Getting Started Guide

Aids for positioning objects
Draw has various tools to help you arrange the objects with respect to each other:
• Moving an object to the front or to the back
• Aligning objects with respect to each other
• Distributing the distance and space between objects
See Chapter 5 (Combining Multiple Objects) in the Draw Guide for more information.
Inserting and editing pictures
Draw contains a number of functions for editing raster graphics (bitmaps)—for
example, photos and scanned images—including import and and export as well as
conversion from one format to another. Draw can read in all the usual range of
graphic file formats.
You can add pictures from several sources:
• The Gallery—see Chapter 11 (Graphics, the Gallery, and Fontwork)
• Directly from a scanner (Insert > Picture > Scan)
• Images created by another program, including photographs from a digitial
camera (Insert > Picture > From File)
Draw provides tools for working with bitmap images: the Picture toolbar and the
bitmap image management palette. However, it does not have the same capabilities
as the specialized raster graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop or The Gimp. See
Chapter 6 (Editing Pictures) in the Draw Guide for details and examples.
Working with 3D objects
Although Draw does not match the functionality of the leading drawing or picture
editing programs, it is capable of producing and editing very good 3D drawings.
Draw offers two types of 3D objects: 3D bodies, and 3D shapes. Depending on which
type you choose, there are different possibilities for further editing of the object
(rotation, illumination, perspective). 3D shapes are simpler to set up and edit than 3D
bodies, but 3D bodies currently allow for more customization.
See Chapter 7 (Working with 3D Objects) in the Draw Guide for details.
Exporting graphics
To save a Draw image in a format other than *.odg, use File > Export. Draw can
save to many graphic file formats, as listed in Appendix B (Background Information)
of this book. You can export the entire file or selected objects.
You can also export Draw files to HTML, PDF, or Flash. PDF export is the same as for
any part of OpenOffice.org, as described in Chapter 10 (Printing, Exporting, and E-
mailing) of this book. Flash export creates a .swf file.
HTML export uses a conversion wizard that creates as many web pages as there are
pages in your Draw document. You can optionally choose to display the pages in
frames with a navigator and can set an index page. For more information, see
Chapter 12 (Creating Web Pages: Saving Documents as HTML Files) of this book.
Chapter 7 Getting Started with Draw 199