Drawing Basic Shapes

In Canvas X Draw you can quickly draw simple shapes using the following drawing tools:

Each of these tools belongs to a tool palette containing additional similar drawing tools.

To Open a Tool Palette:

Click a tool in the Toolbox.

To Float a Tool Palette:

Press Shift and drag the tool palette away from the Toolbox.

Drawing Lines, Rectangles, Squares, Ovals, Circles, and Arcs

To Draw Simple Lines, Rectangles, Squares, Ovals, Circles, and Arcs:

1. Click one of the drawing tools in the Toolbox.
2. Click in your document and drag to draw the shape, (or press Shift and drag).

Drawing Shapes

When you draw a vector object, Canvas X Draw applies the current ink and stroke settings. The inks and stroke icons in the Toolbox show a preview of the current settings. You can change these attributes before or after you draw an object. (See Inks: Colors and Patterns and Strokes: Outline Effects.)

Drawing Objects from the Center

You can draw many vector objects starting from the object’s center, rather than an edge.

To Draw an Object from the Center:

Position the cursor where you want the object’s center to be, then press Ctrl and drag away from the center to draw the object.

When you draw an object from the center, you can also press Shift at the same time if you want to also constrain the object’s bounding box to a square. Use this technique to draw a perfect square or circle from the center outward.

Drawing Circles

As well as drawing basic circles, you can draw circles by 3 points or by radius. The Circle 3 Points tool draws a circle through three points that you set. The Circle Radius tool draws a circle from a center point and a radius that you set. Both tools draw circles with the current fill ink, pen ink, and stroke.

The Circle Radius and Circle 3 Points tools are located in the Oval tool palette.

To Draw Circles by 3 Points:

1. Select the Circle 3 Points tool. 
2. Click in the document to set a first point on the circle’s circumference.
3. Move to a second point on the circle’s circumference. A line indicates the chord from the first point as you move the pointer.
4. Click to set the second point.
5. Move to a third point on the circumference. A line indicates the chord from the second point, while the circle expands or contracts as you move the pointer.
6. Click to set the third point and complete the circle.

To Draw Circles by Radius:

1. Select the Circle Radius tool. 
2. Click in the document to set the center of the circle.
3. Move to anywhere on the circumference of the circle. A line extends from the center and indicates the radius, while the circle expands or contracts as you move the pointer.
4. Click to set the circumference and complete the circle.

Drawing Arcs

As well as drawing basic arcs, you can draw arcs by 3 points or by radius. The Arc 3 Points tool draws an arc through three points that you set. The Arc Radius tool draws an arc based on a center point and radius that you set. Both tools draw arcs with the current fill ink, pen ink, and stroke.

The Arc 3 Points and Arc Radius tools are located in the Oval tool palette.

To Draw Arcs by 3 Points:

1. Select the Arc 3 Points tool. 
2. Click in the document to set one endpoint of the arc.
3. Move to the second endpoint of the arc. A line extends from the first endpoint.
4. Click to set the second endpoint.
5. Move to a point on the perimeter of the arc. A line indicates the chord from the second point, while the arc expands or contracts as you move the pointer.
6. Click to set the perimeter point and finish the arc.

To Draw Arcs by Radius:

1. Select the Arc Radius tool. 
2. Click in the document to set the center of the arc.
3. Move to one endpoint of the arc. A line extends from the center and indicates the arc’s radius.
4. Click to set the endpoint.
5. Move to the second endpoint of the arc. An arc segment extends from the first endpoint and indicates the arc’s length.
6. Click to set the second endpoint and finish the arc.

To Change the Length of an Arc:

1. Select the arc. Round handles appear near the beginning and end of the arc segment.
2. To adjust the length of the arc, do one of the following:
   • To shorten the arc, drag the round handle back over the arc.
   • To lengthen the arc, drag the round handle to continue the arc segment.

You can also adjust the length of an arc by changing its Start angle and values in the Properties bar or Object Specs palette.

To Change the Corner Radius of a Rounded Rectangle:

1. Select the rounded rectangle. A round handle appears near the lower-right corner of the rectangle.
2. Drag the handle to change the corner diameter.

You can also adjust the corner radius in the Properties bar or use the Diag setting in the Object Specs palette.

Resizing and Reshaping Vector Objects

You can resize and reshape a vector object by changing the size and shape of the object’s bounding box. You can also change the length of arc segments and the corner radius of rounded rectangles. These techniques are described in the following section.

You can also edit most vector objects by changing the anchor points and segments that form their paths. For information on these editing techniques, see Editing Object Paths.

To Resize an Object’s Bounding Box:

When you drag a handle on a vector object’s bounding box, you change the height or width (or both) of the bounding box. This also changes the size (and possibly the shape) of the object; e.g., if you select a circle and drag a side handle to make the bounding box wider, the circle becomes an oval that is wider than it is tall.

1. Choose a selection tool.
   • Use the filled arrow to select a single object (including a group object).
   • Use the hollow arrow to select an individual object within a group object.
2. Click the object to select it. Handles appear on the object’s bounding box.
3. Drag a handle, as described below, to resize the object.

Maintaining Object Proportions

When you resize vector objects and want to maintain the object’s height-to-width ratio, you have the following options:

• Press Shift and drag a corner handle to resize the object proportionally.
• Use the Scale command and select the Proportional option in the Scale dialog box. This keeps the vertical and horizontal scaling factor in the dialog box equal.
• Use the Scale control in the Properties bar. Click the Scale button and select Scale Proportional. Then enter a value in the width or height field.
• Use the Objects Specs command and select the Keep Proportions option in the Object Specs palette. Canvas X Draw keeps the object proportional if you change an object dimension in the Object Specs palette.

See also:

• Inks: Colors and Patterns
• Strokes: Outline Effects
• Editing Object Paths