DECdocument
Graphics Editor User's Guide
for Motif


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Appendix B
Summary of the Graphics Editor Options and Menus

Table B-1 describes the Control Panel window status area, creation icons, and editing options, constraints, and settings. It also indicates the keyboard equivalent, you use to make a selection using keystrokes rather than using the mouse.

Note

If you use an LK201 keyboard, press Compose and the space bar simultaneously. The LK401 keyboard has the Alt key.

Table B-1 Control Panel window
Option Keyboard Equivalent Description
Status Area
FONT: None Displays the current font. You can change the current font using the Font ... menu item on the Attributes menu.
UNIT: None Displays the current unit base. You can change the current unit base using the Units ... menu item on the Options menu.
Creation Icons
Arc icon Ctrl/1 Used to create an arc. An arc has three creation points: two end points and a third point on the arc.
Circle icon Ctrl/2 Used to create a circle. A circle has two creation points: the center point and a point on the radius.
Ellipse icon Ctrl/3 Used to create an ellipse. An ellipse has two creation points: the center point and a point on the ellipse.
Rounded-corner rectangle icon Ctrl/4 Used to create a rounded-corner rectangle. The rounded-corner rectangle has two creation points: the two diagonal corner points.
Line icon Ctrl/5 Used to create a line. The line has two creation points: the two end points.
Polygon icon Ctrl/6 Used to create a polygon. There are two polygon shapes: polyline and polyarc. Use the Polygon option as a freehand drawing tool by holding down MB2 and moving the mouse.
Rectangle icon Ctrl/7 Used to create a rectangle. The rectangle has two creation points: the two diagonal corner points.
Pie segment icon Ctrl/8 Used to create a pie segment. The pie segment has four creation points: the tip of the wedge, two end points of the arc, and a fourth point on the arc.
Creation Options
Create To Size Ctrl/J Lets you create an object and define its size and shape using keyboard input.
White-Out None Gives newly created objects the color of the page background. You can use this option to delete unwanted objects in your graphics by overwirting them with the background color.
Editing Options
Revise Ctrl/E Lets you change existing objects to a specific size using keyboard input. Also lets you crop images, and add and delete characters in text.
Move¹ Ctrl/M Lets you move an object.
Group Ctrl/G Lets you form a group of objects that you can edit as one object.
Ungroup Ctrl/U Lets you separate objects previously joined into a group.
Top Ctrl/T Lets you place an object or group of objects on top of all other objects in a stack.
Bottom Ctrl/B Lets you place an object or group of objects below all other objects in a stack.
Hide Ctrl/X Lets you make an object or text invisible and unselectable. Use the Reveal Hidden menu item on the Edit menu to reveal them. Hidden objects do not appear in an output file, but are present in a saved .gra file.
Rotate Ctrl/R Lets you rotate an object or group of objects to the angle specified in the Rotate Angle setting. You can rotate text if you capture it first using the Screen Capture menu item on the View menu.
Align Ctrl/L Lets you align an object with a reference object. Used with the Align settings.
Delete Ctrl/D Lets you delete an existing object or group of objects.
Copy¹ Ctrl/C Lets you make copies of an object or group of objects and move them within the drawing window. To create multiple copies of an object or group of objects, enter the number of copies desired any time after the copy operation has started.
Mirror Ctrl/F Lets you flip an object vertically, horizontally, or both. You must have one or both constraints set.
Copy/Mirror¹ Ctrl/O Lets you flip an object or group, copy the object, and then move the copy within the drawing window. To create multiple mirror copies of an object or group of objects, enter the number of copies desired any time after the copy/ mirror operation has started.
Above Ctrl/A Lets you place an object or group of objects above another object in a stack.
Below Ctrl/W Lets you place an object or group of objects below another object in a stack.
Complement Ctrl/P Lets you change the color of an object to its complement (opposite the original color in red, green, and blue intensity). If you are using a monochrome monitor, all white objects change to black and all black objects change to white on the display, but if you print the graphic on a color printer, the color complement will print.
Scale¹ Ctrl/S Lets you reduce or increase the size of an object or group interactively or according to the Scale Percent setting. Scaling image objects in the Graphics Editor reduces the resolution of the image; scaling images at 50 percent produces the best results.
To scale text, you must capture the text with the Screen Capture menu item on the window menu, but it is preferrable to change text size by changing the text font.
To scale an entire drawing for hard copy output, you can also use one of the following: the Scale setting on the Export dialog box, or the /SCALE qualifier on the DOCCUMENT/GRAPHICS=RENDER VMS command.
Animate None Lets you specify options for controlling motion in a drawing allowing objects to be animated. You can view animated drawings by using the Preview function. See the online help for more information.
Editing Constraints
Horizontal Ctrl/H Lets you restrict the animation of an object in a horizontal direction during a creation or editing operation. If both the horizontal and vertical constraints are on, the animation is restricted to the horizontal and vertical direction, and also to a diagonal direction 45 degrees from each horizontal or vertical axis.
Vertical Ctrl/V Lets you restrict the animation of an object in a vertical direction during a creation or editing operation. If both the horizontal and vertical constraints are on, the animation is restricted to the horizontal and vertical direction, and also to a diagonal direction 45 degrees from each horizontal or vertical axis.
Edit Points Ctrl/. Lets you stretch a part of an object while the rest of the object remains stationary.
Ignore All Groupings Ctrl/K Lets you edit a part of a polygon or group of objects without disturbing the remainder of the polygon or objects in the group.
Gravity Snap Ctrl/Y Lets you set or disable gravity. Gravity forces the editing points of an object in animation to snap to the editing points of existing objects when these points are in proximity to each other. Two points are in proximity to each other when the distance between them is less than or equal to the Gravity Radius setting.
Stack On Top Ctrl/Z Lets you stack new objects on top of existing objects in the drawing window. If this option is off, new objects are placed beneath existing objects.
Editing Settings
Rotate Angle None Used with the Rotate option to set the angle for rotating an object or group of objects. A positive rotate angle causes objects to rotate in the direction indicated by the Clockwise setting, which can be on or off. A negative angle causes objects to rotate in the opposite direction to that indicated by the Clockwise setting.
Clockwise Ctrl/Q Used with the Rotate option to specify whether the rotation will be done clockwise or counterclockwise for a positive angle.
Scale Percent None Used with the Scale option to specify the percentage you want to scale the selected object or group of objects. A number less than 100 reduces the object; a number greater than 100 enlarges the object. If the Interactive setting is on, the Scale Percent setting has no effect.
Interactive Ctrl/I Used with the Scale option to manually scale an object or group of objects by moving the pointer to create the desired size. When the Interactive setting is on, the Scale Percent setting has no effect.
Gravity Radius None Used with the Gravity constraint to specify the distance at which the editing points of an object in animation will snap to or repel the editing points of existing objects. A positive value causes the points to snap; a negative value causes the points to repel. The gravity radius is always specified in pixels.
Align Top To Top Of Reference None Used with the Align option to specify how objects will be aligned. The first setting is for the object to be moved; the second setting is for the reference object to which the moving object will be aligned.


¹Subsequent motion can be constrained vertically and horizontally with the constraint settings on the Control Panel window or the Shift key.

Table B-2 describes the menus and menu items on the Graphics Editor menu bar. It also indicates the keyboard equivalents you use to make a selection using keystrokes rather than using the mouse.

Table B-2 Graphics Editor Menu Items
Menu Item Keyboard Equivalent Description
Control Menu
New window Alt C N Lets you open an additional drawing window or, after choosing the Close option, a new drawing window with the customize menu characteristics of the parent window. The new window is initially blank. To display an existing drawing in the new window, you must use either the Open ... or
Import ... menu item on the File menu. The Cross Window menu item on the Settings menu lets you copy or move objects between two (or more) drawing windows.
Exit Alt C E If you have modified any drawings, a dialog box appears, and you are asked if you want to save the modified drawings. The Graphics Editor is then exited.
Attributes Menu
Font ... Alt A t Displays a dialog box for setting the text font and size. The new settings are used for creating new text and can be used to change the font of existing text. The current font setting is shown in the status area on the Control Panel window.
Text
Foreground ...
Alt A F Displays a dialog box for setting the color, mode, and halftone of the text characters (the default is black opaque with 100 percent halftone).
Text
Background ...
Alt A B Displays a dialog box for setting the color, mode, and halftone of the small box that surrounds the text (the default is transparent, which indicates no background).
Object
Outline ...
Alt A O Displays a dialog box for setting the color, mode, halftone, and line style for object outlines (the default is black opaque with 100 percent halftone; solid line with butt cap, miter join, and line weight of 0.)
Object
Interior ...
Alt A I Displays a dialog box for setting the color, mode, and halftone for the object interior (the default is transparent with 100 percent halftone).
Page ... Alt A P Displays a dialog box for setting the color, mode, and halftone of the background page (the default is transparent with 100 percent halftone). You can use a less glaring background while creating graphics, such as a 10 to 25 percent halftone, and control whether the background appears in the output using the Show Page Bg on Output menu item on the Settings menu.
Options Menu
Grid ... Alt O G Displays a dialog box that lets you create a grid pattern, and specify whether the grid is visible, whether the grid is in front of objects, and whether editing points will snap to points on the X axis, Y axis, or both X and Y axes. The Size Of Major Grid Units settings specify how close the grid lines are to each other. The Divisions Per Major Grid Unit settings specify how many points are between each X and Y grid line. The grid settings are measured in the current unit base.
Hints ... Alt O H Displays Hints window. Use this menu item to redisplay the Hints window after clicking on the CANCEL button on the window.
Units ... Alt O U Displays a dialog box that lets you change the current unit of measurement setting. The current unit setting is shown in the status area on the Control Panel window.
Settings ... Alt O S Displays a dialog box showing the customization options available such as: line weight, justification, insert mode, autoscroll, and so forth.
Switch Colormap => Alt O C Displays a submenu that lets you specify another colormap to use. This setting is available only on a color monitor; not a monochrome monitor.
Save Settings Alt O a Lets you save the current customize settings, the size and positioning of Graphics Editor windows and dialog boxes on your screen, and all settings on the Control Panel window. The following settings are saved: font, units, grid, hints display (on or off), zoom default, and the group setting on the Open ... and Import ... dialog boxes.
Options Menu, Settings ... Dialog Box
Autoscroll at Window Edge Alt O S Specifies whether the drawing window will scroll as you move an object in animation to the edge of the drawing window. If Autoscroll is on, the screen will have a light gray frame around the edges of the drawing window. Autoscrolling will occur when the pointer touches the gray frame while an object is in animation.
Enable Object to Cross Windows Alt O S Specifies whether you can move or copy objects and text from one Graphics Editor drawing window to another Graphics Editor drawing window. When this setting is enabled, the Autoscroll setting is disabled except for objects being created.
Blink Selected Objects Alt O S Specifies whether selected objects blink. If Blink Selected Objects is off (the default), selected objects are enclosed in an extent rectangle. This is useful when objects to be selected are in close proximity.
Hide Pointer During Editing None Turns the pointer on or off when an object is in motion, during such functions as object creation, Copy, Scale, and Move.
Change Line Wgt (Zoom/Mag) Alt O S Specifies whether the line weight of objects is proportionally increased when you use the Zoom operation to magnify objects; or when you use the Scale option with a specified scale setting does not apply to interactive scaling.
Line Weight in Points Alt O S Specifies whether the line weight in the Attributes menu is displayed in points. If Line Weight in Points is off, the line weight is displayed in the current unit base.
Damage Repair Alt O S Specifies whether the screen is refreshed when part of the screen has been disturbed, such as by deleting an object.
Display EPS Objects None Specifies whether or not you display an Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file as an object in the graph, or as a box, containing the bounding region of the EPS file but not the actual contents.
Store Image Data in Metafile Alt O S Specifies whether image data read into the Graphics Editor, with the Import ... menu item on the File menu, is saved when the graphics file is saved. If Store Image Data in Metafile is off, a live link pointer to the file name is saved and read when the file is again read by the Graphics Editor. Turn this option on if the graphics file will be used on another system. Turn this option off if the target image file may change, allowing a live link to the changed object.
Remember to copy live links with the graphics file when you move the file to another node or directory structure.
Show
Confirmations
Alt O S Lets you turn on or off confirmations for Delete All and Purge Delete Buffer. If Show Confirmation is off, the dialog box does not appear before the delete action is taken.
Round Coordinates on Save Alt O S Sets the end points of all the visible objects to the nearest screen pixel (usually 75 dots per inch for a 19-inch monitor and 100 dots per inch for a
15-inch monitor) before a Save operation. This ensures that objects joined on the screen remain joined when printed at the screen resolution and at higher resolutions.
Auto APPLY Attributes Alt O S Specifies whether you need to click on the Apply button to confirm changes in the Attributes menus. When Auto APPY Attributes is on, the Reset button on these menus is disabled and all attributes menu modifications are immediately applied.
Enable
Object->Action Mode
Alt O S Specifies whether you need to click MB2 to confirm a selected object if you change the currently chosen editing operation after selecting the object.
Justification Alt O S Lets you choose right, left, or center text justification.
Text Mode Alt O S Lets you choose insert or overstrike mode of inserting text into an existing text line.
Spaces Per Tab Alt O S Lets you choose the distance between each tab starting from the end of the text string.
Display Mode Alt OS Alt D Specifies how the Graphics Editor displays an object during objects creation or object editing such as scaling, moving, or mirroring.
Cropping Alt O S Specifies three settings for cropping your drawings: automatic, manual, and to window. Automatic cropping uses the default crop settings, manual cropping allows you to choose the cropping values, and to window uses the size of the window your drawing is in as a bench mark for cropping.
Checkpointing Alt O S Displays a submenu that lets you specify whether checkpoint files are created, and how often the checkpoint copy is updated (every n modifications you make to the window).
Invoke Move as Secondary Operation Alt O S Lets you turn off the MOVE mode when objects are edited using COPY, MIRROR, SCALE, or ROTATE.
Start Editor Iconified Specifies whether or not you start the Graphics Editor as an icon.
Show Page Bg on Output Alt O S Specifies whether the page background appears when the output file is displayed or printed. Page background is specified with the Page ... menu item on the Attributes menu. You can use a less glaring page background during creation, and store the graphic with the default transparent background.
File Menu
Open ... Alt F O Prompts you to save the current drawing, clears the screen, then displays a file selection box that lets you specify a new file to be displayed. You can specify only a .GRA file.
Import ... Alt F I Displays a file selection box that lets you specify a file to be added to the current drawing window. The file can be an existing .gra file, an ASCII text file, or an image file (Bookreader, DDIF, sixel, or Xbitmap). The Graphics Editor displays the crop box of the incoming file, which you can position by moving the mouse and confirm its position by clicking MB1.
Clipart ... Alt F L Displays clip art from the Artwork Gallery. The Artwork Gallery is a collection of previously-drawn grahics that you can import to your drawing window.
Preview Alt F P Displays the cropped region of the current graphics file in a pop-up window in the center of the screen. You can reposition the window, resize it, or shrink it to an icon.
Preview ... Alt F V Displays an existing file in a pop-up window in the center of the screen. You can reposition the window, resize it, or shrink it to an icon.
Export ... Alt F P Displays a dialog box that lets you format a .gra graphics file to produce a Bookreader, DDIF, PostScript, or sixel output file. This menu item is equivalent to the DOCUMENT/GRAPHICS=RENDER command; you do not need to process your files with these commands if you use the Export menu item.
Save Alt F S Saves the current drawing as a .gra file that has the name displayed in the title bar. A new version of the original file is created. If automatic cropping is not enabled in the Settings menu, a confirmation box appears, allowing you to manually crop your drawing.
Save As ... Alt F A Saves the current drawing as a .gra file that has the name you specify in the Save As file selection box. If automatic cropping is not enabled in the Settings menu, a confirmation box appears allowing you to manually crop your drawing. The new file name is displayed in the title bar.
Close/Save Alt F E Closes the current drawing window and saves the drawing, including changes.
Close Alt F C Confirms whether you want to save the changes to the existing drawing then closes the current Graphics Editor drawing window. If you have not changed your drawing, the confirmation box does not appear. Close does not exit the Graphics Editor session.
Edit Menu
Select All Alt E S Temporarily groups all visible objects and text in the drawing window so you can perform one editing operation on the group.
Group All Alt E G Groups all visible objects and text together and keeps this one group until you separate it with the Ungroup option.
Group All Text Alt E T Groups all visible text in one group and keeps the grouping until you separate it with the Ungroup option.
Reveal Hidden Alt E H Redisplays objects and text hidden with the Hide option.
Purge Hidden Objects AltEO Clears the buffer of all objects or text hidden during the session using the Hide editing option.
Undelete Alt E U Recovers objects and text you have deleted. Each time you choose Undelete, one deleted object is recovered.
Purge Delete Buffer Alt E P Lets you clear the delete buffer that stores all objects or text deleted during the session. Once you clear the delete buffer, you cannot undo the operation and the Undelete menu item will not redisplay those objects or text. The delete buffer can use considerable memory space if numerous deletions are performed. Use this menu item to restore memory space.
Round Coordinates Alt E R Sets the end points of all the visible objects to the nearest screen pixel (usually 75 dots per inch for a 19-inch monitor and 100 dots per inch for a 15-inch monitor). This ensures that objects joined on the screen remain joined when printed at the screen resolution and at higher resolutions. Use after the Zoom operation to fix the pixel alignment.
Description ... Alt e Lets you add a comment or informational message to your graphic. The message is saved with the metafile. Chose the Description ... menu item to view messages or make additions to the messages. This feature is optional and has no affect on the drawing.
Delete All Alt E D Erases all objects and text in the drawing window.
View Menu
Refresh Alt V R Redraws all the objects and grid (if visible) in the drawing window.
Show Crop ... Alt V C Displays the crop box showing the size of your drawing or image. The crop area is what is included in the printable file.
Show Screen Info ... Alt V S Displays information relating to the screen display such as: screen width, screen depth, number of screens, and so forth.
Screen
Capture ...
Alt V D Lets you create an image of a portion of the screen for subsequent rotation or scaling. Also lets you capture selected parts of your screen, including pull-down menus outside the Graphics Editor drawing window, and bring them into the Graphics Editor drawing window as image data.
Screen Capture ... Alt V A Gives you the option to digitize screen captures in High Frequency Halftone, Low Frequency Halftone, Theshold, and to Convert Interface Colors for improved reproduction of the screen captures.
Redo Screen Capture Alt V G Lets you recapture the same area of the screen as the previous capture operation.
Zoom => Alt V Z Displays a submenu that lets you specify an amount to magnify or reduce the entire drawing area, including the grid if visible. File operations from the File menu cannot be done while a drawing is in zoom mode.
Unzoom Alt V U Lets you return a drawing to the normal size after a zoom operation.
Set Viewport => Alt V V Displays a submenu that lets you assign a mark setting to the current viewport configuration (use the Pan Viewport menu item to select the mark).
Pan
Viewport =>
Alt V P Displays a submenu that lets you move the window contents to one of the drawing window locations or viewport marks listed in the submenu.


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