Creating and Formatting Lines

Draw provides you with several types of lines: simple lines, connectors that you can use in diagrams and flowcharts, dimension indicator lines, and Bezier curves. You also can apply a variety of attributes, including types of ends, color , width, and so on.

Drawing a Basic Line or Arrow

  1. Click the Lines and Arrows icon in the toolbar and in the tearoff menu, select the type of line or arrow you want.

    graphics/29inf12.jpg

  2. Draw the line. Use the handles to adjust the line if necessary.

Note

The crosshairs icon allows you to draw a line that is exactly horizontal, perpendicular , or at a 45-degree angle.

graphics/crosshairs.jpg


Occasionally you'll draw a line that looks fine onscreen but prints with a slight crook in it. You can correct it either of the following ways:

  • Select the line, click and hold down the mouse on the end you want to adjust, then press Shift and adjust it. This snaps the line to a vertical or horizontal orientation.

  • Zoom in to 400% or higher and adjust it (see Increasing or Decreasing Display Size (Zooming) on page 663).

  • Snap to the grid or snap points (see Snapping Objects to a Grid on page 780).

Quickly Changing Line Attributes

Use the object bar at the top of the work area, shown in Figure 29-14.

  1. Select a Line end type for each end of the line.

  2. Select the Line type: Invisible, Continuous, or one of the listed patterns.

  3. Select a Line width. The measurement is calibrated in the current measuring system.

  4. Select a Line color.

Figure 29-14. Line attribute fields

graphics/29fig14.jpg

Note

To remove the arrow from a line you drew, click on the line end type icon in Figure 29-14, and select a plain line for each end.


Changing Attributes Using the Line Window

Once you've drawn a line, you can apply a variety of characteristics to it like color, arrows, width, and pattern.

It also lets you set and modify line styles and line style lists, a way of categorizing those styles.

  1. Open the Line window using either method:

    • Right-click and choose Line.

    • Click the Line icon on the left side of the object bar.

      graphics/line.jpg

  2. The Line window will be displayed (Figure 29-15).

    Figure 29-15. Applying line attributes

    graphics/29fig15.jpg

  3. Modify any of the displayed options.

  4. Click Reset to change the settings back to the originals , click Cancel to close the window without applying changes, or click OK to apply the changes you've made.



OpenOffice. org 1.0 Resource Kit
OpenOffice.Org 1.0 Resource Kit
ISBN: 0131407457
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 407

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