Working with Objects

Working with Objects

Selecting Objects

The drawings you made with tools are objects. To select any object, place your mouse pointer on that object and click on it.

Sometimes when your Drawing window gets crowded with objects, it can be hard to select an object using the Pick tool. So at that time you can select object using the keyboard’s Tab key.

Selecting objects with the Tab key

To select objects using the Tab key:

1. First create at least three objects (there can be as many objects as you like) using the Rectangle tool.

2. Press the spacebar to select the Pick tool.

3. Then press Tab key until a selection box appears around the object you want to select. When you press Tab key, it selects an object, starting with the first object created and moving towards the last object.

If you press Shift + Tab, it selects an object, starting with the first object created and moving towards the last object created.

Selecting multiple objects

With the Pick tool, you can select more objects at a time. You can select multiple objects with the Pick tool in two ways:

1. Hold down the Shift key, and click on each object that you want to select.

You can select as many objects as you have in your Drawing window in this way.

2. You can even deselect objects that have been selected by holding down the Shift Key and clicking on them.

You can also select more objects than one at a time by using the Pick tool to draw a marquee (rectangle) around the objects. Only those objects that are completely encompassed by the marquee that you draw with the Pick tool will be selected.

Deselecting Objects

Deselecting a single object

To deselect an object,

·            Click anywhere that is not an outline or high lighting box / marker. In other words, click any white space. (or)

·            Press the Esc key.

The highlighting box disappears, indicating that no objects are selected.

Deselecting multiple objects

To deselect multiple objects, click any white space. All selected objects become deselected.

Deselecting a single object in a group

To deselect a single object among multiple selected objects, hold down Shift key and click the object.

Moving Objects

You can move objects by dragging them with the mouse, by nudging them with the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Moving objects using mouse.

To move an object using the mouse

1. Select the object using the Pick tool.

2. Depress the mouse while pointing to a spot on the object’s outline, or within a filled area of an object. A dotted highlighting box appears.

3. Drag it to the desired location.

4. Release the mouse when the object is positioned correctly.

Moving objects in increments by nudging

The cursor keys on your keyboard allow you to move or nudge selected objects in the direction indicated by the arrow on the key.

Copying Objects

Objects can be copied using the Duplicate and Clone commands in the Edit menu. You can also use the Windows Clipboard.

Copying

CorelDraw provides several ways to create copies of selected objects.

1. Using the Right click

Click your right mouse button while transforming, rotating, or moving an object with the Pick tool to create a copy on the fly. The object currently being dragged becomes the copy, leaving the original object unchanged. The small + symbol beside the cursor indicates that a copy has been created.

2. Using the SPACEBAR

Press the SPACEBAR while transforming, rotating, or moving an object with the Pick tool to create a copy. Doing this causes a copy to be created in situ, meaning a copy is ‘dropped’ each time the SPACEBAR is pressed. Pressing and holding the SPACEBAR causes your key-repeat action to create multiple copies so as long as the SPACEBAR is held, which in turn creates multiple copies in quick succession.

3. Pressing Numeric + Key

Pressing the + key on your numeric keypad creates a copy of the selected object in exactly the same position as (and arranged in front of) the original.

After pressing the + key, the copy becomes the selected object. You may create as many copies as you want using this method, but be aware that each additional copy will hide the original ( or the copy) behind it.

Duplication objects

To create a copy of a selected object,

Choose Edit > Duplicate from the menu bar (or) press Ctrl + D in the keyboard.

The copy will be offset slightly to the upper right of the original and placed on top as shown below. The new copy is automatically selected.

Cloning Objects

To create a clone of a selected object, Choose Edit > Clone from the menu bar.

The clone will be offset slightly to the upper right of the original and placed on top as shown below. The new copy is automatically selected.

Cloning differs from duplication in that most changes made to the original object(the “master”) are automatically applied to the clone.

For example, if you change the original’s fill, the clone’s fill changes as well.

Deleting Objects

To delete an object,

1. Select the object.

2. Choose Edit > Delete in the menu bar (or) press the Del / Delete Key in the keyboard.

To retrieve a deleted object, you must use the Undo command or press Ctrl + Z.

Grouping and Ungrouping objects

When you group two or more objects using Group Objects command, they are treated as a single unit.

A group behaves as if it were a single unit, meaning any changes made to a group affects all objects in the group.

You can break a grouped object into its component objects by ungrouping it. This is useful when you need to make changes to some of the individual objects that comprise a grouped object.

To create a group object

1. Select the objects with the Pick tool. (To select multiple objects hold down Shift key while selecting them.)

2. Choose Object > Group > Group Objects (or) Press Ctrl + G. The selected objects will be grouped as a single object.

Ungrouping

Ungrouping a group breaks the relationship among the objects.

To ungroup a group object

1. Select the grouped object using the Pick tool.

2. Choose Object > Group > Ungroup Objects on the menu Bar. (or) Press Ctrl + U in the key board (or) Click on the Ungroup Objects button on the Property Bar.

The grouped object will break into its component objects.

Since any selection of objects can be grouped, you can easily make groups of groups. Groups within groups are called “nested” groups.

To ungroup a nested groups

1. Select the nested groups using the Pick tool.

2. Choose Object > Group > Ungroup All Objects on the menu Bar. (or) Click on the Ungroup All Objects button on the Property Bar.

Combining Objects

You can combine two or more objects using Combine command.

Combine command combines two or more objects and creates a single object with common fill and outline attributes.

Combining objects is different from grouping them. Combining objects actually transforms the objects that are combined. Combined objects can be broken apart. However, the objects do not revert to their original shape and fill but retain changes made when they were combined.

To Combine objects:

1. Select the objects with the Pick tool. (To select multiple objects hold down Shift key while selecting them.)

2. Choose Object > Combine (or) Press Ctrl + L. The selected objects will be grouped as a single object.

To break apart a combined object

1. Select a combined object with the Pick tool.

2. Choose Object > Break Curve Apart (or) Press Ctrl + K. The combined object will break apart into component objects.

Welding objects

By welding you can create irregular shapes. The welded objects take on the outline and fill of the object that was selected last. Welded objects can revert to their original individual objects only by using the Undo button.

To weld objects using Property Bar

1.        Select the objects with the Pick tool by holding the Shift key.

2.        Choose Object > Shaping > Weld in the menu bar (or) Click on Weld button on the Property bar.

3.        The objects will be welded and will become a single outline object.

If the marquee selected the objects when welding using the Property Bar, the welded object assumes the outline and the fill properties of the bottom -most selected object. If you use multiple selection, the welded object takes on the properties of the object you selected last.