Exercise Session--Chapter 6

This entire chapter consists of step-by-step exercises. Each exercise is preceded by an explanation of what you're going to do and why. You'll see that there is a lot of "observing" called for. This is designed to make you comfortable and familiar with terminology and function.

You will be guided through a number of tasks. Again, do not concern yourself with memorizing! Just have a good time. If you need to, repeat a step.

You will learn

1. The nature of the diagramming object.
2. How to invoke rotation/skew selection handles.
3. How to move an object.
4. How to "transform" an object.
5. The value of the Status Bar.
6. The basics of placing Artistic text on the page.
7. How to save your work.
8. How to begin a new drawing.

Exercise 1: Page preparation

To ensure that the following exercises work, prepare a new document as follows.

1. Choose FILE/New to start a new document.
2. In the Standard toolbar, look for the button shown on the left. This button "enables node tracking." Although you don't know what that is just yet, this button needs to be selected for the following exercises, so ensure that it is.

You're ready to go...

Exercise 2: Appreciating the Diagramming Object

As you've already seen, when you place a diagramming object on the page it comes in with its own set of selection handles. These handles are used to reposition and transform the object. In this exercise, you'll take a closer look.

1. Using the tool, draw a rectangle on the page as you learned in Chapter 4.

Observe!

• This and every object you've drawn so far comes in with a preset outline and fill. These are called "Defaults."
• The rectangle has selection handles.
• There is a small x in the center of the rectangle.
2. Watch the mouse cursor as you position it over different parts of the rectangle. First, place the mouse directly over the center x.

Observe!

• The cursor changes to .
3. Position the mouse over any selection handle.

Observe!

• The cursor changes to a directional arrow, such as or . These are used to stretch, scale or mirror an object.
4. Return to the center x and click the mouse once, and again.

Observe!

• There are, in fact, 2 different types of selection handles. The second set are for rotating and skewing an object.

Note You just learned what the Node Tracking button does...it enables this feature. If it were not selected, you wouldn't get the cursor over the node!

5. Position the cursor over any of the corner nodes (not selection handles) of the rectangle.

Observe!

• The cursor changes to . You should recognize this as the cursor associated with the Shape tool from Chapter 4!
6. Click and drag the corner node, as you did in the final exercise of last chapter.

Observe!

• You can reshape the object without going to the tool itself!

Exercise 3: Moving an object

1. Place the mouse directly over the small x in the center of the rectangle so that the cursor changes to .
2. To move the rectangle, hold the mouse button down and drag it to a new location. Release the mouse.

Question!

• How might you constrain the movement to the horizontal or vertical? Remember, constrain implies the Ctrl key. Simply move the object with the Ctrl key held.

Exercise 4: Stretching, scaling, reflecting and mirroring an object

1. If the standard selection handles are not showing, click on the small x in the center of the rectangle to reveal them.
2. Place the cursor over any corner selection handle so that the cursor changes to a .
3. To scale, drag the handle in/out to reduce/enlarge the object.

Observe!

• When you stretch with a corner handle you stretch proportionately. This is called "scaling."
4. Stretch the object using any non-corner handle.

Observe!

• Now you can stretch the rectangle without maintaining the proportions.

Note To perfectly mirror the object, you need to constrain it while reflecting it. How? Hold the Ctrl key as you reflect it, of course!

5. Stretch the object by dragging the top-middle handle past its compliment on the other side.

Observe!

• You have now reflected the object.

Exercise 5: Mirroring with text

Because a reflected rectangle looks just like another rectangle, its hard to witness the reflection. Therefore, let's throw some text on the page and perform the same transformations.

As you scale the text, the outline of the newly scaled text appears to aid you in placement.

1. Select the tool in the Toolbox.
2. Position the mouse cursor on the page where you want to type.

Observe!

• The cursor changes to a .
3. Click the mouse to place a text cursor on the page.

Observe!

• The vertical line indicating a text cursor.

Note The method of applying a transformation to one type of object is the same as applying it to another. For example, scaling text uses the same procedure as scaling a rectangle, ellipse or curve.

4. Type your name.
5. Move the mouse.

Observe!

• As soon as you move the mouse, the familiar standard selection handles appear on the text. It is ready to be transformed!
6. Place the cursor over any corner selection handle so that the cursor changes to a and drag the handle out to scale the text larger.
7. Now, reflect the text. Drag the top-middle handle down past its compliment on the other side.

Observe!

• You have now reflected the object.

Exercise 6: Using the Pick tool

Although the ability to move or transform an object is implicit in the object, you can also use the tool to accomplish the same thing.

1. Select the tool in the Toolbox.
2. Simply locate the cursor anywhere over the rectangle and drag it to a different location.

Observe!

• With the tool, you don't need to locate the cursor precisely over the x in the center of the rectangle...you can drag it from any location.

Note Repeated clicking on an object will toggle between selection modes.

3. Now scale or size the rectangle using any of the selection handles.
4. Finally, click repeatedly over any location in the rectangle.

Observe!

• Again, with the tool, there is no need to position the mouse directly over the x.

Pause for reflection

There are a few hidden lessons in the exercises you've performed thus far, and they are worth noting.

1. Every object you place on the page comes in ready to be moved and/or transformed. You don't need to switch tools to accomplish this...it is implicit in the object.
2. You've learned how to move an object and size and object.
• Sizing: Sizing includes scaling, reflecting and mirroring. These are all variations on the same thing...it just depends on which handle you select and in what direction you drag the mouse.
3. There are 2 other transformations which you will explore shortly.
• Rotating
• Skewing
4. The process by which you transformed the rectangle was the exact same as that by which you transformed the text! In other words, once you learn how to transform one diagramming object, you've learned how to transform any other diagramming object!
5. Here's a subtle one. Notice in our first point we emphasized the word "need." It's true, you don't need to switch tools to transform or shape an object, but you can if you want to.

You've seen that the capacity to shape or transform an object is implicit in the object itself. BUT, you can also shape an object with the tool or transform an object with the tool. We'll show you that there may occasionally be advantages to using "the parent tool" instead of the diagramming object.

Exercise 7: Appreciating the Status Bar

If you set up the Status Bar as we prescribed in Chapter 3, you'll see that it "feeds back" information to you as you work. Watch the Status Bar as you perform the following exercises.

1. Select the tool in the Toolbox.
2. SLOWLY, begin to draw an ellipse. (Don't complete it by releasing the mouse.)

Observe!

• As you drag the mouse, the Status Bar tells you information as to size, location of the ellipse you are drawing.
3. Complete the ellipse by releasing the mouse button.

Observe!

• The Status Bar tells you the object is an ellipse, its size, fill, outline and position.
4. Move the ellipse to a new location.

Observe!

• As you move the object, the Status Bar tells you how far you move in the horizontal (DX) and vertical (DY) and total displacement.
• The object remains selected after moving it.

Exercise 8: Rotating and skewing

Because the tool requires less specificity, we'll use it in this exercise.

1. Using the tool, click on any object to reveal rotation/skew handles.

Remember!

• Repeated clicking on an object toggles between the standard selection handles and the rotation/skew handles.
2. Place the mouse over any corner handle so that it becomes a .
3. Drag in a circular motion to rotate.
4. Rotate it again but with the Ctrl key held.

Observe!

• The Ctrl key constrains the rotation to 15 degree increments.
5. To skew, place the mouse over any vertical or horizontal handle so that it becomes a . Drag up/down or left/right to skew.

Observe!

• As you rotate/skew the Status Bar tells you the angle of displacement.

Modifier Keys

In Chapter 4 you learned that the Ctrl and Shift keys modify the creation of objects. They also modify the transformation of objects. The table below summarizes their behavior.

Exercise 9: Saving your work

By now you've created a magnificent work of art and you want to save it.

1. Choose FILE/Save As...

Observe!

• You'll see the following dialog box.


2. Confirm that you're in the C:\..TRAIN directory.
3. Type in SAMPLE1 where it says File name.
4. Click the Save button.

Observe!

• The Title Bar now shows Sample1.cdr.
5. Choose FILE/New.

Observe!

• A fresh window appears with Graphic1 in the Title Bar.

Note CorelDRAW allows you to open more than one file at a time.

6. Choose WINDOW/Cascade.
• The screen cascades with the Graphic1 window in front of the Sample1.CDR window.
7. Close all the open documents.

In Review

You may not realize that in these simple exercises, you've been introduced to the basics which form the core of CorelDRAW. You'll use these basics over and over. We will explore them in much greater detail as we go along.

What you've learned

• The CorelDRAW screen, its parts and their functions.
• An appreciation of the Status Bar.
• How to save a file.
• How to start a new drawing.
• How to draw an ellipse, circle, rectangle and square.
• The Ctrl and Shift keys modify your action.
• How to add some simple Artistic Text.
• How to select a single object.
• How to move an object with the mouse.
• You've been introduced to the basic transformations: Stretching, Scaling, Rotating, Skewing.
• There are 2 types of selection handles: one for stretching; one for rotating/skewing.
• When you draw an object, it comes in with a default outline and fill.
• The ability to transform an object is implicit in the object itself.
• You can also use the tool to select and transform an object.
• You can open multiple files in CorelDRAW.

This document is Copyright © 1998 by Retlab Graphics Inc used with permission by Unleashed Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of these documents shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from Retlab Graphics Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. For information, address Retlab Graphics Inc., 1972 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, IL 60640.

You may print one copy of this document for your personal use.

Copyright © 1995–2010 Unleashed Productions, Inc., All Rights Reserved.