Draw Guide

Chapter 3
Working with Objects

CopyrightThis document is Copyright © 2020 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors arelisted below. You may distribute it and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU General
Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons
Attribution License (http://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

Claire Wood

To Previous Editions
Martin Fox

Jean Hollis WeberJohn 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 your email address and any other personal
information that is written in the message, is publicly archived and cannot be deleted.

Publication date and software version
Published June 2020. Based on LibreOffice 6.4.

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

EffectTools > Options menu

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

F5

Shift + ⌘ + F5

Open the Navigator

F11

⌘ +T

Open the sidebar Styles deck

Documentation for LibreOffice is available at http://documentation.libreoffice.org/en/Contents
Copyright..............................................................................................................................2
Contributors................................................................................................................................. 2
To This Edition......................................................................................................................... 2
To Previous Editions................................................................................................................ 2
Feedback..................................................................................................................................... 2
Publication date and software version.........................................................................................2
Using LibreOffice on macOS........................................................................................................2

Introduction..........................................................................................................................5
Selecting objects..................................................................................................................5
Direct selection............................................................................................................................ 5
Selection by framing.................................................................................................................... 5
Selecting hidden objects..............................................................................................................5
Arranging objects......................................................................................................................... 6

Positioning and adjusting objects.....................................................................................6
Using zoom.................................................................................................................................. 6
Status bar................................................................................................................................ 7
Zoom & View Layout dialog.....................................................................................................7
Zoom toolbar........................................................................................................................... 8
Moving and adjusting object size.................................................................................................9
Moving objects........................................................................................................................ 9
Adjusting object size............................................................................................................... 9
Modifying arcs....................................................................................................................... 10
Rotating and slanting objects.....................................................................................................10
Rotating objects.................................................................................................................... 10
Slanting objects..................................................................................................................... 12
Setting exact position, size, rotation and slant...........................................................................12
Position and Size.................................................................................................................. 13
Rotating objects.................................................................................................................... 14
Slant and corner radius......................................................................................................... 15

Using grid and snap functions.........................................................................................16
Configuring grid and snap functions...........................................................................................16
Snap to grid............................................................................................................................... 18
Using Snap to Grid................................................................................................................ 18
Displaying grid....................................................................................................................... 18
Changing color of grid points.................................................................................................19
Snap points and lines.................................................................................................................19
Inserting snap points and snap lines.....................................................................................19
Displaying snap points and lines...........................................................................................20
Editing snap points and lines.................................................................................................20
Deleting snap points and lines..............................................................................................21
Configuring snap range......................................................................................................... 21

Using Helplines..................................................................................................................21
Changing form of regular shapes....................................................................................22
Basic shapes............................................................................................................................. 22
Symbol shapes.......................................................................................................................... 22
Working with Objects | 3

Block arrows.............................................................................................................................. 22
Callouts...................................................................................................................................... 23
Stars.......................................................................................................................................... 23

Curves and polygons.........................................................................................................23
Bézier curves............................................................................................................................. 23
Converting to curve or polygon..................................................................................................23
Edit Points toolbar...................................................................................................................... 24
Tangents.................................................................................................................................... 24
Symmetric transition.............................................................................................................. 25
Smooth transition.................................................................................................................. 25
Corner point.......................................................................................................................... 25
Tangent rotation.................................................................................................................... 26
Points......................................................................................................................................... 26
Moving points........................................................................................................................ 26
Inserting points...................................................................................................................... 27
Deleting points...................................................................................................................... 27
Eliminating points.................................................................................................................. 28
Converting curves or lines.........................................................................................................29
Splitting curves.......................................................................................................................... 29
Closing curves........................................................................................................................... 30
Rotating and distorting curves....................................................................................................30

4| Working with Objects

Introduction
This chapter looks at the tools and functions that let you modify existing drawings. All of thefunctions apply to a selected object or a group of selected objects, which can be distinguished by
selection handles on a rectangular frame that is large enough to contain the object. Where several
objects are selected, the frame around the objects corresponds to the smallest rectangle that cancontain all of the objects. This frame is called the selection rectangle.

Note
The color and shape of the selection handles will change depending on the tool andfunction that has been selected to change the object properties. The color of theselection handles also depends on the computer operating system and how thecomputer has been set up.

Selecting objects
Direct selection
The easiest way to select an object is to click directly on it. For objects that are not filled, click on
the object outline to select it. One click selects; a second click deselects. To select or deselectmore than one object, hold the Shift key down while clicking.

Selection by framing
You can also select several objects at once by dragging the mouse cursor around the objects. Thisdraws a rectangle around the objects, and only objects that lie entirely within the rectangle will beselected. To select multiple objects by framing, the Select icon on the Drawing toolbar (Figure 1)
must be active.

Figure 1: Drawing toolbar

Note
When you drag the mouse cursor to select multiple objects, the selection rectangle
being drawn is also known as a marquee.

Selecting hidden objects
If objects are located behind others and not visible, they can still be selected. When you select ahidden object, its selection handles will appear through the objects covering it.
•

Windows or Mac operating system – select the object in front of the hidden objects, thenpress the Alt key and click to select the hidden object. If there are several hidden objects,
keep holding down the Alt key and clicking until you reach the object you want. To cycle
through the objects in reverse order, hold down the Alt+Shift keys and click.

Selecting objects | 5•Linux operating system – press the Tab key to cycle selection through the objects inyour drawing, stopping at the hidden object you want to select. To cycle through the objects
in reverse order, press Shift+Tab . This is a very quick way to reach an object, but it may
not be practical if there a large number of objects in a drawing.

Arranging objects
In a complex drawing, several objects may be stacked on top of one another. You can rearrange
the stacking order by moving an object forward or backward using one of the following methods:•••

Select an object, go to Shape > Arrange on the main menu bar, or right-click on the object
and select Arrange from the drop down menu, then select one of the following options:•

Bring to Front•

Bring Forward•

Send Backward•

Send to Back•In Front of Object•

Behind Object

Select an object, then use one of the following keyboard shortcuts:•

Ctrl+Shift++ (bring to front)•

Ctrl++ (bring forward)•

Ctrl+- (send backward)•

Ctrl+Shift+- (send to back)Select an object, then select one of the Arrange icons (Figure 2) on left of the Line andFilling toolbar on the main menu bar. When you hover the mouse cursor over one of theicons, its function will be indicated.

Figure 2: Arrange icons on Line andFilling toolbar

Positioning and adjusting objects
Using zoom
To help in the positioning and adjustment of objects, Draw has a zoom function that reduces orenlarges the screen display of the current drawing. For example, zoom in to place objects onto
your drawing with greater position; zoom out to see the complete drawing. You can control
zooming using the Status Bar, Zoom & View Layout dialog, or Zoom toolbar.

Note
Zooming is handled differently on Linux and Windows operating systems. A drawing
saved with a 100% zoom factor in Windows is displayed at a larger zoom factor inLinux.

6 | Working with Objects

Figure 3: Zoom controls on
Status bar

Figure 4: Zoom & View Layout dialog

Status bar
The zoom controls are located on the right side of the Status Bar (Figure 3) and these controls
give you quick and easy access to zooming.
•

Click on the Fit slide to current window icon to fit your drawing to the open window.

•

Click on the minus sign (-) to reduce the zoom factor.

•

Click on the plus sign (+) to increase the zoom factor.

•

Click and hold on the zoom slider and move it to increase or decrease the zoom factor.

•

Right-click on the zoom percentage number and select a zoom factor from the context
menu that opens.

•

Go to View > Zoom > Zoom on the main menu bar or double-click on the zoom percentage
number and select a zoom factor from the Zoom & View Layout dialog (Figure 4).

Zoom & View Layout dialog
The Zoom & View Layout dialog (Figure 4) provides the following options to control how yourdrawing is viewed on your monitor.
•

Zoom Factor – sets the zoom factor at which to display the current document and all
documents of the same type that you open thereafter.
•

Optimal – resizes the display to fit the width of the text in the document.

•

Fit width and height – displays the entire page on your screen.

•

Fit width – displays the complete width of the document page. The top and bottom
edges of the page may not be visible.

•

100% – displays the document at its actual size.

•

Variable – enter a percentage in the box for the zoom factor at which you want todisplay the document.

Positioning and adjusting objects | 7

•View Layout – used to set the view layout. Reduce the zoom factor to see the effects ofdifferent view layout settings.
•

Automatic – automatic view layout displays pages side by side, as many as the zoom
factor allows.

•

Single page – single page view layout displays pages beneath each other, but neverside by side.

•

Columns – in columns view layout you see pages in a given number of columns side byside. Enter the number of columns.

•

Book mode – in book mode view layout you see two pages side by side as in an open
book. The first page is a right page with an odd page number.

Zoom toolbar
Go to View > Toolbars > Zoom on the main menu bar to open the Zoom toolbar (Figure 5). The
tools available on this toolbar are as follows:

Figure 5: Zoom toolbar•

Zoom In – displays the slide at two times its current size. Click once on the tool, then movethe cursor onto the object and click again. You can also select the Zoom In tool and drag a
rectangular frame around the area you want to enlarge.

•

Zoom Out – displays the drawing at half its current size each time the tool is clicked.

•

100% – displays the drawing at its actual size.

•

Zoom Previous – returns the display of the drawing to the previous zoom factor you
applied. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl +, (Comma).

•

Zoom Next – undoes the action of the Previous Zoom command. You can also the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl +. (period).

•

Entire Page – displays the whole drawing on your screen.

•

Page Width – displays the complete width of the drawing. The top and bottom edges of theslide may not be visible.

•

Optimal – resizes the display to include all of the objects on the slide.

•Object Zoom – resizes the display to fit the object(s) you selected.

8 | Working with Objects

•Zoom & Pan – zooms in for each mouse click. Ctrl+click zooms out for each click.
Shift+click lets you move (pan) around the drawing.

•

Shift – moves the drawing within the Draw workspace. Place the cursor on the drawing anddrag to move the drawing. When you release the cursor, the last tool you used is
automatically selected.

Moving and adjusting object size
When moving an object or changing its size, check the left-hand area of the Status Bar at thebottom of the Draw workspace (Figure 6). From left to right, this area shows that a shape isselected, its position on the drawing in X/Y coordinates and dimensions of the object. The units ofmeasurement are those selected in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > General on the main
menu bar.

Figure 6: Left end of Status Bar when working with objects

Moving objects
To move an object (or a group of objects), select it and then click within the object borders and holddown the left mouse button while dragging the mouse. During movement, a ghost image of theobject appears to help with repositioning (Figure 7). When the object reaches its new location,
release the mouse button.

Figure 7: Moving objects

Adjusting object size
To change the size of a selected object (or a group of selected objects), move the mouse cursor toone of the selection handles. The mouse cursor will change shape to indicate the direction of
movement for that selection handle. As you change the size of the object, a ghosted outline of theobject appears (Figure 8). When you have reached the desired size of the object, release themouse button.
The results depend on which selection handle you use. To resize an object along one axis, use aside, top, or bottom handle. To resize along both axes, use a corner handle.

Positioning and adjusting objects | 9

Figure 8: Adjusting object size

Note
If you press the Shift key while resizing an object, the change in size will be carriedout symmetrically with respect to the two axes so that the aspect ratio of the object
remains the same. This Shift key behavior works on all selection handles.
This is the default behavior of the Shift key. However, if When creating or moving
objects has been selected in the Constrain Objects section of Tools > Options >LibreOffice Draw > Grid, the action of the Shift key is reversed and the aspect ratio
will be preserved unless the Shift key is pressed.

Modifying arcs
The size of an arc can be changed by adjusting the positions of the start and end points of an arc.
Select an arc, then right click on the arc and select Points from the drop down menu or press theF8 key. Two handles appear at the start and end of the arc (Figure 9). Click on one of thesehandles and drag it to a new position to change the shape of the arc.

Figure 9: Modifying arcs

Rotating and slanting objects
Rotating objects
To rotate an object (or a group of objects), select the object, then go to rotation mode using one of
the following methods:•

Click on the triangle on the right of the Transformations icon on the Line and Filling
toolbar and select the Rotate icon from the pop up menu. The Transformations icon
displayed on the Line and Filling toolbar will be the last transformations tool used.

•

Go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the main menu bar and select the Rotate
icon on the Transformations toolbar (Figure 10).

10 | Working with Objects

Figure 10: Transformations
toolbarFigure 11: Rotating objects
The object selection handles will change shape and color (Figure 11). Also a center of rotation
indicator will appear in the center of the object. As you move the cursor over the handles, thecursor changes shape. The corner handles are for rotating the object, and the top, bottom and side
handles are to shear or slant the object.
The rotation center is normally located at the center of an object. To change the position of therotation center, click on the rotation center and drag until it is at the desired position. This rotation
center can even be outside of the object.

Note
Rotation works in a slightly different way for 3D objects because it occurs in a three
dimensional space and not in a single plane. See Chapter 7 Working with 3D Objects
for more information.

Note
If you press the Shift key while rotating an object, rotation will be restricted to 15° ofmovement.
This is the default behavior of the Shift key. However, if When creating or moving
objects has been selected in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > Grid, the actionof the Shift key is reversed: that is rotation will be restricted to 15° of movement
unless the Shift key is pressed.

Positioning and adjusting objects | 11

Figure 12: Slanting objects

Slanting objects
To slant an object, select the object and click on the Rotate icon (see “Rotating objects” above),then use the handles located at the midpoints on the top, bottom and sides of a selected object.
The cursor changes shape when it hovers over one of these midpoint handles indicating thedirection of slanting.
The axis used for slanting an object is the object edge directly opposite the midpoint handle being
used to slant the object. This axis stays fixed in location while the other sides of the object move in
relation to it as you drag the mouse cursor (Figure 12).
Click and hold the mouse button, then start to move the cursor to slant the object. A ghosted
outline of the object being slanted appears and the current angle of slanting is shown in the status
bar.

Note
If you press the Shift key while slanting an object, slanting will be restricted to 15° ofmovement.
This is the default behavior of the Shift key. However, if When creating or moving
objects has been selected in Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > Grid, the actionof the Shift key is reversed: that is rotation will be restricted to 15° of movement
unless the Shift key is pressed.

Setting exact position, size, rotation and slant
You can position and resize objects with the mouse, but this method is not exact. If you want toaccurately position and size an object, you have to use the Position and Size dialog (Figure 13) orthe Position and Size section (Figure 14) in the Properties deck on the Sidebar.
•

To open the Position and Size dialog, select the object, then go to Format > Position andSize on the main menu bar, or right-click on the object and select Position and Size fromthe context menu, or press the F4 key.

•

To open the Position and Size section in the Properties deck on the Sidebar, select theobject, then click on the Properties icon on the Sidebar and click on the down arrow next to
the Position and Size title bar to open the section.

The options available in the Position and Size dialog and Position and Size section in theProperties deck on the Sidebar are similar. However, on the Sidebar, you cannot protect theposition and size of an object or adapt an object to fit any text or set the base point position for
position and size.

12 | Working with Objects

Figure 13: Position and Size dialog

Figure 14: Position and Size sectionin Properties deck on Sidebar

Position and Size•

Position – specify the location of the selected object on the page.
•

Position X – enter the horizontal distance that you want to move the object relative tothe base point selected in the grid.
Positioning and adjusting objects | 13

•

•

•

•

Position Y – enter the vertical distance that you want to move the object relative to thebase point selected in the grid.

•Base point – select a base point in the grid and then enter the amount that you want toshift the object relative to the base point that you selected in the Position Y and Position
X boxes. The base points correspond to the selection handles on an object. This option
is only available in the Position and Size dialog (Figure 13 on page 13).

Size – specify the amount by which you want to resize the selected object with respect tothe selected base point.
•

Width – enter a width for the selected object.

•

Height – enter a height for the selected object.

•

Keep ratio – maintains proportions when you resize the selected object.

•

Base point – select a base point in the grid, and then enter the new size dimensions forthe selected object in the Width and Height boxes. This option is only available in the
Position and Size dialog.

Protect – this option is only available in the Position and Size dialog.
•

Position – prevents changes to the position or the size of the selected object.

•

Size – prevents you from resizing the object.

Adapt – specifies, if the size of a drawing object should be adjusted to fit the size ofentered text. This option is only available in the Position and Size dialog.
•

Fit width to text – expands the width of the object to the width of the text, if the object issmaller than the text.

•

Fit height to text – expands the height of the object to the height of the text, if the object
is smaller than the text.

The units of measurement used for X//Y coordinates and the width and height of the object are set
by going to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > General.
The default location of the base points for position and size is the upper left corner of the drawing
area. You can temporarily change this base point to make positioning or dimensioning simpler byclicking on a position corresponding to the location of the base point you want to use. This change
in base point is only valid for single use and the base point is reset to the standard position of top
left corner when you close the Position and Size dialog (Figure 13 on page 13).

Rotating objects
To accurately rotate an object, click on the Rotation tab of the Position and Size dialog (Figure15). Use this dialog to define the rotation angle and the location of the pivot point. Alternatively, use
the available options on the Position and Size section (Figure 14 on page 13) in the Properties
deck on the Sidebar.
•

Pivot point – the selected object is rotated around a pivot point that you specify. The
default pivot point is at the center of the object. If you set a pivot point too far outside of theobject boundaries, the object could be rotated off of the page. This option is only available
in the Position and Size dialog (Figure 15).
•

Position X – enter horizontal distance from the left edge of the page to the pivot point.

•

Position Y – enter vertical distance from the top edge of the page to the pivot point.

•

Default settings – select where you want to place the pivot point. Default position is thecenter of the object. Changing the rotation pivot point is only valid for single use. The
pivot point is reset to default settings when you close the Position and Size dialog(Figure 15).

14 | Working with Objects

Figure 15: Position and Size dialog - Rotation page•

Rotation – specify the number of degrees that you want to rotate the selected object, or
click in the rotation grid.
•

Angle – enter the number of degrees that you want to rotate the selected object. This
option is only available in the Position and Size dialog.

•

Default settings – click on the indicator to rotate the object. The number of degrees isshown in the Angle box as you rotate the indicator. This option is only available in the
Position and Size dialog (Figure 15).

•

Rotation – click on the indicator to rotate the selected object, or set the angle in the text
box, or select a predetermined angle from the drop down list. This option is only
available in the Position and Size section (Figure 14 on page 13) in the Properties
deck on the Sidebar.

•

Flip – flip the selected object either vertically or horizontally about its central axis. This
option is only available in the Position and Size section (Figure 14 on page 13) in theProperties deck on the Sidebar.

Slant and corner radius
To accurately set the corner radius or slant angle of an object, click on the Slant & Corner Radiustab of the Position and Size dialog (Figure 16). Options for slant and corner radius are only
available in the Position and Size dialog.
•

Corner Radius – you can only round the corners of a rectangular object. If this section isgrayed out, then you cannot set a corner radius.
••

Radius – enter the radius of the circle that you want to use to round the corners. The
larger the value for corner radius set, the rounder the corners of an object become.

Slant – slants the selected object along the bottom edge of the object.
•

Angle – enter the angle of the slant axis. The slant angle relates to how much an object
inclines or slants from its normal vertical position on a drawing.

Positioning and adjusting objects | 15

Figure 16: Position and Size dialog - Slant & Corner
Radius page•

Control Point 1 and 2 – enter a value to set the X and Y coordinates of the top left cornerof the object. If these sections are grayed out, then you cannot set any coordinates.

Using grid and snap functions
In Draw, you can also position objects accurately and consistently using grid points, snap points
and lines, object frames, individual points on objects, or page edges. This function is known as
Snap.
It is easier to use snap functions at the highest practical zoom value for your drawing. You can use
two different snap functions at the same time. For example, snapping to a guide line and the pageedge. However, it is recommended to activate only those snap functions that you really need.

Configuring grid and snap functions
To configure the grid and snap functions in your drawing, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice
Draw > Grid on the main menu bar to display the Grid dialog (Figure 17). The grid and snap
functions can also be displayed and switched on or off using this dialog, right-clicking on yourdrawing and using the options in the context menu, or using the icons in the Options toolbar(Figure 18). If the Options toolbar is not open, go to View > Toolbars > Options on the main
menu bar.

Figure 17: LibreOffice Draw Grid and Snap options
16 | Working with Objects

Figure 18: Options toolbar•••

Grid – specifies the settings for the configurable grid on your document pages. This grid
helps you determine the exact position of your objects. You can also set this grid in line withthe magnetic snap grid. If you have activated the snap grid but wish to move or create
individual objects without snap positions, keep the Shift key pressed to deactivate thisfunction for as long as needed.
•

Snap to grid – specifies whether to move frames, drawing elements, and controls only
between grid points. To change the status of the snap grip only for the current action,
drag an object while holding down the Ctrl key.

•

Visible grid – specifies whether to display the grid.

Resolution•

Horizontal – defines the unit of measure for the spacing between grid points on the
X-axis.

•Vertical – defines the grid points spacing in the desired unit of measurement on the
Y-axis.

Subdivision•

Horizontal – specify the number of intermediate spaces between grid points on the
X-axis.

•Vertical – specify the number of intermediate spaces between grid points on the Y-axis.

•

Synchronize axes – specifies whether to change the current grid settings symmetrically.
The resolution and subdivision for the X and Y axes remain the same.

•

Snap
•

To snap lines – snaps the edge of a dragged object to the nearest snap line when you
release the mouse button. You can also define this setting by using the Snap to Snap
Guides icon on the Options toolbar.

•

To the page margins – specifies whether to align the contour of the graphic object to thenearest page margin. The cursor or a contour line of the graphics object must be in thesnap range. In a drawing, this function can also be accessed with the Snap to Page
Margins icon in the Options toolbar.
Using grid and snap functions | 17

••

To object frame – specifies whether to align the contour of the graphic object to theborder of the nearest graphic object. The cursor or a contour line of the graphics object
must be in the snap range. In drawing, this function can also be accessed with theSnap to Object Border icon in the Options toolbar.

•

To object points – specifies whether to align the contour of the graphic object to thepoints of the nearest graphic object. This only applies if the cursor or a contour line of
the graphics object is in the snap range. In a drawing, this function can also beaccessed with the Snap to Object Points icon in the Options toolbar.

•

Snap range – defines the snap distance between the mouse pointer and the object
contour. Snaps to a snap point if the mouse pointer is closer than the distance selected.

Constrain Objects•

When creating or moving objects – specifies that graphic objects are restrictedvertically, horizontally or diagonally (45°) when creating or moving them. You cantemporarily deactivate this setting by pressing the Shift key.

•

Extend edges – specifies that a square is created based on the longer side of arectangle when the Shift key is pressed before you release the mouse button. This
also applies to an ellipse (a circle will be created based on the longest diameter of theellipse). When Extend edges is not selected, a square or a circle will be created basedon the shorter side or diameter.

•

When rotating – specifies that graphic objects can only be rotated within the rotation
angle that you selected. If you want to rotate an object outside the defined angle, press
the Shift key when rotating. Release the key when the desired rotation angle isreached.

•Point reduction – defines the angle for point reduction. When working with polygons,
you might find it useful to reduce their editing points.

Snap to gridUsing Snap to Grid
Use the Snap to Grid function to move an object exactly onto a grid point in your drawing. Thisfunction can be switched on and off using one of the following methods:•

Go to View > Snap Guides > Snap to Grid on the main menu bar.

•

Right-click on your drawing and selecting Snap Guides > Snap to Grid from the context
menu.

•

Click on the Snap to Grid icon on the Options toolbar.

Displaying grid
Displaying or turning off the grid in your drawing can be done using one of the following methods:•

Go to View > Grid and Helplines > Display Grid on the main menu bar.

•

Click on the Display Grid icon on the Options toolbar.

•

Right-click on your drawing and select Grid and Helplines > Display Grid from the context
menu.

•

Selecting Visible grid option in the LibreOffice Draw Grid dialog (Figure 17 on page 16).

18 | Working with Objects

Figure 19: LibreOffice Application Colors dialog

Changing color of grid points
By default and depending on your display and computer setup, the grid points are gray and are notalways easy to see. To change the color of the grid points, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice >Application Colors to open the Application Colors dialog (Figure 19). In the
Drawing/Presentation section, select a more suitable color for the grid from the drop-down list.

Snap points and lines
Unlike the grid, snap lines and snap points are inserted by you when you want to position an object
to a specific position on your drawing. Snap lines can either be horizontally or vertically and appear
as dashed lines. Snap points appear as small crosses with dashed lines. Snap points and snap
lines do not appear in printed output.

Inserting snap points and snap lines
To insert a snap point or snap line, go to Insert > Snap Guide on the main menu bar to open the
New Snap Object dialog (Figure 20).
•

Position – sets the position of a selected snap point or line relative to the top left corner ofthe page.
•

X axis – enter the amount of space you want between the snap point or line and the leftedge of the page.

•

Y axis – enter the amount of space you want between the snap point or line and the topedge of the page.

Using grid and snap functions | 19

Figure 20: New Snap Object dialog•

Type – specifies the type of snap object you want to insert.
•

Point – inserts a snap point.

•

Vertical – inserts a vertical snap line.

•

Horizontal – inserts a horizontal snap line.

Displaying snap points and lines
Displaying or turning off snap points and lines in your drawing can be done using one of thesemethods:•

Go to View > Snap Guides > Display Snap Guides on the main menu bar.

•

Click on the Display Snap Guides icon on the Options toolbar (Figure 18 on page 17).

•

Right-click on your drawing and select Snap Guides > Display Snap Guides from thecontext menu.

Editing snap points and lines
To edit a snap point, right-click on the snap point and select Edit Snap Point from the context
menu to open the Edit Snap Point dialog (Figure 21). Enter new X and Y coordinate settings forthe snap point and click OK. Alternatively, drag a snap point to a new position on your drawing.

Figure 21: Edit Snap Point dialog

Figure 22: Edit Snap Line dialog

20 | Working with Objects

To edit a snap line, right-click on the snap line and select Edit Snap Line from the context menu to
open the Edit Snap Line dialog (Figure 22). Enter a new X coordinate setting for vertical snap
lines or a new Y coordinate setting for horizontal snap lines and click OK. Alternatively, drag a snapline to a new position on your drawing.

Deleting snap points and lines
To delete a snap point, drag it back to a ruler or right-click on the snap point and select Delete
Snap Point from the context menu.
To delete a snap line, drag it back to the ruler or right-click on the snap line and select Delete
Snap Line from the context menu.

Configuring snap range
To configure the snap range of when an object snaps to position
1)

Go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > Grid on the main menu bar to open the
Options LibreOffice Grid dialog (Figure 17 on page 16).

2)

Enter the number of pixels to set the proximity of when the object will snap into position in
the Snap range box. The default setting is 5 pixels.

3)

Click the OK button to set the new snap range and close the dialog.

Using Helplines
Helplines are a function in Draw to help you position objects. Helplines can be displayed while theobject is being moved. They extend from the edges of the object to the rulers at the top and left
side of your drawing and do not have a snap function (Figure 23).

Figure 23: Helplines while moving

Figure 24: LibreOffice Draw View dialog

Using Helplines | 21

To use guide lines, go to Tools > Options > LibreOffice Draw > View dialog (Figure 24) on themain menu bar and select Helplines when moving option or click the Helplines While Moving
icon on the Options toolbar (Figure 16 on page 16).

Changing form of regular shapes
When drawing certain regular shapes, one or more dots are displayed in a different color to theselection handles when an object is selected. When the cursor hovers over one of these dots, itchanges shape. Clicking and dragging on one of these dots modifies the shape of the object. For
example, you can increase the corner radius of a rounded rectangle or square, change the angles
of an arc, and so on.
These dots perform different functions according to the shape selected. The shapes with formchanging dots and their functions are listed in the following sections.

Basic shapes•

Rounded rectangles and squares – use the dot to change the radius of the curve that
replaces the angled corners of a rectangle or square.

•

Circle pie – use the dots to change the size of the filled sector.

•

Isosceles triangle – use the dot to modify the triangle type.

•

Trapezoid, parallelogram, hexagon, octagon – use the dot to change the angle between thesides.

•

Cross – use the dot to change the thickness of the four arms of the cross.

•

Ring – use the dot to change the internal diameter of the ring.

•

Block arc – use the dot to change both internal diameter and size of the filled area.

•

Cylinder, cube – use the dot to change the perspective.

•

Folded corner – use the dot to change the size of the folded corner.

•

Frame – use the dot to change the thickness of the frame.

Symbol shapes•

Smiley face – use the dot to change the smile on the face.

•Sun, moon, heart – use the dot to change the shape of the symbol.

•

Prohibited – use the dot to change the thickness of the ring and the diagonal bar.

•

Double bracket, left bracket, right bracket, double brace – use the dot to change thecurvature of the bracket.

•

Left brace, right brace – use the dots to change the curvature of the brace and the positionof the point.

•

Square bevel, octagon bevel, diamond bevel – use the dot to change the thickness of thebevel.

Block arrows•

Arrows – use the dot to change the shape and thickness of the arrows.

•

Pentagon, chevron – use the dot to change the angle between the sides.

•

Arrow callouts – use the dots to change the shape and thickness of the callouts.

•

Circular arrow – use the dots to change the thickness and area of the arrow.

22 | Working with Objects

Callouts•

Callouts – use the dots to change the length, position and angle of the pointer.

Stars
•

4-point star, 8-point star, 24-point star – use the dot to change the thickness and shape ofthe star points.

•

Vertical scroll, horizontal scroll – use the dot to change the width and shape of the scroll.

•

Doorplate – use the dot to change the inward curvature of the corners.

Curves and polygons
Bézier curves
The editing of curves depends on the mathematics of Bézier curves1. Explaining Bézier curves
goes beyond this scope of this chapter. See Chapter 11 Advanced Draw Techniques for more
information on drawing and manipulating Bézier curves.
The editing of a Bézier curve consists in principle of moving points or tangents passing throughthese points. Each tangent has one control point at each end and a junction point where it meetsthe curve. The relative angle and distance between the control points determine the shape of thecurve. Figure 25 shows what happens starting from a basic square and changing only one point on
the square.
You can create many different shapes by moving either the junction point itself, or one or both of
the round handle points at either end of the tangent. Draw offers more possibilities when you use
the functions on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26).

Figure 25: Creating different shapes bychanging the tangent

Converting to curve or polygon
Before modifying the points on an object, you must convert the object to a curve or a polygon,
depending on what kind of effect you want to produce using one of the following methods:

1•

After selecting an object, go to Shape > Convert on the main menu bar and select either
To Curve or To Polygon.

•

Right click on an object and select Convert > To Curve or Convert > To Polygon from thecontext menu.

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 the surface
of vehicles easier.

Curves and polygons | 23

Figure 26: Edit Points toolbar
After converting an object to a curve or polygon, use one of the following methods to edit points on
the object:•

Go to View > Toolbars > Edit Points on the main menu bar click to open the Edit Points
toolbar (Figure 26) and click on the Points icon.

•

Right click on an object and select Points from the context menu to open the Edit Points
toolbar.
Select the object and press the F8 key to open the Edit Points toolbar.

•

You will notice that after the conversion, the handles located in the corners of the selection
rectangle have disappeared. This behavior is normal because the handles used with the tools on
the Edit Points toolbar are located along the outline or trace of the object.

Edit Points toolbar
After the Edit Points toolbar has been opened, each time you select an object that has been
converted to a curve or polygon, the toolbar will appear. Each time you deselect an object that has
been converted, the toolbar will close. Available tools on the Edit Points toolbar will depend on theobject selected and which object point has been selected.

Tangents
Before you can use tangents on an object, you must convert the object to a curve. Go to Shape >Convert > To Curve on the main menu bar or right-click on the object and select Convert > To
Curve from the context menu.

Note
Tangents are only used on curves. If an object has been converted to a polygon and atangent is added, the object is automatically converted to a curve.

24 | Working with Objects

Symmetric transition
Symmetric Transition converts a corner point or a smooth point into a symmetrical point. Bothcontrol points of the corner point are aligned in parallel and have the same length. They can only
be moved simultaneously and the degree of curvature is the same in both directions.
1)

Convert the object to a curve and click on the selection handle where you want to place thetangent.

2)

Click on the Symmetric Transition icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26).

3)

Click and drag one of the tangent handles to change the shape of the object. Any
movement of one tangent handle is carried over symmetrically to the other handle, as
shown in Figure 27.

Figure 27: Symmetric transition

Smooth transition
Smooth Transition converts a corner point or symmetrical point into a smooth point. Both control
points of the corner point are aligned in parallel, and can only be moved simultaneously. The
control points may differentiate in length, allowing you to vary the degree of curvature.
1)

Convert the object to a curve and click on the selection handle where you want to place thetangent.

2)

Click on the Smooth Transition icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) so
you can adjust separately the lengths on each side of a tangent to make a curve flatter orsteeper.

3)

Click and drag one of the tangent handles to change the shape of the object. This creates
an asymmetric tangent with the curve flatter on the longest side of the tangent (Figure 28).

Figure 28: Smooth transition

Corner point
Use Corner Point to convert selected point or points into corner points. Corner points have two
movable control points, which are independent from each other. A curved line, therefore, does not
go straight through a corner point, but forms a corner.
It is possible to change independently the angle on each side of a tangent using the central point of
the tangent as a corner point.
Curves and polygons | 25

Figure 29: Corner point
1)

Convert the object to a curve and click on the selection handle where you want to place thecorner point.

2)

Click on the Corner Point icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) to createa corner point at the selected point (Figure 29).

3)

Click and drag the end of one of the tangents to change its angle. Each tangent can be
moved independently to create spikes and troughs in curves.

Tangent rotation
You can alter the angle by which a tangent relates to curve by clicking on one of the end points ofthe tangent and rotating it with the cursor. As you change the angle of the tangent, the shape of thecurve changes in response (Figure 30).

Figure 30: Tangent rotation

PointsMoving points
Move Points activates a mode allowing you to move points. The mouse pointer displays a small
empty square when resting on a point. Drag that point to another location. The curve on both sidesof the point follows the movement and the section of the curve between points changes shape.
Point at the curve between two points or within a closed curve and drag the mouse to shift theentire curve without distorting the form.
1)

Make sure the object is converted to a curve.

2)

Click on the Move Points icon on the Edit Points toolbar to move any of the points whenan object has been converted to a curve or polygon.

26 | Working with Objects

Figure 31: Moving points
3)

Hover over a point until the cursor changes shape, then drag the point to create a newshape. Figure 31 illustrates how a different shape can be created from a circle by dragging
the left hand side point to the left.

Inserting points
Insert Points activates a mode in which you can insert points. You can also move points in thismode, just as in the move mode. If, however, you click on the curve between two points and movethe cursor a little while holding down the mouse button, you insert a new point. The point is asmooth point and the lines to the control points are parallel and remain so when moved.
If you wish to create a corner point, you must first insert either a smooth or a symmetrical point
which is then converted to a corner point by using Corner Point.
1)

Make sure the object is converted to a curve.

2)

Click on the Insert Points icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) to add anextra point to an existing curve or polygon.

3)

Click on the object border at the spot where you want to insert a point. The tangent typeassociated with the new point depends on where the point has been added to the object
border. Figure 32 shows a new point added to the right side of a circle then moved tocreate the shape illustrated.

Figure 32: Inserting points

Deleting points
Select a point on the border of the object, then use the Delete Points icon on the Edit Points
toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) to delete one or more selected points from the border of the object.
To select several points, click on those points while holding down the Shift key. The resulting
curve automatically changes shape around the remaining points. You can also delete selected
points by pressing the Del key on the keyboard.
Figure 33 shows what happens when three points on the left were deleted from a circle. The left
image is a curve. The right image is a curve where three points have been deleted and the result
converted to a line (see “Converting curves or lines” on page 29). This forms a straight line isformed between the two points on either side of the deleted points.

Curves and polygons | 27

Figure 33: Deleting points

Figure 34: Eliminating points

Eliminating points
The Eliminate Points icon only functions on lines with multiple points. These lines are created
when a curve is converted to a line using the Convert to Curve icon on the Edit Points toolbar.
The process of eliminating points from a line to create a straight line is shown in Figure 34.
1)

Select a curve with multiple points that has been converted to a line (see “Converting
curves or lines” on page 29).

2)

Use the mouse cursor to select the point on the line that you want to eliminate. The
selected point will be emphasized.

3)

Click on the Eliminate Points icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24).

4)

Accurately position the mouse cursor over the selected point, then click and start dragging
the selected point. As you drag, a dotted line forms between the two neighboring points.

5)

When this dotted line appears to be a straight line between the two neighboring points,
release the mouse button. The selected point is eliminated and a straight line now exists
between the two neighboring points.

28 | Working with Objects

Converting curves or lines
Curves and lines can be easily converted to each other using the Convert to Curve icon on the
Edit Points toolbar. When a curve is converted to a line, a straight line is created between
selected points on a curve. When a line is converted to a curve, a curve is created between
selected points on a line.
1)

Select a curve or line and then select the points on the curve or line where you want to do
the conversion.

2)

Click on the Convert to Curve icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) anda curve is converted into a line or a line is converted into a curve (Figure 35).

Figure 35: Converting curves or lines

Splitting curves
1)

Select the point on the curve where you want to split it. To separate a curve at several
points simultaneously, keep the Shift key pressed down and select all of the points where
the cut will occur.

2)

Click on the Split Curve icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) to split or
cut a curve at the location of the selected point. If the object is filled, it will be emptied
because the curve that represented the object border is no longer closed (Figure 36).

3)

Deselect the curve, then drag and drop segments to move them away from the original
curve.

Figure 36: Splitting curves

Note
The point where you split the curve is now larger than the remaining points visible on
the curve, except for the curve start point which is also larger than the other points.

Curves and polygons | 29

Closing curves
1)

Select an open and existing curve (Figure 37).

2)

Select a point of the curve. Note that the start point of a curve is larger than the other points
visible on the curve.

3)

Click on the Close Bézier icon on the Edit Points toolbar (Figure 26 on page 24) to closethe curve. If the open curve was originally a closed and filled curve, then the original color
will fill the curve when it is closed.

Figure 37: Closing curves

Rotating and distorting curves
1)

Select the curve, then go to View > Toolbars > Transformations on the main menu bar toopen the Transformations toolbar (Figure 10 on page 11) and select the Rotate icon (see“Rotating and slanting objects” on page 10 for more information on rotating objects).

2)

Select one of the points on the curve and drag it to a new position to distort the curve(Figure 38).

3)

Select one of the control points at the end of the tangent line and rotate the distorted curveby dragging the cursor. The distorted curve will rotate about the center of rotation.

Figure 38: Rotating and distorting curves

30 | Working with Objects