Symbol Draw Menu

The symbol editor Draw menu presents options for drawing graphical primitives and text, and manipulating selected objects. The Draw menu options include

• Arc
• Circle
• Line
• Polygon
• Rectangle
• Text
• Image
• Ellipse
• Curve
• Pin
• Rotate
• Align Horizontal
• Align Vertical
• Flip Vertical
• Flip Horizontal
• Bring to Front
• Send to Back

Arc

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of an arc. To draw an arc, click the symbol editor grid at the two points that determines the arc’s ends, then drag the arc to the appropriate radius.

Once you have created an arc, adjust its radius or move its endpoints by clicking the arc to select it, and dragging the appropriate handle.

Circle

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of a circle. To draw a circle, click the symbol editor grid to select a center point, then drag the circle to the appropriate diameter.

Once you have created a circle, adjust its diameter in either of two ways:

• Click the circle to select it, then drag one of its handles.
• Double-click the circle to open its Properties window, type a new value for the Radius parameter, then click OK.

By default, a new circle is hollow. You can fill a circle with solid color or parallel lines in one of several styles as follows:

1. With the circle’s properties displayed, click in the Value cell for the FillStyle property.
2. Select the appropriate fill style on the list.
3. Click OK.

Line

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of a polyline with one or more segments. To draw a line:

1. Click the symbol editor grid where you want the line to start, then click at one or more points to continue the line.
2. To complete the line, do one of the following after defining its final segment:

• Press the Spacebar.
• Right-click, then click Finish.

After you have completed a line, change the endpoints of its segments by doing one of the following:

• Select the line and drag the appropriate handle(s).
• Double-click the line to open its Properties window, type new position values
  (in the form X: Y) for the appropriate vertices, and click OK.

Alternately, change the endpoints of a selected line by clicking Layout > Line Styles to open the Line Styles window, then click in the Cap Type field to change the cap or line-ending type (Flat, Extended, or Round).

Because a line has nonzero width, its CapType determines how its ends behave:

• Extended – Extends the line by its own width past the endpoint you click.
• Flat - Cuts the line perpendicularly at the endpoint you click.
• Round - Ends the line in a semicircle.

The existing technology files define line/trace styles, including a CapType (typically Flat) for each style. If you select None as the technology type, you'll automatically get a palette of four styles with a variety of widths, BendTypes and CapTypes.

Polygon

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of a polygon. To create a polygon:

1. Click the symbol editor grid to specify the position of one vertex, then click wherever you want to place additional vertices.
2. To complete a polygon, specify the position of its final vertex, then do either of the following:

• Press the Spacebar.
• Right-click, then click Finish.

Once you have drawn a rectangle, Edit its vertex positions and other properties, including its fill style, as follows:

• Click the rectangle, then edit its properties in the Properties window.
• Double-click the rectangle, then edit its properties in the Properties window.

By default, a new polygon is hollow. You can fill a polygon with solid color or parallel lines in one of several styles as follows:

1. With the polygon’s properties displayed, click in the Value cell for the FillStyle property.
2. Select the appropriate fill style on the list.
3. Click OK.

Rectangle

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of a rectangle. To create a rectangle, click the editor grid to specify the position of one corner, then drag the rectangle to the appropriate size.

Once you have drawn a rectangle, Edit its height and width, the position of its center, and its angle (its rotation, in degrees, relative the handles of its bounding box) as follows:

• Click the rectangle, then edit its properties in the Properties window.
• Double-click the rectangle, then edit its properties in the Properties window.

By default, a new rectangle is hollow. You can fill a rectangle with solid color or parallel lines in one of several styles as follows:

1. With the rectangle’s properties displayed, click in the Value cell for the FillStyle property.
2. Select the appropriate fill style on the list.
3. Click OK.

Text

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , adds to the symbol an editable “Default text” label in 12-point Arial. To edit the default text string immediately after placement, type the text you want, then press Enter or click elsewhere in the editor grid.

To change just the text of an existing label:

1. Click the label.
2. Click the label again to open its text for editing.
3. Type the appropriate text.
4. Press Enter or click elsewhere in the editor grid.

To change other properties of a label, including its color, font or size:

1. Click the label and view its properties in the Properties window, or double-click the label and view its properties in the Properties window.
2. Click in the Value cell for the property you want to modify.
3. Modify the value.
4. Click OK, or click in another Value cell to commit the change and keep editing values.

Image

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , adds an image to the symbol. To add an image, select an image file in the Select Image window and click Open. Click the editor grid to place the image, then drag the mouse until the image is the appropriate size, and click the mouse again.

Once you have placed an image, Edit its height and width, the position of its center, and its angle (its rotation, in degrees, relative the handles of its bounding box) as follows:

• Click the image to select it, then drag one of its handles.
• Click the image and edit its properties in the Properties window.
• Double-click the image and edit its properties in the Properties window.

To flip the image horizontally, select the image and in the Properties window, click Mirrored.

By default, a new image is not linked its original file. To ensure that the image is updated when changes are made to the file, select the image and in the Properties window, click Link to File.

A new image does not have a border. Add one as follows:

1. With the image’s properties displayed in the Properties window, click the Value cell for the DisplayBorder property.
2. Set a BorderWidth.
3. Click the Value cell for the BorderColor property to add a color in the Color window.
4. Click OK to close the Color window.

Ellipse

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of an ellipse. To draw a ellipse, click the editor grid to specify the top and left most position of the shape , then drag the ellipse to the appropriate size.

Once you have drawn an ellipse, edit its height and width, the position of its center, and its angle (its rotation in degrees relative the handles of its bounding box) as follows:

• Click the ellipse to select it , then drag one of its handles.
• Click the ellipse and edit its properties in the Properties window.
• Double-click the ellipse and edit its properties in the Properties window.

By default, a new ellipse is hollow. You can fill an ellipse with solid color or parallel lines in one of several styles as follows:

1. With the ellipse’s properties displayed, click in the Value cell for the FillStyle property.
2. Select the appropriate fill style on the list.
3. Click OK.

Curve

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar , initiates creation of a polycurve with one or more segments. To draw a curve:

1. Click the symbol editor grid where you want the curve to start.
2. Clicke or more points to continue the curve.
3. To complete the curve, mark its final segment and do one of the following:
   • double-click.
   • Press the Spacebar.
   • Right-click and click Finish.

After you have completed a curve, change the endpoints of its segments by doing one of the following:

• Select the curve and drag the appropriate handle(s).
• Double-click the curve to open its Properties window, type new position values
  (in the form X: Y) for the appropriate vertices, and click OK.

Pin

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar, initiates placement of a symbol pin with a default stem length of 10. You can rotate a pin once you’ve started to place it by iteratively pressing R until the pin is oriented to your liking. Click in the editor grid to finish placing the pin.

Rotate

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw menu and by pressing Ctrl+R on the keyboard, rotates a selected object or group of objects 90° to the left.

Align Horizontal

This option horizontally aligns the uppermost edges of the members of a group of selected objects with the uppermost edge of the first-selected object. To align multiple objects horizontally:

1. Press Ctrl, then click the object with which you want to align the others.
2. Still pressing Ctrl, click the additional objects in turn to add them to the selection.

Note that the first-selected object is highlighted in red, and that the subsequently selected objects are highlighted in dark red.

3. From the Draw menu, select Align Horizontal.

Align Vertical

This option vertically aligns the leftmost edges of the members of a group of selected objects with the leftmost edge of the first-selected object. To align multiple objects vertically:

1. Press Ctrl, then click the object with which you to align the others.
2. Still pressing Ctrl, click the additional objects in turn to add them to the selection.

Note that the first-selected object is highlighted in red, and that the subsequently selected objects are highlighted in dark red.

3. From the Draw menu, select Align Vertical.

Flip Vertical

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar, flips a selected object about the X axis.

Flip Horizontal

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar, flips a selected object about the Y axis.

Bring to Front

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar, places a selected object in front of all other elements in the editor, i.e., closest to the user.

Send to Back

This option, also available on the Symbol Draw toolbar, places a selected object behind all other elements in the editor, i.e., furthest on the user.