Draw Guide 7.2

Chapter 11,
Advanced Draw TechniquesCopyrightThis document is Copyright © 2021 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors arelisted below. This document maybe distributed and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU
General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative
Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors
To this editionPeter Schofield

To previous editions
Martin Fox
John A Smith

John ClelandPeter Schofield

Jean Hollis Weber
Regina HenschelFeedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to the Documentation Team’s
mailing list: documentation@global.libreoffice.org

Note
Everything sent to a mailing list, including email addresses and any other personal
information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be deleted.

Publication date and software version
Published December 2022. Based on LibreOffice 7.2 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Using LibreOffice on macOS
Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows andLinux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document.
For a detailed list, see the application Help.
Windows or LinuxmacOS equivalent

EffectTools > Options
menu selection

LibreOffice > Preferences

Access setup options

Right-click

Control+click or right-click
depending on computer setup

Open a context menu

Ctrl (Control)⌘ (Command)

Used with other keys

F11

⌘+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at https://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/Contents
Copyright............................................................................................................................2
Contributors.............................................................................................................................. 2
Feedback.................................................................................................................................. 2
Publication date and software version.......................................................................................2
Using LibreOffice on macOS.....................................................................................................2

Drawing pages...................................................................................................................6
Pages pane............................................................................................................................... 6
Selecting pages........................................................................................................................ 6
Navigating pages...................................................................................................................... 7
Adding pages............................................................................................................................ 8
Inserting new page............................................................................................................... 8
Duplicating pages................................................................................................................. 8
Renaming pages....................................................................................................................... 8
Changing page order................................................................................................................8
Deleting pages.......................................................................................................................... 9

Master pages......................................................................................................................9
Master page view...................................................................................................................... 9Creating master pages.............................................................................................................. 9
Renaming master pages......................................................................................................... 10
Assigning master pages.......................................................................................................... 11
Deleting master pages............................................................................................................11
Inserting fields......................................................................................................................... 11
Editing field format.................................................................................................................. 12
Master pages from templates..................................................................................................13

Templates.........................................................................................................................14
Creating drawing templates.....................................................................................................14
Using Save As Template dialog..........................................................................................14
Using Save As command...................................................................................................15
Creating a drawing from templates.........................................................................................15
Start Center........................................................................................................................ 16
Templates dialog................................................................................................................ 16
Default template...................................................................................................................... 17
Setting default template......................................................................................................17
Resetting default template..................................................................................................17
Editing templates.................................................................................................................... 17
Editing................................................................................................................................ 18
Updating drawings from modified template.........................................................................18
Changing templates assigned to drawings..............................................................................18
Organizing templates.............................................................................................................. 19
Creating template categories..............................................................................................19
Renaming template categories...........................................................................................19
Deleting template categories..............................................................................................19
Moving templates............................................................................................................... 20
Importing templates............................................................................................................ 21
Exporting templates............................................................................................................ 21
Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques | 3

Deleting templates.............................................................................................................. 22
Other ways of using templates................................................................................................22
Drawing from a template....................................................................................................22
Template from a drawing....................................................................................................23

Multiple layers..................................................................................................................23
Default layers.......................................................................................................................... 23
Normal view....................................................................................................................... 23
Master view........................................................................................................................ 24
Inserting layers........................................................................................................................ 24
Modifying layers...................................................................................................................... 25
Working with layers................................................................................................................. 25
Selecting a layer................................................................................................................. 25
Hiding layers...................................................................................................................... 25
Showing hidden layers.......................................................................................................26
Locking layers.................................................................................................................... 26
Unlocking layers................................................................................................................. 26
Renaming layers................................................................................................................26
Deleting layers....................................................................................................................26
Moving objects between layers..........................................................................................26

Dimensioning...................................................................................................................27
Configuring dimensioning........................................................................................................27
Drawing object styles.........................................................................................................27
Dimension line dialog.........................................................................................................28
Dimensioning options.........................................................................................................28
Guide selection handles.....................................................................................................30
Dimensioning objects.............................................................................................................. 30

Drawing to scale..............................................................................................................31
Multiple views of a drawing............................................................................................32
Gallery...............................................................................................................................33
Using the Gallery..................................................................................................................... 33
Creating themes and adding images.......................................................................................34
Deleting gallery themes and images.......................................................................................35
Updating the Gallery...............................................................................................................35
Renaming themes................................................................................................................... 35

Colors...............................................................................................................................35
Changing colors...................................................................................................................... 36
Color Bar............................................................................................................................ 36
Area dialog......................................................................................................................... 37
Area panel on the Sidebar..................................................................................................37
Fill Color on the Line and Filling or Drawing toolbars..........................................................38
Line dialog.......................................................................................................................... 38
Line panel on the Sidebar...................................................................................................40
Line Color on the Line and Filling or Drawing toolbars.......................................................40
Changing text color.................................................................................................................41
Character dialog................................................................................................................. 41
Character panel on the Sidebar..........................................................................................41
Creating colors........................................................................................................................ 42
Using Pick a Color dialog...................................................................................................42
4| Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Using Area dialog............................................................................................................... 43
Adding custom colors.............................................................................................................. 43
Renaming custom colors.........................................................................................................43
Deleting custom colors............................................................................................................ 44

Bézier curves...................................................................................................................44
Drawing Bézier curves............................................................................................................ 44
Edit Points tools...................................................................................................................... 45

Adding comments to a drawing.....................................................................................47
Coordinate system..........................................................................................................48
X and Y axes........................................................................................................................... 48
Workspace.............................................................................................................................. 48
Object position........................................................................................................................ 48
Accuracy................................................................................................................................. 49

Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques | 5

Drawing pages
Pages pane
A drawing created in Draw can consist of multiple pages allowing a drawing to be stored as one
file on a computer. The drawing pages are displayed as thumbnails in the Pages page which isused to add, rename, delete, and arrange pages in a drawing.
By default the Pages page (Figure 1) appears docked on the left of the Workspace. If the Pages
page is not visible, go to View > Page Pane on the Menu bar.
•

For Windows and macOS only – press and hold the Ctrl key, then double-click in the title
bar of the Pages pane to create a floating window.

•

For macOS only – press and hold the Cmd (⌘) key, then double-click in the title bar of
the Pages pane to create a floating window.

•

For Windows, Linux and macOS – click in the title bar and drag the Pages pane to create
a floating window.

•

To close the Pages pane, click on the X on the right side of the title bar, or deselect View
> Page Pane in the Menu bar.

Selecting pages
Select a page using one of the following methods and the page appears in the Workspace:•

Click on a page thumbnail in the Pages pane.

•

Select a page in the Navigator after opening.

Figure 1: Draw main window

6 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 2: Navigator dialog

Figure 3: Navigator deck on Sidebar
If the Navigator is not open, use one of the following methods to open it:•

Press the F5 key to open the Navigator dialog (Figure 2).

•

Go to View > Navigator on the Menu bar to open the Navigator dialog.

•

Click on Navigator on the right of the Sidebar to open the Navigator deck (Figure 3).

Navigating pages
To quickly select a page for editing so it appears in the Workspace, either select the page in the
Pages pane, or go to Page > Navigate on the Menu bar and select one of the options from thesubmenu:•

To First Page – moves the selection to the first page in the drawing.

•

To Previous Page – moves the selection backward to the previous page.

•To Next Page – moves the selection forward to the next page.

•To Last Page – moves the selection to the last page in the drawing.

Drawing pages | 7

Adding pages
Inserting new page
A new page is inserted into a drawing using one of the following methods. A new page is added
after the selected page in the Pages pane, or at the end of the pages if no page is selected.
•

Go to Page > New Page on the Menu bar.

•

Right-click in the Pages pane and select New Page from the context menu.

•

Right-click on the page displayed in the Workspace and select New Page from thecontext menu.

•

Go to Page > Insert Page from File on the Menu bar and the Insert File dialog opens.
Navigate to the folder where the file is located, select the file, click on Open and thenclick OK.

Duplicating pages
Select a page in the Pages pane, then use one of the following methods to insert the duplicate
page after the selected page:•

Go to Page > Duplicate Page on the Menu bar.

•

Right-click on a page in the Pages pane and select Copy from the context menu, thenright-click in a blank area of the Pages pane and select Paste from the context menu.

Renaming pages
When pages are inserted into a drawing, they are automatically named as Page 1, Page 2, andso on in the Pages pane and the Navigator. As the page order is changed, pages areautomatically renumbered. However, to easily identify each page, it is recommended to give eachpage a memorable name.
1) Select a page for renaming in the Pages pane.
2) Rename the selected page using one of the following methods:– Go to Page on the Menu bar and select Rename Page from the submenu.
– Right-click on the selected page in the Pages pane and select Rename Page fromthe context menu.
– Right-click on the page displayed in the Workspace and select Rename Page fromthe context menu.
3) In the Rename Page dialog that opens, type a new name for the page and click OK to
save.

Changing page order•

Select a page thumbnail in the Pages pane, then click and drag the page thumbnail tochange the page order.

•

Select a page thumbnail in the Pages pane, then go to Page > Move on the Menu bar
and select one of the following options– Page to Start – moves the selected page to the beginning of the drawing.
– Page Up – moves the selected page up one place in the page order of the drawing.
– Page Down – moves the selected page down one place in the page order of thedrawing.
– Page to End – moves the selected page to the end of the drawing.

8 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Deleting pages
1) Select a page for deletion in the Pages pane.
2) Delete the selected page using one of the following methods:– Go to Page > Delete Page on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the selected page in the Pages pane and select Delete Page from thecontext menu.
– Right-click on the page displayed in the Workspace and select Delete Page from thecontext menu.

Note
When deleting pages in a drawing, there is no deletion confirmation of the selected
page.

Master pages
A master page is a page used as the starting point for other pages in a drawing. It is similar to apage style in Writer or master slide in Impress and controls the basic formatting of all pages
based upon it. A drawing with multiple pages can have more than one master page so that adifferent look can be assigned to separate pages in a drawing, for example title page, contents
page, and drawing pages.
A master page has a defined set of characteristics. For example, background objects (such as
logos, decorative lines, and other graphics), formatting of text, blocks of standard text, and fields
such as page numbering, date, and filename.

Master page viewTo open the master page view, go to View > Master on the Menu bar. This also opens the Master
View toolbar (Figure 4). If this toolbar does not open, go to View > Toolbars > Master View on
the Menu bar. To return to normal page mode, click on Close Master View in the Master View
toolbar or go to View > Normal on the Menu bar.

Figure 4: Master
View toolbar

Creating master pages
Each drawing has a default master page. When a drawing has multiple pages, master pages canbe created and added to the drawing as follows:
1) Go to View > Master on the Menu bar to open the master page view and the Master View
toolbar.
2) Create a new master page using one of the following methods. After creation, the newmaster page is automatically selected.
– Click on New Master in the Master View toolbar.
– Go to Page > New Master on the Menu bar.
– Right-click in the Pages pane and select New Master from the context menu.

Master pages | 93) Add the required graphic objects, logos, fields, text and so on to the selected master
page, then save the drawing.
4) Assign the new master page to a drawing page. See “Assigning master pages” below for
more information.
5) If necessary, rename the master page with a meaningful name, see “Renaming masterpages” below.

Renaming master pages
Each new master page created has the default name of Default 1, Default 2, and so on. It is
recommended to rename a new master page with a more meaningful name. The default masterpage that was created when the drawing was first created can also be renamed.
1) Go to View > Master on the Menu bar to open the master page view and the Master View
toolbar.
2) Open the Rename Master Slide dialog (Figure 5) using one of the following methods:– Click on Rename Master in the Master View toolbar.
– Right-click on a master page in the Pages pane and select Rename Master from thecontext menu.
3) Enter a meaningful name for the master page in the Name text box, then click OK to savethe changes and close the Rename Master Slide dialog.

Figure 5: Rename Master Slide dialog

Figure 6: Available master Slides dialog
10 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Assigning master pages
When a drawing has more than one master page, different master pages can be assigned todifferent pages.
1) Go to View > Normal on the Menu bar.
2) In the Pages pane, select the page to assign a master page to it.
3) Right-click on the page in the Workspace and select Change Slide Master from thecontext menu to open the Available Master Slides dialog (Figure 6).
4) Select a master page design for the selected page in Select a Slide Design.
5) If necessary, select Exchange background page to use the selected master page for all
pages in the drawing.
6) If necessary, select Delete unused backgrounds to delete any master pages shown in
Select a Slide Design that have not been assigned to a page.
7) Click OK to assign the selected master page and close the Available Master Slides
dialog.

Deleting master pages
The default master page created when the drawing was first created cannot be deleted. Also, if
the drawing only uses one named master page, then that named master page cannot be deleted.
Deleting master pages is only available when there is more than one master page in a drawing.
1) Go to View > Master on the Menu bar to open the master page view and the Master View
toolbar.
2) Delete a master page using one of the following methods:– Select and right-click on a master page in the Pages pane, then select Delete Masterfrom the context menu.
– Click on Delete Master in the Master View toolbar.
– Go to Page > Delete Master on the Menu bar.

Note
The deletion of the master page is immediate and there is no confirmation.

Inserting fields
1) Go to View > Master on the Menu bar to open the master page view and the Master View
toolbar.
2) Go to Insert > Field on the Menu bar and select a field type from the options available on
the submenu.
The field types that are available for insertion as follows:•

Date (fixed) – inserts the current date into the master page as a fixed field. The date is
not automatically updated.

•

Date (variable) – inserts the current date into the master page as a variable field. The
date is automatically updated each time the file is opened.

•

Time (fixed) – inserts the current time into the master page as a fixed field. The time is
not automatically updated.

•

Time (variable) – inserts the current time into the master page as a variable field. The
time is automatically updated each time the file is opened.

Master pages | 11

Figure 7: Page Properties dialog•

Author – inserts the first and last names listed in the LibreOffice user data into the active
page. Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice > User Data on the Menu bar to enter user
data details.

•

Page Number – inserts the page number into every page of the drawing. To change thenumber format, go to Page > Page Properties on the Menu bar to open the Page
Properties dialog (Figure 7). Click on the Page tab and select a number format from thedrop-down list in Layout Settings.

•

Page Title – inserts the page title. A page title is created in Normal view by going to Page
> Rename Page on the Menu bar and entering a title in the Name text box in the
Rename Page dialog that opens.

•

Page Count – inserts the total number of pages in a drawing.

•

File Name – inserts the name of the active file. The name only appears after the file has
been saved.

Editing field format
1) Click on a field to select it and display the selection handles.
2) Double click on the field contents to select the text.
3) Edit the field format using one of the following methods:– Go to Edit > Fields... on the Menu bar to open the Edit Field dialog (Figure 8), thenselect format option(s) and click OK to save the changes.
– Right-click on the selected field contents and select an option from the context menu.
4) Click in a blank area of the master page to deselect the field.

Note
The options available in the Edit Field dialog change to match the field type that has
been selected for editing.

12 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 8: Edit Field dialog

Figure 9: Load Master slide dialog

Master pages from templates
Master pages from templates available in LibreOffice can be loaded into a drawing and used. If
the master pages from a template use a different page size, the master pages loaded into adrawing are adapted to the page size used in the drawing. This may cause some objects to be
stretched or incorrectly positioned when adapted to fit the drawing page size.
Master pages | 13

1) Go to View > Master on the Menu bar to open the master page view and the Master View
toolbar.
2) Right-click on a master page displayed in the drawing and select Change Master Slidefrom the context menu to open the Available Master Slides dialog.
3) Click on Load… in the Available Master Slides dialog to open the Load Master Slide
dialog (Figure 9).
4) Chose a template category from list displayed in Categories.
5) Choose a template from the list displayed in Templates. Click Preview to display apreview of the selected template.
6) Click OK to close the Load Master Slide dialog and the Available Master Slides dialog
opens displaying the template in Select a Slide Design.
7) Select the master page design required in Select a Slide Design.
8) If necessary, select Exchange background page to use the selected master page for all
pages in the drawing.
9) If necessary, select Delete unused backgrounds to delete any master pages shown in
Select a Slide Design that have not been assigned to a page.
10) Click OK to assign the selected master page to a drawing page and close the Available
Master Slides dialog.

Templates
A template is a special type of drawing that is used as a basis to create a drawing. For example,
a template can include a company logo, name and information on the first page of a drawing withthe remaining pages in a drawing only showing the company logo and name. Templates cancontain anything that regular drawings can contain, such as text, graphics, a set of styles, and soon.
All document types created using LibreOffice are based on templates. If a template is not
specified when a new document is started, then the default template for that type of document isused. This default template uses a set of properties that are hard coded in LibreOffice. If
necessary, the default template for drawings that is hard coded in LibreOffice can be changed,
see “Default template” on page 17 for more information.
For more information on templates and obtaining templates from other sources, see the Getting
Started Guide.
Draw does not have any predefined templates when it is installed on a computer. However,templates can be created using methods described in the following sections. Templates can also
be installed that have been obtained from other sources, see "Importing templates" on page 21
for more information.

Creating drawing templates
Using Save As Template dialog
1) Open a drawing to use as a basis for a template, or open and edit a template to use as abasis for a new template.
2) Add any extra content and styles or edit the content and styles in the drawing.
3) Open the Save As Template dialog (Figure 10) using one of the following methods:– Go to File > Templates > Save As Template on the Menu bar.
– Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Save on the Standard toolbar and select Saveas Template from the drop-down menu.

14 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 10: Save As Template dialog
4) Enter a name for the template in the Template Name text box.
5) Select a category for the template in the Template Category box.
6) If the template is to be used as the default template in Draw, then select the option Set as
default template.
7) Click on Save to save the template and close the dialog.

Using Save As command
Alternatively, the command Save As can be used to save the drawing as a template using thefollowing procedure:
1) Go to File > Save As on the Menu bar to open the Save as dialog.
2) Navigate to the LibreOffice templates folder. Actual location of the LibreOffice template
folder depends on the computer system and setup.
3) Enter a filename using the extension .otg.
4) Select ODF Drawing Template (.otg) as the file type.
5) Click on Save to save the template and close the dialog.

Note
When saving a drawing as a template, the template must be saved in the LibreOffice
templates folder for the template to be recognized and found by the LibreOfficeTemplate Manager.

Creating a drawing from templatesInstead of using the default settings in LibreOffice to create a new drawing, a drawing can becreated from a template.

Templates | 15

Start Center
Open LibreOffice and create a new drawing from a template displayed in the Start Center using
one of the following methods:•

Click on Templates in the Start Center to open a display of available templates for all
LibreOffice applications. Click on a template and a new document opens using therelevant LibreOffice module application for the template.

•

Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Templates in the Start Center, then select Draw
Templates to display only the available templates for LibreOffice Draw. Click on atemplate and a new drawing opens using LibreOffice Draw.

Templates dialog
Instead of using the default settings in LibreOffice to create a new drawing, the Templates dialog(Figure 11) can be used as follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Draw as the application and the template category
required for the new drawing.
3) Select a template from the options available in the preview box.
4) Click Open or double click on the template to create a new drawing using the selected
template and close the Template dialog.
5) Go to File > Save As on the Menu bar and save the new drawing as a file using theextension .odg.

Figure 11: Templates dialog
16 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Default template
If a new drawing is created without selecting a template, LibreOffice creates the drawing using a
set of properties that are hard coded in LibreOffice. However, any drawing template can be usedas the default template, but the template must be located in the templates folders used for
LibreOffice applications and categories.

Setting default template
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings and then the template category.
3) Select a template from the templates displayed in the preview box.
4) Right-click on the template and select Set as default from the context menu. There is no
confirmation that the selected template has become the default template for new
drawings. The default template is indicated by check mark at the top left corner of thetemplate icon.
5) Click on Cancel to close the Templates dialog. The next time a new drawing is created, it
will use the new default template.

Note
If a new drawing is suitable to use as the default template, then the drawing must be
saved as a template first before it can be used as the default template. See “Creatingdrawing templates” on page 14 for more information.

Resetting default template
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings and then the template category.
3) Right-click on the default template. The default template is indicated by check mark at the
top left corner of the template icon.
4) Select Reset Default from the context menu. There is no confirmation that Draw has
been reset to using LibreOffice default properties for creating a new drawing. The check
mark is removed from the template icon.
5) Click on Cancel to close the Templates dialog. The next time a new drawing is created, it
will use the LibreOffice default properties.

Editing templates
Note
Templates that were supplied with LibreOffice cannot be edited or deleted. Only
templates that have been created using LibreOffice or imported into LibreOffice canbe edited or deleted.

Templates | 17

Template styles and template content can be edited, and then, if necessary, reapplied to
drawings that were created from that template. Any content in the drawing, but not included in thetemplate, cannot be reapplied.

Editing
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) Select a template that was created using LibreOffice or imported into LibreOffice.
3) Right-click on the selected template and select Edit from the context menu. The template
opens in Draw.

Note
If the Edit option is greyed out, then the selected template is part of the LibreOfficeinstallation and cannot be edited.
4) Edit the template as any other drawing.
5) Go to File > Save on the Menu bar or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S to save thetemplate.
6) Alternatively, save the edited template as a new template. See “Creating drawing
templates” on page 14 for more information.

Updating drawings from modified template
The next time a drawing is opened created from the modified template, a confirmation dialog
opens asking to update the styles in the drawing to the formatting used in the modified template.
•

Click Update Styles to update any styles in the drawing that have been changed in thetemplate and close the confirmation dialog.

•

Click Keep Old Styles so that styles in the drawing that have been changed in thetemplate are not updated. The confirmation dialog closes and will not appear again thenext time the document is opened.

Note
If Keep Old Styles is selected, the drawing is no longer connected to the template.
However, the template is still listed under File > Properties > General. To reconnect
the document to the template, the template has to be reassigned. See “Changing
templates assigned to drawings” below for more information.

Changing templates assigned to drawings
If necessary, the template associated with a drawing can be changed to a different template, orreassign the original template for the drawing back to the drawing.
•

To manually change or reassign a template, create a new drawing from the required
template and copy the contents from the old drawing into the new drawing.

•

Download the Template Changer extension from the LibreOffice website athttps://extensions.libreoffice.org/en/extensions/show/template-changer and install it into
LibreOffice. Restart LibreOffice to activate the extension. Open the drawing and use File
> Templates > Change template (current document) on the Menu bar to change thetemplate. For more information, see the Getting Started Guide.

18 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Organizing templates
LibreOffice can only locate templates that are in LibreOffice template folders (categories). New
LibreOffice template categories can be created and used to organize templates, for example
creating separate categories for different projects or clients. Templates can also be imported andexported.

Tip
The location of LibreOffice template folders varies with the computer operating
system. To learn where the template folders are stored on a computer, go to Tools >Options > LibreOffice > Paths on the Menu bar.

Creating template categories
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings as the application.
3) Click on Tools in the bottom left corner and select New Category from the context menu.
4) Enter a name in the Enter category name text box in the dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the new category in LibreOffice and close the dialog.

Renaming template categories
Template categories supplied with LibreOffice cannot be renamed. Only template categories thathave been created can be renamed.
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings as the application and the templatecategory for renaming.
3) Click on Tools in the bottom left corner and select Rename Category from the context
menu.
4) Enter a name in the Enter category name text box in the dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renamed category in LibreOffice and close the dialog.

Note
If an attempt to rename a category that was installed with LibreOffice is made, anerror message opens stating that the category cannot be renamed.

Deleting template categories
Template categories supplied with LibreOffice cannot be deleted. Only template categories thathave been created can be deleted.

Templates | 19

Figure 12: Delete Category dialog
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) Click on Settings and select Delete Category from the context menu.
3) Select the category in the Delete Category dialog (Figure 12) that opens.
4) Click OK to delete the selected category and close the Delete Category dialog.
5) Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the category.

Note
If an attempt to delete a category that was installed with LibreOffice is made, an error
message opens stating that the category cannot be deleted.

Moving templates
A template is moved from one template category to another template category as follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings as the application and the templatecategory where the template is located.
3) Select the template that is going to be moved.
4) Click on Move and the Select Category dialog (Figure 13) opens.
5) Select a category from Select from Existing Category or enter a name for a new
category in Create a New Category.
6) Click OK to move the template to the selected category and close the Select Category
dialog.
20 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 13: Select Category dialog

Importing templates
Templates can be downloaded from many sources, including the official LibreOffice template
repository using the Extension Manager. Save the template anywhere on a computer, then import
the template into LibreOffice as follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) Click on Import and the Select Category dialog opens.
3) Select a category from Select from Existing Category or enter a name for a new
category in Create a New Category.
4) Click OK and a file browser window opens.
5) Navigate to the folder containing the template, select the template and click Open. The
file browser closes and the template appears in the selected template category in the
Templates dialog.

Note
For more information about using the Extension Manager to import templates, see
the Getting Started Guide.

Exporting templates
Export a template from a template category to another location in a computer or network as
follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
Templates | 21

– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings as the application and the templatecategory where the template is located.
3) Select a template for export and click Export to open a file browser window.
4) Navigate to the folder to export the template into.
5) Click OK and the exported template appears in the selected folder.
6) Click Cancel to close the Templates dialog.

Note
Exporting a template does not remove it from the Templates dialog. The action
places a copy of the template in the location specified.

Deleting templates
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Templates dialog:– Go to File > New > Templates on the Menu bar.
– Go to File > Templates > Manage Templates on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard short cut Shift+Ctrl+N.
2) In the Filter drop-down lists, select Drawings as the application and the templatecategory where the template is located.
3) Right-click on the template for deletion and select Delete from the context menu.
4) Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the template.
5) Click Cancel to close the Templates dialog.

Tip
Press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete the selected template in the
Templates dialog

Note
Templates that were installed with LibreOffice cannot be deleted. Only templates thathave been created after the installation of LibreOffice can be deleted.

Other ways of using templates
Templates can be created and stored anywhere on a computer and then used without involving
the Templates dialog. However, some results maybe different from those described above.

Drawing from a template
Create a drawing from a compatible template by double-clicking the template in a file browser
window. The resulting drawing is not associated with (linked to) the template from which it was
created. The template is not listed in the properties of the document and any changes to thetemplate cannot be directly applied to the document. For many purposes, this may be what isrequired.

22 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw TechniquesTemplate from a drawing
Create a template from a drawing using File > Save As on the Menu bar and selecting ODF
Drawing Template (.otg) as the file type, then saving it anywhere on a computer, for example in a
project folder.
The resulting template is visible in the Templates dialog, unless it is imported it or added to theproject folder to the locations shown for templates on the LibreOffice – Paths page of the Tools >Options dialog. See “Organizing templates” on page 19 and “Importing templates” on page 21 formore information.

Multiple layers
Layers in LibreOffice Draw allow assembly of elements in a drawing that are related. Think oflayers as individual workspaces that can be hidden from view, prevented from printing, or locked
so that changes cannot be made.
Layers do not determine the stacking order of objects on a drawing, except for the Controls layer
which is always in front of all other layers. The stacking order of objects on a drawing isdetermined by the sequence in objects are added. This stacking order can be rearranged bygoing to Shape > Arrange on the Menu bar.
Layers in a drawing are indicated by tabs located at the bottom of the Workspace and above theStatus bar. Click on a tab to select a layer. Figure 14 shows the Layout layer has been selected.

Figure 14: Layer tabs in Workspace

Note
When a new layer is added, the layer is added to all pages in a drawing. However,when an object is added to a layer, the object is only added to the selected drawing
page.

Note
If an object is to appear on all pages of a drawing (for example, a company logo),
add the object to the master page by going to View > Master on the Menu bar. See“Master pages” on page 9 for more information.

Default layers
Normal view
In Normal view, LibreOffice Draw provides three default layers that are visible to the user. Thesedefault layers cannot be deleted or renamed.
•

Layout – is the default workspace where objects are normally placed.

•

Controls – used for form controls that have been assigned an action. Objects on thislayer are always in front of objects on other layers. Normally, form controls are not printed
and the Printable option in the Modify Layer dialog has to be set deselected.

•

Dimension Lines – is where the dimension lines are drawn. By switching the layer
between show or hide, dimension lines are switched on and off.

Multiple layers | 23

Master view
In Master view, LibreOffice provides a single layer, Background objects, that is visible to theuser. This layer is used to places objects that appear on every page in a drawing, for example
company logo, date, page number, drawing title, and so on.

Inserting layers
Inserting a layer into a drawing is as follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Insert Layer dialog (Figure 15):
– Right-click the layer tab area at the bottom of the Workspace area and select Insert
Layer from the context menu.
– Go to Insert > Layer on the Menu bar.
2) Enter meaningful names for the layer in the Name and Title text boxes.
3) If necessary, enter a description for the new layer in the Description text box.
4) Select Visible for the layer to be visible in a drawing. When Visible is not selected, thelayer is hidden and its name in the layer tab changes color to blue.
5) Select Printable for the layer to print when the drawing is printed. The name of a layer isunderlined in the layer tab bar when Printable is NOT selected. For example, not printing
a layer is useful if the layer is a draft layer for guides or annotations used in creating thedrawing, but do not want this draft layer to appear in the final printed output.
6) Select Locked to prevent any objects on a layer from deletion, editing, or moving. No
additional objects can be added to a locked layer. For example, locking a layer is usefulwhen a base plan is to be protected while adding a new layer with other details. The
name of a locked layer is changes to italic text in the layer tab bar.
7) Click OK to close the Insert Layer dialog and the new layer automatically becomes active.

Figure 15: Insert Layer dialog

24 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 16: Modify Layer dialog

Modifying layers
Modify any or all of the attributes of an inserted layer as follows:
1) Use one of the following methods to open the Modify Layer dialog (Figure 16).
– Right-click the name tab for the layer at the bottom of the Workspace and selectModify Layer from the context menu.
– Click on the layer tab to select it, then go to Format > Layer on the Menu bar.
– Double click on the layer tab.
2) Make the necessary changes to the attributes for the layer, then click OK to save thechanges and close the Modify Layer dialog.

Working with layers
Selecting a layer
To select a layer, click on the name tab for the layer at the bottom of the Workspace. When alayer is selected it is activated, and any objects added to the drawing are only added to that layer.
Form controls are automatically added to the Controls layer and dimension lines areautomatically added to the Dimension Lines layer.
If there are several layers in a drawing, a layer tab may not not be visible on the layer tab bar.
Use the navigation icons on the left of the layer tab bar to navigate to the layer for selection.

Hiding layers
1) Select the layer that is going to be hidden and open the Modify Layer dialog. See“Modifying layers” above for more information.
2) Deselect Visible and click OK. The text on the layer name tab changes color to blue. Any
objects placed on a hidden layer are no longer visible on the other layers in the drawing.
3) Alternatively, hold down the Shift key and click on the layer name tab to hide the layer.

Multiple layers | 25

Showing hidden layers
1) Select the hidden layer and open the Modify Layer dialog. See “Modifying layers” above
for more information.
2) Select Visible and click OK. The text on the layer name tab changes color to the default
text color. Any objects placed on a hidden layer are now visible on the other layers in a
drawing.
3) Alternatively, hold down the Shift key and click on the name tab of a hidden layer to makethe layer visible.

Locking layers
1) Select the layer that is going to be locked and open the Modify Layer dialog. See“Modifying layers” above for more information.
2) Select Locked and click OK. The text on the layer name tab is underlined. Locking alayer prevents any modification of the layer.
3) Alternatively, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the name tab to lock the layer.

Unlocking layers
1) Select the locked layer and open the Modify Layer dialog. See “Modifying layers” above
for more information.
2) Deselect Locked and click OK. The text on the layer name tab is no longer underlined.
3) Alternatively, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the name tab of the locked layer tounlock it.

Renaming layers
1) Select the layer that is going to be renamed and open the Modify Layer dialog.
2) Enter a new name in the Name text box. See “Modifying layers” above for more
information.
3) Alternatively, right-click on the name tab of the layer and select Rename Layer from thecontext menu. The text becomes editable allowing the name to be changed. Click outside
the tab area to save the change.
4) Alternatively, hold down the Alt key and click on the name tab. The text becomes editableallowing the name to be changed. Click outside the tab area to save the change.

Note
Only layers that have been added to a drawing can be renamed or deleted. The
default layers Layout, Controls, Dimension Lines and Background objects
cannot be renamed or deleted.

Deleting layers
1) Right-click on the name tab of the layer that is going to be deleted and select Delete
Layer from the context menu.
2) Confirm the deletion of the layer. The layer and all of the objects on the layer are deleted.

Moving objects between layers
If objects are selected on a layer, the Status bar indicates how many objects are selected. Movethese selected objects from one layer to another layer using one of the following methods:•

Click and drag the selected objects to the name tab of the destination layer and release
the mouse button. The position of the moved objects does not change and the layer
where the objects have been placed is displayed in the Status bar.

26 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques•

Go to Edit > Cut on the Menu bar or right-click on the selected objects and select Cutfrom the context menu. Select the destination layer, then go to Edit > Paste on the Menu
bar or right-click on the Workspace and select Paste from the context menu. The
position of the moved objects does not change and the layer where the objects havebeen placed is displayed in the Status bar.

Dimensioning
Draw allows objects to be dimensioned and display these dimensions to make a drawing look
more like an engineering drawing. When dimensions are created, they are automatically placedon the Dimension Lines layer.

Configuring dimensioning
Two ways are available to access the options to configure dimensioning. Both methods use a
dialog where the length, measurement, and guide properties of a dimension line can be changed.

Drawing object styles
1) Open the Graphics Styles dialog (Figure 17) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Styles > Edit Styles on the Menu bar.
– Click on Show the Styles Sidebar on the Line and Filling toolbar to open the Styles
deck on the Sidebar, then right-click on a style and select Modify from the context
menu.

Figure 17: Graphic Styles dialog - Dimensioning page

Dimensioning | 27

– Use the keyboard shortcut F11 to open the Styles deck on the Sidebar, then right-click
on a style and select Modify from the context menu.
– Click on Styles on the Sidebar to open the Styles deck, then right-click on a style andselect Modify from the context menu.
2) Click on Dimensioning to open the Dimensioning page in the dialog.
3) Make the changes required to dimensioning using the various options in the Line andLegend sections on the Dimensioning page.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog.
5) To reset the dimensioning options to the default properties of the template, open theGraphics Style dialog as given in Steps 1 and 2 above, then click on Standard.

Dimension line dialog
1) Draw a dimension line. See “Dimensioning objects” on page 30 for more information.
2) Right-click on the dimension line and select Dimensions from the context menu to open
the Dimension line dialog (Figure 18).
3) Make the required changes for dimensioning using the various options in the Dimension
line dialog.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Dimension line dialog.

Dimensioning options
The dimensioning options in the Dimensions page in the Graphics Style dialog and theDimension Line dialog are as follows. The preview in the dialogs changes as the following
options are changed showing how the dimension line will appear in a drawing. An example
dimension line is shown in Figure 19.

Figure 18: Dimension Line dialog
28 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 19: Example dimension line•

Line – sets the distances between the dimension line and guides with respect to eachother, the dimension baseline and the object. The baseline is not visible in a drawing, but
is indicated by baseline points on each of the guides.
– Line distance – specifies the distance between the dimension line and the object or
the baseline. A minimum of -10mm to a maximum of 10mm can be entered in the text
box. The lower the value, the closer the dimension line is to the object or baseline.
– Guide overhang – is the distance the guide either extends above the dimension line oris below the dimension line. A minimum of -10mm to a maximum of 10mm can beentered in the text box. Positive values cause the guide overhang to extend above thedimension line. Negative values cause the guide overhang to be below the baseline.
– Guide distance – specifies the length of the right and left guides below the dimension
line toward the object. A minimum of -10mm to a maximum of 10mm can be entered in
the text box. Positive values extend the guides above the baseline and further awayfrom the object. Negative values extend the guides below the baseline and closer tothe object.
– Left guide – specifies the length of the left guide starting at the dimension line. A
minimum of -10mm to a maximum of 10mm can be entered in the text box. Positive
values extend the guide below the dimension line toward the object. Negative values
move the guide away from the object.
– Right guide – specifies the length of the right guide starting at the dimension line. A
minimum of -10mm to a maximum of 10mm can be entered in the text box. Positive
values extend the guide below the dimension line toward the object. Negative values
move the guide away from the object.
– Measure below object – reverses the positions and lengths of the dimension line andguides set in Line options.
– Decimal places – specifies the number of decimal places used for the display of line
properties.

•

Legend – sets the properties of the dimension text.
– Text position – determines the position of the dimension text with respect to thedimension line and the guides. The AutoVertical and AutoHorizontal checkboxes must
be empty before a text position can be assigned.
– AutoVertical – determines the optimal vertical position for the dimension text.
– AutoHorizontal – determines the optimal horizontal position for the dimension text.

Dimensioning | 29

– Parallel to line – displays, when selected, the text parallel to the dimension line or,when deselected, at 90 degrees to the dimension line.
– Show measurement units – shows or hides the dimension measurement units. A
measurement unit can be selected from the drop-down list.

Note
The dimensioning options are linked and stored with the current work page. All thechanges that made apply only to this drawing. New drawings are started with thestandard properties of Draw. If the dimensioning options are to be used for futuredrawings, save the drawing as a template.

Guide selection handles
The guide selection handles at the top and bottom of the guides are used to extend the guides
more than the limits of -10mm to 10mm. With reference to the dimension example in Figure 19,
the guide selection handles are used as follows:•Top guide selection handles – select either selection handle and drag the handle toincrease or decrease the guide overhang of both guides.

•

Lower left guide selection handle – select the left guide selection and drag the handle
to increase or decrease of the left guide distance.

•

Lower right guide selection handle – select the right guide selection and drag thehandle to increase or decrease of the right guide distance.

Tip
When dimensioning objects, it is recommended to use the zoom function, guide lines
and snap functions so dimension lines can be accurately placed on an object. See
Chapter 3, Working with Objects and Object Points for more information.

Dimensioning objects
1) Click on the triangle ▼ next to the Lines and Arrows icon on the Drawing toolbar toopen the Lines and Arrows pop-up toolbar (Figure 20).
2) Click on Dimension Line and the cursor changes to shape, for example to a cross. The
shape depends on the computer setup.
3) Position the cursor at one corner of the object, then click and drag the cursor to the othercorner of the object to draw the dimension line. To restrict drawing the dimension line in
the horizontal or vertical direction, press and hold the Shift key while dragging the cursor.
4) Release the mouse button when the other corner of the object is reached and thedimension line is drawn with the dimension automatically added (as shown in Figure 21).
The dimension line is also placed automatically on the Dimension Lines layer.
5) To edit the text of the dimension, double-click on an unselected dimension line to entertext edit mode and make any necessary changes. Click outside the dimension line tosave the changes.
6) To configure the dimension line, see “Configuring dimensioning” on page 27.

Note
After editing the dimension text, entering text and then deleting text, save thedrawing and reopen it to enable automatic measurements for dimensioning.

30 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 20: Lines and Arrows sub-toolbar

Figure 21: Example of dimensioning an object

Note
If drawing to scale (see below), the dimension configuration values in the Graphics
Style dialog and the Dimension Line dialog will also be to scale. For example, avalue of 10mm in the dialog results in a dimension value of 300mm if the scale has
been set to 1:30.

Drawing to scale
In Draw, the predefined drawing area is called the Workspace is normally Letter or A4 page size
depending on the computer setup and the default printer connected to the computer. However,depending on the actual size of the drawn objects, it is often convenient to reduce or enlarge thedrawing by scaling (for example 1:10 or 2:1).
Specify the drawing scale value by going to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > General(Figure 22) and selecting a value from the Drawing scale drop-down list. The default setting forthis option is 1:1. When a change is made to the drawing scale, it is reflected in the rulers at the
top and left side of of the Workspace.
Any change in the drawing scale has no effect on the basic drawing operations. Draw
automatically calculates the necessary values (for example, dimension lines). The spacing of thegrid points is independent of drawing scale as the grid is only a visual drawing aid and not a
drawing element.
An increase in scale (for example 1:4) allows large objects to be drawn that would not fit into thepaper size for a drawing. A decrease in drawing scale (for example 4:1) allows small objects tobe drawn accurately at an increased size and make them easier to understand. Examples ofdrawing to scale are shown in Figure 23 where all three rectangles are the same size in thedrawing.
•

Left rectangle – drawn at the default 1:1 scale and dimensioned.

•Center rectangle – drawing scale changed to 1:4 and the dimensions were automaticallyincreased by Draw to reflect the decrease in scale.

•

Right rectangle – drawing scale changed to 4:1 and the dimensions were automaticallydecreased by Draw to reflect the increase in scale.

Drawing to scale | 31

Figure 22: Options LibreOffice Draw General dialog

Figure 23: Examples of drawing to scale

Figure 24: Example of multiple windows

Multiple views of a drawing
Several views of the same drawing can be opened and used in LibreOffice Draw. These views
are displayed in windows that can use different settings for layers (visible, printable and locked),different zoom levels, different origins, or display different pages of the drawing and even use
master page and normal page at the same time. However, make sure that the correct view isactive when saving a drawing.
To open a new window showing the drawing, go to Window > New Window on the Menu bar.
Arrange the windows according to the computer operating system and display preferences. Eachwindow open acts on the same drawing. A change to the drawing in one window is immediatelyreflected in the other windows.
In each window opened, the filename in the title bar is automatically numbered as shown by theexample in Figure 24. If other LibreOffice documents are open at the same time, the list of
windows includes all the open documents. The active window has a marker by its filename in thelist. Switch between windows by clicking on a name in the list, or by clicking on the window itself
if it is visible on the display.
To close a window, go to Window > Close Window on the Menu bar, or use the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+W, or click on Close in the Menu bar of the window.
32 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 25: Arrows theme in Gallery deck on
Sidebar

Gallery
Draw includes several images in the Gallery. These images are grouped into themes (forexample Arrows, Bullets, Diagrams, and so on). The Gallery deck on the Sidebar (Figure 25) lists
the available themes. Click on a theme and its images are displayed below the theme list.
•

For a detailed view of the images in a gallery theme, click on Detailed View at the bottom
left of the Sidebar.

•

For an icon view of the images in a gallery theme, click on Icon View at the bottom left of
the Sidebar

Using the Gallery
1) Click on Gallery on the Sidebar, or go to Insert > Media > Gallery on the Menu bar.
2) Select a theme from the available options.
3) Use one of the following methods to place an image into a drawing:– Click on an image in the Gallery deck and drag the image into a drawing.
– Right-click on an image and select Insert from the context menu. The image is placedat the centre of a drawing.
– Right-click on an image and select Copy from the context menu. Paste the image into
the drawing and the image is placed at the center of the drawing.
4) Edit the gallery image to the drawing requirements. For more information on editing
images and pictures, see Chapter 6, Editing Pictures.

Gallery | 33

Figure 26: Properties of New Theme dialog - General page

Figure 27: Properties of New Theme dialog - Files page

Creating themes and adding images
1) Open the Gallery deck on the Sidebar.
2) Click on New on the Gallery deck to open the Properties of New Theme dialog(Figure 26).
3) Enter a name for the theme in the text box.
4) Click on Files to open the Files page as shown by the example in Figure 27.
5) Click on Find Files to open a Select Path dialog.
6) Browse to the folder that contains the images required and select the folder

34 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

7) Click OK to select the files contained in the folder and the Select Path dialog closes. The
list of files contained in the folder now appear in the Files page as shown by the example
in Figure 27.
8) Select the files required for the new theme and click Add. The selected files disappear
from the file list and the images appear in the Gallery.
9) If all the files in the list are to be added, click Add All. All the files disappear from the list
and the images appear in the Gallery.
10) Click OK when finished adding files and close the Properties of New Theme dialog. The
name of the new theme appears in the Gallery deck.

Note
If a Draw object is added to a theme, the object loses its connection to Draw graphic
styles and all properties are set as direct formatting.

Deleting gallery themes and images
1) Right-click on a theme or image in the Gallery and select Delete from the context menu.
2) Click Yes in the confirmation dialog and the image or theme is deleted from the Gallery.

Note
Only themes and images that have added to Draw can be deleted. The themes andimages that were included with the installation of LibreOffice cannot be deleted.

Note
An image is a linked file and only the link is deleted from the Gallery. The original
image file is not deleted.

Updating the Gallery
All images in the Gallery are linked files. Occasionally, it is beneficial to update a theme that has
been added to Draw to make sure that all files are still accessible. Right-click on a theme that has
at least one file added to the theme and select Update from the context menu.

Renaming themes
To rename a theme that has been added to Draw, right-click on the theme name and selectRename from the context menu.

Note
Only themes and images that have added to Draw can be renamed. The themes andimages that were included with the installation of LibreOffice cannot be renamed.

ColorsDraw (like all LibreOffice components) uses colors grouped into color palettes. Colors can becreated to suit drawing requirements. All custom colors created are placed in the custom color
palette. The following explains the color models that can be used to create a custom color.

Colors | 35

•

RGB – stands for Red, Green, Blue. The RGB color model is based on the additive color
model of light waves and is designed for electronic displays and computers. This means,the more color added, the closer a color moves towards white. RGB is created using
scales from 0 to 255. This means that black is when R=0, G=0, and B=0 and white iswhen R=255, G=255, and B=255. LibreOffice uses the RGB color model internally for
printing in all of its software modules.

•

CMYK – stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black). It is a subtractive color model
where colors are subtracted to get to white. It is mainly used in printing, which is why the
ink cartridges for a printer are labeled CMYK. CMYK works on a scale of 0 to 100. If
C=100, M=100, Y=100, and K=100, the color produced is black. If C=0, M=0, Y=0, and
K=0, the color produced is white.

•

HSB – stands for Hue, Saturation, Brightness. HSB values are an alternative
representation of the RGB color model and was designed to be more closely aligned withthe way human vision perceives color-making attributes. Use HSB values to fine tune
any custom colors that are created.

Tip
More information on color models and color values can be found at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_model.

Changing colors
When changing colors in objects, color palettes are used to select colors. These color palettes
are installed with LibreOffice and are used in all the LibreOffice modules. Using these color
palettes is similar across all types of objects, but accessing the color palettes does vary
according to the type of object selected.

Color Bar
Although LibreOffice includes tools that to precisely specify a color, it also includes a Color Bar(Figure 28) that allows the area fill, border, or line color of an object to be quickly changed in a
drawing.
1) Select an object in the drawing.
2) Go to View > Color Bar on the Menu bar to open the Color Bar. When the Color Bar
opens, it is labelled Color Palette.
3) Left click on a color to change the area fill color or right-click on a color to change theborder or line color of a selected object.

Figure 28: Color Bar (Color Palette)
36 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 29: Area dialog - Area Color page4) Left click on the X box in the bottom left corner of the Color Bar to remove the color froman object fill, or right-click on the X box in the bottom left corner of the Color Bar to
remove the color from an object border,5) To close the Color Bar, go to View > Color Bar on the Menu bar and deselect Color Bar.

Note
The colors available in the Color Bar are from the Standard color palette that is partof the LibreOffice installation.

Area dialog
1) Select an object in the drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog (Figure 29) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Area on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the object and select Area from the context menu.
3) Click on Area, then click on Color to open the Color page.
4) In Colors, select a color palette from the Palette drop-down list.
5) Click on a color from the ones displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from Recent Colors.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The selected fill color appears inthe selected object.

Area panel on the Sidebar
1) Select an object in the drawing.
2) Open the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 30).
3) Select Color from the Fill drop-down list.
4) Click on the triangle ▼ on the right of Fill Color to open the palette last used.

Colors | 37

Figure 30: Area panel in Properties deck on Sidebar5) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
6) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected fill color is applied to the object.

Fill Color on the Line and Filling or Drawing toolbars
1) Select an object in the drawing.
2) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Fill Color on the Line and Filling or Draw toolbar toopen the last color palette used.
3) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
4) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected fill color is applied to the selected line.

Line dialog
1) Select a line or an object in the drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog (Figure 31) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line or object and select Line from the context menu.
3) Click on Line to open the Line page.
4) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Color to open the last color palette used.
5) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.

38 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 31: Line dialog - Line page - Color

Figure 32: Line panel in Properties deck on Sidebar

Colors | 39

6) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected line color is applied to the line or object border.
7) Click OK to save the color change and close the Line dialog.

Line panel on the Sidebar
1) Select a line or an object in the drawing.
2) Open the Line panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 32).
3) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Color to open the palette last used.
4) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
5) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected line color is applied to the line or object border.

Line Color on the Line and Filling or Drawing toolbars
1) Select a line or object in the drawing.
2) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color on the Line and Filling or Draw toolbar toopen the last color palette used.
3) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
4) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected line color is applied to the line or object border.

Figure 33: Character dialog - Font Effects page - Color

40 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Changing text color
Changing text color is very similar to changing the color of an area fill, object border, or line. The
Text Formatting toolbar automatically opens and replaces the Line and Filling toolbar when text isselected in a drawing. If the Text Formatting toolbar does not appear, go to View > Toolbars on
the Menu bar and select Text Formatting.

Character dialog
1) Select the text in a text box or object and make sure the text is highlighted.
2) Open the Character dialog (Figure 33) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Character on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the highlighted text and select Character from the context menu.
3) Click on Font Effects to open the Font Effects page.
4) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Font Color to open the last color palette used.
5) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
6) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected color is applied to the selected text.
7) Click OK to save the color change and close the Character dialog.

Character panel on the Sidebar
1) Select the text in a text box or object and make sure the text is highlighted.

Figure 34: Character panel in Properties deckon Sidebar

Colors | 41

2) Open the Character panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 34).
3) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Font Color to open the color palette last used.
4) Select a color palette to use from the palette drop-down list.
5) Click on a color from the colors displayed in the color palette, or select a color that has
been previously used from those displayed in Recent. The color palette closes and theselected color is applied to the selected text.

Creating colors
Using Pick a Color dialog
1) Select the object or text and open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 35) using one of thefollowing methods:– Open the Area dialog, then click on Color to open the Color page and click on Pick.
– Open the Area section in Properties deck on the Sidebar, click on the triangle ▼to theright of Fill Color to open the color palette and click on Custom Color at the bottomof the color palette.
– Open the Line dialog, then open a color palette in Color and click on Custom Colorat the bottom of the color palette.
– Open the Line section in Properties deck on the Sidebar, click on the triangle ▼to theright of Line Color to open the color palette and click on Custom Color at the bottomof the color palette.
– Open the Character dialog, then open a color palette in Font color and click on
Custom Color at the bottom of the color palette.

Figure 35: Pick a Color dialog

42 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

– Open the Character section in Properties deck on the Sidebar, click on the triangle▼to the right of Font Color to open the color palette and click on Custom Color at
the bottom of the color palette.
2) Select a color range in the vertical color bar on in the Pick a Color that approximately
matches the custom color being created.
3) Click and drag the small target circle in the color box until the color matches the custom
color required. The values for RGB, HSB and CMYK change as the small target circle isdragged around the color box. This helps in creating the exact color if these color values
are known.
4) Alternatively, if the color values or hex number are known, enter these values in theappropriate text box. The values in all the text boxes changes to match the new values.
For example, enter HSB values, the RGB, CMYK and Hex values also change to match.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Pick a Color dialog.

Note
When using the Line or Character dialog to open the Pick a Color dialog, the custom
color created cannot be saved into the Custom color palette or renamed with a moremeaningful name. The custom color created is named using the hex value that isdisplayed in the Pick a Color dialog. Only the Area dialog has the ability to rename
custom colors and save custom colors into the Custom palette.

Note
LibreOffice uses the RGB color model for printing in color. The RGB values of a
selected color are displayed below the preview boxes.

Using Area dialog
1) Open the Area dialog and click on Color to open the Color page.
2) In New, enter the RGB values or, if known, the Hex value into the text boxes. The color
changes in the preview box to match the values entered.
3) Alternatively, in New, use the minus and plus signs for the RGB values to decrease or
increase the values. The color changes in the preview box to match the values entered.
4) Click OK to change the color and close the Area dialog.

Adding custom colors
If necessary, add a custom color to the Custom color palette using the Area dialog as follows:
1) Make sure the Area dialog is open at the Color page.
2) Select the custom color that is displayed in Recent Colors.
3) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
4) Enter a new name for the color in the text box,5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Name dialog. The custom color appears in
the Custom palette.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog.

Renaming custom colors
Only a custom color can be renamed using the Area dialog as follows:
1) Make sure the Area dialog is open at the Color page.

Colors | 43

2) Select the custom color that is displayed in the Custom color palette.
3) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
4) Enter a new name for the color in the text box,5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Name dialog. The custom color appears in
the Custom palette.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog.

Note
Renaming a custom color does not actually rename the custom color, but adds thecustom color to the Custom palette with a new name.

Note
It is important to use a memorable names for custom colors so that they can beeasily recognized in the Custom palette. By default, a custom color is given a hex
number, which makes it difficult identifying colors when there is more than one
custom color.

Deleting custom colors
Only a custom color can be deleted using the Area dialog as follows:
1) Make sure the Area dialog is open at the Color page.
2) Select the custom color that is displayed in the Custom color palette.
3) Click on Delete. There is no confirmation given when deleting custom colors.
4) Click OK to close the Area dialog.

Bézier curves
In LibreOffice, Bézier1 curves can be used in a drawing. A curve is defined by means of a startpoint, an end point, and, where necessary, control points. For points on the curve the terms
nodes or anchors are often used. For more information and an explanation of the mathematicalbackground of Bézier curves, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezier_curve.
Bézier curves are very useful for experimenting with the shape and form of curves. In point modethe curve alignment can be changed by dragging the points with the cursor. In the example
shown in Figure 36, the curve leaves the start point P0 in the direction of the first control point P1
and arrives at the end point P3 from the direction of the second control point P2. The moredistant a control point is from the start or end point, the smaller the curvature at that point.

Drawing Bézier curves1) Click on Curve in the Curves and Polygons section in the Shapes deck on the Sidebar orin the Drawing toolbar.
2) Click at the start point for the curve and drag the cursor to the approximate position of theend point for the curve.
3) Release the mouse button and drag the end point of the curve to its end position.
4) Double-click when the end position of the curve is reached and a curve is drawn. The arcof the curve is determined by the distance dragged to create the end point.
1

Bézier curves were invented by Pierre Bézier, an engineer working with the Renault car manufacturer,
who developed the technique in the 1960s. The technology was intended to make modeling thesurface of vehicles easier.

44 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 36: Example of a Bézier curve

Figure 37: Edit Points toolbar
5) Switch to points mode using one of the following methods:– Go to Edit > Points on the Menu bar.
– Click on Points on the Standard toolbar.
– Use the keyboard shortcut F8.
6) Open the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 37) using one of the following methods. The Edit
Points toolbar does not become visible until a point has been selected on a curve.
– Go to View > Toolbars on the Menu bar and select Edit Points.
– Click on Points on the Standard toolbar.
– Use the keyboard shortcut F8.
– If added to the toolbar, click on Points on the Drawing toolbar.
7) Click once on the curve to display the start and end points. The start point of the curve islarger than the end point.
8) Click on a start or end point to display the control points. Control points appear at the endof a dashed line connected to the selected point, as shown in Figure 36.
9) Click on the control point and drag it to a new position to change the shape of the curve.
10) When the shape of the curve is correct, release the mouse button to fix the curve.
11) Click anywhere on the workspace to deselect the curve and stop editing points.

Edit Points tools
After the initial opening of the Edit Points toolbar, when an object is selected that has been
converted to a curve or polygon, the toolbar is displayed. The tools available on the Edit Points
toolbar allow the editing of a Bézier curve and changing of the curve shape. A point on a Bézier
curve has to be selected for all the tools on the Edit Points toolbar to become available.
•

Move Points – click and drag on a point to move it to another location.
– The curve on both sides of the point follows the movement and changes shape as theselected point changes position.

Bézier curves | 45

– Click and drag on the curve between points to move the entire curve without distorting
the form.
•

Insert Points – activates the insert mode when selected and inserts smooth points onto
a curve. Insert mode remains active after inserting points. Select Move Points todeactivate insert mode.
– The inserted point can be moved while insert mode is activated.
– If a corner or symmetrical point is required, insert a smooth point first and convert the
point to a corner or symmetrical point.

•

Delete Points – deletes selected points. If several points are to be deleted, hold down
the Shift key whilst selecting points and before clicking on Delete Points.

•

Convert To Curve – converts a curve into a straight line or a straight line into a curve asshown in Figure 38.
– Select a single point and the curved segment after the point converts to a straight line,
or coverts a straight line segment to a curve after the point.
– When converting a segment from a curve to a straight line, each point at each end of
the segment becomes a control point similar to the start or end point.
– When converting a segment from a straight line to a curve, each control point at eachend of the segment becomes a smooth point.

Figure 38: Example of converting a curved
segment to a line•

Close Bézier – closes a freeform line or curve by connecting the start point with the end
point creating an object with area fill.

•

Split Curve – splits a curve into two or more curves. Select a point or points and click on
Split Curve to create separate segments of a curve. Deselect the curve, then select asegment to move or edit it.

•

Corner Point – converts a selected point into a corner point, as shown in Figure 39.
Corner points have two movable control points, which are independent from each other,and allows a corner to be created in a curve.

Figure 39: Example of a corner point•

Smooth Transition – converts a corner or symmetrical point into a smooth point, asshown in Figure 40. Both control points of a smooth transition point are aligned in parallel
and can only be moved simultaneously. The control points may differ in length, allowing
the degree of curvature to be varied.

46 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw Techniques

Figure 40: Example of a smooth transition point•

Symmetric Transition – converts a corner point or a smooth point into a symmetricalpoint, as shown in Figure 41. Both control points of a symmetrical transition point arealigned in parallel and have the same length. These control points can only be moved
simultaneously and the degree of curvature is the same in both directions.

Figure 41: Example of a symmetrical transition
point•

Eliminate Points – allows selection of several points before using the Delete Points
tool. This is useful when deleting a straight line segment to create a complete curve.

Adding comments to a drawing
Draw supports comments similar to those in Writer and Calc. For more about adding, navigating,and replying to comments, see the Getting Started Guide for more information. Comments in
Draw cannot be printed. To reply to a comment in Draw, a new comment has to be added.
1) Go to Insert > Comment on the Menu bar and a comment box (Figure 42) appears in theupper left-hand corner of a drawing. Draw automatically adds the user name and date at
the bottom of the comment and places a comment marker on the drawing page.
2) Type or paste a comment into the comment text box.
3) To apply basic formatting to the text, right-click on the text and select the formatting option
from the context menu.
4) To delete a comment, use one of the following methods:– Right-click in the comment box and select a delete option from the context menu.
– Right-click on the comment marker and select a delete option from the context menu.
– Click on the triangle ▼ in the bottom right of the comment box and select a delete
option from the context menu.
5) To move a comment, click on the comment marker and drag it to a new position.
6) To hide comments, use one of the following methods:– Go to View on the Menu bar and deselect Comments to hide the comment and thecomment marker.
– Click on the drawing outside of the comment to hide the comment. The comment
marker remains visible.
7) To show comments, go to View > Comments on the Menu bar and click on the comment
marker.

Adding comments to a drawing | 47

Figure 42: Comments in Draw

Note
For the user name and initials to appear in a comment, enter the user data in Tools> Options > LibreOffice > User Data dialog. If more than one person edits the
document, each author is automatically allocated a different background color.

Coordinate system
X and Y axes
The x-axis is the horizontal position of an object and the y-axis is the vertical position of an
object. The rulers do not show a minus sign if there are negative coordinates. However, theminus sign for negative coordinates is shown in the position field in the Status Bar and the
Position and Size dialog.

Workspace
The Workspace in Draw is larger than the drawing page. The area outside the drawing page is
one page width right and left and a half page above and below the drawing page. The size of thedrawing page is indicated by highlighted portions in the horizontal and vertical rulers.
Draw objects can be drawn partly or wholly outside the drawing page and these objects are
saved with the drawing. However, when the drawing is printed or exported, any object or portionof an object not on the drawing page is not included. This allows the Workspace area around thedrawing page to be used for drafts when creating objects.

Object position
The coordinates of objects and snap guides are shown relative to the origin. The default origin for
coordinates (0.00/0.00 position) is the top-left corner of the drawing page without margins or the
top left corner of the drawing page where the margins intersect. To change the default origin,click and drag the intersection of the rulers in the top left corner of the Workspace to the desired
position. Guide lines appear as the intersection is dragged from its default origin to its new
position. This origin setting is only for the current view and is not saved in the document.
The area inside the default origin is the area used for the grid when the option Snap to Grid andDisplay Grid are selected.

48 | Chapter 11, Advanced Draw TechniquesTo reset the default origin back to its original setting at the top-left corner of the page,
double-click in the top-left corner on the Workspace where the horizontal and vertical rulers
meet.

Accuracy
Draw internally uses integer values in 1/100 mm. Therefore, for example, it is not possible to get
an exact position for 1/8 inch. Also, many dialog fields are restricted to two decimals.
To work with the maximum possible accuracy, go to Tools > Options > Draw > General and set
the option Unit of measurement to Millimeter. The rulers will show metric units after this option
has been selected, To use another measurement unit for the rulers, right-click on a ruler andselect the measurement unit from the context menu. The horizontal and vertical rulers can havedifferent measurement units.

Coordinate system | 49