Drawing Shapes

DRAWING SHAPES

CorelDRAW has different shape tools that you use to create ellipse(including circles), rectangle (including squares), polygons, stars and some basic shapes.

Drawing rectangles and squares

Drawing a Rectangle

1.        To draw a rectangle, select the Rectangle tool in the toolbox. The mouse pointer changed to a crosshair with a small rectangle beneath it.

2.        Click and drag anywhere in the drawing area. As you drag, a rectangle appears.

3.        Release the mouse button when the rectangle is of the desired size.

4.        Now a rectangle will appear on the screen.

As you click and drag using the cursor, you’ll also notice that the Status bar and Property bar show coordinates, width, and height properties detailing your new object’s shape.

Drawing a Square

1. To draw a square, select the Rectangle tool in the toolbox. The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair with a small rectangle beneath it.

2. Click on anywhere in the drawing area and hold down the Ctrl key while dragging the mouse pointer.

3. Release the mouse button where you like the end of the square.

Creating a Rounded Rectangle

After drawing a rectangle, you can optionally round its corners. You can round all corners at once or choose the ones you want to round. Corners can be slightly rounded to create a softening effect or very rounded, almost changing the rectangle into a circle.

To round the corners of a rectangle:

1. In the toolbox, select the Shape Tool icon from the Shape Tool layout or press F10 key.

2. Select the rectangle you wish to round. Four black nodes appear around the rectangle.

3. To set the same rounding for all corners make sure that all nodes are selected (black) and then drag any node. See Figures 3.18(a)-3.18(c)

Creating ellipses

1. To draw an ellipse (also known as an oval), select the Ellipse tool in the toolbox. The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair with a small ellipse beneath it.

2. Click on anywhere in the drawing area and drag the mouse pointer.

3. Release the mouse button where you like the end of the ellipse.

Creating Circles

1. To draw a circle, select the Ellipse tool in the toolbox. The mouse pointer changes to a crosshair with a small ellipse beneath it.

2. Click on anywhere in the drawing area and hold down the Ctrl key while dragging the mouse pointer.

3. Release the mouse button where you like the end of the circle.

Creating Polygons

1. To draw a polygon (also known as pentagon: a five-sided figure), select the Polygon tool in the toolbox. The mouse pointer changes to a cross-hair with a small polygon beneath it.

2. Click on anywhere in the drawing area and drag the mouse pointer.

3. Release the mouse button where you like the end of the polygon.

4. To increase the number of sides of your polygon, select the polygon you have drawn using the Pick tool.

5. Place the mouse pointer on the Number of Points on Polygon text box and type the number of sides you like for you polygon.

You can also set the number of sides for your polygon and then draw it.

Creating Stars

Polygon tool has a small arrow in the lower- right corner of the tool. That little arrow indicates that this tool has a flyout.

To draw a star,

1. Click on the Polygon tool and hold down the mouse key. A flyout menu will appear showing you other tools.

2. Click on the Star tool from the flyout menu.

3. Click on anywhere in the drawing area and drag the mouse pointer.

4. Release the mouse button where you would like the end of the star.

Drawing Spirals

There are two types of spirals. They are

1. Symmetrical spiral

2. Logarithmic spiral.

A Symmetrical spiral expands evenly so that the distance between each revolution is equal. A Logarithmic spiral expands with increasingly larger distances between revolutions.

You can draw spirals of different sizes with Spiral tool.

To draw a spiral,

1.        Click and hold the Polygon tool. A flyout menu will appear.

2.        Click on the Spiral tool from the flyout menu.

3.        Now you should type a value in the Spiral revolutions box on the property bar to set the number of full-circle revolutions to appear in the new spiral object.

4.        Next, click one of the following buttons on the property bar:

a.     Symmetrical spiral

b.     Logarithmic spiral

If you want to change the amount by which the spiral expands as it moves outward, move the Spiral expansion slide.

5.        Drag diagonally in the drawing window until the spiral is the required size.

The objects you can create may have between 1 to 100 revolution, each of which is equal to one complete rotation around its center point. The direction of the revolutions is set according to the click and drag action during creation of the initial shape, as shown below.

Drawing Grids

Using Graph Paper tool, you can draw a grid and set the number of rows and columns. A grid is a grouped set of rectangles that you can break apart.

To draw a grid,

1.        Click and hold the Polygon tool. A flyout menu will appear.

2.        Select the Graph Paper tool from the flyout menu.

3.        Now type values in the top and bottom portions of the Columns and rows box on the property bar.

The value you type in the top portion of the Columns and rows box specifies the number of columns; the value you type in the bottom portion specifies the number of rows.

4.        Click on anywhere in the drawing area where you want the grid to appear.

5.        Drag diagonally to draw the required grid.

If you want to draw the grid from its center point outward, hold down Shift key as you drag; if you want to draw a grid with square cells, hold down Ctrl key as you drag.

Drawing in Freehand mode

Drawing a straight line

To draw a straight line

1. Click the Freehand tool (or) press F5 in the keyboard.

2. Move the cursor to where you want the line to start and click once.

3. Move the cursor towards the position for the endpoint.

You will notice a “rubberband” line, which follows your cursor.

4. Release the mouse button where you like to end the line. The line will be drawn.

5. If you want to draw a second straight line connected to the first, continue with Freehand tool, and click again on the endpoint of the last segment.

6. Move the cursor to draw the second segment. Click once when you have the desired second segment positioned correctly. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to draw as many segments as require.

Remember that you must click at two points - the beginning and end of the segment.

Adding arrowheads to lines

To add arrowhead to a line

1. Using the Freehand tool draw a line.

2. Select the line.

3. Click the drop-down button on the End Arrowhead Selector on the Property tool bar.

Then click the desired arrow tip. Now the line appears with an arrow.

4. You can set the line style, width, and the colour of the line using the Properties bar.