Controlling Workspace Display

You can control several aspects of how your presentations look while you're working with them. Factors such as how large they seem, whether you're using black-and-white or color , can make it easier to develop your work and make it match your needs more closely.

Selecting a Measurement System

To display the top and left rulers, choose Tools > Options > Presentation > View and select the Rulers visible option.

1. Right-click on the ruler at the top or right of the workspace. (If it isn't displayed, choose View > Rulers.)

2. Select a measurement system.

Increasing or Decreasing Display Size (Zooming)

Impress lets you control the size at which your drawing is displayed. If you need to have particularly precise control over how you move objects in the workspace, or want to see an object close-up, you might want to use a high zoom, such as 400%, to view the objects as very large. If you want to see how the object might seem to an audience seeing it from a distance, you can reduce the view to smaller than 100%.

Selecting a Preset Zoom

1. Right-click the zoom field in the status bar below the work area.

   

2. Select one of the displayed percentages.

Selecting a New Zoom

1. Double-click in the zoom field.

2. Select an existing zoom or enter your own in the Variable field at the bottom of the Zoom window.

3. Click OK.

Using the Zoom Icon

1. Click and hold down the mouse on the Zoom icon in the toolbar, to display the Zoom tearoff menu.

   

2. Select the type of zoom you want in the Zoom menu.

   You can quickly zoom in, out, to 100%, to the previous zoom, and several other options (displayed in tool tips). Each time you click to zoom in or out, the zoom changes by 50% of the current display.

Reducing How Much of a Slide is Displayed

Impress lets you show object outlines when you move them. The default behavior is that, if you have selected several objects to drag across the work area, only a rectangle outlining the group as a whole will be shown. You can make your files appear faster if you reduce what the program needs to draw; you can turn off display of pictures and objects (this includes graphics-based backgrounds) and text.

1. Choose Tools > Options > Presentation > View.

2. Select the Contour of Each Individual Object option, then click OK.

3. Select the options you want (Figure 25-25).

   Figure 25-25. Choosing which items to hide in Presentation View window

   

Note

This doesn't affect printingif you turn on picture placeholders here, none of your objects or backgrounds will be displayed, but they'll still print normally.

Showing Extended Object Lines to Show Where Object Is Being Moved To

You can display objects with lines coming out of both axes when you move them, to show more clearly where the object will be (Figure 25-26).

Figure 25-26. Displaying extended object lines

To use this feature, choose Tools > Options > Presentation > View, then select the Guides when moving option.

Using the Grid to Draw and Position Objects

This is covered in Draw's Using the Grid on page 779. Using the grid lets you "snap" objects you draw and move to the grid lines, so that lines are straight and objects are aligned.

Use the icons on the option bar to control the grid functions (to display it, choose View > Toolbars > Option Bar). Click the Show Grid icon to activate it (Figure 25-27).

Figure 25-27. Grid option icons

Viewing in Grayscale, Color, or Black/White

You can reduce the RAM required to display images by switching to grayscale or black and white, or preview how something will look when printed.

Note

The settings covered in this procedure don't affect printing, but the effects you see are the same you'd get if you printed in grayscale or black and white. To print in grayscale or black and white, see Printing Without Dark Backgrounds on page 744.

1. Choose View > Display Quality.

2. Select Color, Grayscale, or Black and White. Figure 25-28 illustrates the effects.

   Figure 25-28. Displaying in grayscale or black and white