Lay out2help

Google LayOut 2 Help

Contents
Contents ....................................................................................................................... 1
Welcome to LayOut ..................................................................................................... 9
What's New in this Release? ................................................................................... 10
Learning LayOut ...................................................................................................... 12
Technical Support .................................................................................................... 14
Welcome to the LayOut Getting Started Guide ...................................................... 15
Introduction to the LayOut Interface (Microsoft Windows)....................................... 16
Introduction to the LayOut Interface (Mac OS X)..................................................... 18
Selecting a Template ............................................................................................... 20
Working With Layers................................................................................................ 21
Creating a Replicated Title Block............................................................................. 22
Working with SketchUp Models ............................................................................... 29
Making Annotations ................................................................................................. 32
Next Steps................................................................................................................ 35
Welcome to the LayOut User's Guide ..................................................................... 36
The LayOut User Interface....................................................................................... 37
Creating New Toolbars (Microsoft Windows) .......................................................... 38
Customizing a Toolbar (Microsoft Windows) ........................................................... 39
Customizing the Toolbar (Mac OS X) ...................................................................... 40
Showing or Hiding the Toolbar (Mac OS X)............................................................. 41
Invoking Context Menus .......................................................................................... 42
Opening a Dialog Box .............................................................................................. 43
Creating a New Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows)............................................ 44
Deleting a Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows) .................................................... 45
Manipulating Dialog Boxes in a Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows) ................... 46
Renaming a Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows) ................................................. 47
Resizing The Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows)................................................ 48
Manipulating Dialog Boxes in a Dialog Box Stack (Mac OS X) ............................... 49
Minimizing Dialog Boxes (Mac OS X)...................................................................... 50
Resizing Dialog Boxes (Mac OS X) ......................................................................... 51
Snapping Dialog Boxes to Other User Interface Components (Mac OS X) ............ 52
Encouraging an Inference........................................................................................ 53
Tools ........................................................................................................................... 54

Page 1 Copyright Google Inc. 2008


Moving Entities......................................................................................................... 55
Selecting Multiple Entities ........................................................................................ 56
Rotating Entities....................................................................................................... 58
Scaling Entities......................................................................................................... 59
Selecting a Single Entity .......................................................................................... 60
Editing a Path........................................................................................................... 61
Moving Points on a Path .......................................................................................... 62
Adding Points to a Path ........................................................................................... 63
Removing Points from a Path .................................................................................. 64
Adjusting Curvature on a Path ................................................................................. 65
Moving, Scaling, and Rotating Precisely ................................................................. 66
Splitting a Line or Edge............................................................................................ 68
Splitting Two Shapes ............................................................................................... 69
Erasing Entities ........................................................................................................ 70
Sampling and Applying Styles ................................................................................. 71
Joining Two Shapes................................................................................................. 72
Drawing a Single Straight Line................................................................................. 73
Drawing a Closed Shape ......................................................................................... 74
Ending Line Drawing................................................................................................ 75
Drawing Curved Lines.............................................................................................. 76
Creating Precise Lines............................................................................................. 78
Drawing Lines by Inference ..................................................................................... 79
Creating an Arc About a Center Point ..................................................................... 80
Creating a Pie .......................................................................................................... 81
Creating a 3 Point Arc.............................................................................................. 82
Creating an Arc From a Chord and Bulge ............................................................... 83
Creating Precise Arcs .............................................................................................. 84
Drawing a Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Lozenge, or Bulged Rectangle........... 88
Creating Precise Rectangles ................................................................................... 89
Drawing Rectangles by Inference ............................................................................ 90
Drawing a Circle....................................................................................................... 91
Drawing a Ellipse ..................................................................................................... 92
Creating Precise Circles .......................................................................................... 93
Drawing a Polygon................................................................................................... 95
Creating Precise Polygons....................................................................................... 96



Creating Text............................................................................................................ 97
Creating a Bounded Text Box................................................................................ 100
Creating an Unbounded Text Box ......................................................................... 101
Creating Aligned Text ............................................................................................ 102
Creating Anchored Text ......................................................................................... 103
Editing Text ............................................................................................................ 104
Creating Labels ...................................................................................................... 105
Editing Label Leader .............................................................................................. 106
Editing Label Text .................................................................................................. 107
Drawing Irregular Shapes ...................................................................................... 108
View Tools ................................................................................................................ 109
Panning the View ................................................................................................... 110
Panning While in Other Tools (1-Button Mouse) (Mac OS X) ............................... 111
Panning While in Another Tool (3-Button Mouse) ................................................. 112
Zooming In and Zooming Out of your Document................................................... 113
Zooming With a Scroll Wheel Mouse..................................................................... 114
Adding a Custom Scale (Microsoft Windows)........................................................ 115
Adding a Custom Scale (Mac OS X) ..................................................................... 116
Adding a Keyboard Shortcut (Microsoft Windows) ................................................ 117
Adding Keyboard Shortcut (Mac OS X) ................................................................. 118
Deleting a Scale (Microsoft Windows) ................................................................... 119
Deleting a Scale (Mac OS X) ................................................................................. 120
Applying Fill and Stroke ......................................................................................... 121
Modifying Fill and Stroke........................................................................................ 122
Creating a Layer .................................................................................................... 123
Creating a Shared Layer........................................................................................ 124
Moving Entities Between Layers............................................................................ 125
Changing a Layer to a Shared Layer..................................................................... 126
Changing a Shared Layer to a Normal Layer ........................................................ 127
Setting Text Style (Microsoft Windows) ................................................................. 128
Modifying Text Style for Existing Text (Microsoft Windows).................................. 129
Setting Text Style (Mac OS X) ............................................................................... 130
Modifying Text Style for Existing Text (Mac OS X)................................................ 131
Using Entities in the Scrapbook ............................................................................. 132
Applying Styles From the Scrapbook..................................................................... 133



Adding a Custom Scrapbook ................................................................................. 134
Editing a Scrapbook............................................................................................... 135
Saving a Scrapbook............................................................................................... 136
Selecting a Color (Microsoft Windows).................................................................. 137
Selecting a Color (Mac OS X)................................................................................ 138
Loading and Selecting a Color From an Image (Microsoft Windows) ................... 139
Loading and Selecting a Color From an Image (Mac OS X) ................................. 140
Adding a Page ....................................................................................................... 141
Entities...................................................................................................................... 142
Creating a Group ................................................................................................... 143
Editing a Group ...................................................................................................... 144
Ungrouping a Group .............................................................................................. 145
Minimizing Image Sizes ......................................................................................... 146
Inserting a SketchUp Model................................................................................... 147
Inserting Multiple Copies of the Same SketchUp Model ....................................... 148
Editing SketchUp Files........................................................................................... 149
Editing Model Point of View, Rendering, or Scene ................................................ 150
Input and Output...................................................................................................... 151
Importing SketchUp Model Files (Microsoft Windows) .......................................... 152
Importing SketchUp Model Files (Mac OS X) ........................................................ 153
Importing Image Files (Microsoft Windows)........................................................... 154
Importing Image Files (Mac OS X)......................................................................... 155
Importing Text Files (Microsoft Windows).............................................................. 156
Importing Text Files (Mac OS X)............................................................................ 157
Exporting a PDF File (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................ 158
Exporting a PDF File (Mac OS X) .......................................................................... 159
Exporting Image Files (Microsoft Windows) .......................................................... 160
Exporting Image Files (Mac OS X) ........................................................................ 161
Delivering a Presentation....................................................................................... 162
Printing (Microsoft Windows) ................................................................................. 163
Printing (Mac OS X) ............................................................................................... 164
Technical Info........................................................................................................... 165
Loading An Offline Crash Report (Microsoft Windows) ......................................... 166
Extracting Files from a LayOut File........................................................................ 167
Common Tasks ........................................................................................................ 168



Creating a Clipping Mask....................................................................................... 169
Creating Shapes Without Fills................................................................................ 170
Creating a Complex Shape.................................................................................... 171
Arranging Entities on the Page .............................................................................. 173
Updating SketchUp Files ....................................................................................... 174
Saving a Template ................................................................................................. 175
Including Dimensions in LayOut ............................................................................ 176
Welcome to the LayOut Reference Guide............................................................. 177
Mouse Operations for LayOut................................................................................ 178
The LayOut User Interface..................................................................................... 179
Introduction to the LayOut Interface (Microsoft Windows)..................................... 180
Introduction to the LayOut Interface (Mac OS X)................................................... 182
Arrange Menu ........................................................................................................ 184
Edit Menu (Mac OS X) ........................................................................................... 186
Edit Menu (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................................. 188
File Menu (Mac OS X) ........................................................................................... 190
File Menu (Microsoft Windows).............................................................................. 192
Help Menu (Mac OS X).......................................................................................... 194
Help Menu (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................................ 195
LayOut Menu (Mac OS X)...................................................................................... 196
Pages Menu ........................................................................................................... 197
Text Menu (Mac OS X) .......................................................................................... 198
Text Menu (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................................ 201
Tools Menu ............................................................................................................ 203
View Menu (Mac OS X) ......................................................................................... 205
View Menu (Microsoft Windows)............................................................................ 206
Window Menu (Mac OS X) .................................................................................... 207
Window Menu (Microsoft Windows) ...................................................................... 209
Toolbars (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................................... 211
The Default Toolbar (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................. 212
The Customize Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows)................................................... 213
Toolbars (Mac OS X) ............................................................................................. 215
The Default Toolbar (Mac OS X) ........................................................................... 216
The Customize Dialog Box (Mac OS X) ................................................................ 217
Context Menus ....................................................................................................... 218



Dialog Box Trays (Microsoft Windows).................................................................. 219
Dialog Boxes (Mac OS X) ...................................................................................... 220
Inference ................................................................................................................ 221
Inference Cues....................................................................................................... 222
Inference Types ..................................................................................................... 223
Getting Started Dialog Box .................................................................................... 224
Tools ......................................................................................................................... 226

Select Tool .................................................................................................... 227

Erase Tool ..................................................................................................... 228

Style Tool ...................................................................................................... 229
Entity Styles Compatibility...................................................................................... 230

Split Tool ....................................................................................................... 231

Join Tool........................................................................................................ 232

Line Tool........................................................................................................ 233

Freehand Tool ............................................................................................... 234

Arc Tools .......................................................................... 235

Rectangle Tools ................................................................. 236

Circle Tools.......................................................................................... 237

Polygon Tool ................................................................................................. 238

Text Tool ....................................................................................................... 239
Text Settings .......................................................................................................... 240
Bounded and Unbounded Text Box Alignment and Anchoring ............................. 241

Label Tool...................................................................................................... 242
Text Settings .......................................................................................................... 243



View Tools ................................................................................................................ 244
Pan Tool.............................................................................................................. 245

Zoom Tool..................................................................................................... 246
Settings Dialog Boxes............................................................................................. 247
Document Setup Dialog Box.................................................................................. 248
General .................................................................................................................. 249
Grid ........................................................................................................................ 250
Paper (Microsoft Windows).................................................................................... 251
Paper (Mac OS X).................................................................................................. 253
References............................................................................................................. 255
Units ....................................................................................................................... 256
Application Preferences Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows)..................................... 257
Application Preferences Dialog Box (Mac OS X)................................................... 260
Colors (Microsoft Windows) ................................................................................... 263
Colors Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows) ................................................................ 264
Color Pickers (Microsoft Windows) ........................................................................ 266
The Colors Dialog Box (Mac OS X) ....................................................................... 268
Colors (Mac OS X)................................................................................................. 270
Color Pickers (Mac OS X)...................................................................................... 271
Shape Style Dialog Box ......................................................................................... 273
SketchUp Model Dialog Box .................................................................................. 275
View Tab ................................................................................................................ 277
Styles Tab .............................................................................................................. 279
Text Style (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................................. 280
The Text Style Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows).................................................... 281
Font (Mac OS X) .................................................................................................... 282
The Font Dialog Box .............................................................................................. 283
Scrapbook Dialog Box ........................................................................................... 285
Layers Dialog Box.................................................................................................. 286
Pages Dialog Box .................................................................................................. 288
Instructor ................................................................................................................ 290
Entities...................................................................................................................... 291
Group Entities ........................................................................................................ 292
Image Entities ........................................................................................................ 293



Model Entities......................................................................................................... 294
Context Menu Items............................................................................................... 295
Input and Output...................................................................................................... 300
Raster Image Import .............................................................................................. 301
SketchUp Model Import ......................................................................................... 302
Text Import ............................................................................................................. 303
PDF Export............................................................................................................. 304
PDF Export Options Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows)........................................... 305
PDF Export Options Dialog Box (Mac OS X)......................................................... 306
Image Export.......................................................................................................... 307
Image Export Options Dialog Box (Mac OS X)...................................................... 308
Image Export Options Dialog Box (Mac OS X)...................................................... 309
Presentations ......................................................................................................... 310
The Print Preview Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows) .............................................. 311
The Page Setup Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows)................................................. 312
The Print Dialog Box (Microsoft Windows) ............................................................ 313
The Page Setup Dialog Box (Mac OS X)............................................................... 314
The Print Dialog Box (Mac OS X) .......................................................................... 315
Technical Info........................................................................................................... 317
Bug Splat (Microsoft Windows).............................................................................. 318
LayOut File Format ................................................................................................ 319
Supported Fonts .................................................................................................... 320
Glossary ................................................................................................................. 321



Welcome to LayOut
LayOut is an application that makes it easy to create design documents from your Google
SketchUp Pro 7 models. LayOut combines functionality from vector graphics, page layout,
CAD, and presentation software.



What's New in this Release?
Google listens to your requests and attempts to implement many into SketchUp
enhancements and new features. Google SketchUp Pro 7 LayOut 2 contains the following
enhancements and new features:

Vector Rendering
LayOut 2 makes it easier to work with complex models and larger paper sizes. Switch to
Vector Rendering to increase performance by using sharp, clean, resolution-independent
vector lines instead of raster lines. Switch to raster rendering to view SketchUp's sketchy
Styles. Finally, use the hybrid mode to combine the best of both worlds. Hybrid renderings
take the longest to process, but they provide the best final product. These options are
available from a drop-down menu in the SketchUp Model dialog box.

New LineTool
LayOut 2 contains a new Line Tool can be used to draw both simple lines and complex
curves. Once drawn, lines can be edited, split, and joined for complex drawing right in the
page. The Line Tool is available from the toolbar.

Measurements Field
LayOut 2 contains a Measurements field, similar to SketchUp's Measurements Toolbar, for
defining precise values while you manipulate items on a page. The Measurements field
appears in the lower right-hand corner of LayOut 2.

Path Editing
Edit the path of entities created with the Line Tool, as well as by the Circle Tool, and Arc
Tools. To edit a path, double-click on the entity with the Select Tool to enter the path editor.
Move points, adjust points, adjust curvature, and so on.

New Geometric Manipulators
We've completely redesigned LayOut's geometric manipulators, such as resize handles,
rotate center, and so on. You can move, scale, and rotate anything on your page with one
tool (the Select Tool). Select any object on a page with the Select Tool to view and use
these manipulators.

In-Place Group Editing
LayOut's new Group entities are container-type entities that can hold other entities. As with
SketchUp groups, you can edit inside the group by double-clicking on the group with the
Select Tool. Once inside the group, any of the Select Tool's geometric manipulations can be
used to shape or re-arrange the group's contents. Use the Group menu item from the Edit
menu to create a group from the currently selected entities.

Export as Images
LayOut documents can be exported into a set of raster images, in PNG or JPG format, with
one image generated per page. This feature is useful for sharing LayOut documents with
people who don't have PDF viewers, or for posting documents on the web. Select "File
> Export > Images" to export raster images.



Text Box Behaviors
You can now create both bounded (confined to a bounding box) and unbounded text (flows
beyond the confines of a bounding box). Text can be aligned to top, bottom, left, right or
center within its bounding box, both vertically and horizontally. What's more, you can
perform certain mouse movements to create text boxes with specific configurations.

Last Saved SketchUp View
The SketchUp dialog box contains a new scene, titled "Last Saved SketchUp View." This
scene contains the last saved view of a model in SketchUp.

SketchUp Model Dialog Box
The SketchUp Model dialog box has been redesigned. This dialog box has two tabs, one
containing view settings, and one containing settings for the rendering style. Select "Window
> SketchUp Model" to display the SketchUp dialog box.

Nudge
Use the arrow keys to nudge objects up, right, left, or down by a small increment. Hold the
Shift key and press an arrow key to nudge by a larger increment.

Layer Improvements
LayOut 2's layer visibility is preserved per page, not per document. Also, hiding and locking
is supported on the current layer. Select "Window > Layers" to display the Layers dialog box.

Presentation Mode
"Fullscreen Mode" (LayOut 1) is now titled "Presentation Mode" in LayOut 2. This mode
supports a new multi-monitor settings. These new settings are available on the Presentation
tab in the Preferences dialog box (Edit > Preferences on Microsoft Windows or LayOut
> Preferences on Mac OS X).

Fast and Efficient SketchUp Model Rendering
LayOut 2 contains separate edit and output quality for users who need to render large
images from their SketchUp models into a LayOut page but can't tolerate the long rendering
times that this may provoke. Separate edit and output quality allow the user to edit their
large documents without sacrificing performance while outputting those documents at high
quality. Select the Edit and Output quality from the Paper panel in the Document Setup
dialog box (File > Document Setup).
LayOut 2 also has delayed rendering allowing the user to defer the rendering time to a time
when it can be tolerated. Uncheck the "Automatically re-render SketchUp models as
needed" option in the General panel of LayOut Preferences (Edit > Preferences on
Microsoft Windows or LayOut > Preferences on Mac OS X). Click on the "Render" button in
the SketchUp Model dialog box once you are ready to render.

Help Center Integration
All of the SketchUp 7 learning resources are consolidated the Help Center which is
accessible through the Welcome Dialog and the Help menu. Select "Help > Help Center" to
access all SketchUp learning resources.



Learning LayOut
As with any software tool, there is a minimum level of learning you must do to attain
proficiency with LayOut. The following information can help you learn how to use LayOut.

Help Center
You can find answers to many questions in this Google LayOut Help Center, just search on
a common term or phrase in your question, or browse through the categories. Select "Help >
Help Center" to visit the LayOut Help Center. You must be connected to the Internet to
access the help center.
The Help Center contains LayOut documentation, video tutorials, a quick reference card,
and a Google Layout Group.
LayOut Documentation
There are several written guides covering the use of LayOut. These guides are:
Getting Started Guide: Read the Getting Started Guide if you are new to LayOut and want
to try introductory operations.
User's Guide: Refer to the User's Guide for all of your questions on how to use LayOut.
Reference Guide: Refer to the Reference Guide for all of your questions regarding specific
LayOut User Interface features.
Video Tutorials
Google has created several video tutorials to facilitate learning of the LayOut tools and
drawing procedures. View these tutorials through the Help Center menu item in the Help
Menu (Help > Help Center). You must be connected to the Internet to access these tutorials.
Proceed to the Video Tutorials
Quick Reference Card
The LayOut Quick Reference Card (in the Help Center) contains a list of all of toolbar tools
and their modifier keys. Examine the LayOut Quick Reference Card to become familiar with
using LayOut's tools.
Proceed to the Quick Reference Card
Google LayOut Group
The Google LayOut Group is an excellent place to find answers, ask questions, and share
your expertise. Visit the LayOut user group through the LayOut Help Center (Help > Help
Center) or by tying the following URL in your browser:
http://groups.google.com/group/sketchup-Pro-Groups/topics. You must be connected to the
Internet to access LayOut user group.
Proceed to the Google LayOut Group

The LayOut User Interface
Studying items in the LayOut user interface will also help you learn LayOut. Familiarize
yourself with the following three items in the LayOut user interface:
Menus
Most LayOut commands are accessible using both tool buttons and drop-down menus.
Examine LayOut's menus to become familiar with the breadth of features.



Instructor
Enable the Instructor (Window > Instructor) to display information related to the currently
selected tool.
The Status Bar
The Status Bar, located at the bottom of the LayOut document area, displays tips for the
active tool, including special functions accessible using keyboard shortcuts. Watch the
status bar while you are working in LayOut to discover advanced capabilities of each of the
LayOut tools.



Technical Support
LayOut users can request installation and configuration help using email through the
SketchUp Help Center (your SketchUp serial number will be required).
Please include the following with your email:
• A copy of the LayOut document.
• A list of your computer system's resources (CPU type, RAM, video card details, and the
exact release of your operating system, such as Windows XP Professional with
Service Pack 2 (Microsoft Windows) or OS X 10.4.11 (Mac OS X).
• A detailed description of your question or issue.



Welcome to the LayOut Getting Started Guide
The LayOut Getting Started Guide contains step-by-step instructions on the basics of
LayOut.



Introduction to the LayOut Interface
(Microsoft Windows)
The LayOut user interface is designed to be simple and easy to use. An image of the
LayOut interface follows.

Title Bar
The title bar (1) contains the standard Microsoft Windows controls (close, minimize, and
maximize) on the right.

Menus
The majority of LayOut tools, commands, and settings are available within the menus (2).
The menus are: File, Edit, View, Text, Arrange, Tools, Pages, Window, and Help.

Toolbar
The Toolbar (3) contains a default set of tools and controls. Controls can be added to the
toolbars below the menus using the View > Toolbar > Customize Toolbar menu item.
Undocking a Toolbar
Toolbars can be undocked. Click and hold on the toolbar grip (on the left-side of the toolbar)
to undock and reposition the toolbar.



Document Area
The document area (4) is the rectangular area below the toolbar where you create your
document.

Note - You can have multiple documents open at the same time. Each
will appear under its own tab below the toolbar.

Status Bar
The status bar (5) is the long rectangular area at the bottom of the document area.

The left side of the status bar displays useful tips for the currently used tool, including
special functions accessible using keyboard shortcuts. Watch the status bar to discover
advanced capabilities of each of the LayOut tools.
Measurements Field
The Measurements field (5a) is located on the right side of the status bar and displays
dimensional information while you draw. You can also enter values into the Measurements
field to manipulate entities while they are drawn, such as the number of sides in a polygon,
size of a rectangle, the degree of rotation, and so on.
Zoom List
A list of pre-defined zoom values appears to the right of the Measurements field (5b). Click
on one of these zoom values to zoom into your document a pre-defined amount. Select
"Scale to Fit" to scale your document to fit in the document area.

Dialog Box Tray
Dialog box trays (6) are used to hold dialog boxes. LayOut comes with one default tray
containing all of the dialog boxes in LayOut (under the Window menu). Refer to the Dialog
Box Trays topic for further information.

Note - Context-click in the document area to display the document area
context menu. Refer to Context Menu Items for a description of these menu
items.



Introduction to the LayOut Interface (Mac OS X)
The LayOut user interface is designed to be simple and easy to use. An image of the
LayOut interface follows.

Title Bar
The title bar (1) contains the standard Mac OS X window controls (close, minimize, and
maximize) on the left, and a toolbar collapse/expand button on the right. The name of the
currently opened file and page appears in the middle of the title bar.

Menus
The majority of LayOut tools, commands, and settings are available within the menus (2).
The menus are: LayOut, File, Edit, View, Text, Arrange, Tools, Pages, Window, and Help.

Toolbar
The Toolbar (3) contains a default set of tools and controls. Controls can be added to the
toolbars below the menus using the View > Customize Toolbar menu item.



Document Area
The document area (4) is the rectangular area below the toolbar where you create your
document.

Note - You can have multiple documents open at the same time. Each
will appear with a separate toolbar, document area, status bar, and
Measurements field.

Status Bar
The status bar (5) is the long rectangular area at the bottom of the document area.

The left side of the status bar displays useful tips for the currently used tool, including
special functions accessible using keyboard shortcuts. Watch the status bar to discover
advanced capabilities of each of the LayOut tools.
Measurements Field
The Measurements Field (5a) is located on the right side of the status bar and displays
dimensional information while you draw. You can also enter values into the Measurements
field to manipulate entities while they are drawn, such as the number of sides in a polygon,
size of a rectangle, the degree of rotation, and so on.
Zoom List
A list of pre-defined zoom values appears to the right of the Measurements field (5b). Click
on one of these zoom values to zoom into your document a pre-defined amount. Select
"Scale to Fit" to scale your document to fit in the document area.

Note - Context-click in the document area to display the document area
context menu. Refer to Context Menu Items for a description of these menu
items.



Selecting a Template
LayOut opens with the Getting Started dialog box. This dialog box has two tabs (three when
there are recovered LayOut files). These tabs are: New and Recent. The New tab contains a
list of LayOut templates on the left with thumbnail images of each template on the right. The
Recent tab contains thumbnail images of recently opened files.
The New tab, by default, displays thumbnail images of all templates (the Default Template
group is selected on the left).
To select a template:
1. Use the scroll bar on the right to scroll through the thumbnail images of all of the
templates.
2. Double-click on the thumbnail image of the template you want to use, such as "Letter
Landscape." A new, untitled, file is opened using the selected template.



Working With Layers
Layers are important in determining how to lay out your content in a document. Layers are a
mechanism for toggling the display of certain items, such as when displaying a presentation.
A special layer, called a shared layer, also allows you to replicate the same content across
all pages in your document. You should always be aware of the layer you are on as you
create or insert content.
To identify the layers in a document:
1. Select "Window > Layers." The Layers dialog box is displayed. This dialog box contains all
of the layers in the document. The Letter Landscape template contains 2
layers: "Default" and "On Every Page." The red pencil indicates that the Default layer is the
current drawing layer. Anything drawn on the page will be placed on this layer. The Default
layer is used for anything you draw or insert that you only want to appear on the page
where its drawn or inserted as indicated by the shared layer icon to the right of the layer
name. If this icon has one page ( ), the layer contains items that appear on one page. If
this icon has four pages, the layer contains items that appear across all pages (shared).
2. Click on the Add new layer (+) button. A new layer, titled "Layer 3" is added.
3. Double-click on "Layer 3." The name field is opened for edit.
4. Type "Text" and press the Enter (Microsoft Windows) or Return (Mac OS X) key. This new
layer will be used to hold all text entities in your document. We will use this layer later in
this getting started guide.
5. Click on the "On Every Page" layer. The On Every Page layer is a shared layer as
indicated by the shared layer icon with multiple pages ( ).



Creating a Replicated Title Block
Most LayOut documents will contains a combination of hand-drawn and pre-drawn entities,
such as title blocks, labels, images, and SketchUp models.
This portion of the getting started guide steps you through creating a very basic title block
that appears on every page of your document.
1. Select "View > Show Grid." The grid displays.
2. Select "Arrange > Grid Snap On." Tools and entities will now snap to the grid.

3. Select the Rectangle Tool ( ). The cursor changes to a pencil with a rectangle ( ).
4. Click in the upper-left corner of the page to set the starting point of the rectangle.
5. Move the cursor to the bottom of the page and six squares to the right to create a
rectangle that takes up the left-most side of the page.
6. Release the mouse button. This rectangle represents a title block for your document.

Note - All rectangle tools, the Circle Tool, the Ellipse Tool, and the
Polygon tool all work similar to the Rectangle Tool.
7. Select "File > Insert." The Open dialog box appears.
8. Select an image file, such as a JPG file.



9. Click the "Open" button. The image appears in the center of the page.

10. Hover the cursor over the rotation grip ( ) until the rotate cursor ( ) appears.

Note - Try zooming in on your entity if you do not see the rotation grip.

11. Click and hold the mouse button to begin the rotate operation.



12. Move the cursor up and to the left. The angle of rotation appears in the Measurements
field and next to the cursor.

13. Rotate the image until the angle of rotation is 90 degrees.
14. Release the mouse button.
15. Click and hold on one of the corner resize grips.



16. Move the cursor diagonally to resize the image to a size that will fit within the title block.

17. Move the cursor over the image until the move cursor appears ( ).

Note - Try zooming in on your entity if you do not see the move cursor.
18. Click and hold the mouse button to begin the move operation.
19. Move the cursor to move the image so that it is positioned in the bottom of the title block.
The selected entity will follow the cursor.



20. (optional) Press the right-arrow key a few times to center the image in the title block.

21. Select the Text Tool ( ). The cursor changes to a pencil with text ( ).
22. Click to place the starting point of the text box.
23. Type text, such as "My First Document." Text will expand horizontally until it reaches the
page edge, and then it will expand vertically. The Text box will maintain its width, and
expand (or shrink) vertically to accommodate text on subsequent edits.



24. Click outside of the text box to finish creating the text.

25. Select the Select Tool ( ). The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).
26. Click on an entity. The selected entity is highlighted by a bounding box and surrounded by
small triangles. The entity contains a center grip (a circle with a cross-hair) with an
attached rotation grip (a solid circle).
27. Select "Window > Text Style" (Microsoft Windows) or "Window > Text Style" (Mac OS X).
The Layers dialog box is displayed.
28. Click on the "48 pt" in the "Size" list. The text is changed to 48 point text.
29. Rotate the text just as you rotated the image.



30. Place the text above the image in your title bar.

31. (optional) Add additional text and images to your title block.
32. Click on the "Add Page"(+) button 3 times. Three additional pages are added to your
document. Each page has the title block that you created because you placed the title
block on a shared layer called "On Every Page."
33. Select "Window > Pages" (Microsoft Windows) or "Window > Text Style" (Mac OS X). The
Pages dialog box is displayed. There are 4 pages (Page 1 through Page 4). Page 4 is
highlighted to indicate you are on Page 4.

34. Click on "Page 1" to return to page 1 of your document.



Working with SketchUp Models
LayOut allows you to insert multiple copies of the same SketchUp model, each with different
views and rendering, into your document. To insert and manipulate SketchUp model:
1. Select the "Default" layer.
2. Select "File > Insert." The Open dialog box appears.
3. Select a SketchUp model file, such as a wooden bench.
4. Click the "Open" button. The model appears in the center of the page as a 2D bitmap
image.
5. Double-click on the 2D representation of the model. You are placed within a SketchUp
model entity edit session. SketchUp's Orbit Tool is active.
6. Context-click to display the context-menu.
7. Select "Zoom Extents" to center the entire model in the selection rectangle.
8. Move the cursor outside of the selection rectangle.
9. Click to end the edit session.

10. Select the Select Tool ( ) . The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).
11. Click on the 2D bitmap image of the SkechUp model. The model is highlighted by a
bounding box and surrounded by small triangles, called resize grips.
12. Select "Edit > Copy." A copy of the model is placed on the clipboard.



13. Click on the "Next" button. The document forwards to the next page.
14. Select "Edit > Paste." A copy of the model appears in the center of the page.
15. Double-click on the 2D representation of the model. You are placed within a SketchUp
model entity edit session. SketchUp's Orbit Tool is active.
16. Orbit, Pan, and Zoom to a feature in your model, such as a detail on a wooden bench.

Note - Use SketchUp 3-button mouse controls to perform a orbit, pan,
and zoom, or context-click and select the Orbit Tool, Pan Tool, and Zoom Tool
from the Camera Tools sub-menu.

17. Move the cursor outside of the selection rectangle.
18. Click to end the edit session.
19. Click on the 2D bitmap image of the SkechUp model.
20. Click and hold on one of the corner resize grips.



21. Move the cursor diagonally to resize the 2D image of the model until only the feature in
your model, such as a detail on a wooden bench, is featured.

Note - Resizing a 2D image of a model changes the size of the view
port, or amount of the model that is visible.



Making Annotations
Annotations are common in design documents, such as those created with LayOut. To
create annotations:
1. Select the "Text" layer.

2. Select the "Label Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to an arrow with the text "A1" ( ).
3. Click on a detail in the model to place the starting point of the leader.
4. Move the mouse from starting point to define the length of the leader.
5. Click again to create a text box.
6. Type text. Text will fill the width of the text box. The text box's length will grow as needed.
7. Click outside of the text box to finish creating the label.

8. Select "Window > Scrapbooks." The Scrapbooks dialog box is displayed. The Scrapbook
dialog box contains a list of all scrapbooks.
9. Click on the scrapbooks drop-down list. A list of scrapbook documents appears.
Scrapbook documents are LayOut documents (some with multiple pages) that contain pre-
made elements for your documents. These documents can be modified just as any other
LayOut document.



10. Scroll down to the "TB-Contemporary" scrapbook file. The first page of this scrapbook file
is displayed.

11. Click on one of the two drawing title graphics at the bottom of the first page.
12. Move the cursor to the document area. The drawing title graphic follows.
13. Click anywhere, such as below the model, to place the drawing title graphic. The drawing
title graphic is a group, a combination of individual entities (two text strings and a image).

14. Select the Select Tool ( ) . The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).



15. Double-click on the group to edit entities in a group. All entities that are not in the group
fade.
16. Double-click on "Drawing Title" to edit the text string. The text string highlights.
17. Press the "Delete Key." The text string disappears.
18. Type "Joinery Detail."

19. Click twice outside of the drawing title graphic. The first click exits from editing the text
string. The second click exits the group.
20. Switch to the "User Content" layer.
21. Click on the "Visibility" button for the Text layer. The annotations are hidden.
22. Click on the "Visibility" button for the Text layer. The annotations are displayed.



Next Steps
All of the principles used in creating the this basic document are used in creating the most
advanced design documents. For Further Help:
• Watch Video Tutorials
• Read the User's Guide and Reference Guide
• Participate in the Google LayOut Online Group



Welcome to the LayOut User's Guide
The LayOut User's Guide contains step-by-step instructions on how to perform many basic
LayOut tasks. The content in this guide answers your "How Do I..." questions.



The LayOut User Interface
This section of the documentation covers the LayOut user interface, including menus,
toolbars, dialog boxes, and the document area.



Creating New Toolbars (Microsoft Windows)
You can create your own customized toolbars. To create a customized toolbar:
1. Select the "View > Toolbars > Customize" menu item. The Customize dialog box appears.
Refer to the Customize Dialog Box topic for further information.
2. Click on the "New" button. The New Toolbar dialog box appears.
3. Type a toolbar name in the Toolbar name field.
4. Select a location for the toolbar from the Location drop-down list.
5. Click the "OK" button. An empty toolbar will appear at the chosen location on your screen.
6. Click on the "Commands" tab. The Commands panel is displayed. This panel contains a
list of tool and commands categories as well as all tools and commands in each category.
7. Click and hold on a tool or command name in the Commands list.
8. Drag the tool or command name to the left-most position on the new toolbar (right after the
toolbar grip). An insertion cursor appears.
9. Release the mouse button to place the tool or command on the toolbar.

Note - You can also click the toolbar options arrow on the toolbar to add
or remove buttons from a toolbar or display the Customize dialog.



Customizing a Toolbar (Microsoft Windows)
You can add or remove tools and commands from any toolbar.

Adding a Tool or Command to a Toolbar
To add a tool or command to a toolbar:
See The Customize Dialog Box for further information.
2. Click on the "Commands" tab. The Commands panel is displayed. This panel contains a
list of tool and commands categories as well as all tools and commands in each category.
3. Click and hold on a tool or command name in the list of tools and commands.
4. Drag the tool or command name to the desired position on the toolbar. An insertion cursor
should appear.


Removing a Tool or Command from a Toolbar
To remove a tool or command from a toolbar:
2. Click and hold on a tool or command name in toolbar.
3. Drag the tool or command name anywhere outside of the toolbar.
4. Release the mouse button to remove the tool or command from the toolbar.


Moving a Tool or Command on a Toolbar
To move a tool or command on a toolbar:
2. Click and hold on a tool or command name in toolbar.
3. Drag the tool or command name to the desired position on the toolbar. An insertion cursor
should appear.
4. Release the mouse button to reposition the tool or command on the toolbar.



Customizing the Toolbar (Mac OS X)
You can add or remove tools and commands from the toolbar.

Adding a Tool or Command to the Toolbar
To add a tool or command to the toolbar:
1. Select the "View > Customize Toolbar" menu item. The Customize dialog box appears.
2. Click and hold on a tool or command icon.
3. Drag the tool or command icon to the desired position on the toolbar. Icons on the toolbar
move to make room for the new icon.

Removing a Tool or Command from the Toolbar
To remove a tool or command from the toolbar:
2. Click and hold on a tool or command icon in toolbar.
3. Drag the tool or command name anywhere outside of the toolbar.
4. Release the mouse button to remove the tool or command from the toolbar.

Moving a Tool or Command on the Toolbar
To move a tool or command on the toolbar:
2. Click and hold on a tool or command icon in toolbar.
3. Drag the tool or command icon to the desired position on the toolbar. Icons on the toolbar
move to make room for the new icon.
4. Release the mouse button to reposition the tool or command on the toolbar.

Note - Drag the default set of controls to your Toolbar to reset the
toolbar controls to its original state.



Showing or Hiding the Toolbar (Mac OS X)
Select "View > Show/Hide Toolbar" or click on the Toolbar collapse/expand button at the top
right corner of the Title bar to show or hide the Toolbar. The following image contains a
screenshot of the collapse/expand button.



Invoking Context Menus
Context menus are invoked on entities and user interface components, such as a rectangle
or a dialog box, by clicking the right mouse button while the cursor is on the component.
This operation is referred to as a context-click.
Context menus are invoked differently depending on whether you are using a one-button or
three-button mouse.

Invoking a Context Menu With a Three-Button Mouse
Users with three-button or scroll-wheel mice can select one or more entities and click the
right mouse button to invoke a context menu.

Invoking a Context Menu With a One-Button Mouse
Users with a one-button mouse can select one or more entities, hold down the Control key,
and click the mouse button to invoke a context menu.



Opening a Dialog Box
Select "Window > <dialog box name>," such as "Window > Colors." The dialog box
open.



Creating a New Dialog Box Tray
(Microsoft Windows)
You can create additional trays containing just the settings and dialog boxs you use most
often. To create a customized dialog box tray:
1. Select "Window > New Tray."
2. Type the name of the new tray in the Tray Name field.
3. Check the checkboxes next to the dialog boxes you want to appear in the tray.
4. Click the "Add" button. The new dialog box tray is added to the Window menu.
The Window menu no longer displays the dialog boxes for the default dialog box tray.
Instead, the Window menu will have a sub-menu for the default dialog box tray and for each
dialog box tray you create. This submenu contains menu items representing each dialog box
in the tray.



Deleting a Dialog Box Tray (Microsoft Windows)
You can delete any dialog box tray that you create. Select "Window > <tray name>
> Delete Tray" to delete the dialog box tray.



Manipulating Dialog Boxes in a Dialog Box Tray
(Microsoft Windows)
A dialog box tray refers to a series of dialog boxes snapped together at their bottom and top
edges such that they form a stack. The following image contains a dialog box stack with
Scrapbooks dialog box opened in the middle.

You can manipulate the dialog box tray and dialog boxes in a tray in the following ways:
• Move the entire dialog box tray by clicking, holding, and moving the dialog box tray's title
bar.
• Click on any dialog box's title bar to minimize or maximize a dialog box within the stack.
• Move a dialog box up or down by clicking, holding, and moving the dialog box up or down
in the tray.
• Click on the close icon to remove the dialog box from the dialog box tray. Or, uncheck the
checkbox next to the corresponding dialog box in the Window menu to remove the dialog
box from the tray.



Renaming a Dialog Box Tray
(Microsoft Windows)
You can rename any dialog box tray, including the default dialog box tray. To rename a
dialog box tray:
1. Select "Window > <tray name> > Rename Tray." The Rename Inspector Tray dialog box
is displayed.
2. Type a new name in the Name field.
3. Click on the "Rename" button. The dialog box tray is renamed.



Resizing The Dialog Box Tray
(Microsoft Windows)
The cursor changes to a resize handle cursor when you hover the cursor over a corner or
side of the dialog box tray. Click, hold, and move to resize the dialog box tray.



Manipulating Dialog Boxes in a Dialog Box Stack
(Mac OS X)
A dialog box stack refers to a series of dialog boxes snapped together at their bottom and
top edges such that they form a stack. The following image contains a dialog box stack with
Shape Style dialog box opened in the middle.

You can manipulate the dialog boxes in a dialog box stack in the following ways:
• Move the entire dialog box stack by clicking and dragging the top-most dialog box's title
bar.
• Click on any dialog box's title bar to minimize or maximize a dialog box within the stack.
• Move a dialog box to the right, left, or down to break it from the stack.
• Reinsert the dialog box at the end of the stack by snapping the dialog box to the bottom
edge of the stack.
• Reinsert the dialog box in the middle of the stack by moving sideways into a middle
position.
• Snap the entire dialog box stack to the screen by moving it to the outer edge of the screen.



Minimizing Dialog Boxes (Mac OS X)
Click on any dialog box's title bar to minimize or maximize the dialog box.

Note -The Colors and Font dialog boxes do not minimize by clicking on
their title bar.



Resizing Dialog Boxes (Mac OS X)
Dialog boxes have a resize handle in the lower-right corner of the dialog box. Click and hold
the resize handle of a dialog box to begin resizing the dialog box. Move your cursor to resize
the dialog box.



Snapping Dialog Boxes to Other User Interface
Components (Mac OS X)
Dialog boxes, such as the Shape Info dialog box, automatically snap to the the outer edge of
the screen and with the top and bottom of other dialog boxes to create a dialog stack. To
snap a dialog box to another user interface component:
1. Display a dialog box, such as the Window > Layers dialog box.
2. Click and hold on the dialog box's title bar.
3. Move the dialog box to the outside edge of the screen or top or bottom edge of another
dialog box. The dialog box will snap to and align with the edge.

Tip - Snap several dialog boxes together at their top and bottom edges to
form a dialog box stack. Dialog boxes in a dialog box stack move with the
stack when the top-most dialog box's title bar is moved.

Note -The Colors and Font dialog boxes do not snap to the screen



Encouraging an Inference
At times, the inference you need may not come up immediately or LayOut might choose
alignments with the wrong geometry. In these cases, you can inform the inference engine
that you are interested in a point by hovering your mouse cursor over the particular location.
When the tool tip appears, LayOut will briefly prioritize that alignment as you continue
drawing. For example, to encourage LayOut to create a line to match another, parallel, line
(such as when drawing the third line of a rectangle):
1. Create the first two lines of a rectangle with the first line being parallel to the red axes.
2. Click on the start point of the third line and move the line tool as though you were creating
the third line parallel to first line. As you begin to move the line tool, the line should appear
in red.
3. Move the line tool to the approximate location where the end of the third line should
appear. A dotted line, with the color of the corresponding axes (green) will follow the line
tool to indicate you are directly inline with the start point of the first line.
4. Click when the line you are drawing is indicated by an axes color (red) and is directly
perpendicular to the green dotted line.



Tools
This section of the user's guide covers the tools within LayOut. Tools in this section are
covered in the order they appear within the Tools menu.



Moving Entities
Use the Select tool to move entities on a page. To move an entity:

1. Select the "Select Tool" ( ) The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).

small triangles. The entity contains a center grip ( ) with an attached rotation grip ( ).

3. Move the cursor over the entity until the move cursor appears ( ).

Note - Try zooming in on your entity if you do not see the move cursor.

5. Move the cursor to move the entity. The selected entity will follow the cursor.
6. Release the mouse button at the destination point to finish the move operation.

Creating a Copy
Press and hold the Ctrl (Microsoft Windows) or Option (Mac OS X) key while moving entities
to copy the entities.



Selecting Multiple Entities
Multiple-entity selections are useful when you want to perform a single operation on several
entities (the selection set). Multiple-entity selections use an expandable selection box to
surround the entities you want in the selection set. Clicking to the right-side and dragging to
the left, called a crossing selection, selects any elements within the selection rectangle,
including those that are only partially contained in the selection box. Clicking to the left-side
of the entities and dragging right, called a window selection, selects only those elements
completely within the selection box.

Performing a Crossing Selection
To select multiple entities using a crossing selection:

1. Select the "Select Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).
2. Position the cursor to the lower-right of the entities.
3. Click and hold the mouse button a short distance away from the entities you want to select
to establish the selection starting point.
4. Move the cursor up and to the left. The selection box grows and , as it grows, highlights
selected entities (including those that are only partially contained in the box). The following
image shows all four cars selected, even though only two are entirely contained in the
selection box.

5. Release the mouse button once all of the desired entities are highlighted.

Note - A crossing selection can be initiated anywhere to the right of the
entities.



Performing a Window Selection
To select multiple entities using a window selection:

2. Position the cursor to the upper-right of the entities.
3. Click and hold the mouse button a short distance away from the entities you want to select
to establish the selection starting point.
4. Move the cursor down and to the right. The selection box grows and , as it grows,
highlights those entities fully contained in the selection box. The following image shows
two cars selected (the cars that are fully contained in the selection box).

5. Release the mouse button once all of the desired entities are highlighted.

Selecting Multiple Entities Using the Shift Key
You can also use the single click method in combination with the Shift key to select multiple
entities. To select multiple entities using the Shift key:

1. Select the 'Select Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).
small triangles.
3. Press and hold the Shift key.
4. Click on additional entities. The entities are added to the set of selected entities.

Note - Hold the Shift key while clicking on selected entities will remove
them from the set of selected entities.



Rotating Entities
Use the Select tool to rotate entities on a page. To rotate an entity:



3. Hover the cursor over the rotation grip ( ) until the rotate cursor ( ) appears.
4. Click and hold the mouse button to begin the rotate operation.
5. Move the cursor around the blue center grip. The angle of rotation appears in the
Measurements field and next to the cursor.
6. Release the mouse button to finish the rotate operation.

Moving the Center of Rotation
Shapes are rotated about a center grip identified by a small blue circle with a cross-hair.
Move the center grip to rotate the shape around another specific point on the page (a point
other than the center of the shape itself). To move the center grip:



3. Move the cursor over the center grip ( ). The cursor changes to a hand ( ).
5. Move the cursor to move the center grip. The small blue center of rotation icon follows.
6. Release the mouse button at the destination point to place the center grip at a new point
on the page.

Note - Deselect and then reselect the entity to return the center grip to
the center of the entity.

Creating a Rotated Copy
Press and hold the Ctrl (Microsoft Windows) or Option (Mac OS X) key while rotating entities
to create rotated copies of the original entities.



Scaling Entities
Shapes can be scaled using the scale grips on the bounding box of an entity. To scale an
entity:

3. Move the cursor over an arrow-shaped scale grips on the edge of the entity, such as a

horizontal scale grip ( ). The cursor will also change to reflect the direction of scale,
such as a horizontal scale ( ).
4. Click and hold the mouse button on an scale grip to begin the scale operation.
5. Move the cursor to scale the entity. The cursor will display the scale amount in the X and
Y directions.
6. Release the mouse button to finish the scale operation.

Maintaining Aspect Ratio While Scaling
Press and hold the Shift key while scaling an entity to retain the aspect ratio of the entity.

Creating a Scaled Copy
Press and hold the Ctrl (Microsoft Windows) or Option (Mac OS X) key while scaling to
create a scaled copy of the original entity.

Scaling About the Center
Press and hold the Alt (Microsoft Windows) or Command (Mac OS X) key while scaling to
scale about the entity's center grip.



Selecting a Single Entity
LayOut allows you to make both single-entity and multiple-entity selections. To select a
single entity:


Note - Hold the Shift key while clicking on additional entities to add
entities to the set of selected entities. Hold the Shift key while clicking on
selected entities will remove them from the set of selected entities.
See also:
Selecting Multiple Entities



Editing a Path
The Select Tool can be used to edit a path: lines created with the Line Tool, Freehand Tool,
Arc Tools, Rectangle Tools (after the rectangle is split), Circle Tool, Ellipse Tool (after the
ellipse is split), and Polygon Tool (after the polygon is split).
To edit a path:

2. Double-Click on an entity. LayOut enters the path editor. The following is an image of a
circle in the path editor (a circle has four points, each with two curvature controls).

3. Edit the path: move points, add points, remove points, or adjust curvature.
4. Click outside of the shape to exit the path editor.



Moving Points on a Path
You can move points on a path to adjust the shape.
To move points on a path:

2. Double-click on an entity. LayOut enters the path editor.
3. Click and hold on any point along the path.
4. Move the cursor. The shape is changed. The following is a picture of a circle whose top
control point was moved downward.

Note - Hold the Shift key to constrain movement to a specific axis.
5. Release the mouse button.



Adding Points to a Path
You can add points to a path: A series of lines created with the Line Tool, Freehand Tool,
Arc Tools, Rectangle Tools (after the rectangle is split), Circle Tool, Ellipse Tool (after the
ellipse is split), and Polygon Tool (after the polygon is split with the Split Tool).
To add points to a path:

3. Hold down the Ctrl key (Microsoft Windows) or Option key (Mac OS X).
4. Click anywhere on the path to add a point. A point is added.

Note - The shape of the path will not change when you add a point.



Removing Points from a Path
You can remove points from a path. To remove points to a path:

1. Select the "Select Tool" ( ) The cursor changes to an arrow ( ).
3. Click and hold on a point.
4. Move the cursor so that it is over an adjacent point. LayOut will preview the way the path
will appear after the mouse button is released.
5. Release the mouse button (the point is removed).

Note - The shape is deleted if the path is reduced to a single point.



Adjusting Curvature on a Path
Curves are created from points that have curvature controls that, when moved, create a
curved shape. You can adjust the curvature of a path by selecting and moving a curvature
control.
To adjust the curvature of a path:

3. Click and hold on a curvature control.

Note - Add points by holding the Control (Microsoft Windows) or Option
(Mac OS X) key.
4. Move the cursor to change the curvature.

Note - Move a curvature control back toward the point to return the
curvature to its previous state.

Note - Break symmetry with the opposite curvature control by pressing
the Ctrl (Microsoft Windows) or Option (Mac OS X) key while dragging a
curvature control.



Moving, Scaling, and Rotating Precisely
The Measurements field allows you to accurately move, scale, and rotate with the Select
tool.

Precise Moving Using the Select Tool
You can create precise movement operations by explicitly typing, in the Measurements field,
the end point after you have moved an entity. You can define the end point location as
lengths, relative coordinates, and polar coordinates.
Length
You can change the length of a move operation, after the move operation is complete, using
a length. For example, to set the length to 10 points, type "10pt" followed by the Enter key
(Microsoft Windows) or Return key (Mac OS X). The entity will move 10 points from the start
point in the direction of the original move.
Absolute coordinates are measured from the upper left-hand corner of the page.
Relative Coordinates
You can set the end point of a move operation, after the move operation is complete, as a
point relative to the start point of the move operation. For example, to set the end point to a
location 1.5 points right and 2.3 points down from the start point, type "<1.5pt,2.3pt>"
followed by the Enter key (Microsoft Windows) or Return key (Mac OS X). Note that to move
down on the page the y value of the move is positive.
Polar Coordinates
You can set the end point of a move operation, after the move operation is complete, as a
polar point relative to the start point of the move operation. For example, to set the end point
to a location 45 degrees (counter clock-wise from the positive x axis) and 10 centimeters
from the start point, type "^45,10cm" followed by the Enter key (Microsoft Windows) or
Return key (Mac OS X).

Precise Scaling Using the Select Tool
You can create precise scaling operations by explicitly typing in a scale multiplier relative to
the current scale direction. The Measurements field prompt changes to "Scale" when the
Scale cursor is active.
Horizontal Scale
You can set a scale multiplier or scale size (with units) along the x axis after scaling an entity
with a horizontal scale grip. For example, type "1.5" to scale the entity horizontally by a
multiplier of 1.5 or type "1.5cm" to set the width of the entity to 1.5 centimeters.
Vertical Scale
You can set a scale multiplier or scale size (with units) along y axis after scaling an entity
with the vertical scale grip. For example, type "1.5" to scale the entity vertically by a
multiplier of 1.5 or type "1.5cm" to set the height of the entity to 1.5 centimeters.
Corner Scale
You can set a uniform scale multiplier, non-uniform scale multipliers, or scale size (with
units) after scaling an entity with corner scale grip. For example, type "1.5" to uniformly scale
the entity by a multiplier of 1.5. Type "1.5,2.0" to scale the entity by a scale multiplier of 1.5
in the x direction and 2.0 in the y direction. Finally, type "1.5pt, 6pt" to set the width to 1.5
points and a height to 6 points.



Precise Rotating Using the Select Tool
You can create precise rotate operations by explicitly typing an angle value into the
Measurements field after rotating with the Select Tool. For example, type "30" to rotate
counter-clockwise 30 degrees.



Splitting a Line or Edge
You can use the Split Tool to split any line in your document. To split a line:

1. Select the "Split Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to a knife point ( ).
2. Move the cursor over any line or edge. An inference point appears.

3. Click to split the line. The line will briefly highlight to show the split entities.



Splitting Two Shapes
To create a split at the intersection of two overlapping shapes:

1. Select the "Split Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to a knife point ( ).
2. Click on one of the intersections between the first and section shape (where their edges
overlap). Intersections are identified by red "X" and the "Intersection" tooltip. The shape
will briefly highlight.

3. Click on another intersection between the first and second shape. The shape will briefly
highlight. If there are only two intersections between the shapes, the shapes will be split
and two new shapes, composed of the intersecting edges of the two intersecting shapes,
is created. You can move the shapes apart to see these new shapes.

4. (optional) Repeat step 3 for additional intersections between the first and second shape (if
there are more than two points on the two shapes where the shapes intersect).



Erasing Entities
As mentioned previously, the Erase Tool is used to erase entities in the document area. To
erase entities:

1. Select the "Erase Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to an eraser ( ).
2. Click on an entity to erase it.
3. (alternatively) Hold down the mouse button and drag the cursor over several entities.
Release the mouse button to delete the entities. If you accidentally select geometry you do
not wish to delete, press the ESC key to cancel the erase operation before releasing the
mouse button.

Tip - Try erasing entities slowly if you continuously skip over entities you
want to erase.

Tip - It is usually faster to erase a large number of entities by selecting
the entities with the Select Tool and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard.
You can also delete selected items by selecting Delete from the Edit menu.

Tip - Select the "Edit > Undo" menu item to undo any erased entities.



Sampling and Applying Styles
To sample and apply a style:

1. Select the "Style Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to an eye dropper ( ).
2. Click on any entity in the document area or scrapbook to sample its style. The cursor
changes to a paint bucket. Certain styles can be sampled from certain entities. Certain
entities can only receive certain styles. See the Entity Styles Compatibility for more
information.
3. Move the cursor over the entity where you want to apply the style. The cursor changes to a

paint bucket ( ).
4. Click again to apply the style to the entity.

Note - Press the ESC key at any point during the operation to start over.



Joining Two Shapes
To join two shapes:

1. Select the "Join Tool" ( ). The cursor changes to a glue bottle ( ).
2. Click on the first shape. The shape will highlight in blue. Notice that the arc shape and
rectangle shape do not have edges where they are to be joined.

Note - The two shapes can only join when there are endpoints where
they are to be joined. For example, you cannot overlap two rectangles and join
them. Instead, you must first split them at the points where they overlap and
then perform the join operation.

3. Click on the second shape. The shape will briefly highlight in blue. The two shapes will
now be joined. The second shape will inherit the fill color of the first shape.

Note - Press the ESC key at any point during the operation to start over.


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