Contents

PageDraw is a vector-based drawing program. It has powerful tools for drawing, editing and transforming graphical objects. After you have drawn a few objects, you can select an object, or a group of objects, and transform them. Objects remain editable even after transformation. To edit an object, select the object, and drag any of the objects handles.

The following two sections describe the tools available on the toolbar on the left. To select a tool, click on the button representing the tool on the tool bar. Operations started using any tool can be canceled at any time by selecting another tool from the toolbar. Note that the shift key can be used to modify the operation of most tools.

How to draw

Line

Horizontal line

Vertical line

Rectangle

Square

Ellipse

Circle

Arc

Curve

Polygon

Text

After you have drawn an object, you can transform the object in a number of ways. You can transform an object independently or you can select a group of objects to be transformed together. PageDraw treats text and graphics uniformly during transformation.

How to transform objects

Move

Scale

Rotate

Skew

Reflect

How to...

Include your drawing in a word processor document

Change orientation to portrait or landscape mode

How to zoom in and zoom out

How to change color of lines, fills or text

Change line thickness, color or dash style

Change fill color or pattern

Draw arrow heads at line ends

Pick color, pattern and other attributes from one object and apply it to another

Miscellaneous

Send me your comments, bug reports, and request for new features

PageDraw is FREE software

NO WARRANTY


How to draw a line

Select the line tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the line to start. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the line to end.

To constrain the line to a vertical or horizontal line, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw a polygon

Select the polygon tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first vertex of the polygon. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the second vertex, then release the button. Click the left mouse button where you want the next vertex and release the button. Click and release the left mouse button where you want the next vertex, and the next, and so on. When you come to the last vertex, double click the left mouse button.

To draw a closed polygon, double click on the first vertex, as the last vertex.


How to draw a rectangle

Select the rectangle tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first corner of the rectangle. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the opposite corner of the rectangle.

To constrain the rectangle to a square, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw an ellipse

Select the ellipse tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the center of the ellipse. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse till the ellipse has the desired size and shape.

To constrain the ellipse to a circle, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw an arc

Select the arc tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the center of the arc. Click the left mouse button where you want the arcs starting angle. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse anticlockwise to the ending angle, while also moving away from the center till the arc has the desired radius.


How to draw a pie slice

Select the pie tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the center of the pie. Click the left mouse button where you want the pie slices starting angle. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse anticlockwise to the ending angle, while also moving away from the center till the pie slice has the desired radius.


How to draw a curve

Select the curve tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first vertex of the curve. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the second vertex, then release the button. Click the left mouse button where you want the next vertex and release the button. Click and release the left mouse button where you want the next vertex, and the next, and so on. When you come to the last vertex, double click the left mouse button.

To draw a closed curve, double click on the first vertex, as the last vertex.

To create a corner vertex as opposed to a smooth vertex, hold down the shift key while creating the vertex.


How to draw text

Select the text tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want to enter the text. Key in the text. To start another line, click the left mouse button where you want to enter the next line.

To edit existing text, select the text tool from the tool bar and click the left mouse button on the baseline of the text you would like to edit. Use left and right arrow keys to position cursor. Use backspace key to delete characters.

To use a different font, select Font from the Special menu. The font dialog only lists PostScript fonts. Fonts are listed by their PostScript names.

The text tool will only work if you have installed Adobe Type Manager (ATM) software. PageDraw requires ATM Version 2.01 or later. Only ATM fonts, i.e., PostScript Type 1 fonts are supported. TrueType and other font formats are not supported in this version of PageDraw.

What is Adobe Type Manager?

Adobe Type Manager software enables other application software such as word processors and graphics programs to display high quality scaleable PostScript Type 1 fonts on the screen, as well as print them on laser and dot-matrix printers. ATM is more powerful than the TrueType functionality built in to MS-Windows because ATM is capable of applying arbitrary transforms (such as skewing) to fonts.

Where to get Adobe Type Manager?

If you have installed a word processor such as Word Perfect for Windows or Ami Pro on your machine, you may already have ATM. Visit your local software store, or contact Adobe Systems Inc. at (800)833-6687 to obtain the latest version of Adobe Type Manager.


How to move objects

First, select the objects you would like to move. Click the left mouse button on the edge of (not inside) any one of the selected objects. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the objects have been moved to the desired position; then release the button.

To undo move, select Undo from the Edit menu before unselecting the objects.


How to scale objects

First, select the objects you would like to scale. Select the scale tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button on the origin, i.e., the point about which you would like to scale the objects. Move the mouse away from the origin. Click anywhere and without releasing the mouse button, drag the mouse until the objects have been scaled to the desired size.

To scale objects uniformly in horizontal and vertical directions, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.

To undo scale, select Undo from the Edit menu before unselecting the objects.


How to rotate objects

First, select the objects you would like to rotate. Select the rotate tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button on the origin, i.e., the point about which you would like to rotate the objects. Move the mouse away from the origin. Click anywhere and without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the objects have been rotated through the desired angle.

To rotate the objects in steps of 15 degrees, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.

To undo rotate, select Undo from the Edit menu before unselecting the objects.


How to skew objects

First, select the objects you would like to skew. Select the skew tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button on the origin, i.e., the point about which you would like to skew the objects. Move the mouse away from the origin. Click anywhere and without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the objects have been skewed to the desired shape.

To constrain the skewing to either horizontal or vertical direction, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.

To undo skew, select Undo from the Edit menu before unselecting the objects.


How to reflect objects

First, select the objects you would like to reflect. Select the reflect tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button on the origin, i.e., the point about which you would like to reflect the objects. Move the mouse away from the origin. Click anywhere and without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the objects have been reflected about the desired line.

To undo reflect, select Undo from the Edit menu before unselecting the objects.


How to select objects

Select the selection tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button in an empty area near the objects you would like to select. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the selection marquee encloses the objects you would like to select. An object need not be enclosed entirely within the selection marquee in order to get selected. If a small portion of the object falls within the selection marquee, it will be included in the selection.

You can also toggle the selection status of an object, i.e., remove an object from the selection if it is already included in the selection, or add it to the selection if it is not already included. To toggle the selection status of an object, hold down the shift key while following the same steps as when you select an object.

To unselect all objects, click in an empty area on the page.


How to import your drawing into a word processor

Drawings created using PageDraw can be included in documents created using LaTeX, Microsoft Word, Ami Pro, or other word processors. To import your drawing into a word processor, save your drawing in EPS format. Use the EPS inclusion capability of your word processor to include the drawing in a document. Since EPS files created by this version of PageDraw do not contain a preview, the drawing will only appear as a rectangle in the word processor. However, when the document is printed on a PostScript printer, the drawing will appear correctly in its place.

To save your drawing in EPS format, choose Save As from the File menu. Then change the Save File as Type to EPS.


How to change orientation
How to change orientation to portrait or landscape mode

You can change the orientation of the page at any time to portrait or landscape mode and continue drawing. Select Orientation from View menu and choose the orientation you want to change to. Since orientation is only a view mode, you can switch from one orientation to another and back as many times as you want.


How to change fill style

To change the fill style of objects, first select  the objects which you want to change. Then choose the pattern or color you want from the Fill menu. The fill style you choose will remain in effect for the objects you draw later, until you change the fill style again.


How to change line style

To change the line style of objects, first select  the objects which you want to change. Then choose the dash style, line width or color you want from Line menu. Note that dashed lines can only be 1 point wide. The line style you choose will remain in effect for the objects you draw later, until you change the line style again.


How to change color of lines, fills or text

Select the objects you want to change. Then choose Color from the Line menu to change line color, or Color from the Fill menu to change fill color. To change color of text objects choose Color from the Fill menu.

The color dialog

The color dialog lets you specify color in one of three different color models -- HSB, CMYK or RGB. HSB is the most intuitive color model while CMYK is preferred by graphic artists. In the HSB color model, colors are specified using three parameters called Hue, Saturation and Brightness. Hue specifies the color of the color, such as blue or yellow. Saturation specifies the concentration of the selected hue with respect to the overall intensity. Less saturated color has some white light mixed in. If the saturation is set to 0, you get a shade of gray. Brightness specifies the overall intensity of light. If the brightness is set to 0, you get black.

In the color dialog, different hues are arranged around a color wheel. As you move towards the center of this wheel, saturation decreases. The dialog also has a brightness bar. As you move upwards on the brightness bar, the brightness increases.

To select a color, first select a hue by clicking at an appropriate angle on the color wheel. Now adjust the saturation by moving towards or away from the center. Next click on the brightness bar. Move up or down to adjust the brightness. The currently chosen color is visible in the little square next to the brightness bar. Click OK to select the color.


How to pick color and other attributes from one object and apply it to another
How to pick color, pattern and other attributes from one object and apply it to another

Select the object you would like to pick color, pattern, line style and other attributes from. Now click on the eye dropper button on the toolbar. The current paint style will be set to the paint style of the selected object. Next, select the objects you would like to apply the current paint style to. Then click on the brush button on the toolbar.


How to draw arrow heads at ends of lines

To draw arrow heads at ends of lines, first select the lines you are interested in. Then choose any of the last four items in the Line menu, depending on whether you want no arrow heads, arrow head on the first end, arrow head on the second end, or arrow heads on both ends. Three different arrow styles are available--Small, Big and Fancy. To change the arrow style, select the lines you are interested in. Then choose the style you want from the Arrows menu. To access the Arrows menu, click on Style menu and then click on Arrows.


How to zoom in and zoom out

Select the zoom tool from the toolbar. Click and drag a rectangle around the area you would like to zoom in on. To zoom out, click anywhere and without moving the mouse, release the mouse button.


How to send in your comments
PageDraw is FREE software

Feel free to make copies of PageDraw for your coworkers and friends. No charges are due to the author for using PageDraw. Permission is granted to distribute unmodified copies of PageDraw, without any charges being due to the author.

PageDraw is Copyright (c) 1993-95 Rajeev Karunakaran

PageDraw is distributed with NO WARRANTY of any kind. The author or distributors of this software do not accept responsibility for any damages arising from the use of this software.

How to send in your comments

You are invited to send me your questions, comments, any bugs you have found, or suggestions for the next version of PageDraw. If you have access to the Internet, please send me e-mail at the address:

rajeev@netcom.com