Page and Layer Options

Page and Layer Options

Page and Layer Options

In each type of document, you can set options for pages and layers. Use the Document Layout palette to set some options. (See Setting Options in the Palette.) Additional options are in dialog boxes.

You can set options for multiple items by selecting them and choosing Options in the palette’s menu. Do this to set the duration for multiple frames of an animation, or to apply transitions to multiple slides.

Using the Options Dialog Box

To Open the Options Dialog Box:

  1. In the Document Layout palette, do one of the following:
    • Double-click a page, master page, or layer to open an Options dialog box.
    • Select the item and choose Options in the palette’s menu.
  2. In the Options dialog box, select from the following options and click OK to apply the settings. Some options, as noted, are not available for all items or document types.

Options Dialog Box

Name

In the text box, type a name for the item. By default, Canvas X Draw names pages and layers based on their order in the list.

Locked

Select the Locked option to prevent changes to a page’s layers, to individual layers, or to individual objects.

A locked page can be changed in some ways. If a master page is visible, changes to the master page will appear on the locked page. Also, a locked page does not prevent a document from being deleted. If a locked page is copied, the copy is also locked.

Password

You can select the Password option when Locked is selected. When the Password option is used, the assigned password must be entered to unlock or change the page. To assign a password, select the Password option and type at least three characters in the text box. After you click OK, enter the password in the confirmation dialog box that appears and click OK.

Visible

The Visible option can be changed only in the Document Layout palette list. In Options dialog boxes, the Visible option is not available because a current item can’t be hidden.

Grayed

Select Grayed to make solid color inks of objects on the layer appear to be grayed (desaturated).

Color Override

Select Color Override to apply a color to a layer. Select White Fill to apply a white fill ink to vector objects and text objects on a layer that has a color override.

When you apply a color override to a layer, you temporarily assign a color to vector and text objects on the layers you specify. A color override does not affect paint objects. When you turn off the Color Override option, all affected objects revert to their original colors.

White Fill

The White Fill option lets you control how override colors appear on vector objects. This option doesn’t change how override colors appear on text.

When White Fill is selected, Canvas X Draw applies the override color to the pen ink of vector objects and applies white as the fill ink; i.e., the override color becomes the color of the stroke of vector objects, while the inside of the object remains white. When White Fill is not selected, Canvas X Draw applies the override color as both pen and fill inks.

If you use the White Fill option, objects without a visible stroke are not visible against the white layout area.

Using Master Pages

Master pages (slides/frames) hold common elements that you want to appear on most pages. Objects on the master page’s layers appear on pages where the Master Page option is selected.

You can unlink a master page. This lets you edit the page’s contents like you would any layer that isn’t shared, without changing the appearance of the master page on other pages. Canvas X Draw also lets you re-link a master page.

Illustration documents do not use master pages.

To Unlink a Master Page:

  1. Select the page where you want to unlink the master page. (Do not select the master page item or a layer).
  2. Choose Unlink Master in the palette’s menu. The layers of the master page become regular layers of the current page.

To Link a Master Page:

  1. Select the page to which you want to link the master page.
  2. Choose Link Master in the palette’s menu. Canvas X Draw links the master page to the current page. Other elements on the page are not affected.

Sharing Layers

Sharing a layer means linking a layer to more than one page in a document. Since the shared layers are linked, if you modify one layer, all the linked layers will change. Therefore, shared layers can be used like additional master pages. The names of shared layers and objects on them are indicated in italics in the Document Layout palette.

Unsharing a layer converts it from a shared layer into a regular, non-linked layer on one page or throughout a document.

To Share a Layer:

  1. Select the layer you want to share in the Document Layout palette.
  2. Choose Share Layer in the palette’s menu.
  3. In the Select dialog box, select the pages in the list that you want to share the layer and click Select. The shared layer name appears in the list of layers for each page you selected.

The name and content of the dialog box changes according to the type of document you are creating; i.e., pages, sheets, frames, or slides.

You can also share a layer by pressing Shift and dragging the layer to another page (except the master page).

To Unshare a Layer:

  1. Select the layer you want to unshare.
  2. Choose Unshare Layer in the palette’s menu.
  3. In the message box, click one of the following:
    • Yes: Unshares all instances of the shared layer in the document. Canvas X Draw unlinks the layers and creates a copy of the layer on each page.
    • No: Unshares the layer on the currently selected page only. The rest of the layers remain shared.

Dispersing Objects

You can use the Disperse command to quickly move objects to pages throughout a document. This is useful for creating frames and slides. For example, you can select a series of graphics, and use Disperse to place one graphic on each frame in an Animation document. You can spread objects over existing pages or Canvas X Draw will create pages for the objects. Dispersed objects are placed on a new layer on each page.

To Disperse Objects:

  1. Select the objects to disperse. The objects should be on the same layer and should not be grouped.
  2. Choose Object | Arrange | Disperse.
  3. In the Disperse dialog box, select one of the following:
    • Dynamically allocated partitionsCanvas X Draw will create pages to hold the selected objects.
    • Select partitions: Click Select to display a list of pages. Shift-click pages to select them, and then click Select.
  4. In the Objects per partition text box, enter the number of objects to place on each page (Canvas X Draw divides the number of objects evenly if you select pages; remaining objects go on the last selected page).
  5. Click OK to disperse the selected objects.

See also:

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