Viewing Object Properties

Viewing Object Properties

Viewing Object Properties

If you want to view an object's properties, you can use the Object Properties Table View palette to see all the properties in a table. This palette lets you view custom properties that you have assigned to an object as well as geometric properties, such as the width and height of the object, location information, pen weight and color, and fill color.

To View Object Properties in a Table:

  1. Choose Object | Object Properties Table View.
  2. Click one of the following:
    • All: Displays both custom and geometric properties.
    • Object Properties: Displays any custom properties you have added to the object.
    • Geometric Properties: Displays the geometric properties of an object.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • To show all the properties, click Show All.
    • To show just selected properties, select the properties you want to display, and click Show Selected.

To Select Properties to View:

  1. Choose Customize from the Object Properties Table View palette menu, (the arrow button).
  2. In the Select Properties To Display dialog box, select the checkboxes for the properties you want to display.
  3. Click the Move First, Move Up, Move Down, and Move Last buttons to change the order of the properties displayed.
  4. Click OK.

Saving Properties

Once you have displayed the properties for an object, you can choose to save that data to a text file.

To Save the Displayed Properties:

  1. Choose Save from the Object Properties Table View palette menu.
  2. In the Save Object Properties dialog box, select the location where you want to save the file, type a file name, and click Save.

Selecting Objects by Property

The Select by Property command lets you select objects according to property information. Create a query based on one or more selected properties and property values. For example, if you wanted to select objects with a width greater than 2, you could create the following query:

"Width" >= 2.0

To Select Objects by Property:

  1. Choose Select by Property from the Object Properties Table View palette menu.
  2. In the Select by Property dialog box, create a query with the properties you want to use for selecting objects.
  3. Click OK.

To Save a Query:

  1. In the Select by Property dialog box, create a query.
  2. Choose Save Query/Expression in the Select by Property palette menu.
  3. In the Save query/expression dialog box, select the location where you want to save the file, type a file name, and click Save.

To Load a Saved Query:

  1. Choose Load Query/Expression in the Select by Property palette menu.
  2. In the Load query/expression dialog box, select the location where you saved the query file, select the file, and click Open.

Select by Property Options

Method

Select either Create new selection, Add to selection, Remove from selection, or Select from selection, depending on the desired outcome.

Query field

The query will appear in this field. Use a combination of the Operator buttons, Property list, Property Value list, and Function Category list to create a query.

Operator buttons

These are the most common operators. Click the button and the operator is added to the Query field.

Property list

Double-click a property to add it to the Query field. The Property Value list loads the related property values.

Property Value list

After double-clicking an item in the Property list, select a value in the Property Value list. Double-click the value to add it to the Query field.

Function Category

This list contains the possible operators. Double-click an operator to add it to the Query field. To filter the operators, select a category of operator from the Function Category drop-down list.

Statistics by Property

Use the Statistics by Property command to obtain the total number of objects on the current layer or within the current selection. The information is displayed in a histogram as well.

To View Statistics by Property:

Choose Statistics by Property from the Object Properties Table View palette menu.

Statistics by Property Dialog Box

Scope

Select the scope of the view:

  • Layer: Displays statistics for objects on the current layer.
  • Selection:Displays statistics for objects that are currently selected.
  • Table View: This option is enabled by selecting a column in the Object Properties Table View palette and choosing Statistics.

Property

Select an object property.

Expression

Click this button to open the Expression Builder dialog box to create a query.

Statistics

This section indicates the statistics for the selected property.

Show StdDev

Select this checkbox to show the standard deviation. The standard deviation appears as a dotted line.

Show Mean

Select this checkbox to show the average value for the selected property within the scope.

Columns

Select the number of columns to display in the histogram.

Palette menu

You can select one of the following options:

  • Copy statistics (as text): Copies the statistics as text to the clipboard. You can then paste it into your document.
  • Copy selected statistics value (as text): Copies the selected value as text to the clipboard. You can then paste it into your document.
  • Place histogram (as Canvas objects): Places the histogram in the upper left corner of the layout area.

Calculating Values

You can calculate values for a custom property in the Object Properties Table View palette.

To Calculate Values:

  1. In the Object Properties Table View palette, click a column heading and choose Calculate Values.
  2. In the Expression Builder dialog box, create an expression by selecting properties, a function category, and .
  3. Click OK.

Expression Builder

The Expression Builder dialog box, accessible from the palettes such as the Statistics by Property palette and the Calculate Values command from the Object Properties Table View palette, is very similar to the Select by Property dialog box. It lets you create expressions, similar to queries.

Expression Builder Dialog Box

Expression field

The query will appear in this field. Use a combination of the Operator buttons, Property list, Property Value list, and Function Category list to create a query.

Operator buttons

These are the most common operators. Click the button and the operator is added to the Query field.

Property list

Double-click a property to add it to the Query field. The Property Value list loads the related property values.

Property Value list

After double-clicking an item in the Property list, select a value in the Property Value list. Double-click the value to add it to the Query field.

Function Category

This list contains the possible operators. Double-click an operator to add it to the Query field. To filter the operators, select a category of operator from the Function Category drop-down list.

Adding Properties

You can add custom text or numerical properties to objects while you are viewing them in the Object Properties Table View palette using the Add Property command.

To Add Properties:

  1. Choose Add Property from the Object Properties Table View palette menu.
  2. In the Add Property Dialog Box, select the Add Property options.
  3. Click OK.

Add Property Dialog Box

Name

Enter a name in this field. In the Object Properties Table View palette, a new column is created with this Name.

Type

Select either Text or Numeric for the type of property you want to add.

Fixed Value

Select this radio button to enter a fixed value for the property.

Compute values

Select this radio button if you want to create an expression. Click the Expression button to create an expression. If you select Numeric, the result of the expression must be numeric as well.

From clipboard

Select this radio button to add a value from the clipboard.

To Delete a Property:

  1. Choose Edit Properties from the Object Properties Table View palette menu.
  2. In the Object Properties palette, select the property you want to delete.
  3. Choose Delete Property from the palette menu.

Object Properties Table View Palette Menu Options

The following options are available in the palette menu.

Save

Opens the Save object properties dialog box so you can save the properties in a TXT file.

Copy

Copies the properties currently in the palette. Paste the data in a spreadsheet or text program.

Select by Property

Opens the Select by Property dialog box.

Clear selection

Deselects all selected objects.

Select All

Selects any object whose properties appear in the palette.

Switch selection

Reverses the current selection; i.e., any selected objects are deselected and vice-versa.

Fit view to selection

Causes Canvas X Draw to magnify and center the selected objects.

Add property

Opens the Add Property dialog box.

Edit properties

Opens the Object Properties palette.

Statistics by property

Opens the Statistics by property dialog box.

Customize

Opens the Select Properties to display dialog box in which you can select the properties that you want to display.

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