Draw Guide 7.3

Chapter 4,
Changing Object Attributes

CopyrightThis document is Copyright © 2022 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors arelisted below. This document maybe distributed and/or modified 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 edition.
Peter Schofield

Kees Kriek

To previous editions.
Martin Fox
Hazel Russman
Claire Wood

Jean Hollis WeberJohn Cleland
Elzett Kotze

John A Smith
Peter Schofield

Feedback
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 March 2022. Based on LibreOffice 7.3 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 on
Menu barLibreOffice > Preferenceson Menu bar

Access to setup options

Right-click

Ctrl+click and/or right-click
depending on computer setup

Opens a context menu

Ctrl or Control⌘ and/or Cmd or Command

Used with other keys

Alt

⌥ and/or Alt or Option

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

Formatting lines.................................................................................................................5
Line and Filling toolbar..............................................................................................................5
Sidebar..................................................................................................................................... 5
Line dialog................................................................................................................................. 6
Line properties.......................................................................................................................... 7
Line shadows............................................................................................................................ 8
Line styles................................................................................................................................. 9Creating line styles............................................................................................................... 9
Saving line styles................................................................................................................ 10
Loading line styles.............................................................................................................. 10
Deleting line styles..............................................................................................................11
Arrow styles............................................................................................................................. 11Creating arrow styles..........................................................................................................11
Saving arrow styles............................................................................................................ 13
Loading arrow styles.......................................................................................................... 13
Deleting arrow styles.......................................................................................................... 13

Formatting area fills........................................................................................................13
Line and Filling toolbar............................................................................................................ 13
Sidebar................................................................................................................................... 15
Area dialog.............................................................................................................................. 16

Working with area fills....................................................................................................16
Color fills................................................................................................................................. 16
Selecting color fill............................................................................................................... 16
Creating custom colors using Area dialog..........................................................................17
Creating custom colors using Pick a Color dialog...............................................................18
Deleting custom colors.......................................................................................................18
Gradient fills............................................................................................................................ 19
Selecting gradient fills........................................................................................................ 19
Creating custom gradients..................................................................................................21
Modifying custom gradients................................................................................................21
Renaming gradients........................................................................................................... 21
Deleting custom gradients..................................................................................................21
Advanced gradient controls................................................................................................22
Bitmap fills............................................................................................................................... 23
Selecting bitmaps............................................................................................................... 24
Editing bitmaps................................................................................................................... 25
Importing bitmaps............................................................................................................... 25
Renaming bitmaps............................................................................................................. 26
Deleting bitmaps................................................................................................................. 26
Pattern fills.............................................................................................................................. 26
Selecting pattern fills.......................................................................................................... 26
Creating custom patterns...................................................................................................26
Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 3

Modifying custom patterns..................................................................................................28
Renaming patterns.............................................................................................................28
Deleting custom patterns....................................................................................................28
Hatching fills............................................................................................................................ 29
Selecting hatching fills........................................................................................................29
Creating custom hatching...................................................................................................30
Modifying custom hatchings...............................................................................................30
Renaming hatch fills...........................................................................................................30
Deleting custom hatching...................................................................................................31

Working with shadows....................................................................................................31
Default shadows..................................................................................................................... 31
Formatting shadows................................................................................................................ 32
Sidebar shadow formatting......................................................................................................32

Working with transparencies.........................................................................................33
Drawing styles.................................................................................................................34
Style categories...................................................................................................................... 35
Selecting styles....................................................................................................................... 36
Creating custom styles............................................................................................................ 36
Using Styles deck............................................................................................................... 36
Using New Style from Selection.........................................................................................37
Modifying styles...................................................................................................................... 38
Editing hierarchical or parent styles........................................................................................39
Updating styles....................................................................................................................... 39
Applying styles........................................................................................................................ 39
Deleting styles......................................................................................................................... 40

Special effects.................................................................................................................40
Rotating objects...................................................................................................................... 40
Manual rotation...................................................................................................................40
Sidebar rotation..................................................................................................................41
Position and Size dialog.....................................................................................................42
Flipping objects....................................................................................................................... 42
Quick flipping...................................................................................................................... 42
Flip tool............................................................................................................................... 43
Mirror copies........................................................................................................................... 43
Distorting images.................................................................................................................... 44
Set in circle (perspective)...................................................................................................44
Set to circle (slant).............................................................................................................. 44
Distort................................................................................................................................. 45
Dynamic gradients..................................................................................................................45

4| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Formatting lines
In LibreOffice the term Line indicates a freestanding segment (line), the outer edge of a shape(border), or an arrow. In most cases, the properties of the line that can be modified are its style(solid, dashed, invisible, and so on), its width, its color and the type of arrowhead.

Tip
Hovering the cursor over a tool icon on a toolbar or in the Sidebar, a pop up displays
the name of the tool.

Note
For more information on using color when formatting lines, line styles, arrows, andarrow styles, see “Working with area fills” on page 16.

Line and Filling toolbar
Format a line using the Line and Filling toolbar (Figure 1) as follows:
1) Make sure the line is selected in a drawing.
2) Select the line style required from the Line Style drop-down list.
3) Either type the line width in the Line Width text box, or use the up and down arrows tochange the line width.
4) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color and select a color from one of theavailable color palettes.
5) Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Style and select a line style from one of theoptions in the drop-down list.
6) If necessary, select from the Arrow Style drop-down list the type of arrowhead for eachend of the line and change the line into an arrow. The left drop-down list adds an arrowhead to the beginning of the line. The right drop-down list adds an arrow head to the endof the line.
7) If necessary, click on Shadow to add a shadow to the line. The shadow applied uses thesettings set in the Line dialog (Figure 26 on page 32).
8) Deselect the line to save the changes to the line.

SidebarFormat a line using the Line panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 2) as follows:
1) Make sure the line is selected in a drawing.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar to open the Properties deck.
3) Click on Line to open the Line panel.

Figure 1: Line and Filling toolbar
Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 5

Figure 2: Line panel in Properties deck on Sidebar4) In Line, select from the Arrow Style drop-down lists the type of arrowhead for each endof the line and change the line into an arrow. The left drop-down list adds an arrowhead tothe beginning of the line. The right drop-down list adds an arrowhead to the end of theline.
5) In Line, select the type of line required from the Line Style drop-down list.
6) In Width, select the line width from the Width drop-down list or enter a width in the
Custom Line Width text box.
7) In Color, click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Line Color and select a color from one of
the available color palettes.
8) In Transparency, enter a percentage for the amount of transparency for the line.
9) In Corner style, select a corner style from the drop-down list.
10) In Cap style, select a cap style from the drop-down list.
11) Deselect the line to save the changes to the line.
12) If necessary, click on More Options on the right of the title bar and open the Line dialog
for more control over formatting lines.

Line dialog
To fully change the appearance of a line, use the Line dialog.
1) Make sure a line is selected on a slide.
2) Open the Line dialog (Figure 3) using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
– Click on More Options on the right of the Line panel title on the Sidebar.

6| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 3: Line dialog - Line page3) Use the options available in the pages of the Line dialog to format the line. The pages are
Line, Shadow, Line Styles and Arrow Styles and the options available are explained in
the following sections. A preview box at the bottom of the dialog shows the effect of thechanges on a line.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the dialog.

Line properties
The Line page in the Line dialog is where the basic parameters of the line are set. It is divided
into three sections as follows.
•Line properties – this section sets the following parameters:– Style – select a line style from the drop-down list.
– Color – select a predefined color from one of the available color palettes.
– Width – specifies the thickness of the line.
– Transparency – sets the transparency of a line. Figure 4 shows the effects of different
percentages in transparency levels to lines when placed over an object.

Figure 4: Line transparency(0%, 25%, 50%, 75%)
Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 7

Figure 5: Default arrow top; centered
arrow bottom•

Arrow Styles – this section is only applicable to individual lines and is not used for linesthat form the borders of an object.
– Start style and End style – select from the drop-down list an arrow style or arrowhead
for the start and end of a line.
– Width – specifies the thickness of the arrow endings– Center – moves the center of the arrow endings to the end point of the line. Figure 5
shows the effects of selecting this option.
– Synchronize ends – makes the two line ends identical.

•

Corner and Cap Styles – determines how the connection between two segments of aline looks. To appreciate the difference between these styles, choose a thick line styleand observe how the preview changes.
– Corner style – select the shape to be used at the corners of the line. For a small angle
between lines, a mitered shape is replaced with a beveled shape.
– Cap style – select the style of the line end caps. The caps are added to inner dashes
as well.

Line shadows
The Shadow page (Figure 6) of the Line dialog provides the options to add and format a shadow
to a selected line. The settings on this dialog page are the same as those for shadows applied toother objects, described in “Working with shadows” on page 31.
To quickly apply a shadow to a line, click on Shadow on the Line and Filling toolbar. Using the
Shadow tool creates a shadow using the settings from the Shadow page in the Line dialog.

Figure 6: Line dialog - Shadow page8| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 7: Line dialog - Line Styles pageLine styles
Line styles are useful in a drawing when adding several lines of similar types reducing the need
to format individual lines. LibreOffice provides standard line styles that can be used in a drawing.
Also, line styles can be created, saved, and deleted.
The Line Styles page in the Line dialog (Figure 7) provides options to use predefined line styles
and to create or change line styles.

Creating line styles
1) Create a line in a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Object and Shape > Line on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the line and select Line from the context menu.
3) Click on the Line Styles tab to open the Line Styles page.
4) In the Line style drop-down list, select a pre-defined line style similar to the style to becreated. An example of the line style selected is displayed at the bottom of the dialog
page. This example changes as changes are made to the line style.
5) In the Type drop-down menus, select either Dots or Dash.
– To use only one type for the line, select the same type in both Type boxes.
– To alternate the two line types within a single line, select different types in the two
Type boxes.
6) In the Number boxes, specify the number of dots or dashes selected in Type. For different
sized groups of dots or dashes, set a different quantity in each Number box.
7) In the Length boxes, specify the Dash length as a percentage of the line. The Length
option is not available for Dots.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 98) In the Spacing box, specify the spacing between the dashes and/or dots as a percentageof the line. The Spacing option is not available when the option Fit to line width isselected.
9) If necessary, select Fit to line width so that the new style fits the line width when that line
is created in a drawing.
10) For the current document only, create a new line style, or modify a line style as follows:a) Click on Add or Modify to open the Name dialog.
b) Enter a unique name for the new or modified line style.
c) Click on OK to save the new or modified line style and close the Name dialog.
11) Click on OK to close the Line dialog and the new line style is ready for use in the current
drawing only.

Note
To use the new or modified line style in other drawings, the line style must be saved
using Save Line Styles. See "Saving line styles" below for more information.

Note
When creating or modifying a line style, it is recommended to use a unique name forthe line style. This prevents one of the standard line styles in LibreOffice from being
overwritten and causing formatting problems in other drawings or documents that
use the standard line styles.

Saving line styles
Saving a line style allows for a newly created line style to be used in other LibreOffice drawings.
1) Create a new line style, described in “Creating line styles” above, but do not close theLine dialog.
2) Click on Save Line Styles at the bottom right of the Line Styles page to open a filebrowser window at the correct location for line styles.
3) Enter a unique filename using the file extension sod for the line style in the Name box.
4) Click on Save to save the line style and close the file browser window. The new line style
is now available for use in new drawings and documents.

Loading line styles
Standard line styles are provided when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. However,compatible line styles can loaded and used in LibreOffice. Any line styles loaded into LibreOfficemust use the file extension sod.
1) Create a line in a drawing.
2) Open the Line dialog and click on the Line Styles tab to open the Line Styles page.
3) Click on Load Line Styles at the bottom right of the Line Styles page to open a filebrowser window at the correct location for line styles.
4) Select a style from the list of saved styles in the file browser window. The file extension
for line styles is sod.
5) Click Open to load the line style into LibreOffice. The line style becomes available forother LibreOffice drawings and documents.
6) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.

10| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Deleting line styles
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Line Styles tab to open the Line Styles page.
2) Select the line style for deletion from the Line style drop-down list.
3) Click on Delete and confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog.
4) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.

Note
When deleting line styles, make sure that the line style is not used in anotherdocument. It is recommended to only delete line styles that have been created andnot to delete one of the LibreOffice predefined line styles. This prevents any
formatting problems in other documents where the line style has been used.

Arrow styles
Use the Arrow Styles page (Figure 8) in the Line dialog to create new arrow styles, modify
existing arrow styles, or load previously saved arrow styles.

Creating arrow styles
Any shape can be used as an arrowhead, but the shape must be convertible to a curve. A curve
is something drawn without lifting a pencil. For example, a star can be converted to a curve, but asmiley face cannot.
1) Select a shape, or create a shape that can be converted to a curve for use as a newarrowhead. The part of the shape that is going to be point of the arrowhead must face
upward. An example of a new arrowhead is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 8: Line dialog - Arrow Styles page

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 11

Figure 9: Example
shape being used foran arrowheadNote
The part of the shape being used as the point of the arrowhead must be at the top of
the shape when creating a new arrowhead. If necessary, rotate the shape until the
point is at the top of the shape.
2) Select the shape and convert to a curve using one of the following methods:– Right-click on the shape and select Convert > To Curve from the context menu.
– Go to Shape > Convert > To Curve on the Menu bar.
3) With the shape selected, open the Arrow Styles page in the Line dialog.
4) Click on Add and type a unique name for the new arrow style in the Name dialog that
opens, then click OK. The new arrowhead style is displayed in the preview box of theLine dialog and at the bottom of the Arrow style drop-down list.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Line dialog. The new arrow style is available
only in the current document.

Note
Some shapes cannot be used as an arrowhead. This is indicated by rectangular
blocks appearing at each end of the line in the preview box on the Line Styles pagein the Line dialog.

Note
When creating an arrow style, it is recommended to use a unique name for the arrowstyle. This prevents one of the standard arrow styles in LibreOffice from being
overwritten and causing formatting problems in other drawings that use the standard
arrow styles.

Note
The new arrow style created is available only for use in the current drawing. To use
the new arrow style in other drawings, the arrow style must be saved using the Save
Arrow Styles option.

12| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Saving arrow styles
Saving an arrow style allows for the newly created style to be used in other LibreOffice
documents.
1) Create a new arrow style as described in “Creating arrow styles” above, but do not closethe Line dialog.
2) Click on the Save arrow styles icon at the bottom right of the Arrow Styles page toopen a file browser window at the correct location for arrow styles.
3) Enter a unique filename using the file extension soe for the arrow style.
4) Click on Save to save the arrow style and close the file browser window. The new arrowstyle is now available for use in new documents.

Loading arrow styles
LibreOffice provides standard arrow styles when installed on a computer. However, compatiblearrow styles can be loaded and used in LibreOffice. Any arrow styles loaded into LibreOffice must
use the file extension soe.
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Arrow Styles tab to open the Arrow Styles page.
2) Click on the Load arrow styles icon at the bottom right of the Arrow Styles page toopen a file browser window at the correct location for arrow styles.
3) Select an arrow style from the list of saved styles in the file browser window
4) Click Open to load the arrow style into the drawing. The arrow style also becomes
available for other LibreOffice documents.
5) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.

Deleting arrow styles
1) Open the Line dialog and click on the Arrow Styles tab to open the Arrow Styles page.
2) Select the arrow style for deletion from the Arrow style drop-down list.
3) Click on Delete and confirm the deletion by clicking on Yes in the confirmation dialog that
opens.
4) Click OK to close the Line dialog and save any changes made.

Note
When deleting arrow styles, make sure that the arrow style is not used in anotherdocument. It is recommended to only delete arrow styles that have been created andnot to delete one of the LibreOffice predefined arrow styles. This prevents any
formatting problems in other documents where the arrow style has been used.

Formatting area fills
Area fill refers to the inside of an object that has an unbroken border, for example a rectangle,
circle, star, pentagon and so on. An area fill can be none, a uniform color, gradient, hatching,bitmap or pattern, as shown in Figure 10. Also, an area fill can be made partly or whollytransparent and can throw a shadow.

Line and Filling toolbar
Tools on the Line and Filling toolbar provide a range of default fills readily available to quickly
format graphic objects. If this toolbar is not showing, go to View > Toolbars > Line and Fillingon the Menu bar.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 13

1) Select an object so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Click on Area Style/Filling on the Line and Filling toolbar and select the type of fillrequired from the drop-down list.
– None – select this option if an area fill for an object is not required.
– Color (Figure 11) – select a color palette from the available options in the drop-down
list, then select a color by clicking on the color.
– Gradient (Figure 12) – select the required gradient from the drop-down list.
– Hatching (Figure 13) – select the required hatching from the drop-down list.
– Bitmap (Figure 14) – select the required bitmap from the drop-down list.
– Pattern (Figure 15) – select the required pattern from the drop-down list.
3) Deselect the object to save the changes to the object.

Figure 10: Examples of area fill types

Figure 11: Color area fills

14| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 12: Gradient area fills

Figure 13: Hatching area fills

Figure 15: Pattern area fills

Figure 14: Bitmap area fills

Figure 16: Area panel in Properties deckon Sidebar

SidebarFormat the area of an object using the Sidebar (Figure 16) as follows:
1) Make sure an object with an area fill is selected in a drawing.
2) Click on Properties on the Sidebar, then click on the down arrowhead ˅ on the left of the
Area titlebar to open the Area panel.
3) Use the options in the Fill and Transparency drop-down lists to format the area of an
object.
4) Deselect the object to save the changes.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 15

Figure 17: Area dialog - Area Color page

Area dialog
Format area fills with greater control using the Area dialog (Figure 17) as follows:
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Area on the Menu bar.
– Click on Area in the Line and Filling toolbar.
– Right-click on the selected object and select Area from the context menu.
– Click on More Options on the right of the Area section title on the Sidebar.
3) Click on the Area tab to open the Area page.
4) Select the type of area fill from the available options (None, Color, Gradient, Bitmap,
Pattern, or Hatch)
5) Select the style of area fill from the options that become available for each type of area fillselected.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Working with area fills
Color fills
Selecting color fill
The following procedure to select a color for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the tools on
the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is a similar
procedure, but the available options are reduced. All color fills are solid colors.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Color to open the options available
for a color fill.
16| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes3) In Colors, select the required palette from the available options in the Palette drop-down
list.
4) Click on the color required. All color fills available are solid colors.
– Active preview box shows the present color fill of a selected object. After selecting acolor, a preview of the selected color appears in the New preview box.
– Alternatively, enter the RGB or Hex values of a color in the appropriate text box.
– Alternatively, click on Pick to open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 18). Select a color
from the color box or enter the RGB, Hex, HSB or CMYK values for the color required.
– If a color has been used before, then select the required color from those available in
Recent Colors.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original color, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The color area fill is thenchanged in the selected object.

Creating custom colors using Area dialog
1) Select a filled object to create a color.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Color toopen the options available for a color fill.
3) Specify the values of Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) on a 0 to 255 scale, or thepercentages of Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K) to create a new color.

Figure 18: Pick A Color dialog

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 17

4) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that
opens.
5) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The new custom color appears
as a fill in the selected object and is available for use in other drawings or documents.

Creating custom colors using Pick a Color dialog
1) Select a filled object to create a color.
2) Open the Pick a Color dialog (Figure 18) using one of the following methods:– Click on Pick on the Colors page of the Area dialog.
– Click on the triangle ▼ next to Fill Color on the Line and Filling toolbar and selectCustom Color.
– Click on the triangle ▼ next to Fill Color in the Area section of the Properties deck on
the Sidebar and select Custom Color.
3) Create a custom color using one of the following methods. A preview of the color createdis shown in the colored box below the original color on the left side of the dialog.
– Select a color range from the colored bar, then, using the cursor, move the target in
the colored box until the cursor is on the color required.
– Enter values for Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) in the RGB text boxes.
– Enter values for Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Key (K) (black) in the CMYK
text boxes.
– Enter values for Hue (H), Saturation (S), and Brightness (B) in the HSB text boxes.
HSB values do not change the color, but how a color looks.
– If known, enter the Hex# number in the text box. For example, Hex numbers arenormally used when a specific color has been created for a company logo or company
name.

Note
Changing one set of color values also changes the color values in the other sets.
4) Click OK to close the Pick a Color dialog and save the changes.
5) Click on Add in Custom Palette and enter a name for the color in the Name dialog that
opens.
6) Click OK to close the Name dialog and the color is added to the Custom palette.
7) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The new color appears as a fillin the selected object and is available for use in other drawings or documents.

Deleting custom colors
1) Select a filled object that uses the color fill for deletion.
2) Open the Area dialog 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.
– Click on More Options on the right of the Area section title on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Area, then click on Colors to open the Colors page.
4) In Colors, select Custom from the Palette drop-down list.
5) Select the color for deletion and click on Delete. There is no confirmation given whendeleting a color.
18| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
Only custom colors that are available in the custom palette can be deleted using the
Area dialog. Colors that are available in the color palettes provided by LibreOfficecannot be deleted.

Gradient fills
Several predefined gradients are included when LibreOffice is installed. It is recommended tocreate custom gradients that match the requirements rather than modifying the installed
predefined gradients. Predefined gradients may have been used in other objects in a drawing orother documents.
Custom gradients are saved with a unique name allowing the custom gradient to be used in otherdrawings or documents. Custom gradients are placed at the end of the gradients displayed in theGradient box on the Gradient page of the Area dialog (Figure 19).

Selecting gradient fills
The following procedure to select a gradient for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the toolson the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is asimilar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object to be filled is selected in a drawing.

Figure 19: Area dialog – Area Gradient page

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 192) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) In Gradient, select the required gradient from the list of available gradients and thegradient appears in Preview.
4) To override the default gradient transition of a selection, deselect Automatic in Options
and then enter the values for Type, Increment, Center, Angle, Border, From Color and To
Color to modify the gradient to the requirements. As changes are made, the gradientdisplayed in Preview also changes to indicate how the gradient will look. For more
information on gradient options, see “Table 1: Gradient options” below.
5) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The gradient area fill thenappears in the selected object.

Note
Selecting and modifying a gradient using the above method only allows the gradient
to be used in the drawing being created. If a modified gradient is to be used in otherdrawings or documents, then create a custom gradient and save it with a unique
name. See “Creating custom gradients” below.
Table 1: Gradient options
Gradient property

Meaning

Linear gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a straightline.

Axial gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject center to the object edges in two opposite directions.

Radial gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in a circularpattern.

Ellipsoid gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color in an elliptical
pattern.

Quadratic gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject edges to the object center in four directions.

Square gradient

The color transitions from the starting color to the end color from theobject edges to the object center in a square pattern.

Increment

Enter the number of steps for blending the two colors of the gradient. By
default this is set to Automatic.

Center X

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify thesevalues to set the horizontal offset of the gradient center.

Center Y

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Square and Rectangular gradients, modify thesevalues to set the vertical offset of the gradient center.

Angle

For all gradient types, modifies the angle of the gradient axis.

BorderIncrease this value to make the gradient start further away from the borderof the shape.

From Color

The start color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of thecolor: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color.

To Color

The end color for the gradient. In the edit box enter the intensity of thecolor: 0% corresponds to black, 100% to the full color.

20| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Creating custom gradients
To use a modified gradient in other drawings or documents, a custom gradient has to be savedwith a unique name.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select a gradient and modify it using the options given in “Table 1: Gradient options”
above. As changes are made, the gradient displayed in Preview also changes to give an
indication of how the modified gradient will look.
4) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
5) Enter a unique name for the new gradient, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The
custom gradient is placed at the end of the gradients displayed in Gradient and becomes
available for use in other drawings and documents.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Modifying custom gradients
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Select a custom gradient in Gradient. Custom gradients appear below the predefined
gradients in Gradient.
4)Enter the new values for the gradient options that need to be changed. See “Table 1:
Gradient options” above for more information on gradient options. Depending on the typeof gradient selected, some options may not be available.

5) If necessary and to revert back to the original gradient, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom gradient. There is no
confirmation given when modifying a custom gradient.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Note
Using the Modify option on the Gradient page in the Area dialog permanently
changes a gradient and cannot be undone. It is recommended to only modify custom
gradients and not the predefined gradients that were installed with LibreOffice.

Renaming gradients
1) Select the object that uses the gradient that is going to be renamed.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Gradient toopen the options available for a gradient fill.
3) Right-click on the gradient and select Rename from the context menu.
4) Enter a name for the gradient in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting custom gradients
1) Select an object that uses a gradient fill.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Gradient.
Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 21

3) In the Gradient box, select the custom gradient for deletion.
4) Right click on the gradient and select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes toconfirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
It is recommended to only delete or rename custom gradients that have beencreated. Deleting or renaming one of the predefined gradients that are installed with
LibreOffice may cause problems in drawings and documents that use one of thegradients.

Advanced gradient controls
LibreOffice provides advanced controls for gradients on the Transformations toolbar (Figure 20).
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Gradient.
3) Go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the Menu bar or click on theTransformations tool on the Line and Filling toolbar to open the Transformations toolbar.
4) Click on Interactive gradient tool in the Transformations toolbar. This displays a dashedline connecting two colored squares (Figure 21). The colors show the From Color and To
Color that are used for the selected gradient.
5) Select the type of gradient required for the object from the options in the Type drop-downlist. Properties available for adjustment depend on the gradient type selected, as
explained below. Moving the squares has different effects depending on the type of
gradient.
– Linear – move From Color square to change where the gradient starts (border value).
Move the To Color square to change the orientation (angle value).
– Axial – move the To Color square to change both the angle and border properties of
the gradient. Only the To Color square can be moved.
– Radial – move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the width of
the gradient circle. Move the To Color square to change the point where the gradientends (Center X and Center Y values).

Figure 20: Transformations toolbar

Figure 21: Example of using Interactive
Gradient tool

22| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

– Ellipsoid – move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the sizeof the gradient ellipsoid. Move the To Color square to change the angle of the ellipsoidaxis and the axis itself.
– Quadratic – move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the sizeof the gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move the To
Color square to change the center of the gradient.
– Square – move the From Color square to modify the border property to set the size ofthe gradient square or rectangle and the angle of the gradient shape. Move the To
Color square to change the center of the gradient.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
Moving the squares creates different effects depending on the type of gradient. For
example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient are always
situated either side of the center point of the object.

Bitmap fills
Several predefined bitmaps are included when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. The
content of the supplied bitmaps cannot be edited, but the display settings can be changed. Also,
bitmaps can be imported from other sources. A GIF is an example of a graphics image file thathas a bitmap.

Figure 22: Area dialog – Area Bitmap page

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 23

Table 2: Bitmap options
Bitmap option

Meaning

Style – Custom
position/size

When this option is selected, the position of the bitmap in the object
and the size of the bitmap can be specified.

Style – Tiled

When this option is selected, the bitmap is tiled to fill the area. The sizeof the bitmap used for the tiling is determined by the Size settings

Style – Stretched

When this option is selected, a bitmap is stretched to fill the object
area.

Size – Width

Sets the width of the bitmap. For example, 100% means that thebitmap is resized to occupy the whole fill area width, 50% means thatthe width of the bitmap is half that of the fill area.

Size – Height

Sets the height of the bitmap. For example, 100% means that thebitmap is resized to occupy the whole fill area height, 50% means thatthe height of the bitmap is half that of the fill area.

Size – Scale

When selected, bitmap size is given as a percentage for Width andHeight. When deselected, the actual size of the bitmap is given for
Width and Height.

Position

Specifies the anchoring point of the bitmap.

Tiling Position – X-Offset

Sets the offset for the width of the bitmap in percentage values. 50%
offset means that Draw will place the middle part of the bitmap width at
the anchor point and start tiling from there.

Tiling Position – Y-Offset

Sets the offset for the height of the bitmap in percentage values. 50%
offset means that Draw will place the middle part of the bitmap heightat the anchor point and start tiling from there.

Tiling Offset

Offsets the columns of tiled bitmaps by the percentage entered in thebox so that two subsequent columns of bitmaps are not aligned.

Selecting bitmaps
The following procedure to select a bitmap for an area fill uses the Bitmap page of the Area
dialog (Figure 22). Using the tools on the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in theProperties deck on the Sidebar is a similar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) In Bitmap, select the required bitmap from the list of available bitmaps and it appears inPreview. Alternatively, click on Add/Import to open a file browser window, then select afile to use as a bitmap fill.
4) If necessary, change the values in Style, Size, Position, Tiling Position, and Tiling Offset
to modify the bitmap to the requirements. For more information on bitmap options, see“Table 2: Bitmap options” above.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original bitmap, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The bitmap fill then appears inthe selected object.

24| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 23: Examples of bitmap fills

Editing bitmaps
1) Select an object for editing that contains a bitmap as a fill, or insert a bitmap into aselected object
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Select a bitmap from the options available in Bitmap to use and edit as a fill. Note that
any imported bitmaps are also available. The selected bitmap appears in Preview. Notethat any imported bitmaps are also available.
4)

Change the values for Style, Size, Position, Tiling Position, and Tiling Offset to therequirements. For more information on bitmap options, see “Table 2: Bitmap options”
above. Examples of bitmap fills and the properties used are shown in Figure 23.

5) If necessary and to revert back to the original bitmap, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
Supplied bitmaps cannot be edited, but the display settings for placement and tilingcan be changed.

Importing bitmaps
1) Select an object to import a bitmap into the object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Click on Add/Import and a file browser window opens.
4) Navigate to the directory containing the bitmap file, then select the file and click Open.
5) Enter a unique name for the new bitmap in the Name dialog that opens, then click OK toclose the Name dialog. The imported bitmap appears at the bottom of the bitmaps
displayed in Bitmap.
6) Select the imported bitmap in Bitmap.
7) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog. The imported bitmap fill appears
in the selected object.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 25

Renaming bitmaps
1) Select an object that uses a bitmap.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Bitmap to
open the options available for a bitmap fill.
3) Right-click on the bitmap selected for renaming and select Rename from the context
menu.
4) Enter a new name for the bitmap in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the change and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting bitmaps
1) Make sure the object containing a bitmap fill is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Bitmap.
3) Right click on the bitmap being deleted and select Delete from the context menu. Click on
Yes to confirm the deletion.
4) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
It is recommended to only rename or delete bitmaps that have been created orimported. Renaming or deleting bitmaps that are installed with LibreOffice may cause
problems in documents that use one of these bitmaps.

Pattern fills
Several predefined pattern fills are included when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. Custom
patterns can also be created and modified in LibreOffice.

Selecting pattern fills
The following procedure to select a pattern for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the toolson the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is asimilar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill (Figure 24).
3) In Pattern, select the required pattern and the selected pattern appears in Preview.
4) If necessary, change the foreground and background colors, or the pattern itself, as
described in “Creating custom patterns” below. As changes are made, the patterndisplayed in Preview also changes to indicate how the pattern will look. Any changes willaffect only the object being filled.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The pattern fill then appears inthe selected object.

Creating custom patterns
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page.

26| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 24: Area dialog – Area Pattern page3) Select the required pattern in Pattern to use as a starting point and the selected pattern
appears in Preview.
4) In Options, select a color from the available color palettes for the Foreground Color andBackground Color. The pattern remains the same, but the colors change.
5) In Pattern Editor, click on individual squares to change the color from Foreground Color to
Background Color, or from Background Color to Foreground Color to create a newpattern.
6) In Preview, check the pattern being created to see if the desired effect is being achieved.
7) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
8) Enter a unique name for the new pattern, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The
custom pattern is placed at the end of the patterns displayed in Pattern and becomes
available for use in other drawings and documents.
9) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
10) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Note
To use a modified pattern in other drawings or documents, the custom pattern has tobe saved with a unique name.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 27

Modifying custom patterns
Using the Modify option on the Pattern page in the Area dialog permanently changes a patternand cannot be undone. It is recommended to only modify custom patterns and not the predefinedpatterns that were installed with LibreOffice.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern.
3) Select a custom pattern from the patterns displayed in Pattern and the selected pattern
appears in Preview. Custom patterns are located below the predefined patterns in the
Pattern.
4) In Pattern Editor, click on each square to change the color from Foreground Color to
Background Color, or from Background Color to Foreground Color to modify the selected
pattern.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original pattern, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom pattern. There is no
confirmation given when modifying a custom pattern.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Renaming patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for renaming in Preview and select Rename from the context
menu.
4) Enter a name for the pattern in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renaming and close the Name box.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting custom patterns
1) Select an object that contains a pattern, or insert a pattern into the selected object.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Pattern toopen the options available for a pattern fill. The selected pattern appears in Pattern
Editor.
3) Right-click on the pattern for deletion in the Preview box and select Delete from thecontext menu.
4) Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
It is recommended to only modify, delete or rename custom patterns that have beencreated. Deleting or renaming one of the predefined patterns that are installed with
LibreOffice may cause problems in drawings and documents that use one of thegradients.

28| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 25: Area dialog – Area Hatch page

Hatching fills
Hatchings fills are similar to pattern fills, but use lines instead of squares. Several predefined
hatching fills are included when LibreOffice is installed on a computer. Custom hatching fills canalso be created and modified.

Selecting hatching fills
The following procedure to select a hatching for an area fill uses the Area dialog. Using the toolson the Line and Filling Toolbar, and the Area panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar is asimilar procedure, but the available options are reduced.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill (Figure 25).
3) Select a hatch from the options shown in Hatch and the selected hatch appears in thePreview.
4) If necessary, change the colors or other options, as described in “Creating custom
hatching” below. As changes are made, the hatching displayed in Preview also changes.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original hatching, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The hatching fill then appears inthe selected object.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 29

Creating custom hatching1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Select the required hatching in Hatch as a starting point and the selected hatchingappears in Preview.
4) Change the values for Spacing, Angle, Line type, Line color, and Background color to edit
the hatching to the requirements. For more information on hatching options, see “Table 3:
Hatching options” below.
5) Click on Add to open a Name dialog.
6) Enter a unique name for the new hatching, then click OK to close the Name dialog. The
custom hatching is placed at the end of the hatchings displayed in Hatch and becomes
available for use in other drawings and documents.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes. The new hatch fill appears in theselected object.
Table 3: Hatching options
Hatching option

Meaning

Spacing

Determines the spacing between two lines of the hatching fill. As the value
is changed, the preview window is updated.

Angle

Use the mini map below the numerical value to quickly set the angle
formed by the line to multiples of 45 degrees. If the required angle is not a
multiple of 45 degrees, enter the desired value in the edit box.

Line typeSet single, double, or triple line for the style of the hatching.

Line color

Use the list to select the color of the lines that will form the hatching.

Background color

When selected, adds a color fill behind the lines used for the hatching.

Modifying custom hatchings
Using the Modify option on the Hatch page in the Area dialog permanently changes a hatching
and cannot be undone.
1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Select a custom hatching in Hatch and the selected hatching appears in Preview.
Custom hatchings are located below the predefined hatchings in Hatch.
4) Change the values for Spacing, Angle, Line type, Line color, and Background color to edit
the hatching. For more information on hatching options, see “Table 3: Hatching options”
above.
5) If necessary and to revert back to the original hatching, click on Reset and any changes
made are removed.
6) Click on Modify to permanently change the selected custom hatching. There is no
confirmation given when modifying a custom hatching.
7) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Renaming hatch fills
1) Select the object that contains the hatch fill that is to be renamed.

30| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

2) Open the Area dialog and click on Area to open the Area page, then click on Hatch toopen the options available for a hatch fill.
3) Right-click on the hatch fill displayed in Hatch and select Rename from the context
menu.
4) Enter a name for the hatch fill in the Name dialog that opens.
5) Click OK to save the renaming and close the Name dialog.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Deleting custom hatching1) Select an object that uses the hatching fill for deletion.
2) Open the Area page on the Area dialog, then click on Hatch.
3) In the Hatch box, select the custom hatching for deletion.
4) Right-click on the hatching and select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes toconfirm the deletion.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Area dialog.

Note
It is recommended to only modify, rename or delete hatch fills that have beencreated. Modifying, renaming or deleting hatch fills that were installed with
LibreOffice may cause problems in documents that use one of these hatch fills.

Working with shadows
Shadows can be applied to objects such as lines, shapes and text. The options available forshadows are as follows:•

Position – select one of nine points determining the direction in which the shadow is
cast.

•

Distance or Angle – determines the offset distance between the object and the shadow.

•

Color – sets the color used for the shadow.

•

Blur – sets how much the edges of a shadow are blurred or softened.

•

Transparency – determines the amount of transparency for the shadow: 0% opaqueshadow, 100% transparent shadow.

Default shadows
To quickly apply a shadow to an object, select the object and click on Shadow in the Line andFilling toolbar. The shadow applied to an object using this method is set to the default shadow
settings in LibreOffice.

Note
For more control when applying shadows, use the Shadow page in Area or Linedialogs. The following information describes the use of the Shadow page in the Area
dialog (Figure 26), but can also be applied to the Shadow page in the Line dialog.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 31

Figure 26: Area dialog - Shadow page

Formatting shadows
For a more control when adding shadows to an object, use the Shadow page on the Area dialog(Figure 26) as follows:
1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Open the Area dialog and click on Shadow to open the Shadow page.
3) Select Use shadow in Properties and the shadow options become active.
4) Select from one of nine points the direction in which the shadow is going to be cast in
relation to the object.
5) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and thenselect the color required for the shadow.
6) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
7) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.
8) In Transparency, enter a percentage for the shadow transparency.
9) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.

Sidebar shadow formatting1) Select an object where a shadow is going to be applied.
2) Click on Properties to open the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
3) Click on Shadow to open the Shadow panel (Figure 27) in the Properties deck.
4) Select Enable and the shadow options become active.
5) In Angle, select from one of the options available from the drop-down list to set thedirection of where the shadow is going to be cast in relation to the object.
6) In Color, select the color palette from the drop-down list of available palettes and thenselect the color required for the shadow.
7) In Distance, enter a distance to set spacing between the object and the shadow.
8) In Blur, enter a value to soften the edges of the shadow.
9) In Transparency, move the slider or enter a percentage in the text box to set the shadowtransparency.
10) Deselect the object to save the changes made.
32| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 27: Shadow panel in Properties on
sidebarWorking with transparencies
Transparencies can be applied to objects and to any shadow that has been applied to an object.
In Draw two types of transparencies can be applied to an object – uniform transparency andgradient transparency. For more information on gradient transparencies, including an example ofcombining a color gradient with a gradient transparency, see “Gradient fills” on page 19.
Transparencies can be applied to area fills as well as shadows and lines.
•

To use transparencies on lines, refer to “Formatting lines” on page 5 for more information.

•

To use transparencies on shadows, refer to “Working with shadows” on page 31 for more
information.

The following procedure applies a transparency to an object area fill using the Area dialog(Figure 28):1) Make sure the object is selected in a drawing.
2) Open the Area dialog, then click on Transparency to the open the Transparency page
and access the available options.
3) To create a uniform transparency, select Transparency and enter a percentage in the textbox.
4) To create a gradient transparency so that the area becomes gradually transparent, selectGradient and select the type of gradient transparency from the drop-down list: Linear,
Axial, Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic or Square. See “Table 1” on page 20 for more
information on gradient types.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 33

Figure 28: Area dialog - Transparency page5) Set the parameters for the type of the gradient transparency selected above. Refer to“Table 4: Transparency parameters” below for a description of the properties. The
parameters available depends on the type of gradient transparency selected above.
6) Click OK to close the Area dialog and save the changes.
Table 4: Transparency parameters
Transparency parameters

Meaning

Centre X

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The values to
set the horizontal offset of the gradient center.

Center Y

For Radial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients. The values to
set the vertical offset of the gradient center.

Angle

For Linear, Axial, Ellipsoid, Quadratic and Square gradients.
Specifies the angle of the gradient axis.

BorderIncrease this value to make the gradient start further away from theborder of the object.

Start value

Value for the starting transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque,
100% means fully transparent.

End value

Value for the ending transparency gradient. 0% is fully opaque,
100% means fully transparent.

Drawing styles
Suppose that the same area fill, line thickness, and border is to be applied to a set of objects.
This repetitive process can be greatly simplified by the use of styles. Styles allow a format to be
defined and then applied to multiple objects. For more information on creating styles, see theWriter Guide.

34| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 29: Styles deck on Sidebar

Note
The drawing styles included with LibreOffice Draw cannot be deleted or renamed.
However, all drawing styles can be modified to the drawing requirements. Also,
drawing styles can be hidden when not required, except for any drawing styles thathave been used in a drawing.

Style categories•

All Styles – displays all the drawing styles available for use.

•

Applied Styles – displays drawing styles that have been used in the selected drawing.

•

Hierarchical Styles – displays the drawing styles in a hierarchical list (also known as alinked or parent/child styles). To view the styles in a sub-level, click on the triangle ► next
to the style name to list the styles available in the sub-level, as shown in Figure 29.

•

Custom Styles – displays all the user created drawing styles that are available for use.

•

Hidden Styles – displays all the drawing styles that a user has hidden when not
required.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 35

Tip
Hierarchical styles are used with multiple objects differ, for example in color, but areotherwise identically formatted. Create a parent style for the objects including
borders, area fill, font, and so on. Then create a hierarchical or child styles, which
differ only in the fill color attribute. If the font size or the thickness of a border needs
to be changed, it is sufficient to change the parent style and all the child styles arechanged accordingly.

Tip
At the bottom of the Styles deck on the Sidebar there is a drop-down list allowing
selection of the style category. The style categories available are Hierarchical, All
Styles, Hidden Styles, Applied Styles, and Custom Styles.

Note
When an object is placed into a drawing, the Default Drawing Style is automaticallyapplied.

Selecting styles
Styles can only be selected and applied to objects using the Styles deck on the Sidebar(Figure 29).
1) Select the object for style application.
2) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar using one of the following methods:– Go to View > Sidebar on the Menu bar, then click on Styles at the right side of the
Sidebar.
– Click on Show the Styles Sidebar on the Line and Filling toolbar.
– Go to View > Styles on the Menu bar.
– Use the keyboard shortcut F11.
3) Select a style category from the drop-down list at the bottom of the Styles deck.
4) In the Styles deck, double-click on the style required for the selected object.
5) If necessary, create a custom style or modify the selected style to the requirements, as
described below.

Note
It is recommended to create custom styles rather than modify the drawing styles
installed with LibreOffice. Modifying drawing styles installed with LibreOffice may
cause problems if the style has been used in other drawings.

Creating custom styles
After creating a custom style, it is placed in All Styles and Custom Styles categories in the
Styles deck of the Sidebar. When the custom style is applied to an object, the custom style also
appears in Applied Styles.

Using Styles deck1) Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar.

36| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 30: Graphic Styles dialog - Organizer page2) Right click on the style required as a starting point to create a custom style and selectNew from the context menu to open the Graphic Styles dialog (Figure 30).
3) Click on the Organizer tab to open the Organizer page in the Graphic Styles dialog.
4) In the Name text box, enter a unique style name.
5) In Inherit from text box, select None from the drop-down list if the new drawing style is
NOT going to be linked. When the object was created, it was allocated the Default
Drawing Style and this new drawing style is linked by default to the Default Drawing Style.
6) If the new style is to inherit settings from an existing style, select a style from the Inherit
from: drop-down list.
7) Use the options on the various pages of the Graphic Styles dialog to format andcategorize a new style.
– Organizer – contains a summary of the style and its hierarchical position.
– Font, Font Effects, Indents & Spacing, Alignment, and Tabs – sets the attributes of
the text inserted into a text box or graphic object.
– Dimensioning – sets the style of dimension lines when used on an object.
– Text, Text Animation, Connector, Line, Area, Shadowing, Highlighting andTransparency – sets the attributes for the object format..
8) Click OK when finished to save the new style and close the Graphic Styles dialog.

Note
Any new drawing style created is automatically placed in the Custom Styles
category.

Using New Style from Selection
Using New Style from Selection allows all formatting to be made to an object first and thencreate a drawing style from that object.
1) Select an object to create a new style from, or create a new object in a drawing.
2) Format the object using the tools and options from the Graphic Styles dialog, Area dialog,
Line dialog, Properties deck on the Sidebar, or Line and Filling toolbar.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 37

Figure 31: New style from Selection dialog
3) Create the new style using one of the following methods:– Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on New Style from Selection at the
top right of the deck.
– Go to Format > Styles > New Style from Selection on the Menu bar.
4) In the New Style from Selection dialog (Figure 31), type a unique name for the new style.
This dialog also shows existing custom styles.
5) Click OK to save the new style and close the New Style from Selection dialog.

Modifying styles
It is recommended to only modify custom styles that have been created. Modifying styles that are
installed with LibreOffice may cause problems in other documents that use one of these styles.
1) Select an object in a drawing.
2) Click on Styles on the left of the Sidebar to open the Styles deck.
3) Open the Graphic Styles dialog using one of the following methods:– Go to Format > Styles > Edit Style on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the object and select Edit Style from the context menu.
– Right-click on the style that is highlighted in the Styles deck on the Sidebar and selectModify from the context menu.
4) Use the options on the various pages of the Graphic Styles dialog to modify the style.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog.

38| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Editing hierarchical or parent styles
If an object in a drawing uses a style that is linked to a hierarchical or parent style, then it ispossible to edit the hierarchical or parent style.
1) Select an object in a drawing that uses a linked style.
2) Open the Graphic Styles dialog and click on Organizer to open the Organizer page in
the Graphic Styles dialog.
3) Check that the style name in the Inherit from text box is the hierarchical or parent style forediting, then use the options on the various pages in the Graphic Styles dialog to edit thestyle.
4) If the hierarchical or parent style is NOT the one required:a) Click on Edit Style to the right of the Inherit from text box until the name of the style isdisplayed.
b) Use the options on the various pages in the Graphic Styles dialog to edit the style.
5) Click OK to save the changes and close the Graphic Styles dialog.

Note
It is recommended to create custom hierarchical styles rather than modify theexisting hierarchical styles available in LibreOffice. Modifying hierarchical styles
installed with LibreOffice may cause problems if the style has been used in otherdrawings.

Updating styles
Using Update Style allows all the formatting to an object to be made first and then update thedrawing style used by the object.
1) Select the object to modify the drawing style the object uses.
2) Format the object using the tools and options from the Graphic Styles dialog, Area dialog,
Line dialog, Properties deck on the Sidebar, or Line and Filling toolbar.
3) Update the drawing style using one of the following methods. There is no confirmation
when updating a drawing style.
– Open the Styles deck on the Sidebar and click on Update Style at the top right.
– Go to Format > Styles > Update Selected Style on the Menu bar

Note
Make sure to only update custom styles that have been created. Updating styles thatare part of the default installation of LibreOffice could cause problems in otherdocuments that use LibreOffice drawing styles.

Applying styles
Drawing styles are applied to an object using the Styles deck on the Sidebar as follows:
1) Select the object to apply a drawing style.
2) Click on Styles on the Line and Filling toolbar, or click on Styles on the Sidebar.
3) Double click on the style name to apply the drawing style to the selected object.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 39

Deleting styles
Predefined styles in LibreOffice cannot be deleted, even if they are not being used. Only custom
styles can be deleted. However, before deleting a custom style, it is recommended to make surethe drawing style is not in use by checking the list of drawing styles in the Applied Styles
category.
1) To open a list of styles, use one of the following methods:– Click on Styles on the Line and Filling toolbar.
– Click on Styles on the Sidebar.
2) Select Applied Styles from the drop-down list at the bottom of the Styles deck on the
Sidebar.
3) Right click on the style name in the styles list and select Delete from the context menu.
4) If the style is used on an object, a warning message will appear stating that the selected
object will revert back to the default drawing style. Select Yes to confirm deletion of thestyle.
5) If the style is not in use, select Yes to confirm deletion of the style and there is no
confirmation message.

Special effects
As well as the basic actions of moving and resizing an object, a number of special effects canalso be applied to objects in Draw. Several of these effects are readily available in theTransformations toolbar. If the Transformations toolbar (Figure 20 on page 22) is not showing,
select it from View > Toolbars > Transformations on the Menu bar.
The tools on the Transformations toolbar are described in the following sections with the
exception of the In 3-D Rotation Object tool, which is described in Chapter 7, Working with 3D
Objects.

Rotating objects
Manual rotation
1) Select the object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Use one of the following methods to switch the selected object into rotation mode,. The
selection handles change shape and color when in rotation mode (Figure 32).
– Click again on the selected object.
– Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Transformations on the Line and Filling andselect Rotate from the context menu.
– If the Transformations toolbar is displayed, click on Rotate.
3) Move the cursor over one of the corner handles and the cursor changes shape.
4) Click, hold and drag the object in the rotation direction. Only the corner selection handles
are active for rotation.
5) To restrict the rotation angles to multiples of 15 degrees, press and hold the Shift key
while rotating the object. This is very handy for rotating objects through 90 deg, forexample from portrait to landscape.
6) When satisfied with the rotation, release the cursor.

40| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 32: Manually rotating objects

Figure 33: Position and Size panel in
Properties deck on Sidebar
7) By default, the rotation pivot point is a small circle in the center of the selected object. Tochange the center of object rotation, click, hold and drag the rotation pivot point to a newposition. This position for the rotation pivot point can be outside of the selected object.

Sidebar rotation
1) Select the object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 41

2) Open the Position and Size panel in the Properties deck on the Sidebar (Figure 33).
3) Rotate the object using one of the following options:– Click on and drag the Rotation Angle indicator in Rotation.
– Enter a rotation angle in the Select the angle for rotation text box.
4) When satisfied, click outside the object to deselect the object and deselect rotation mode.

Position and Size dialog
1) Select the object for rotation so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Open the Position and Size dialog (Figure 34) using one of the following methods:– Use the keyboard shortcut F4.
– Select Format > Position and Size on the Menu bar.
– Right-click on the object and select Position and Size from the context menu.
3) Click Rotation to open the Rotation page.
4) If required, in Pivot Point enter a value for Position X and Position Y to move the positionof the pivot point. The default position of the pivot point is the center of the object.
Alternatively, select a pivot point from one of the 9 positions in Default settings.
5) In Rotation Angle, rotate the object using one of the following methods:– In the Angle text box, enter the degrees of rotation required.
– Click on and drag the rotation indicator in Default settings.
6) Click OK to save the changes and close the Position and Size dialog.

Flipping objects
Quick flipping
1) Select the object for flipping so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Use one of the following methods to flip the object vertically or horizontally:– Right click on the object and select Flip > Horizontally or Flip > Vertically from thecontext menu.

Figure 34: Position and Size dialog - Rotation page42| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 35: Example of using Flip tool
– In the Position and Size section of the Properties deck on the Sidebar, click on Flip
Vertically or Flip Horizontally.
– In the Line and Filling toolbar, click on Vertically or Horizontally.
– Go to Shape > Flip > Vertically or Horizontally on the Menu bar.

Flip tool
Using the Flip tool on the Transformations toolbar (Figure 20 on page 22), the position and angle
that the object flips over can be changed, as shown in Figure 35.
1) Select the object for flipping so that the selection handles are displayed.
2) Click on Flip on the Transformations toolbar and the symmetry axis appears as a dashedline through the middle of the object. The object will be flipped about this symmetry axis.
3) Click and drag one or both ends of the symmetry axis to set the orientation of the axis.
4) Place the cursor over one of the object selection handles until it changes shape.
5) Click, hold and drag the object across to the other side of the symmetry axis until theobject appears flipped over. The angle and position of the flip depends on the angle andposition of the symmetry axis.
6) Release the click and the object is flipped.

Note
Pressing and holding the Shift key while moving the symmetry axis allows rotation in
45 degree increments.

Mirror copies
At the moment there is no mirror command existing in Draw. However, mirroring an object can beemulated by copying and flipping the object as follows:
1) Select the object to make a mirror copy of and copy the object to the clipboard.
2) Flip the object using the procedures in “Flipping objects” above.
3) Click in an empty area on the drawing to deselect the object.
4) Paste the copy of the original object back into its original location, creating a mirror copy.
5) If necessary, select both objects and align them using one of the following methods:– Go to Shape > Align on the Menu bar and use one of the alignment options.
– Right-click the selected objects and select Align from the context menu, then selectone of the alignment options.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 43

Distorting images
Three tools on the Transformations toolbar allow an object to be distorted.
•

Distort – distorts an object in perspective.

•

Set to circle (slant) and Set in Circle (perspective) – both create a pseudo 3D effect.

Before distorting an object, the object must be converted to a curve. Click, hold and drag on oneof the selection handles produces the desired effect. Examples of distortion are shown in thefollowing figures.

Note
Transforming an object into a curve is a safe operation, but cannot be reversed otherthan by clicking Format > Undo on the Menu bar.

Set in circle (perspective)
An example of distorting an object with the Set in Circle (perspective) tool is shown in
Figure 36.
1) Select an object and click on the Set in Circle (perspective) in the Transformations
toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does
not appear.
3) Click and drag one of the selection handles to give a pseudo 3D perspective using the
opposite side as an anchor point. A ghosted image appears as the object is distorted togive an indication of how the resulting object will look.

Figure 36: Example of using Set in Circle (perspective)
distortion

Set to circle (slant)
An example of distorting an object with the Set to circle (slant) tool is shown in Figure 37.
1) Select an object and click on the Set to circle (slant) in the Transformations toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does
not appear.
3) Click and drag one of the selection handles to give a pseudo 3D perspective using the
opposite side as an anchor point. A ghosted image appears as the object is distorted togive an indication of how the resulting object will look.

Figure 37: Example of using Set to Circle (slant) distortion

44| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes

Figure 38: Examples of object distortion

DistortExamples of distorting an object with the Distort tool are shown in Figure 38.
1) Select an object and click on Distort on the Transformations toolbar.
2) Click Yes to convert the object to a curve. If the object is already a curve, this dialog does
not appear.
3) Click, hold and drag a corner selection handle to distort the object using the opposite
corner selection handle as an anchor point for the distortion.
4) Click and drag the vertical selection handles to distort the object using the opposite
vertical side as an anchor point for the distortion.
5) Click, hold and drag the horizontal selection handles to distort the object using the
opposite horizontal side as an anchor point for the distortion.

Dynamic gradients
Transparency gradients are controlled in the same manner as color gradients and both types ofgradient can be used together. With a transparency gradient, the direction and degree of object
fill color changes from opaque to transparent. In a color gradient, the fill changes from one color
to another, but the degree of transparency remains the same.
Two icons on the Transformations toolbar dynamically control transparency and color gradients.
Even if an object with a color fill is not assigned transparency, the transparency can be controlled
by clicking on Interactive transparency tool. This defines a transparency gradient and a dashedline connecting two squares appears on the object. Move the two squares to modify the gradient.
Define the direction of the gradient (vertical, horizontal, or at any angle) and the spot at which thetransparency begins.
A regular color gradient is defined in the same manner. Select an object, then select a gradientarea fill (see “Gradient fills” on page 19 for more information). The Interactive gradient tool is
now active on the Transformations toolbar. When clicking on Interactive gradient tool, a dashedline connecting two squares appears on the object, just as it does for a transparency gradient.
In both transparency gradient and gradient fill, click outside the object to set the gradient.
In the example shown in Figure 39 there is a single color object and a transparency gradient,
covering part of the underlying object. This gradient transparency can be dynamically adjusted.
Direction of transparency is changed by moving the white square and the distance over which itis applied by moving the green square.

Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes | 45

Figure 39: Example of dynamic gradient

Note
Moving the squares has different effects, depending on the type of gradient. For
example, for a linear gradient, the start and end squares of the gradient will always
be situated to either side of the center point of the object.

46| Chapter 4, Changing Object Attributes