<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Editing a SpecView Project > Drawing Basics

 

The Draw menu and Tools are accessed from the Edit Mode menubar.

They are used to draw graphics on a GDW

You can also add Bitmaps (.bmp files) to a GDW.

 

Menu:

 

 

Toolbar:

 

Select

Line

Rectangle

Round Rectangle

Ellipse

Polygon

Bitmap

Text

Button

Trend Chart

Bar Chart

ActiveX

 

SpecView uses most standard Windows rules for drawing:

Selecting, Grouping and Saving Objects

Shape Properties

Selecting objects in front or behind others

Quick Copying of Drawing Objects

NOTE: Do not use Cut, Copy and Paste (or Ctrl Copy) to move or duplicate objects that have variables. This includes Instrument Views, Trend and Bar Charts.

 

Click the tool for the type of object you want

The pointer will change to OR  OR OR OR depending on the tool

Click on the screen (and HOLD DOWN THE MOUSE BUTTON ) where you want the top left part of the object, and drag the mouse down and to the right.

Release the mouse button when you have the size you want.

 

NOTE: The POLYGON tool follows different rules from lines, rectangles etc.

 

The cursor does not automatically change back to the pointer after you draw the object. Use the:

Left mouse button to draw another object OR

The Right Mouse Button to get the normal pointer OR

Click the Select Tool on the toolbar

 

Hold the Shift key when drawing to:

•        Snap lines to vertical, horizontal etc.

•        Snap rectangles to squares

•        Snap ellipses to circles

NOTE: Once drawn use the Handles to adjust the object

•        Use the corner ones to resize with the same aspect ratio

•        Use the corner ones while pressing the Shift key to change the aspect ratio

•        Use the side ones to adjust width/height

Drawing an Arc

To draw an arc, first draw an ellipse of the required diameter, then use the polygon tool to trace the part of the circle you require, then delete the circle.

 

Positioning and object

Use the mouse to drag an object to position it, OR use the cursor keys to nudge the object by one pixel OR hold the Shift key down while using the cursor keys to jump by one grid position.

(The size of the grid is set using Set Grid Sizes on the View Menu)

Objects can be locked in position if required, to avoid them being unintentionally moved.

 

Color Changing

Objects can be made to change color, or flash or be hidden using Color Dynamics.

 

Moving an object automatically

Objects can be made to move automatically according to the value of another variable using Position Dynamics.