Positioning objects

Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.x

Chapter 7: Getting Started with Draw

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• The Draw workspace
• Positioning objects
• The basic drawing shapes
• Drawing geometric shapes
• Selection modes
• Selecting objects
• Moving and dynamically adjusting an object’s size
• Editing objects
• Special effects
• Combining multiple objects
• Pictures and 3D objects

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Positioning objects with snap functions

In Draw, objects can be positioned to grid points, to special snap points and lines, to object frames, to single object points, or to page edges. This function is known as Snap. In this manner objects can be very accurately positioned in a drawing.

If you want to use the snap function, it is much easier to work with the highest practical zoom value. It is possible to use two different snap functions at the same time, for example snap to a guide line and to the page edge. It is best, however, to activate only those functions that you really need.

This section describes the snap-to-grid function. For more information about this and the other snap functions, see Chapter 8 (Tips and Tricks) and Chapter 10 (Advanced Draw Techniques) in the Draw Guide.

Snap to grid

Use this function to move an object exactly to a grid point. This function can be switched on and off with View > Grid > Snap to Grid and on the Options toolbar with the icon .

With snap to grid, objects align to the grid precisely.

Showing the grid

Make the grid visible under View > Grid > Display Grid. Alternatively turn the grid on and off with the icon on the Options toolbar.

Configuring the grid

The color, spacing, and resolution of the grid points can be individually chosen for each axis.The spacing between the lines is defined in the Grid options dialog under the Drawing area of the OOo options (Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Draw > Grid). In the dialog shown below, you can set the following parameters:

• Vertical and horizontal spacing of the dots in the grid. You can also change the unit of measurement used in the general Draw options (Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Draw > Grid > General).
• The resolution is the size of the squares or rectangles in the grid. If the resolution is Horizontal 1cm, Vertical 2cm, the grid consists of rectangles 2cm high and 1cm wide.
• Subdivisions are additional points that appear along the sides of each rectangle or square in the grid. Objects snap to subdivisions as well as to the corners of the grid.
• The pixel (pix element) size of the snap area defines how close you need to bring an object to a snap point or line before it will snap to it.

Setting grid options

Changing the color of the grid points

The default grid dots are light gray, which can be hard to see. To improve visibility, go to Tools > Options, then OpenOffice.org > Appearance.

Changing the grid color

In the Drawing / Presentation section, you can change the color of the grid points. On the Color Settings pulldown menu, select a more suitable/visible color, for example black.

Positioning objects with helper lines

To simplify the positioning of objects it is possible to make visible guiding lines—extensions of the edges of the object—while it is being moved. These guiding lines have no snap function.

The guiding lines can be (de-)activated under Tools > Options > OpenOffice.org Draw > View > Guides when moving, or by clicking on the icon on the Options toolbar.