Revision as of 16:06, 14 February 2010

Editing pictures

Draw contains a number of functions for editing raster graphics (bitmaps)—for example, photos, scanned pictures, and so on—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. 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.

Working with 3D objects

Although Draw does not match the functionality of the leading drawing or picture editing programs, it does offer a wide array of tools and methods to produce and edit very good 3D drawings and pictures.

Draw offers two types of 3D objects: the ones carried forward from OOo version 1, 3D bodies, and the ones newly introduced in version 2, 3D shapes. Depending on which type you choose, there are different possibilities for further editing of the object (rotation, illumination, perspective). Setting up and editing 3D objects is simpler with 3D shapes than with 3D bodies, but 3D bodies currently allow for more customizing than 3D shapes.

See Chapter 7 (Working with 3D Objects) in the Draw Guide for details.

Inserting pictures from other sources

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 such as photographs: the Picture toolbar and the bitmap image management palette. See the Draw Guide for details and examples.

Exporting objects to other programs

To save a Draw image in a foreign format, use File > Export. Draw can save to many graphic file formats.

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, E-mailing, and Exporting). 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).