Getting Started Guide

These options are also available from the Arrange tear-off toolbar from the
button on the Drawing toolbar. A keyboard shortcut is Shift+Ctrl+plus sign to bring
an object to the top, and Shift+Ctrl+minus to send an object to the bottom.
Draw also provides tools for aligning multiple objects; details are given in the Draw
Guide.
Selecting several objects
To select or deselect several objects one by one, press the Shift key and click on the
various objects to be selected or deselected. One click on an object selects it; a
second click on the same object deselects it.
Moving and dynamically adjusting an object’s size
There are several ways of moving or changing the size of an object. The dynamic
method described here uses the mouse.
When you dynamically change an object, remember to check the left-hand area of the
status bar at the bottom of the Draw window. This area shows detailed information
about the ongoing manipulation. This information changes when the mouse is moved.
Dynamic movement of objects
To move an object, select it and then click within the object’s
border and hold down the left mouse button while dragging
the mouse.
During movement, the shape of the object appears a faded
version of the shape to help with repositioning.
To drop the object at its new location, release the mouse
button. The new position appears immediately in the Status
Bar.
Dynamic size modification of objects
To change the size of a selected object (or group of selected
objects) with the mouse, move one of the handles located
around the selection. As shown in the following illustration, a
faded version of the new object shape is shown.
The results depend on which handle you use. To resize an object along one axis, use
the appropriate side handle. To resize both axes, use a corner handle. The new size
appears immediately in the status bar.
Note
If you press the Shift key while resizing an object, the change in size
will be carried out symmetrically with respect to the two axes, so that
the aspect (height/length) ratio of the object remains the same.
Chapter 7 Getting Started with Draw 191