Preview window.

Note: You cannot re-import the animated GIF into DrawPlus, so don't neglect to save your original work as a standard .DPA file using File/Save.


Adjusting animation properties

If you're not yet familiar with basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations."

You can set the frame duration—how long each frame displays—both globally and locally, and specify whether the animation plays as a continuous loop or repeats a certain number of times.

Note: The Export Optimizer (see the previous topic) also lets you set the duration of individual frames and the loop or repeat playback mode.

To set a global frame duration (same timing for each frame):

1	Click the [image] Animation Properties button on the Animation toolbar.

2	Check the Display each frame box and specify a duration setting in hundredths of a second. Click OK.

Setting the frame timing globally in this way resets any individual frame timings you may have set. In general, set the global frame duration first, then go back and adjust individual frame timings as needed.

To set the duration of an individual frame:

1	Display the frame and click the [image] Frame Properties button on the Animation toolbar.

2	Specify a duration setting for the frame.

To specify loop or repeat playback:

1	Click the [image] Animation Properties button on the Animation toolbar.

2	Check either Loop continuously (the default) or Repeat animation, and set the number of repeats if needed.

The Frame Manager

The Frame Manager dialog (comparable to the Layer Manager in Drawing Mode) lets you see the whole sequence of frames (by name) in scrolling list form and change the sequence if you wish. Use it if you want to move a newly-created frame from the last position to somewhere else in the frame sequence. You can also add or delete frames and access individual frame properties, and set onion skinning options (see the topic Working with animation frames).

To display the Frame Manager:

•	Right-click any frame tab (or choose Frames from the Arrange menu) and select Frame Manager....

OR

•	Double-click any frame tab.

To reorder frames:

•	Select a frame and click Move Up or Move Down. The position of the frame in the listed sequence changes accordingly.


Animation tips and tricks

If you're not yet familiar with basic DrawPlus animation concepts, see QuickTour 5, "Creating animations."

Creating a new first frame. You may wish to add an initial frame, for example a Background frame, before the frame currently occupying that position. Yet new frames are always created as the final frame. What to do? Create the new frame, then use the Frame Manager to move it up to the first position! In fact, you can create frames in any order, then rearrange them with the Frame Manager.

Frame-edge effects. Suppose you want a collection of "bubbles" to appear to float out of a frame. The trick is to use the edge of the page (where it meets the pasteboard) as your frame, since any objects that extend beyond the page will be cropped when the animation is exported (although you'll still see them in the preview).

1	Set the page size to the correct proportions.

2	Since white space that's not used in any frame will be cropped out of the exported image, make sure at least one of the bubble objects touches each page edge at some point. This will preserve the frame proportions you've set (see left, below.)

3	To make bubbles appear to float out of the top of the frame, simply move them so they overlap the upper page edge. The result, when cropped on export, will be as shown on the right.

You can use a similar technique to bring objects in or out of the frame in any direction. The object makes a more convincing entrance (or exit) if it's shown as a partial object at the point of transition in (or out) of the frame.

Using the Transform dialog. The Transform dialog is ideal for generating sequences where an object appears to rotate or move in a straight line. It lets you duplicate an object while applying a transform like rotation or offset. Since the dialog "remembers" the last transform you applied, you can quickly repeat the effect over a series of successive frames. (To view the dialog, you'll need to turn the Transform Wizard off using the Tools/Options/Ease of Use tab.)

For example, suppose you want to create animation of a revolving spiral. Let's say you start with a QuickSpiral that has two "tails," so after half a revolution (180º) it will appear to be back in its original position. Besides the starting frame, you want to generate five more frames, with views of the spiral rotated at 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 degrees. When looped, these six frames will produce the revolving effect.

Here's how you might proceed:

1	Clone Frame 1, which contains the original QuickSpiral object.

2	In Frame 2, select the object and choose Transform from the Tools menu. Specify a 30º rotation, zero offset, and one copy, and click OK. A new, 30º-rotated copy of the object appears.

3	Press the Tab key to select the pre-rotated copy of the object and delete it. Now clone Frame 2.

4	In Frame 3, select the object and again choose Transform. The previous transform settings are still there, so simply click OK to create what is now a 60º-rotated copy. Again, delete the pre-rotated copy from the frame.

5	Repeat this process to create the frames with 90, 120, and 150-degree-rotated views, and you're done!


Importing pictures

DrawPlus lets you import any industry-standard paint-type file and a wide variety of draw-type files.

Paint pictures, also known as raster graphics or bitmaps, are built from a matrix of dots ("pixels"), rather like the squares on a sheet of graph paper. They are typically created either by use of a paint type program such as Microsoft Paint, or by using an image scanner to convert photographs. Draw pictures, also known as vector graphics, are resolution-independent and contain drawing commands such as "draw a line from A to B."

When you import a bitmap picture into DrawPlus, it becomes the Bitmap fill for a new QuickBox object. As with other object fills, you can add these bitmaps to the Bitmap fill gallery to be used as fills for other objects. For details, see "Changing the set of Bitmap gallery fills" in the topic on Bitmap fills.

When importing a vector graphic, DrawPlus first converts it to a metafile and then converts the metafile into individual objects. You'll have the option of ungrouping the objects in order to edit them, or leaving them as a group.

To import a picture from a file:

1	Click the [image] Import Picture button on the Drawing toolbar.

OR

Choose Other Picture from the Insert menu.

2	Use the file selection dialog to browse files and select the file to import, then click OK. The dialog disappears and the mouse pointer changes to the [image] Picture Size cursor.

What you do next determines the initial size, placement, and aspect ratio (proportions) of the image.

4	To insert the picture at a default size, simply click the mouse.

OR

To set the size of the inserted picture, drag out a region and release the mouse button. Normally, the picture's aspect ratio is preserved. To allow free dragging to any aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key. To constrain the aspect ratio to a square, hold down the Ctrl key.

Notes:

•	You can always resize a picture as required, after it's been placed, by dragging its handles. For the finer points of resizing, see Resizing objects.

•	You can also use the Import Picture button or Insert menu commands to import pictures from specific sources, including PhotoCD and TWAIN (live scanner) images. See the following topics.

Tips for creative effects with bitmap-filled objects...

•	Try using Photo Wizard, the built-in DrawPlus photo editor, to adjust an object's Bitmap fill. Just double-click the object to run Photo Wizard! (See the topic Using Photo Wizard and Photo Wizard's online help.)

•	To combine bitmap-filled objects for a montage effect, experiment with transparency settings to allow one image to merge with another. (See the topic Using transparency effects.)


Importing PhotoCD images

PhotoCDs contain high-quality, color photographic images at several different resolutions so you can choose which resolution or quality is appropriate. You can import Kodak PhotoCD images into DrawPlus.

To import a PhotoCD image:

1	Insert a PhotoCD disc in your CD-ROM drive.

2	Choose PhotoCD from the Insert menu.

You'll see the PhotoCD Gallery, displaying image thumbnails.

3	Use the Next and Previous buttons to find the desired picture and then click OK.

4	In the dialog, specify the number of colors and resolution (pixel dimensions) at which to import the image.

More about PhotoCD images...

At higher sizes, PhotoCD images are very cumbersome to work with, so use moderate sizes is possible. For print work, the "768x512" resolution generally gives best results.

For Web graphics, first estimate the pixel dimensions the image needs to occupy on your Web page. There's no need to start with a much larger image.

You can use most photo (paint) editing programs to resize or otherwise manipulate PhotoCD images. Use the JPEG (.JPG) format to save photographic images in compressed form, but don't repeatedly save as JPEG—image quality may suffer.


Scanning

If your scanner provides TWAIN support, you can scan pictures directly into DrawPlus using the TWAIN standard. Or, save the scanned image as a TIFF or PCX and then import into DrawPlus.

To set up your TWAIN scanner for importing:

•	See the documentation supplied with your scanner for operating instructions.

To import a scanned image:

•	Choose Scanner from the Insert menu, then Acquire from the submenu to open a file selection dialog.

If you have more than one TWAIN-compatible device installed, you may need to select which source you wish to scan with.

To select a different TWAIN source for scanning:

•	Choose Scanner from the Insert menu, then Select Source from the submenu.

More about scanned images...

For line art and halftone images, scan at the highest resolution possible (but not higher than your output device) and (if saving) save as a black-and-white TIFF or PCX.

For photographic images, scan using grayscales and save as a grayscale TIFF file. If you have a color scanner, save a color TIFF. You can resize these images and still maintain reasonable quality, provided you don't make them significantly larger than the original. In general, the number of grayscales or colors is a more important issue than the actual resolution (dpi).

Scanned images, especially color, can get very large and you need to take this into consideration. Large files take a long time to load, save and print and eat your disk space!


Importing an OLE object

As well as pictures, you can insert a very wide range of object types into your DrawPlus page. Most Windows applications support a standard called OLE—Object Linking and Embedding—which allows objects created by one application to be inserted into another.

To insert an OLE object:

Choose Object... from the Insert menu.

You'll see a dialog box which lists all of the OLE supporting applications installed on your computer.

To edit an OLE object:

•	Double-click on the object.

OR

•	Right-click the object and choose Object from the menu.

OR

•	Select the object and choose Object from the Edit menu.

Editing an OLE object is something that is delegated to the application that created the object. For example, if you insert an Excel spreadsheet object into a page and then double-click on it,  Excel is started and you will see Excel's menu and commands.

You can also insert a DrawPlus drawing into another application that supports OLE. For details, see the topic Using OLE with other applications.


Creating shadows

DrawPlus objects can include a shadow attribute that you can edit with a custom dialog. Using the Shadow flyout on the Standard toolbar, it's easy to add a shadow to an object, then use the dialog to customize it.

There are two basic shadow types: simple and slanted. Simple shadows add a flat drop shadow behind the selected object, while slanted shadows give the object a three-dimensional perspective. Shadows are great for adding flair and dimension to your work, particularly with text objects. (For more text effects, see the next topic.)

To apply a shadow to a selected object:

1	Click the [image] Shadow button on the Standard toolbar.

2	Choose a shadow effect from the flyout.

The shadow is applied to the object, and the toolbar button displays the current shadow type.

To customize the selected object's shadow:

1	Right-click the object and choose Shadow... or double-click the [image] Shadow button.

2	Use the Edit Shadow dialog to change the shadow type and/or adjust its color, shade, blur, offset, scale, and slant. The preview window shows you the result of your changes on the selected object.

To apply a custom shadow:

1	Choose the [image] "User Defined" button from the flyout.

2	Use the Edit Shadow dialog to define the shadow effect.

Note: You can't edit an object's shadow with the Node tool, or detach it from the object. As long as an object has a shadow property, its shadow will simply mirror any changes you make to the object itself.


Creating text effects and logos

Besides drop shadows (see the previous topic), DrawPlus features a variety of ways to enhance text in your drawings and animations. We'll mention a few here; the additional possibilities (for example, fill effects, transparency effects, and combination effects) are endless!

•	Text on a curve. Use the Curve Text Wizard, Curve Text flyout button, or Curve Text menu command to make text conform to a curved baseline.

•	Enveloped text. Use the Envelope Wizard or the Envelope flyout button to flow text into any outline shape.

•	Text Art Elements. Explore the customizable designs for logos and other choices available on the Studio's Library tab.

Text on a curve

To flow text along a curve:

•	(If the Curve Text Wizard is turned on) Choose Curve Text Wizard from the Tools menu, follow the onscreen questions and enter your own information.

OR

•	(If the Curve Text Wizard is turned off) Select a text object and the line along which you want text to curve. Choose Curve Text from the Tools menu. (The item is grayed out unless suitable objects are selected.)

OR

•	(At any time) Select a text object and click the [image] Curve Text button on the Standard toolbar. Choose one of the curved text presets from the flyout menu to apply it as a baseline. The second choice [image] (User Defined) auto-selects if you've edited a baseline curve, and updates to "remember" the setting of the most recently selected user-defined baseline, so you can apply it to another text object.

Notes:

•	You can turn the Curve Text Wizard on and off using the Ease of Use tab of the Tools/Options dialog.

•	You can edit the baseline curve with the Node tool.

Enveloped text

To flow text into an envelope:

•	(Using the Envelope Wizard) Choose Envelope Wizard from the Tools menu, follow the onscreen questions and enter your own information.

OR

•	(Using the Envelope flyout) Select one or more text objects and click the [image] Envelope button on the Standard toolbar. Choose one of the envelope presets from the flyout menu to apply it. The second choice [image] (User Defined) auto-selects if you've edited a baseline curve, and updates to "remember" the setting of the most recently selected user-defined baseline, so you can apply it to another text object.

Note: You can edit envelopes with the Node tool and apply a user-defined envelope to a second object. For details, see the topic Applying envelopes.

Text Art and Logos

To use a Text Art Element:

1	Select the Studio's Library tab and choose one of the "Text Art" categories.

2	Browse the selections in the gallery.

3	To work with an element, drag it from the gallery onto your page.

4	Follow the onscreen questions to customize the text with your own information.

Once the element appears, you can continue to edit the text to achieve exactly the effect you want.


Creating backdrops and watermarks

Backdrops and watermarks are two special effects that let you choose and customize preset designs from the Studio's Library tab. Both introduce elements on a separate layer (the "paper" layer) that sits behind the other layers of your document.

If a drawing with a backdrop or watermark is converted to animation, these elements are converted to an initial background frame, while other drawing elements comprise a separate, following frame.

To create a Backdrop:

1	Select the Studio's Library tab and choose the "Backdrops" category.

2	Browse the selections in the Backdrops gallery.

3	To add a backdrop, drag it from the gallery onto your page.

4	Follow the onscreen questions to customize the design with your own choices and pictorial elements.

To create a Watermark:

1	Select the Studio's Library tab and choose the "Watermarks" category.

2	Browse the selections in the Watermarks gallery.

3	To add a watermark, drag it from the gallery onto your page.

4	Follow the onscreen questions to customize the design with your own choices.


Creating borders

The Border Wizard lets you create a border around the whole page or a selected object, or within a specific page region.

To create a border:

1	(If creating a border around an object) Select the object first.

2	Click the [image] Border Wizard button on the Drawing toolbar.

3	Choose which type of border you want (whole page, object, or custom size and position) and click Next.

4	Choose one of the preset border styles from the scrolling list, and set the border's width. The preview window shows what the border will look like. Click Finish.

If you chose a whole-page or object border, it appears immediately. With the "custom" option, use the [image] Picture Size cursor to drag out a region to be bordered.

Note: If you create a full-page border, the Border Wizard introduces the border elements on a separate layer (the "paper" layer) that sits behind the other layers of your document. If a drawing with a Paper layer is converted to animation, the border elements are converted to an initial background frame, while other drawing elements comprise a separate, following frame.


Creating blends

The Blend tool and command let you merge two objects in a series of steps. The intermediate steps "morph" one object's shape, color, and other attributes into those of the other, creating a new group object.

When the two starting objects are center-aligned, interesting shape effects can be created. These two stars were blended using 15 intermediate steps:

To create a blend with the Blend tool:

1	Click the [image] Blend Tool button on the Drawing toolbar.

2	Using the Blend tool, click and drag from the first object to the second.

3	In the dialog, enter the number of steps for the blend.

In certain situations, such as blending between two objects which overlap considerably, you may find it more convenient to use the Blend command on the Tools menu. For example, you may wish to create a soft shadow around a foreground object by blending it with a slightly larger background copy of the object.

To create a blend with the Blend command:

1	Select the two objects to be blended.

2	Choose Blend from the Tools menu.

3	In the dialog, enter the number of steps for the blend.


Creating chains

A chain (or chain line) is a decorative line incorporating one or more individual DrawPlus objects arrayed along its length—rather like a border motif, but with all the freeform adaptibility of a standard line. You can choose from the wide assortment of chain lines in the Studio's Line tab gallery, edit their properties to suit your needs, or create your own chains from scratch. Apply chains to lines, curves, QuickShapes, even filled shapes... anywhere you want to instantly introduce repeating elements.

For the basics of applying lines to objects from the Line tab gallery, see the topic Applying a line.

Right-click options from the Line tab let you add a new chain to a gallery, or delete an existing one. Chains are easily constructed by "stringing together" one or more objects, adding one selection at a time to the chain.

To create a new chain:

	1 Select the first object(s) you want to include in the chain. You can select multiple objects, or a group object. The selection will become a single element of the chain.
	2 On the Studio's Line tab, select the category to which you want to add the new chain. Right-click in the thumbnail gallery and choose New Chain. A thumbnail for the new chain appears in the gallery.
	3 To add another element to the chain, select the object(s) to be added, right-click in the gallery and choose Add Element. The chain thumbnail is updated. You can repeat this step as often as necessary. Note: There is no Undo for creating a new chain or adding an element, but you can delete the chain and start over.
	4 The gallery shows a preview of the chain's appearance on a line. You can adjust its properties—such as scaling, rotation, or spacing—as needed (see below). The example at left shows a simple curve, before and after applying a two-element chain.
Note: If system resources are limited, add fewer, simpler objects to your chain. More complex objects will use more resources, take longer to draw, and result in larger file sizes.

To remove a chain line from an object:

•	To "turn off" a chain line, switch to the "Plain" category and apply a plain line style or (to make the line disappear) select "None" as the line weight.

Tip: You can use the [image] Format Painter button to copy one object's line and fill properties directly to another object. See the topic Copying an object's formatting.

Adjusting chain properties

Once you've created a chain by defining its elements (see above), you can customize five properties that determine how these elements appear along the chain line: scaling, rotation, spacing, offset, and order (see the visual examples below). For chains with more than one element, you can alter the sequencing of individual elements. You can edit a chain either locally (as applied to a particular object's line) or in the gallery.

To adjust a chain's properties:

•	To edit a chain locally as it appears on an object's line, right-click the object and choose Edit Chain Options.... Use the dialog to set properties as shown in the list below.
Tip: Using this approach, you can customize a chain locally and then click the [image] Add Chain to Gallery button to store the chain on the Line tab for later use (see below).

OR

•	To edit a chain in the Studio's Line tab gallery, right-click its thumbnail choose Edit Options.... Use the dialog to set properties as shown in the list below. The effects are additive—that is, the net effect on the chain will be the result of all the settings added together.
Note: Updating a gallery chain doesn't automatically update objects to which the chain has been applied. You'll need to re-apply the chain to an object to see how it looks.

Options tab: Global Scale
	• To change the overall proportions of the chain's elements with respect to the line or shape, drag the Global Scale slider, which affects the Scale, Gap, and Distance settings. To fine-tune these separately, use the individual controls as detailed below.
Options tab: Scaling
	• To change the size of all the elements relative to the original objects, set the Scale percentage larger or smaller than 100. At left, the Scale factor is set to 50%.
	• To gradually change the size of each element along the chain, set an Increment percentage larger or smaller than 0. This example uses a Scale factor of 70% plus an Increment of 20%
Options tab: Rotation
	• To rotate each element according to the local slope of the underlying line or object, check Follow Path.
	• To rotate each element counter-clockwise by a specific angle, set an Angle value in degrees. At left, we've turned off "Follow Path" and used an Angle value of 30º.
	• To gradually increase the counter-clockwise rotation of each element along the chain, set an Increment value. The example uses an Increment of 30º, with a 0º Angle setting and "Follow Path" turned off.
Options tab: Spacing
	• To adjust the spacing between elements along the chain, change the Gap value—here set smaller than the original value, so elements are closer together.
	• To repeat successive elements in the same place, set the Dabs value higher than 1. (Think of adding multiple "dabs" of paint in one spot.) Tip: Try a Dabs setting of 2 or 3, combined with a Rotation and/or Offset value, to create unique elements. At left, we've set Dabs to 2, with a Rotation Increment of 30º.
Options tab: Offset
	1 To insert extra space between elements and the underlying line, enter a Distance value greater than 0.
	2 In the Type list, select Left to shift all elements to the left of the line: Right to shift them right; Alternate to shift them alternately left or right; or Random to mix up the placement for a more scattered appearance.  The example uses the Alternate setting.
Options tab: Order
	• Select Sequentially to apply the original element sequence repetitively along the chain; Randomly to mix up the order of elements; or By Direction to place elements according to the line's local slope.  Note at left (with the By Direction setting) how the red arrows appear where the line slopes up, and blue where it slopes down.
Elements tab
The Elements tab lets you rearrange the sequence of elements in a chain.
	• To shift an element, click to select it, then click the Shift Left or Shift Right button.
	• To delete a selected element, click the Delete button.
	• You can also Undo or Redo a previous action.
Customizing the set of gallery fills

Once you've customized a chain locally, you can add the chain to the set of gallery chains shown on the Line tab so that it will be available to use again, and you can delete chains from the gallery. You can also add and delete your own gallery categories.

To add a chain to the gallery:

1	Select a page object that uses the chain.

2	Display (or create, see below) the gallery category where you want to add the chain.

3	On the Line tab, click the [image] Add Chain to Gallery button.

A thumbnail for the chain is added to the current category.

To delete an existing chain from the gallery:

•	Right-click the chain's thumbnail and choose Delete Chain.

To create a gallery category:

1	Right-click in the gallery and choose Add Category.

2	Type a name for the category and click OK.

To delete a gallery category:

•	Display the category, then right-click in the gallery and choose Delete Category.


Using Photo Wizard

PhotoWizard is the special-effects bitmap editor built into DrawPlus. While not a substitute for a paint program, you can use PhotoWizard to modify any object filled with a bitmap—which includes bitmaps you've imported from picture files, and other objects you've filled using the Fill tab's Bitmap gallery.

You'll find a wide variety of useful features, all accessible from the button-based interface:

•	Status Bar showing picture width and height, color depth, and size

•	Zoom and Crop

•	Predefined filters: Sharpen, Smooth, Emboss, Posterize, Sepia, and many more

•	Color manipulation controls: RGB, Brightness, Contrast, Gamma Correction, and Dithering

•	Geometric operations: Mirror, Rotate, and Scale

For details on using PhotoWizard, consult its built-in online help.

To launch PhotoWizard:

•	Double-click any object with a Bitmap fill.

OR

•	Select an object with a Bitmap fill and choose Photo Wizard from the Tools menu.

PhotoWizard opens displaying the bitmap-filled object in the Preview window.

To update DrawPlus after editing in PhotoWizard:

•	In PhotoWizard, click the [image] Accept button.

Tip: To use PhotoWizard effects on a DrawPlus object (or group), you can first convert the object(s) to a bitmap "on the fly" using Tools/Convert to Bitmap.... Note that once converted to a bitmap, you cannot restore the object to editable, "draw object" status.


Creating image slices

Image slicing and image maps (see the next topic) are two convenient ways to create navbars (navigation bars) and clickable graphics for Web pages.

With image slicing, a graphic is carved up into smaller graphics—each of which can have its own link, like any Web graphic—and DrawPlus saves the sections as separate files when you export the image. The process also outputs HTML tags describing a table containing the separate image files, so that a Web browser can reassemble them seamlessly. The result appears as a single larger graphic, but with different regions linked to different targets.

The Image Slice tool lets you subdivide the page into separate sections which can be exported using the .GIF or .JPG format. For each rectangular slice object you draw, you can specify alternate text, URL links, and/or JavaScript rollover code. DrawPlus intelligently carves the page area into additional sections as needed, based on the slice objects you've specified.

For example, here's how this menubar graphic...

...can be sliced into four separate slice objects (shown with blue shading), each linked to a different Web page. Unshaded regions are additional subdivisions created by DrawPlus for export purposes. When the drawing is exported as a GIF or JPG (with the image slice export option turned on), each of these rectangles will become a separate image.

Tip: When creating graphics for the computer screen, as opposed to the printed page, it's useful to set a drawing scale ratio of one inch (Page Distance) to 96 pixels (Ruler Distance).

To slice the image:

1	To create a slice object that conforms to an existing object, right-click the object and choose Insert Slice Object.

OR
To create a slice object for a specifc region, choose the [image] Image Slice tool from the Drawing toolbar. Drag out a rectangle with the tool. (To include the entire page, begin the drag outside a corner of the page area, and drag across the whole page.)

Slice objects appear as blue-shaded regions. DrawPlus automatically subdivides the rest of the image with blue lines.

2	Repeat as needed to create additional slice objects.

To edit the slice object:

•	Use the [image] Pointer tool to move or resize the slice object. Slice objects always retain a rectangular shape, and DrawPlus automatically creates additional page subdivisions as needed.

Note: Slice objects "snap" to each other to facilitate edge-to-edge positioning. To disable this feature for precise placement, press the Alt key while moving the object.

To specify the alternate text and/or link:

•	Double-click a blue-shaded slice object (or right-click and choose Properties...), then enter the alternate text and link (URL) information in the dialog. (Click the URL list to display previous entries.)

Note: Regions without blue shading will be exported as separate images, but without alternate text or link properties. If you want an object or region to have these Web properties, first create a slice object for it as described above.

For details on specifying JavaScript rollover code, see the topic Creating JavaScript rollovers.

Any Web objects (image slices or image map hotspots) you've created are normally visible on the page. If you wish, you can hide Web objects while working on the drawing. Note that slice objects aren't grouped or linked to other page objects, so it's generally a good idea to hide them when you're not actually editing them, to avoid accidental changes.

To hide Web objects:

•	Click the [image] Show/Hide Web Objects button on the HintLine toolbar. Click again to show the objects.

Previewing and exporting

Previewing a Web graphic in your browser is a quick way of checking it prior to export (for preview, DrawPlus exports a temporary version and loads it directly into the browser). Whether you're previewing or doing a final export, first choose Export... from the File menu and use the Export Optimizer to select the output settings. Use either the .GIF or .JPG format and make sure the Image Slices box on the Settings tab is checked. To output just part of your drawing, select the object(s) on the page and check the dialog's Selected Region option (slice regions will be cropped to the selected region). For details on settings, see the topic Exporting objects and drawings.

To preview the graphic:

•	After selecting output settings, choose Preview in Browser from the File menu.

To export the graphic:

•	Choose Export... from the File menu and (after adjusting output settings if necessary) click the dialog's Export button.

Whether it's a preview or a final export, the output for a sliced graphic will consist of a series of image files (for example, MYFILE_01.GIF, MYFILE_02.GIF, etc.) and a single HTML file (for example, MYFILE.HTML). The HTML file contains the tags for the slice object(s), ready to be pasted into the source code for the Web page. Use meaningful file names and/or consider creating a separate folder to keep sets of multiple files together.


Creating image maps

Image slicing and image maps (see the previous topic) are two convenient ways to create navbars (navigation bars) and clickable graphics for Web pages.

Whereas image slicing subdivides an entire graphic into smaller graphics and exports them separately, image maps consist of hotspots that you draw with special tools over selected parts of an image. You assign each hotspot its own target—for example, the URL of a Web page. Hotspots aren't attached to a particular image, but become part of a larger "map" that gets exported along with an image and turns into HTML code. It's then up to the Web developer to embed the image map code properly into the Web page.

Image maps are useful if you want to define isolated and/or irregularly shaped clickable regions on a single Web graphic, as opposed to subdividing the entire graphic into rectangular image slices. (DrawPlus hotspots don't support JavaScript rollover capability.) For example, here's how a hotspot (detail at right) can be custom-fit to a specific region of a graphic. At the right you see a detail of one quadrant of the graphic, showing a hotspot that's been custom-shaped to fit the underlying text:

The [image] Image Map Tools flyout on the Drawing toolbar displays a flyout menu of tools for creating and editing image maps. You generally draw the hotspots first, then go back to edit their shape and add Web properties.

To define a hotspot:

1	Click the Image Map Tools flyout and choose the [image] Rectangle, [image] Circle, or [image] Polygon tool.

2	Use the tool to draw a hotspot. To draw a polygon, drag and release the mouse button to define each line segment; double-click to close the polygon. The hotspot appears as a pink-shaded region.

Tip: When using the Rectangle tool, hold down the Ctrl key while dragging out to constrain the hotspot's shape to a square.

•	Use the [image] Pointer tool, [image] Rotate tool, or [image] Node tool to move, resize, rotate, or reshape the hotspot object as needed. You may need to click twice (and watch the HintLine) to be sure you've selected the hotspot and not another object in the same spot.

To specify the hotspot's alternate text and/or link:

•	Double-click the hotspot (or right-click and choose Properties...), then enter the alternate text and link (URL) information in the dialog. (Click the URL list to display previous entries.)

Tip: When creating graphics for the computer screen, as opposed to the printed page, it's useful to set a drawing scale ratio of one inch (Page Distance) to 96 pixels (Ruler Distance).

Any Web objects (image slices or image map hotspots) you've created are normally visible on the page. If you wish, you can hide Web objects while working on the drawing.

To hide Web objects:

•	Click the [image] Show/Hide Web Objects button on the HintLine toolbar. Click again to show the objects.

Previewing and exporting

Previewing a Web graphic in your browser is a quick way of checking it prior to export (for preview, DrawPlus exports a temporary version and loads it directly into the browser). Whether you're previewing or doing a final export, first choose Export... from the File menu and use the Export Optimizer to select the output settings. Use either the .GIF or .JPG format and make sure the Image Map box on the Settings tab is checked. To output just part of your drawing, select the object(s) on the page and check the dialog's Selected Region option. For details on settings, see the topic Exporting objects and drawings.

To preview the graphic:

•	After selecting output settings, choose Preview in Browser from the File menu.

To export the graphic:

•	Choose Export... from the File menu and (after adjusting output settings if necessary) click the dialog's Export button.

The output will consist of one image file (for example, MYFILE.JPG) and one HTML file (for example, MYFILE.HTML). The HTML file contains the image map description, ready to be pasted into the source code for the Web page.


Creating JavaScript rollovers

The term rollover refers to an interaction between a mouse and a screen graphic. For example, you've pointed your mouse at a graphic (such as a navigation bar button) on a Web page, and seen it instantly change color or become a different picture. When you point to a Web page graphic, your mouse pointer physically enters the screen region occupied by the graphic. This triggers an event called a "mouseover" and, if the underlying code is there to "trap" this event, it can trigger some other event—such as displaying another graphic at the same location. In other words, the state of the graphic changes in response to screen events.

DrawPlus gives you the option of adding rollover responses to image slice objects. The necessary JavaScript code is generated automatically. There are four basic steps:

1	Divide the image into slice objects. We'll assume you're already familiar with this process.

2	Specify which rollover states you want to activate for each slice object by checking boxes in each object's Properties dialog.

3	Create the variant graphics for each state. (It will help to understand the basics of DrawPlus layers.)

4	Preview in a browser, revise as needed, then export.

Specifying rollover states

For each image slice, you can define which rollover states the graphic should respond to. DrawPlus provides the following choices:

•	Normal is the standard state of the graphic before any rollover, and is always included in the export.

•	Over is the state triggered by a mouseover— when the mouse pointer is directly over the graphic. For example, a button's text might change color, or an outline appear, to show the button is "alive." Prior to a mouse click (see Down), moving the pointer in and out of the graphic's area will alternate between Over and Normal.

•	Down is triggered by a mouse click on the graphic. The term derives from a typical button's behavior: its "up" state changes to "down" once it's been clicked. On a Web page, this click will normally activate the graphic's hyperlink and take the user to a different page.

•	Down+Over implies a mouseover that occurs when the graphic is already Down, i.e. after it's been clicked. If you don't activate this rollover state, then the Over graphic appears by default when a mouseover occurs, even after a click. If you do activate this state, then the Down+Over graphic you provide (typically the same as the Down graphic) appears on a mouseover. Down+Over is useful as a precaution to ensure that the button stays in its "clicked" state and doesn't switch back to "Over" if the user happens to mouse over it again before leaving the page.

To activate rollover state(s) for a slice object:

1	Click the [image] Show/Hide Web Objects button on the HintLine toolbar to display Web objects on the page.

2	Double-click the slice object with the Pointer tool. The Image Slice Object Properties dialog appears. (You will have seen this if you've previously set URL Details for the object.)

3	In the "Rollover Details" section, check the box for each rollover state you want to activate.

4	Check either Normal or Down as the button's initial rollover state.

For example, common sense dictates that on a site's actual Home page you should initially show the "Home" button itself as down, and/or unresponsive to mouse actions—after all, the viewer is already on that page—whereas buttons that link to other pages should be in their normal "up" state and responsive.

5	Click OK. The first time you define a rollover state, you'll see rollover layers established in the document (see below).

6	Repeat the process for each of the slice objects you want to have rollover states. (You can go back and change the choices at any time prior to export.)

Rollover layers

When you initially define one or more rollover states in a particular document, the document's layer structure changes. A standard single-layer document will now consist of four layers, each relating to one rollover state. The original "Layer 1" becomes the "Normal" state layer, and shows what the graphic will look like in its normal state. Three additional layers are added, one for each possible rollover state (even if you haven't activated them all).

Creating variant graphics

For each slice object with at least one activated rollover state, you need to provide a graphic on the appropriate layer(s). For example, if you've checked the "Over" state for a slice object, you need to include a variant graphic that the Web page can display when the button is moused over. If you want the button's text to change from black to yellow, then the "Over" layer needs a graphic with yellow text. You only need to provide variant graphics for the rollover states you've activated.

The most efficient way to prepare the variant graphics is to copy original objects from the Normal layer and modify them as needed. This preserves the alignment of objects on all the layers.

To copy from the Normal layer:

1	Click the [image] Show/Hide Web Objects button on the HintLine toolbar to hide Web objects on the page. (You don't want to accidentally copy the slice objects!)

2	Select the object(s) to be copied, and copy.

3	Click the tab for the target rollover layer, and paste.

Rollover layer behavior

Rollover layers behave somewhat differently from standard DrawPlus layers. They are opaque with respect to each other, and only the selected rollover layer is visible, editable, or printable at any given time. As noted above, a typical single-layer document turns into four rollover layers when converted, with the original layer renamed as Normal.

What if you start with multiple layers, or add a subsequent layer? If the document has multiple layers when you first call for rollover layers, then the Normal layer is created as blank and the original layers are left intact. Once you've got the four rollover layers, any standard layers (whether intact originals or newly created) will appear as background layers to the rollover layers: the background contents "show through" and are included with the variant rollover graphics at export time.

So, for example, if you want a button that uses different text for each of its rollover states, you could create a fifth layer and place the button (minus its text) there. Then place the label text on each of the activated rollover layers. The resulting graphics would be composites of the extra (background) layer and the text content of each rollover layer.

When working with rollover layers, all non-rollover layers behave normally. For example, Edit All Layers means to edit all layers other than the rollover layers. View All Layers means to view all layers other than the rollover layers.

Exporting rollover graphics

Documents with rollover states are still just documents with image slices. Whether you're previewing or doing a final export, first choose Export... from the File menu and use the Export Optimizer to select the output settings. Use either the .GIF or .JPG format and make sure the Image Slices box on the Settings tab is checked. To output just part of your drawing, select the object(s) on the page and check the dialog's Selected Region option (slice regions will be cropped to the selected region). For details on settings, see the topic Exporting objects and drawings.

To preview the graphic:

•	After selecting output settings, choose Preview in Browser from the File menu.

To export a sliced image:

Choose Export... from the File menu and (after adjusting output settings if necessary) click the dialog's Export button.

The rollover states you've activated for each slice object determine whether the corresponding variant graphics are exported. The output will consist of a series of image files (for example, MYFILE_01.GIF, MYFILE_02.GIF, etc.) with variants for each rollover state, and a single HTML file (for example, MYFILE.HTML). The HTML file includes the JavaScript code for the slice object(s)—including the rollover event trapping—ready to be pasted into the source code for the Web page.


Exporting objects and drawings

Exporting means converting a DrawPlus object or document to an external file format, as opposed to saving it in the native .DPP (Drawing) or .DPA (Animation)  format. This topic focuses on exporting while in Drawing Mode. For details on exporting animations, see the topic Previewing and exporting animations.

Especially if you're exporting Web bitmap images, you'll want to read the following sections and take advantage of the Export Optimizer, which will greatly help you in reducing file sizes as far as possible while maintaining image quality.

To display the Export Optimizer:

•	Choose Export... from the File menu.

The Export Optimizer consists of a left-hand options region and a right-hand preview display, with additional buttons along the bottom of the dialog. Two tabs appear in Drawing Mode, and a third for animation export.

•	 To display a different portion of the image, drag the image in the preview pane. To change the display scale, click the Zoom In, Zoom Out, or 1:1 buttons on the bottom row.

•	 To adjust the preview display, click one of the View buttons at the lower left to select Single, Double, or Quad display. The illustration above shows Single view. The multi-pane (Double and Quad) settings let you compare different export settings for one or more file formats. Just click one of the display panes to select it as the active pane, then choose an export format from the list and specific options for the format, as discussed in detail below. Each time you make a new choice, the active pane updates to show the effect of filtering using the new settings, as well as the estimated file size.

•	On the Settings tab, you can scale the image to a new size if desired, or adjust the dpi (dots per inch) setting. For graphics to be used onscreen, it's best to leave these values intact. Check Selected Objects or Selected Region to export just a portion of the drawing.

•	When you've decided on the optimum export settings, click the dialog's Export button to proceed with the actual exporting. If you click Close, DrawPlus remembers your preferred format and settings, and applies them if you preview the image in a browser (using File/Preview in Browser).

Export settings

Metafiles: If you select a metafile export format such as .WMF, note that metafiles don't support gradient fills or transparency. Instead, DrawPlus creates small bands to simulate a gradient. You can set the quality (number of bands) using the Metafile Graduated Fills setting. For Bitmap, Plasma, Square, Three Color, Four Color, or Mesh fills exported to metafiles, a gray fill gets substituted. Transparency is ignored as it cannot be represented.

Bit Depth: Bit depth relates to the number of colors in an exported bitmap image. In general, images with higher bit depth take up more disk space. Choose the bit depth that corresponds to the number of colors in the exported image. 8-bit (256 colors) is the only available setting for animations, and the maximum supported by the format. For pictures, 4-bit (16-color) and 1-bit (2-color) exports are also possible.

Palette: A color palette is a table of color values that gets stored with any image having 8 bits (256 colors) or less. If you're exporting at 8 bits (256 colors) or less:

• The default Optimized setting lets the DrawPlus export filter determine the best colors to apply. This generally results in smooth color gradations and quite acceptable appearance when viewed on a High Color (16-bit) or better color display.

• Choose Web-safe to reduce the colors to only those found in the 216-color palette used by Web browsers on limited-color systems. This will ensure that an image you place on a Web page won't change its appearance when viewed on such systems.

Dithering: Dithering comes into play with images being reduced to 8 bits (256 colors) or less. It's a method of approximating colors outside the actual image palette—for example, by alternating pixels of red and blue from within the palette to produce the visual impression of a purple color that's not in the palette.

• While dithering can degrade solid-color areas, with shadows or transparency effects it's usually more important to preserve subtle gradations of color. Choose Ordered for a more regular dot pattern, or Error diffusion which tends to average away the patterns adaptively for a more natural result.

• To minimize file size, or if you happen to have an image with few colors, you can opt for no dithering—and the export filter will pick "nearest-match" color values from the palette being applied. You may see some color shifting, but the solid color areas will be preserved.

GIF Options: .GIF files support transparency—one reason they're commonly used over backgrounds on Web pages. DrawPlus gives you the option of exporting GIFs with or without a transparent background. Check Transparent to turn clear "checkerboard" regions of your graphic (those with no pixels or 0% opacity) into transparent regions in the GIF. All other regions will become opaque. If unchecked, transparent regions will become white. Check Interlaced to use an image format that will display "progressively" in a browser: first a low-quality image will display, followed by an improved image as the complete GIF is loaded.

Compression: Compression schemes, which apply different algorithms to encode the image information with fewer total bits and bytes, are used in many formats. Depending on the format, DrawPlus may include a choice of compression scheme. In general, use the default setting unless you know for a fact that some other scheme is called for. With the .JPG format, recommended for photographic backgrounds, you can set the level of quality desired using a slider. As you might expect, the highest-quality setting uses least compression, with no loss of image quality but the largest file size. The lowest-quality setting applies maximum compression for smallest size, but yields rather poor quality.


Using OLE with other applications

Exporting DrawPlus files (see the previous topic) as bitmap graphics is appropriate when you're working with an application that requires images in a specific format (such as .JPG or GIF for a Web page editor), or if you need to edit the graphic using a paint program. The drawback of exporting is that you lose the ability to edit the scene itself in DrawPlus.

Many applications—for example, Serif's desktop publishing program PagePlus 6.0—allow you to insert a DrawPlus scene as an OLE object. This means you can still use PagePlus to modify the scene later, if necessary. For example, you can change the text in a text object or alter the color scheme without having to start from scratch.

To insert a DrawPlus object into a host application:

•	Choose the application's Insert Object... command, usually found on its Edit menu.

•	To insert a saved DrawPlus (.DPP or .DPA) file, choose the Create from File option and locate the file name. Check the Link box to link the object or leave the box unchecked to embed the object (see below).

OR

•	To create a new DrawPlus object, choose the Create New option. DrawPlus opens with a blank scene window. When you've created the scene, choose Update from the File menu to insert the scene as an object (or update the image already there) without closing DrawPlus.

Note: Linking inserts a picture of the scene into the document (see below). This picture is linked to the actual DrawPlus file so that any changes you later make to the file (using DrawPlus) will be automatically reflected in your document. If using linked files in a publication, be sure to include the linked files along with the master document if the publication is moved or copied. Embedding means the object in the host application is now distinct from the original file. You can still edit the object using DrawPlus, but only from within the host application. DrawPlus objects you create using the Create New option are embedded, not linked.

To set OLE resolution:

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu and use the "OLE/Clipboard Resolution" setting on the General tab.

This controls the resolution of the the bitmap used to update or create an OLE object as well as the resolution of the bitmap form of any objects placed on the Clipboard. The default is 96dpi.


Previewing the printed page

The Print Preview button changes the screen view to display your layout without guides, rulers, and other screen items. Special options, such as tiled output or crop marks, are displayed.

To preview the printed page:

•	Choose Print Preview from the File menu.


Basic printing

DrawPlus supports scaling, tiling, and many other useful printing options. See the topic Printing color separations for details on generating screens for process color separations.

To set up your printer or begin printing:

•	Click the [image] Print button on the Standard toolbar.

OR

•	Choose Print... from the File menu.

The Print dialog appears.

To print:

1	If necessary, click the Properties button to select a printer or set up the printer for the correct page size, etc.

2	If necessary, click the Options button to set special print options (see below).

3	Select the page range to be printed.

4	Select the number of copies

5	Click OK.

The pages will be printed in color on a color printer or in shades of gray on a black and white printer.

Setting print options (using the Options dialog)

Scaling

Set the Scaling option on the Layout tab to specify a custom scaling percentage. The default is 100% or normal size. To scale your work to be printed at a larger size, specify a larger value; to scale down, specify a smaller value. Select Reduce to fit to reduce artwork automatically to fit neatly on the printed page.

Tiling

Check the Tile option on the Layout tab to print large (or enlarged) pages using multiple sheets of paper. Each section or tile is printed on a single sheet of paper; the various tiles can then be joined to form the complete page. Use this option for printing at larger sizes than the maximum paper size of your printer, typically for creating banners and posters. To simplify arrangement of the tiles and to allow for printer margins, you can specify an Overlap value (the default value of 0.5" is generally sufficient). The dialog's Preview window shows the printout relative to the selected paper size. Choose Print Preview from the File menu to see how the printout will look.

Including File Information and Printer marks

On the Output tab, check which additional information to include on the printout. File Information box to include information (such time, date, and publication name) below the actual artwork of the page. Crop marks are used as guides for trimming the paper. Registration targets and stars serve to line up printing plates. Color bars help ensure accurate color reproduction, while grayscale bars test the density of halftone images. Your printer or service bureau will specify those items that are required for your particular job. Note that the printer page size should be at least 1" x 1" larger than the actual artwork being printed, to ensuer that the information is entirely visible on the final print. For PostScript printing, the Windows printer driver normally has some "extra" page sizes which can be used with standard artwork paper sizes.

Speed/Quality Settings

If you're not satisfied with print quality the first time around, you can opt for higher quality output—but at the expense of printing speed. On the Output tab, drag the slider a notch to the right, and try printing again. Alternatively, you can specify a custom resolution setting other than the default 150 dpi. Check the Custom resolution box and choose (or type in) a dpi setting.


Printing posters

When printing (see the previous topic), you can set the Tiling option to print large (or enlarged) pages using multiple sheets of paper. Each section or tile is printed on a single sheet of paper; the various tiles can then be joined to form the complete page. Use this option for printing at larger sizes than the maximum paper size of your printer, typically for creating banners and posters. To simplify arrangement of the tiles and to allow for printer margins, you can specify an overlap value (the default value of 0.5" is generally sufficient).

To print a poster:

•	First create your standard (e.g. letter) sized page.

•	Click the Options button in the Print dialog.

•	Set the Tiling option for overlapped multiple sheets.

•	Set Scaling to print at a larger size (e.g. 300% ).

•	Choose Print Preview from the File menu to check your settings. Paper orientation on the printer is significant as it affects the number of sheets required.

•	Print as usual.


Printing color separations

Commercial printers use process color (CMYK) separations to reproduce full-color images. The page is inked four times using four separate screens that determine the distribution of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks. Each screen results in a color dot pattern; the dots fuse "in the eye" to create an impression of smooth color. To avoid dot interference (moiré) patterns, each color separation uses a different, precise screen angle.

DrawPlus makes it easy to generate screens for CMYK separations, saving time and expense when you're working with a commercial printer. Normally, you'll output your separations as a multi-page PostScript file, although you may still print to paper—for example, to verify printing marks (see the topic Basic printing). Before generating the output files, you should check with your printer or service bureau to verify the correct screen angle and frequency values for the particular paper to be used in printing.

To print color separations:

1	Choose Print... from the File menu, or click the [image] Print button on the Standard toolbar.

2	Make sure you've installed and selected a PostScript printer driver.

3	Click the Options button and select the Separations tab.

4	Check Print Separations. (If the box is disabled, you still need to select a PostScript printer driver.)

5	To output all four separations to one file, leave them all checked in the color selection window. If you find that a single output file is unmanageably large, you can use the check boxes to output the colors to separate files. For example, check one color at a time, print, then repeat for each of the other colors.

6	The Screens drop-down list shows preset screen angle and frequency values for a range of standard papers. Select the appropriate paper type or set up a "Custom" definition (see below).

7	Set any additional printing options you require on the other tabs of the Options dialog, then click OK.

8	For PostScript output, check Print to file on the main print dialog, then click OK. You'll be prompted for an output file name.

If your printer instructs you to set specific screen angles or frequencies that differ from those given, you can set custom values for individual colors.

To set custom screen angle and/or frequency:

1	Choose the "Custom" screen setting.

2	Select the color (cyan, magenta, yellow, or black) you wish to adjust.

3	Click the Properties button and enter your settings. The settings will be saved as part of the "Custom" definition for future output.


Using the toolbars and tabs

Many DrawPlus elements are stored in the tabs that are initially part of the Studio. (For details on a particular tab's functions, click the VisRef button above.) Using the right-click popup menu, you can hide and show tabs selectively—but as long as the tabs are in the Studio, you can only view one one tab's contents at a time.

To show or hide a particular toolbar or tab:

1	Right-click on any toolbar, or on any Studio tab's label. A menu pops up.

OR

Choose Toolbars and Tabs... from the View menu. A dialog appears.

2	On the right-click menu or in the dialog, check specific toolbars and tabs to show them; uncheck to hide.

To hide and show the Studio tabs as a group:

•	Click the Studio button on the HintLine toolbar.

Using Studio tabs separately

You may wish to keep the original arrangement of tabs and toolbars exactly the same. But if you like, you can detach individual tabs from the Studio by dragging them off as floating tab windows that can include one, two, or more tabs. You can then drag the tab windows around, roll them up to conserve space, and even dock (join) and undock tabs to cluster them within frames as you see fit. If you like, you can dispense with the Studio entirely and just use a couple of floating windows containing the tabs you use most often. Last but not least, you can also detach and reposition any of the DrawPlus toolbars!

To detach a Studio tab as a separate window:

•	Click on the tab's label and drag it to the new position.

The illustration shows the Fill tab being undocked from the Studio to a separate window. You can also drag a tab into an existing, separate window to dock tabs together (see "Docking" below).

To reposition a tab window frame on the screen:

•	Drag the window frame by its title bar.

To roll up a floating tab window:

•	Click the window frame's [image] Minimize button. Click again to restore the window.

To close a floating tab window:

•	Click the window frame's [image] Close button.

All the tabs in the window are hidden.

Docking

The tabs' docking feature lets you group tabs as you prefer. Perhaps you like working with several separate tabs so that it's easier to click between them. Or perhaps you need to cluster tabs in a single window frame to conserve screen space. Docking (joining) tabs is the reverse of undocking (detaching) them.

To dock (join) a tab with another window or with the Studio:

•	Click on the tab's label and drag it into the other window's frame (or back into the Studio). Drop the tab when the other window responds.

To reset all tabs and toolbars as initially installed:

•	Right-click any Studio tab label and choose Reset All.

Note:

In general, tabs behave in a common-sense way, so that the groupings you've laid out are preserved and convenient to use:

•	When you hide a tab using the View/Toolbars and Tabs... flyout, its label disappears from the window frame (or Studio). If you then redisplay the tab, it appears in the same frame as before, as part of the same tab grouping.

•	If a frame has only one tab and you hide the tab, the window closes.

•	If you redisplay a tab when none of its former neighbor tabs are visible, it appears in its own frame. If you then show one of the neighbors, it appears in the same frame, preserving the tab grouping.

•	If you close a window by clicking its Close button, all its tabs are hidden. If you then redisplay any one of those tabs, the entire window frame reappears with all its tabs showing.


Updating defaults

When you create new objects in DrawPlus, the way they look depends on the current default settings for the particular type of object. DrawPlus stores defaults separately for (1) lines and shapes and (2) text objects. It's easy to see what the current defaults are at any time, simply by creating a new object.

It's often easier to set up the defaults before you create new objects, rather than changing the properties later. There are two basic ways to change the defaults: either by using the Studio's Fill, Line, Color, and/or Text tab when no object is selected, or by creating a sample object with the desired properties, then right-clicking it and choosing Update Defaults.

Normally, each time you close a document, default settings are recorded as "master settings" to be used in future documents. To change whether DrawPlus records the defaults as master settings, choose Tools/Save Settings... and check the Object Defaults box. (For details, see the topic Recording master settings.)

Setting default properties for lines and shapes

Default properties for lines and shapes include line and fill. (Technically, even lines have a fill, although it's invisible.) You can define the default line and fill using either Studio tab settings or a sample object.

The permanent default line setting for most QuickShapes and shapes is "None." You can still use the Line tab to alter any object's line properties after it's been drawn. For details on manipulating lines and fills, see the topics Applying a fill and Applying a line..

To set line and fill defaults using the Studio tabs:

1	Deselect all objects by clicking on a neutral area of the page or pasteboard.

2	(For fills)
• For a solid fill, display the Color tab and click a thumbnail.
• For other fill types, display the Fill tab and choose a type from the drop-down list. You'll see the gallery for the fill type, displaying available choices. Then click the gallery thumbnail for the default you want.

OR

(For lines)
• To use one of the line presets, click it in the Line tab gallery, or make separate selections for Line Style, Line Start, and Line End from the drop-down lists.

• To set the default line weight (width), select a value from the Line tab's drop-down list. To use no line as the default, select "None."

• To set default line color, display the Studio's Color tab and Shift-click a thumbnail in the gallery.

4	If desired, you can alter the default line or fill's tint by dragging the slider, or right-click any gallery thumbnail for other edit options.

To use a sample object's properties as defaults:

•	Set the object to use the specific properties you plan to use as defaults.

•	Right-click the object and choose Update Defaults.

Note: This action updates both the line and fill defaults.

Setting default properties for text

Default properties for text include: font, size, style, line color, fill color, line weight, letterspacing, line spacing (leading), and justification. You can define some of these defaults using the Text tab, or all of them by updating the defaults from a sample text object.

For details on entering and working with text, see the topic Entering text.

To set the default font, size, and style using the Text tab:

1	Deselect all objects by clicking on a neutral area of the page or pasteboard.

2	Display the Studio's Text tab.

Click to change font, size, and/or style. The new defaults will automatically apply to the next new text object you create.

If you want to use specific settings for new text, create a sample of text with the desired properties, then update the defaults from this text object. This is the only method for updating the default text line and fill colors, line weight, letterspacing, line spacing (leading), and justification.

To use a sample text object's properties as defaults:

•	Set the text object to use the specific properties you plan to use as defaults.

•	Right-click the text object and choose Update Defaults.

This action updates all the text defaults.


Setting program options

The Options dialog lets you customize a wide range of DrawPlus settings, including display and layout options, ease-of-use features, etc.

Note: Normally, each time you close a document, your Options changes carry over to new publications. If you wish, you can change this. For information, see the topic Recording master settings.

To set DrawPlus options:

•	Choose Options... from the Tools menu.

Click one of the five tabs and set your choices. Settings include:

General tab: Autosave frequency, Number of undo's, Auto Clean Curves on/off, OLE/Clipboard resolution, Real-time editing of fills

Layout tab: Ruler units, Ruler and scrollbar display, Auto connector properties

Ease of Use tab: Wizards, Tips, Help

Snapping tab: Snapping grid and guides

Drawing Scale tab: Page Distance to Ruler Distance ratio


Recording master settings

The Save Settings dialog lets you—immediately and/or on closing the document—record any changes you've made to various settings as "master settings." This means that settings (of the types you've selected) will be in effect the next time you start DrawPlus or create a new document.

Normally, each time you close a document, all the settings—for options, page size and margins, object defaults, and gallery entries for colors, fills, and transparencies—are recorded as "master settings." You can specify that certain settings will not be recorded by unchecking them in the Save Settings dialog.

To select which types of settings to record as master settings:

•	Choose Save Settings... from the Tools menu.

•	Check the box for a particular type of setting...

Type...	Settings...	Default...
Options	Controlled from the Tools/Options... dialog	Checked
Page Size and Margins	Page size and margins--from File/Page Setup	Checked
Object Defaults	Settings for new text objects and line/shape objects, as defined using the Studio's Text, Color, Fill, and Line tabs (or right-click menu)	Checked
Solid Color Gallery	Colors defined in the Studio's Color tab	Checked
Fill Galleries	Fills defined in the Studio's Fill tab galleries	Checked
Transparency Gallery	Transparencies defined in the Studio's Transparency tab	Checked

To save the selected settings immediately:

•	Click Save Now.

To ensure that changes to selected settings are recorded automatically each time you close a publication:

•	Keep the Save these settings on exit box checked.


Using shortcuts

See also the next topic for right-click menu shortcuts.

Menu shortcuts

Every menu item has a keyboard shortcut (useful in the event your mouse stops working!).

To display a menu:

•	Press the Alt key followed by the underlined letter in the menu name. The menu appears. For example, pressing Alt+F displays the File menu.

To select an item from a displayed menu:

•	Press the key underlined in the menu item. For example, pressing Alt+F+S is the same as choosing Save from the File menu.

Certain commonly used menu items have their own shortcuts. Most people are familiar with Ctrl+C for Copy, Ctrl+V for paste, and so on. Ctrl+S accomplishes a Save operation. Inspect the DrawPlus menus to see listed shortcuts, as well as icons for those commands that have toolbar button equivalents.

Double-click shortcuts

•	Undo levels: Double-click the [image] Undo button on the Standard toolbar to display a dialog for setting the number of levels of Undo.

•	Zoom: Double-click the [image] Zoom Tool button on the HintLine toolbar to display the page at actual size (100%).

•	Snapping: Double-click the [image] Snapping button on the HintLine toolbar to display the Snapping tab of the Tools/Options dialog, which lets you set the grid and guide features.

•	Rulers: Double-click on the ruler intersection to make the rulers' zero point jump to the top left-hand corner of the selected object. Double-click on the intersection again to send the rulers back to the default position.

•	Layer Manager (Drawing Mode only): Double-click a layer tab to display the Layer Manager.

•	Frame Manager (Animation Mode only): Double-click a frame tab to display the Frame Manager.

•	Line Tool, QuickShape flyouts: Double-click the button to re-select the last tool used (whose icon is displayed in the button).

•	Bring to Front: Double-click the [image] Forward One button on the Standard toolbar to bring the selected object to the front.

•	Send to Back: Double-click the [image] Back One button on the Standard toolbar to send the selected object to the back.

•	Unrotate: Double-click a rotated object to restore its original orientation.

•	Curved Line tool: Double-click on a blank region to finish drawing a curved line.

•	Add Node: Double-click a line segment with the Node tool to add a new node at that point.

•	Edit Text window: Double-click a text object with the Pointer tool to display the Edit Text window.

•	Photo Wizard: Double-click any bitmap-filled object to display Photo Wizard.

•	Shadow effects: Double-click the [image] Shadow button to customize a shadow effect on the selected object.

•	Edit OLE object: Double-click the object to run the OLE server application.

Shift-key shortcuts

•	Moving: When moving an object in DrawPlus, hold down the Shift key to constrain the movement to horizontal or vertical. To switch directions, release and then press the Shift key again.

•	Creating and resizing: When you create or size an object with the mouse, if the Shift key is pressed the size will be constrained. For boxes, the constraint will give a square, for ovals, a circle and for straight lines, a 15 degree line.

•	Selecting objects: Hold down the Shift key when clicking an object to add it to, or remove it from, a multiple selection.

•	Select All: Normally, choosing Select All from the Edit menu selects all objects on the page. If you have an object selected, press the Shift key as you choose Select All to select only objects of the same type as the selected object.

•	Adjusting fill path: When using the Fill tool to adjust the fill path, hold down the Shift key to constrain the angle of the path to 15 degrees. On Plasma and Bitmap fills, Shift-constraining preserves the aspect ratio of the fill path's "shape."

Ctrl (Control)-key shortcuts

•	Duplicating an object: To duplicate an object, click on it, then hold down the Ctrl key and drag.

•	Sizing and creating: Hold down the Ctrl key when resizing an object to constrain it to its current aspect ratio. When pasting an imported picture, hold down the Ctrl key to preserve the original aspect ratio.

•	Adjusting fill path origin: When using the Fill tool to adjust the fill path, hold down the Ctrl key to reset the fill path origin AND constrain the angle of the path to 15 degrees. On Ellipse fills, Ctrl-constraining also forces the aspect ratio of the fill to match the bounding box of the object. On Plasma and Bitmap fills, Ctrl-constraining also forces the fill path to be unskewed and "regularly sized"—that is, its size jumps in steps.

Other keyboard shortcuts

•	Cancelling operations: To cancel a sizing, moving, or creation operation in the middle of the operation, press the Esc key.

•	Displaying Help: Press F1 to display the Help Contents screen.

•	Selecting: When no object is selected, press the Tab key to select the first object in the document's ordering sequence. Press repeatedly to cycle through each object in turn. This can be useful if you can't see an object—for example if it's white on a white background, or hidden behind another object. Press Shift+Tab to cycle in the opposite direction. To begin a marquee box over a particular object without including that object in the multiple selection, click while pressing the Alt key.

•	Moving: Press the keyboard arrow keys to move a selection in the direction of the arrow. The selection moves one ruler increment per keypress. Press the Alt key while moving a slice object to disable edge-to-edge snapping.

•	Sizing: Hold down the Shift key and press a keyboard arrow to resize the selection in the direction of the arrow. The selection changes one ruler increment per keypress.


Using right-click menus

You can right-click on just about anything in DrawPlus to select from convenient submenus!

Right-click on an object to...

•	Cut/copy/paste

•	Align items

•	Set front/back and layer/frame position

•	Set connector type or obstructive property

•	Edit line, fill, Plasma transparency, or shadow

•	Edit or set spacing of a text object

•	Straighten text, rotate characters, or reverse or rescale the curve of a curved text object

•	Update defaults from the object

•	Insert an image slice object or image map hotspot conforming to the object

Right-click on a toolbar or Studio tab label to...

•	Hide or show specific toolbars and Studio tabs

Right-click on a blank area of the page or pasteboard to...

•	Create a new document

•	Open a document

•	Save or print the document

•	Paste from the Clipboard

•	Use the Layer Manager (Drawing Mode) or Frame Manager (Animation Mode)

•	Insert an object

•	Set zoom view options

In Drawing Mode, right-click on a layer tab (at lower left of page) to...

•	Create a new document layer

•	Delete or rename a layer

•	Hide or show a layer

•	Prevent a layer from printing

•	Lock/unlock a layer to protect its objects

•	Set view/edit options for layers

•	Display the Layer Manager

In Animation Mode, right-click on a frame tab (at lower left of page) to...

•	Create a new frame

•	Clone a frame

•	Delete a frame

•	Toggle onion skinning on/off

•	Display the Frame Manager

In the Studio...

Right-click a thumbnail in the Studio's Color tab gallery to...

•	Add a new gallery color (including linked colors)

•	Edit an existing gallery color

•	Delete a gallery color

Right-click a linked color thumbnail in the Studio's Color tab gallery to...

•	Edit the base color of a linked color

Right-click a "chain line" thumbnail in the Studio's Line tab gallery to...

•	Add the selected object(s) as an element to the chain

•	Add a new chain to the gallery

•	Delete the chain from the gallery

•	Edit options for the selected chain

•	Add or delete a gallery category

Right-click a thumbnail in the Linear, Radial, Ellipse, Conical, Plasma, Square, Four Color, Three Color, or Mesh gallery of the Studio's Fill tab to...

•	Edit or delete a gallery fill

Right-click a thumbnail in the Bitmap gallery of the Studio's Fill tab to...

•	Add a new Bitmap fill category

•	Delete a category

•	Add a Bitmap fill to the gallery from a file

•	Delete a Bitmap fill from the gallery


Using PageHints

PageHints are like "sticky notes" that you can attach to your publication at any position on any page.

You can choose from four different icons to identify different types of PageHint.

To create a PageHint:

•	Choose Insert PageHint... from the Help menu. The PageHints dialog appears.

•	Type your text into the text window.

•	For a preview, click the View Hint button.

•	Select an icon for the PageHint.

•	When you're done, click OK, then click on the page or pasteboard to position the PageHint icon.

To read, edit, or delete a PageHint:

•	Click the PageHint icon. The PageHints dialog appears.

•	To edit the PageHint, click the Edit Hint button and type into the text window.

•	To delete the PageHint, click the Delete Hint button. To delete all PageHints in the publication, click Delete All.