Draw Guide: A guide to using the Draw component of OpenOffice.org Title: Draw Guide: A guide to using the Draw component of OpenOffice.org Version: 1.
Contents Overview.................................................................................................................................... vi Copyright and trademark information................................................................................... vi Feedback................................................................................................................................vi Acknowledgments...................................................................................
Editing Gluepoints................................................................................................................21 Editing Objects Part I..................................................................................................................... 24 Selection modes....................................................................................................................24 Changing the selection mode...........................................................................
Entering Position and Size data....................................................................................... 46 Size Data Entry................................................................................................................ 46 Angle of Rotation Data Entry.......................................................................................... 46 Inclination Data Entry......................................................................................................
Group by common selection............................................................................................ 78 Maintaining groups and group dissociation.....................................................................78 Editing individual objects in a group............................................................................... 79 Combination Functions........................................................................................................ 80 Shape Merge Functions........
Reminder Concerning Image Formats........................................................................... 103 The Web export function...............................................................................................
Overview Overview This document describes how to use Draw, the vector drawing component of OpenOffice.org (OOo). Copyright and trademark information The contents of this Documentation are subject to the Public Documentation License, Version 1.0 (the "License"); you may only use this Documentation if you comply with the terms of this License. A copy of the License is available at: http://www.openoffice.org/licenses/PDL.
Introduction to Draw Draw is a vector graphics drawing tool. It offers a series of powerful tools that enable you to quickly create all sorts of graphics. It is perfectly integrated into the OpenOffice.org suite, and this makes exchanging graphics with all modules of the suite very easy. For example, it is relatively simple to draw an image and reuse it in the Writer and Impress modules.
Introduction to Draw The Workplace The main components of the Draw interface have the appearance shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 - The Draw workplace The major area located in the center of the screen is the one in which your drawings will be made. It is surrounded by toolbars and information areas, the number and position of which can vary according to the particular organization you have chosen for your workplace. The small icons in each toolbar are called buttons.
Introduction to Draw The Toolbars The various Draw toolbars can be displayed or hidden according to your needs. To display or hide the toolbars, simply click on any toolbar with the right mouse button1. A menu will appear that lets you choose which of the four principal toolbars to display: the Function Bar, the Main Toolbar, the Object Bar and the Option Bar. This menu also lets you select the buttons that you wish to appear on the corresponding toolbar.
Introduction to Draw The Object Bar The Object Bar gives you a preview, and lets you modify the major characteristics of the drawing objects that you are handling. The icons displayed will vary as a function of the object that is selected. Sometimes more than one object bar is applicable for the selected object; in this case a triangle is displayed at the right end – click on this triangle to toggle through each of the available object bars.
Introduction to Draw The Color Bar To display the Color Bar, you need to use View > Toolbars > Color Bar. The toolbar then appears at the bottom of the workspace. This toolbar lets you rapidly choose the color of the objects in your drawing. The first box in the panel corresponds to transparency (no color). The color palette that is shown by default can be changed via the menu Format > Area as shown below. Choose the tab marked Colors.
Introduction to Draw The Option Bar This toolbar lets you activate or deactivate various mechanisms that make drawing easier. As opposed to the other toolbars, the Option Bar isn't displayed by default. In order to display it, from the menu bar click View > Toolbars > Option Bar. When it is displayed, it can generally be found at the bottom of the screen and looks like this: The Rulers On the upper and left-hand side of the workspace, you should see the rulers.
Introduction to Draw As you can see from the illustration, the two rulers can have different units. The rulers are also used to manage handle points and capture lines that make positioning objects easier. The Status Bar The Status Bar is located at the bottom of the screen. We shall look more closely at the middle part of this area, since it is particularly relevant to the Draw module.
Drawing Basic Shapes This chapter will teach you the basic methods for drawing simple shapes. In the remainder of this document, we'll use the term objects to designate the various shapes drawn (whether they're simple lines, rectangles or more complicated shapes). This is common notation in vector drawing software. The following three sections illustrate how to draw three basic shapes: a straight line, a rectangle and a circle.
Drawing Basic Shapes To draw a straight line segment, click the straight line button and place the mouse cursor at the point where you wish to start drawing. Start Point Drag the mouse while keeping the button pressed down. Let go of the mouse button when you want to stop drawing the line. Two blue or green handle points located at each end of the line will appear, showing that this is the currently selected object.
Drawing Basic Shapes If you replace the Shift key with the Control key [Ctrl], the constraining angle will be 15°. You can set this angle in the Tools > Options > Drawing > Grid dialog box. If you hold down the [Alt] key, the line will be drawn symmetrically with respect to the start point. This technique lets you draw straight lines by starting from the middle of the line. Note: You must press the left mouse button BEFORE you press the [Alt] key to draw your line.
Drawing Basic Shapes Drawing a rectangle Drawing rectangles is similar to drawing straight line segments, except that you use the Rectangle button from the Main Toolbar. The line drawn with the mouse shows the diagonal of the rectangle. Start Point If you hold the [Shift] key, you will get a square and the [Alt] key enables you to draw a rectangle starting from its center. Drawing a circle To draw an ellipse or a circle, use the Ellipse button from the Main Toolbar.
Drawing Basic Shapes There are three other ways to draw an ellipse or circle: ➢ Shift-circle - forces the ellipse to be a circle. ➢ Alt-circle - draws a symmetrical ellipse or circle from the center instead of dragging corner to corner. Note: You must press the left mouse button BEFORE you press the [Alt] key to draw your circle. Pressing the [Alt] key first will cause you to move the program panel instead of drawing a circle. ➢ Ctrl-circle - snaps to grid lines.
Drawing Basic Shapes on it. When you type your text, you will notice that the upper ruler includes the usual paragraph attributes: indents, first line, tab stops. You can, as in Writer, change the style of all or part of the characters you enter. The Stylist also works here, so you can create styles that you can use again in other text frames exactly as you would with Writer. The text frames can also be manipulated just like any other draw objects. You can assign them fill colors, shadows etc.
Drawing Basic Shapes Rectangles and Squares This toolbar palette has 8 tools: These buttons let you draw filled or empty rectangles. These buttons let you draw filled or empty squares. Note: If you hold the [Shift] key down when drawing a rectangle, you will create a square. These buttons let you draw filled or empty rounded rectangles. These buttons let you draw filled or empty rounded squares.
Drawing Basic Shapes These two tools let you draw empty or filled ellipses. These two buttons let you draw empty or filled circles. Note: Drawing an ellipse while holding down the [Shift] key at the same time also lets you draw a circle. These two buttons let you draw an elliptical sector. Here's the way to do this: First draw the ellipse. Then indicate on the ellipse with the mouse the position of the first segment and then repeat this for the second segment.
Drawing Basic Shapes 3D Objects Draw lets you draw three dimensional objects. The 3D object palette offers a choice of 8 basic primitives that can be used to create more complex objects through merging or combination. The creation of a 3D object always works in the same way: click on the associated button and then draw a rectangle on the work area corresponding to the foreground area of the object to be drawn. A cube silhouette (boundary box) that will contain the future object is displayed.
Drawing Basic Shapes This tool draws a pyramid. This one lets you draw a torus (a ring). And this one a shell or cup shape; that is, a hollowed out hemisphere. This button lets you draw a complete hemisphere; that is, filled. Curves The curve palette offers 8 tools for drawing non-linear profiles. These icons represent the basic tools for drawing curves. The resulting curve can be manipulated by Bezier curves as we have seen previously.
Drawing Basic Shapes This tool lets you create polygons. A polygon is a series of straight segments. The way it works is fairly simple: just click on the workspace to set the first point, move the mouse to the next position where you want to set a second point and click, and a segment will be drawn between the two. The polygon is drawn by repeating this procedure until all of the points have been drawn. When you have finished, double-click on the mouse to release the polygon from edit mode.
Drawing Basic Shapes The two ends of the segment will be made up of a square at one end and an arrow at the other. The segments drawn will have an angle that is a multiple of 45° to the horizontal axis. You can get the same effect by pressing the Ctrl key when you draw your line. This button lets you display the dimensions of the object being drawn.
Drawing Basic Shapes The default gluepoints are located at the centers of the lines forming the edges of the selection rectangle around an object. As you can see on the following figure, this means that the gluepoints are not necessarily located on the contour of the object: When you move one of the ends of a connector over an object, its gluepoints become visible. You can drop the end of the connector onto one of the gluepoints.
Drawing Basic Shapes Connector toolbar The connector toolbar contains a large number of buttons. As shown by the figure above, the connectors can be grouped into four categories. Each category is subdivided into 7 connector types depending on the arrowhead for each end. The buttons in this row let you draw traditional connectors like the ones you have seen on the previous pages. These connectors are made up of a line segment and two smaller segments at the horizontal or vertical ends.
Drawing Basic Shapes This button lets you insert a new gluepoint. If the object is filled, the point can be inserted anywhere within the object and not only on its contour. After you've chosen this tool, click on the object to add the gluepoints. The gluepoints remain visible for as long as the button is pressed down. They are displayed as little blue crosses and the gluepoint that is currently selected appears highlighted. You can move the gluepoints with the mouse and delete them with the [Del] key.
Drawing Basic Shapes If, when you are in gluepoint edit mode, you click on the button, you can add a new possible direction to a gluepoint. If we keep the preceding example, this would give: The addition of this extra direction enabled OpenOffice.org to draw a shorter connector. When this button is pressed (as it is by default), any resizing of an object will cause gluepoints to move with the associated object.
Editing Objects Part I In this chapter, we shall look at the tools and functions that let you modify existing drawings. All of the functions apply to the selected object or group of objects. The selected object differentiates itself from any others by small colored squares or circles located around the object (this is also true when several objects are selected simultaneously). In the rest of this document, we these points handles.
Editing Objects Part I Selections for the Edit Points mode are indicated by blue squares. An extra, larger handle also appears on most drawings. When the Edit Points button is pressed, this is the default mode. The default mode for selecting objects is set by the activation or deactivation of the Edit Points button .
Editing Objects Part I Selecting hidden objects When objects are located behind others, they can still be selected. To select an object that is covered by another object, hold down Alt and click the object. To select an object that is covered by several objects, hold down Alt and click through the objects until you reach the required underlying object. To cycle through the objects in reverse order, hold down Alt+Shift when you click.
Editing Objects Part I Moving and Dynamically Adjusting the Size of an Object There are several ways of moving or changing the size of an object. The method described here will be called dynamic in the sense that it is carried out using the mouse. When you dynamically change an object, remember to check the left hand area of the status bar at the bottom of your screen. This shows detailed information about the ongoing manipulation.
Editing Objects Part I Note: If you press the Shift key at the same time as you carry out the resizing operation, the size change will be carried out symmetrically with respect to the two axes, which enables you to keep the height/length ratio of the object. With the Alt key, the object is resized symmetrically starting from its center. Rotating an Object Rotation of an object lets you slant an object along an axis.
Editing Objects Part I This operation functions in the same manner as rotation in that you can set the inclination to occur as steps of 15° by pressing the Shift key during movement of the handle. Editing Object Points Draw offers a complete set of tools that let you accurately edit the contour of an object. As we shall see, the functions related to editing points work substantially in the same way as on curves.
Editing Objects Part I How curves work Editing curves works on the basis of a method called Bezier curves3. The complete study of such curves goes beyond this particular work. We shall cover the basics of this quite powerful method of editing the contour of an object. figure 7 - Definition of a tangent Editing a point in a Bezier curve uses several mechanisms as represented in the drawing on the left: The main point is called the junction point.
Editing Objects Part I Figure 10 Asymmetrical Tangent Figure 11 - Inflexion Point The button lets you separate the lengths of the two parts of a tangent. In the drawing opposite, you can clearly see that the curve is flatter on the longest side of the tangent. This kind of tangent is known as a smooth junction. This button is not to be confused with the preceding one, since their representations are fairly similar. It is also possible to completely detach both sides of the tangent.
Editing Objects Part I To change the location of the tangents, just move the circular handles at each end. The mouse cursor will then look like this: Figure 13 - Rotating a tangent This button lets you add an extra point to an existing curve. Just click with the left mouse button on the curve at the spot where you want to insert a point and then move the mouse slightly, in any direction, while holding down the button. If you just click, the new point will not be added.
Editing Objects Part I The object rotation button can be used in Edit Point mode. In this case, it can be used to move a point around the contour of an object. Switch into rotation mode by clicking on the button. You will notice that in rotation mode, all of the tangent points become red dots. ➋ Select the point to be moved and then drag it around the contour while keeping the left mouse button pressed down (➊). When you let go of the mouse button, the point will be moved to the new position (➋).
Editing Objects Part I You can also separate a curve at several points simultaneously. Just keep the Shift key pressed down and select all of the points at which the cut should occur. Figure 18 - Moving a segment The button lets you close an existing curve. Select an open curve and click on this icon to close it.
Editing Objects Part I The Select Points follows. button functions as a switch. It works as If you have two points linked together by a straight line (you don't need to have a curve between the points) and you insert a new point between them that is set at an angle to the initial straight line (and hence the two endpoints), you will have a drawing similar to that illustrated in ➊.
Editing Objects Part II This chapter describes how to change object attributes, use the Stylist to apply attributes to objects, and apply special transformations to objects. Changing Object Attributes Each object comes with a set of associated attributes that characterize the appearance of the object. These attributes, such as color, the contour type, line thickness, etc., can be modified whenever you want. A toolbar and a dialog box are dedicated to the modification of these attributes.
Editing Objects Part II The Object Toolbar The buttons in the Object toolbar let you change the following properties. Line type Clicking this button opens a dialog box in which you can choose the properties of the currently selected line. If you want to change the properties of arrows, the line, its thickness or color, you can also directly use the four areas provided in the toolbar, as described later in this section. The Line dialog box has three tabs.
Editing Objects Part II The second tab lets you finely tune the type of line you want to have. Using this dialog, you can define the appearance, number, size, width and spacing of the dashes or dots making up the line. With the Add button, you can create a new type of line and insert it into the Type list. You can also modify or delete existing line styles. The Load Line Style and Save Line Style icon buttons are there to help you save a new definition or read one from disk (file extension .sod).
Editing Objects Part II Choosing line attributes from the object toolbar The Arrow Style (line ends) button located to the right of Line button on the Object toolbar lets you directly choose the line ends in a small window. You can choose each end independently of the other. Note: If you frequently need to use this function, don't forget that you can detach the window by clicking on it with the mouse button and dragging it (by its title bar) to a new spot. That way it will stay visible on the workspace.
Editing Objects Part II The drop-down menu located to the right of the Arrow Style button lets you directly choose the line type without going through the corresponding dialog box. The next area concerns the width (thickness) of the line expressed in the current unit of measurement. You can enter this value manually in the area provided or use the spinbox to change the value. The drop-down box to the right of the line width box lets you choose the line color.
Editing Objects Part II The first tab, Area, lets you make a quick selection of the type of fill that you want, whereas the other tabs let you change, delete or add a given fill type. The four possible fill types are: • simple color • gradient • hatching • bitmap The Shadow tab lets you choose whether to apply a shadow to your object. The shadow lets you simulate the floating of an object above the drawing area.
Editing Objects Part II The shadow will match the contour of the object that has been selected. This tab also lets you set the color and distance with respect to the object, position, and transparency of the shadow. The figures shown above have a gray shadow with 50% transparency. The Transparency tab lets you set the fill transparency of the selected object. For example, you can set the transparency to be non-uniform.
Editing Objects Part II The Colors tab lets you edit the palette of available colors. You can choose the fill color of an object by clicking on one of the colored squares and then clicking OK. The Gradients tab lets you define or choose a type of gradient. You can choose a gradient to apply to an object by selecting it in the list and clicking on OK. Several gradients are predefined. The parameters used to define the gradients are similar to those that are available for transparency.
Editing Objects Part II The Hatching tab lets you define a hatch motif. Indicate the spacing between the lines (in the current unit of measurement), hatching angle, line type (simple, double, triple), and color. The seventh and final tab, Bitmaps, lets you cover selected objects with a pattern obtained from a bitmap image. Any of the bitmap formats recognized by OpenOffice.org can be used.
Editing Objects Part II The Pattern Editor on the left lets you draw a simple pattern from two colors. To draw a pattern, click on the various boxes in the grid, using either mouse button. The mouse button toggles between the foreground and background color. Your bitmap pattern will display in the preview pane in the lower part of the window.
Editing Objects Part II When an object is selected, pressing the F4 key (Position and Size) or using the right-click menu and choosing Position and Size displays a dialog box with four tabs, where you can enter precise values concerning size and position. Entering Position and Size data Use the Position and Size tab on this dialog to enter the position data for the X and Y axes in the current unit of measurement, and the size data described in the next paragraph.
Editing Objects Part II described in the preceding topic. The zone marked Default Settings lets you quickly choose the angle of rotation in 45° steps. Inclination Data Entry The last tab of this dialog is used to enter the rounded corners (corner radius) and the angle of inclination of the object. Illustration 90 shows a rectangle that has been slanted by 15 degrees and had its corners rounded by a 0.5 cm radius.
Editing Objects Part II Using the Stylist The application of the same style to several different objects can soon turn out to be a tedious job with the drawing tools. Fortunately, OpenOffice.org comes to the rescue with the Stylist. This window, as in the Writer module, lets you define particular styles and apply them in a single operation to several objects simultaneously. Some of the Stylist functions that relate to the use of the OpenOffice.org Impress module will not be described here.
Editing Objects Part II Applying a Style To apply an existing style to one or more objects, all you have to do is select them and double-click on the required style. You can also use the Fill All mode. When this button is pressed, the mouse cursor changes into a paint can; then just select all of the objects to which you want to apply the current style. In the following example, we will create a particular style comprising a shadow, a thick blue border, and brick motif bitmap fill.
Editing Objects Part II The next step is to apply your new style to other objects. Select your new style, Brick wall with border and shadow, then click the Apply Style button (the paint can button), then click the objects to which you wish to apply this new style. The new style will be applied to the objects as you click on them.
Editing Objects Part II Changing a Style All of the objects memorize the style that has been applied to them. If you modify the basic style, all of the objects that are associated with this style will be modified as well. To change a style, use one of these methods: • You can directly change the style of an object by applying the various techniques that have been described earlier in this document, then simply click on the Update Style button. • You can also change a style directly in the Stylist.
Editing Objects Part II Flip This function lets you flip an object with respect to a given axis that you can define precisely. Here's an example explaining how this tool works: Here's the object you want to modify. Once you've clicked on the Flip button, a red axis of symmetry with two handles appears in the center of the object. The flip will occur with respect to this axis. The axis of symmetry can be moved by dragging it with the mouse. You can also change its angle by pulling on one of the handles.
Editing Objects Part II Release the mouse button and the flip transformation is complete. 3D Rotation Objects This function lets us enter the world of three-dimensional objects. With this tool you can get a 3D object by rotating a profile that you've drawn about an axis of rotation. It's useful for drawing common objects found in daily life, such as vases, glasses or bottles. Here are some examples of 3D drawings obtained from simple profiles: The profile can be open or closed.
Editing Objects Part II Here's the start profile. It was made with the polygon drawing tool. When you click on the button , a red axis with a handle at each end shows up at the edge of the profile. The resulting profile is displayed on the other side of the axis to give you an idea of the result. So that the resulting drawing looks like a glass, you need to move the axis of rotation itself by dragging it to the other side of the profile. The resulting form is drawn around the axis of symmetry4.
Editing Objects Part II To see the end result, click on the 2D object that you've created. To make the object more visible, we changed the color to blue and applied a 50% transparency.
Editing Objects Part II Distort This tool lets you distort an object by freely moving the handles located at the edges of its selection rectangle. A rectangle can for example be easily transformed into the following shape: The principle behind distortion is very simple: by moving the selection handles located at the corners of the rectangle, you can stretch the object as you wish. If you move the handles located on the edges, you can slant or incline the object.
Editing Objects Part II Dynamic Transparency Gradient Definition The transparency dialog box lets you adjust all of the parameters linked to this, but it's not always easy to see what your changes will look like before you've saved them. The dynamic transparency gradient definition function lets you adjust the transparency attribute of an object. It is very easy to use. When you click on the button, an arrow appears on the selected object.
Editing Objects Part II Dynamic Gradient Definition This tool works just like the tool for managing transparency. It is only activated if the selected object is filled with a gradient. Clicking on the gradient button will display an arrow on the selected object. The two ends of the arrow correspond to the start and end colors of the gradient. You can change the colors of the two squares by clicking on a box in the color palette and dragging it on the required square.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps This chapter describes the tools and functions that let you let you create powerful 3D drawings and work with bitmaps such as photographs. Managing 3D Objects Even though OpenOffice.org does not claim to rival leading 3D image software packages, it contains a number of tools that let you create powerful 3D drawings. Rotating 3D objects The rotation function also works with 3D objects, but differently from flat objects.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps 3D effects 3D objects have their own configuration dialog. This dialog is called the 3D Controller or the 3D Effects dialog5. Click on the button to display it (Main toolbar). The dialog contains several pages that can be selected through the buttons at the top. This chapter discusses each of these pages in turn. Buttons available in pages All of the pages have the following buttons: Convert a 2D object into a 3D object.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps To apply a 3D attribute to a selected object, choose an example from the Favorites zone and click the button. (The objects laid out as an example are the same as those that are available through the Gallery, which is described later in this document.) Note that only the attributes are applied; no objects are transformed.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Geometry Management page The Geometry Management page lets you define the geometric settings that are linked to a 3D object. To access this page, go to Format > 3D Effects > Geometry. The Rounded edges parameter applies when you turn a 2D shape into a 3D shape. It defines the degree of rounding of edges during conversion, as shown in Figure 23.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Figure 24 - Scaled Depth of 50% Here you can see that the front face has a length and breadth that is 50% smaller than the back face. It is even possible to set the scaled depth to more than 100% and thus have a front face that is larger than the back face. The Rotation angle parameter is useful for some shapes that are made by revolving a profile about an axis. This parameter lets you decide whether or not the rotation will be complete (360°).
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Figure 27 shows a few normals drawn on a sphere with 10 segments. Figure 27 - Object Normals Normals let you define the exterior aspect of an object and its interactions with textures and lighting. When you change the normal mode (also known as the projection mode), you act on the geometry of an object. Here's a description of the functions that act on normals. Corresponds to the projection mode illustrated above, wherein each of the faces is visible.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Double-sided illumination lets you light an object from the inside and outside. Lets you create double or single-sided 3D objects6. When the extrusion function is used, the resulting objects are closed (for example, a square will give a cube). If you use this function, Draw will produce open objects.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps The Shading mode refers to the method that Draw uses to render objects and their interaction with light. Draw offers three choices: Flat, Phong and Gouraud. • Flat is the quickest technique, but it also gives the worst results (all of the faces are visible). • Phong is an intermediate technique. • Gouraud renders objects with the highest quality. Figure 31 - Shading examples. From left to right: Flat, Phong, Gouraud.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Figure 33 - Examples of different focal lengths Illumination page Use the Illumination page to define the way in which 3D objects are illuminated. Contrary to most 3D drawing software, the parameters can be set for each object independently of the others. However, in order for the drawing to be coherent, set these parameters the same way for all 3D objects. This page lets you select 8 different light sources to illuminate the currently selected object.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps The color can be chosen from the dropdown list or by using the small button on the right of the list. The position of the light source is defined by moving the colored dot with the mouse or the slider bars on the small inset drawing located in the lower area of the page. Then click the button to implement the light source setting. Texture Management page The Texture Management page lets you manage the properties of a bitmap texture applied to an object.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Figure 34 - Applying a texture The first method is better in that you can easily choose the number of tiles of the bitmap motif to be applied. To obtain the bitmap application settings dialog, select Format > Area and make your background edits there. Figure 35 - Bitmap application settings Figure 36 shows a few examples of what one can do by changing the default parameters when applying a bitmap to a cube.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Figure 36 - Examples of applying bitmaps We have just seen how to change the number of tilings of the bitmap pattern. Now let's look at the method that Draw uses to project the image onto the object. This is done on the Texture Management page. First, you can choose to project the image in black and white( ) or in color ( ). The Mode chosen will tell Draw whether you want to manage lighting and shadow on the selected object.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Materials Management page The Materials Management page concerns the use of materials on the surface of 3D objects. This page lets you give object the appearance of commonly used materials such as plastic or metal. The drop down list Favorites lets you choose a predefined texture. The default choices are Metal, Gold, Chrome, Plastic and Wood (see Figure 38). Figure 38 - Texture examples. From left to right: Metal, Gold, Chrome, Plastic and Wood.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Managing Bitmaps Up to now, we have only dealt with vector drawings. Draw also includes functions for managing bitmaps, such as photographs. We won't deal very much with the bitmap editing tools since other programs (such as The Gimp) have more advanced functionality. The Bitmap Image Toolbar When a bitmap image is selected in the workspace, a dedicated toolbar is displayed (Figure 39).
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Adjust the transparency of the image from 0% (opaque) to 100% (totally transparent). This tool lets you crop an image. When you click on this button, the dialog box shown in Figure 40 appears: Figure 40 - Cropping an image The dialog in Figure 40 lets you do the following: • Cut out a part of the contour of the image. To do this, just change the values in the Crop section (such as Left and Right). The preview display area show the new image frame.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Smooths an image. Sharpens an image. Rids your image of noise pixels.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps Applies a solarization effect to an image. A dialog box lets you choose the degree of solarization for the image. Applies an aging effect to the image. You can set the degree of aging via a dialog box. The Posterize filter lets you reduce the number of colors in an image. You can choose the number of colors in the dialog box. The result is an image that looks a bit like a drawing.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps The pop art filter applies an effect that transforms the image into something resembling a pop art drawing: Simulates a charcoal drawing effect Applies a relief aspect to your image.
Managing 3D Objects and Bitmaps The mosaic filter transforms the image into a pixellated mosaic.
Combining Multiple Objects This chapter describes the tools and functions that let you combine several objects together so that changes can be carried out to the group, or new objects can be created from the group Grouping and Combining Objects Draw contains a number of mechanisms that let you combine several objects together so that changes can be carried out to the group, or new objects can be created from the group Grouping lets you temporarily combine objects to carry out global changes to them.
Combining Multiple Objects As indicated at the beginning of the chapter, the objects of a group maintain their individuality and it is possible to undo a group via the context menu (Ungroup) or using the keyboard shortcut Alt + Control + Shift + G or even the main menu Modify > Ungroup. Editing individual objects in a group The objects in a group keep all of their properties, and it is always possible to edit each object individually without breaking the group.
Combining Multiple Objects In the example given, we are going to rotate the straight rectangle. After you rotate the rectangle, you can press Control + F3 to leave the group, and the sphere will become available for selection once again. Notice that you can create nested groups, or groups of groups. In this case, OpenOffice.org keeps the initial group hierarchy. If you ungroup a group made of other groups, you will be left with individual groups that you can then ungroup further.
Combining Multiple Objects The result of the combination is given in the following illustration: At first glance, this can seem rather surprising. Fortunately, once you have understood the rules governing combination in OpenOffice.org, it will become clear: • The attribute of the resulting object is the attribute of the object that is the furthest back from the viewer. In our example, it is the circle. The resulting drawing has the same color, line thickness, etc., as the circle.
Combining Multiple Objects Subtract Subtraction will take away from the lowermost layered object the area corresponding to the overlap from the uppermost object, and the uppermost object will disappear: Draw Guide 82
Combining Multiple Objects Intersect Intersecting two objects leads to an object that just represents the area of overlap between the two selected objects.
Combining Multiple Objects Putting the Shape Merge Functions to use The following example illustrates how complex shapes can be created by using the Shape Merge functions. Draw an ellipse and then a rectangle overlapping half of its width. Select both shapes and pick Shapes, subtract from the context menu. This is the shape that results. Draw another rectangle and position over the top half of the ellipse, subtract again. The shape is now beginning to resemble a knife blade.
Combining Multiple Objects Aids for Object Positioning The Draw module has various tools that are designed to help in the positioning of objects, in order to change the alignment of objects and the relative “front to back” ordering of objects. These tools can be reached through two icons in the left hand toolbar. This button gives you access to the object alignment toolbar. This button gives you access to the object layering toolbar.
Combining Multiple Objects All of the objects are aligned on their left side. All of the objects are centered vertically. All of the objects are aligned on their right side. All of the objects are aligned on their upper side.
Combining Multiple Objects All of the objects are horizontally centered. All of the objects are aligned on the lower side. Distribution of Objects When several objects are selected, Draw provides ways to let you distribute these objects harmoniously, both vertically and horizontally. To display the object distribution dialog box (Figure 41), right-click and choose Distribution from the context menu of the selected objects (you need at least three objects for this option to show up in the menu).
Combining Multiple Objects The objects are distributed horizontally from their left side. The objects are distributed horizontally from their middle (in reality it is the middle of the selection rectangle around each object). The objects are distributed by introducing the same horizontal spacing between two objects. The objects are distributed horizontally from their right side. The objects are distributed vertically from their upper side. The objects are distributed vertically from their middle.
Combining Multiple Objects Managing Object Arrangement The toolbar for object arrangement is as shown below. The toolbar lets you manage the relative superposition of objects. This toolbar can be detached. The examples given below should help you understand the principles behind the idea. This is the original group of objects. Figure 42. Original group of objects The square was selected. This button brings the selected object to the top of the pile of objects.
Combining Multiple Objects The square was selected. This button brings the selected object forward one layer. The square has been moved in front of the triangle, but is still behind the circle. Figure 44 - Bring forward The circle was selected. This button moves an object back one layer. In the drawing opposite, the circle has been moved behind the triangle, but is still in front of the square. Figure 45 - Send backward The circle was selected.
Combining Multiple Objects The result of the arrangement is shown on the left. Figure 48 - Result of the 'in front' arrangement For this button to work, you need to have at least two objects selected. The order of the selected objects is inverted in the pile of objects. In the example opposite, the square and the circle that were selected have had their positions inverted.
Additional Tools This chapter describes the many ways that Draw can help you create drawings more easily. Drawing Aid Tools This section describes the drawing aid tools that Draw provides. Choosing Scale and Managing Zoom Values To help you work with greater precision in certain areas of your drawings, Draw has a variety of tools that let you adjust the magnification of the drawing.
Additional Tools Zoom Toolbar OpenOffice.org provides a toolbar that deals entirely with zoom functions (see Figure 52). It is a floating toolbar that can be reached by clicking the Zoom button in the main toolbar. Figure 52 - Zoom Toolbar This button zooms in by a factor of 2 each time it is clicked. You can also use the + key from the number keypad. This button zooms out by a factor of 2 each time you click on it. You can also use the - key from the number keypad.
Additional Tools Managing Layers Draw has a workspace that can optionally comprise a series of layers on which you can draw the different parts of your drawing. The biggest advantage to layers is that they can be displayed or hidden at will. This technique is often used in architecture, for example.. The basic layer contains the base plan of the building, then various layers are used to represent piping, electrical circuits, furniture, dimensions, etc.
Additional Tools Once you are in layer mode, you can insert, modify, delete, or rename layers by clicking Edit > Layer on the top menu bar, as show in Figure 55. Figure 55 Adding and managing layers Placing Objects Draw contains a few functions to help you with placement of objects on a worksheet, or with respect to each other. The techniques described here are known as capture, snapping, and placement techniques. All of the functions are accessible through the Option Toolbar.
Additional Tools The snap tools are divided into 3 groups: the magnetic grid, snap lines, and snap points. Using these tools allows you to drag an object and have it “snap” tightly to a specific spot. The object will not just move when you click the snap to object button, for example. You have to click the button and then move the object. The Magnetic Grid One way of snapping objects into position is through the magnetic grid. This tool comprises a grid of points to which objects can be snapped.
Additional Tools Figure 59 - Grid Options Dialog Capture Lines Capture or snap lines are horizontal or vertical lines to which you can snap objects. In order to see the snap lines, you have to select the button lets you activate them. button in the options toolbar, and the Dynamic insertion of a capture line You can add a snap line by sliding the mouse cursor from the vertical ruler (for vertical snap lines) or from the horizontal ruler (for horizontal snap lines) into the workspace.
Additional Tools You can always relocate a snap line with the mouse. However, moving snap lines will not move any objects that have been snapped to that line. Manual Insertion of a snap point or snap line You can manually insert a snap point or a snap line using the Insert > Insert snap point/line....
Additional Tools Snapping to page If you click on the button, you can snap your objects to the margins of your workspace. The snap can be made to the margin or to the limits of the workspace, as shown below: Figure 65 - Snapping to margins Displaying guides The button lets you display the vertical and horizontal guides during movement of objects.
Additional Tools Specific Functions Draw contains several advanced functions that are useful in certain specific instances (web images and data exchange). Duplication This function duplicates a given shape while at the same time enabling you to change the options applied to the duplicated shapes. To start duplication, click on an object (or on a group of selected objects), then choose Edit > Duplicate.
Additional Tools Figure 68 - Example of Duplication The end result of a duplication is a new group. Cross-Fading This operation lets you transform a shape from one form to another, with OpenOffice.org handling all of the intermediate transitions. The result of such an operation is a new group. Here's an example of its use.
Additional Tools Figure 70 - Result of a crossfade To carry out a cross-fade, you first need to select both objects and then choose Edit > Crossfading. The following dialog will appear: Figure 71 - Cross-fade options The number of increments corresponds to the number of intermediate steps that the program will generate. The starting object is in the back and the ending object is in the front. If both objects are at the same relative level, Cross-fade works from top to bottom of the workspace.
Additional Tools Figure 72 - 3D crossfade Note: In order for the cross-fade to function, the objects need to have attributes that are similar. It is, for example, impossible to carry out a cross-fade between a shape filled with a simple color and another shape filled with a bitmap image. Exchanging Objects with Other Programs This section describes a few ways of exchanging data between the various modules in the OpenOffice.org suite and Draw and other programs.
Additional Tools Note that it is the same basic object in both cases. To convert an object, just click on the context menu of the object, and two options will be displayed: Convert to meta file and Convert to bitmap7. The conversion of a vector object into a bitmap should only be done when no other alternative is available (for example, for use for the Web or in a program that only accepts this type of image)8.
Additional Tools The result will look as follows: Figure 75 - Web page generated by OpenOffice.org export The following is a description of the various pages in the wizard. You will note that you can choose to create the web page at any moment by clicking on the Create button, so you're not obliged to continue to the end of the wizard. ➊ The first page lets you choose the design for all of the pages, either from an existing design or even create a new one.
Additional Tools ➋ On this page you can choose how you want to be able to navigate your web document: either via simple pages, frames (see Figure 75) or scripted page (via ASP or Perl, unfortunately no direct support for PHP as yet). You can also decide here to insert an index page. Figure 77 - HTML Export – Choice of Publishing Format ➌ On the third page, you decide how the images will be saved (GIF or JPEG) and their associated parameters.
Additional Tools ➎ On this page, you choose the navigation button style that is used to move from page to another. If you decide not to choose any, OpenOffice.org will create a text navigator. Figure 80 - HTML Export – Choosing navigation buttons ➏ The last page lets you define the color scheme for the created pages. You can save your scheme so that you will find it again on the first page of your HTML export wizard.
