Documentation/AOO4 User Guides/Draw Guide/Combining Multiple Objects/Aids for Positioning Objects/Moving an Object to the Front or to the Back

Apache OpenOffice 4.1 Draw Guide

Combining Multiple Objects

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• Introduction: Grouping and Combining Objects
• Grouping Objects
  • Grouping by Common Selection
  • Maintaining Groups and Undoing Groups
  • Editing Individual Objects in a Group
  • Nesting Groups
• Combining Objects
  • Connecting Lines
• Merging, Subtracting, or Intersecting Shapes
  • Merge
  • Subtract
  • Intersect
  • Practical Example
• Aids for Positioning Objects
  • Moving an Object to the Front or to the Back
  • Aligning Objects
  • Distributing the Distance and Space Between Objects

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Moving an Object to the Front or to the Back

When you combine or merge objects, the result varies drastically depending on which object is “in front” and which one is “behind”. Figure 114 illustrates the difference.

Figure 114: Subtracting objects: the result varies depending on which object is in front.

If you imagine several objects stacked one on top of another, the one referred to as “Front” is the one on top of the stack. The one referred to as “Back” is the one at the very bottom of the stack.

First, select an object. Then, on the Drawing toolbar, long-click the Arrange icon to open the Position toolbar (Figure 115). This toolbar can be torn off and made to float.

Figure 115: The floating Position toolbar

Brings the selected object to the front of the group.
Brings the selected object one step forward.
Sends the selected object one step backwards.
Sends the selected object to the back of the group.
Moves the selected object in front of another chosen object.
Moves the selected object behind another chosen object.

First, click on the object you want to change in position. Next, click on the icon and then move the mouse over the other object. The mouse cursor changes into a hand, and the outline of the second object becomes a dashed line (see below). Clicking on this object completes the rearrangement of position.

Reverses the order of the selected objects (this option is grayed out if only one object is selected).