# Objects

## Objects Introduction

Objects are what makes up a diagram. Objects are shapes which are either pre-defined or user-defined.

## Using Objects

### Adding Objects

Adding objects to the Dia canvas can be accomplished by clicking on the desired object in the Toolbox to select what you want placed on the canvas. Clicking on the canvas will then place the object on the canvas.

Dia provides two types of objects:

- User-defined objects allow a user to create their own objects, which are based off of a prefabricated template.

  For example, clicking on the square object and placing it on the canvas, creates a square. However, the dimensions of the object can be changed. See the Resizing Objects section for more information.

- Pre-defined objects are mostly designs which cannot be edited. They can be resized, but the object itself cannot be edited.

### Moving Objects

When an object is inserted into the canvas, the desired object will appear with small green boxes (also known as handles) defining the borders.

#### Adjuster Dots

The green dots allow resizing the image. The area inside the boxes is the object area. Click and hold on the object area. Then move the mouse around, inside the canvas, to move the object to another place on the canvas.

### Resizing Objects

The previous paragraph, explains the concept of the green boxes. These are used to manipulate the size of the object. To change the size, click and hold on a green button. Drag to the respective size, then let go.

The corner green buttons will change both the height and the width at the same time. The two on the top and bottom edges, in the center will edit height while the two on the left and right edges, in the center will edit width. Some shapes

To drag with the corner buttons, but keep proportions, hold the shift key while resizing. This only applies to the special objects, not regular shapes.

### Deleting Objects

To delete an object, click on the object to select it. The green boxes will appear to indicate the object is selected. From the menus choose Edit, Delete.

### Aligning Objects

Dia provides some functionality to help arrange mulitple objects without needing to move each object individually.

### Grouping Objects

Grouping allows you to treat several objects as a unified group that acts a lot more like a single object. A group enables you to fix the position of the objects in releation to each other. Select more than one object and then from the menu choose Object, Group to group them.

### Line Properties

One of Dia's objects is the line. The line object is symbolized by the following icon:

#### The line icon

The line icon

### Line Styles

Lines can be easily edited to easily create items such as arrows. At the bottom of the toolbox is 3 buttons with lines through them. Clicking and holding will open up a menu which demonstrates what the change will look like.

#### Line properties

The three sections are all described below.

Lines can employ different style types such as:

- Solid

- Dashed

- Dash-Dot

- Dash-Dot-Dot

- Dotted

### Line Thickness

The thickness of lines can be edited by clicking on the five thicknesses to the right of the color selector.

### Arrows

The line tool can be used to create arrows. By clicking on the two side buttons on the bottom of the toolbox, a menu pulls out showing the possible beginning and end designs for the arrows.

### Line Colors

The line color can be edited by double-clicking on the line once it has been placed on the canvas. A window will show up. The second line is labeled as "Line Colour" with a bar demonstrating the selected color. By clicking on the bar, you can change the color of the line.

## Object Properties

Each object has its own properties assigned to it. They can be accessed by double-clicking on an object already on the canvas. A window will appear allowing you to edit numerous properties including:

- Line width

- Line color

among others.

## Colors

All the objects can be colored in different ways, according to a user defined setting.

The color control is located near the bottom of the toolbox. There are two squares make up the control. The one on the top left is the foreground color. The one in the bottom right is the background color. To edit the colors, click on the desired box and select the color in the color window that appears.

This control will only allow the selection of colors of objects which have not yet been placed on the canvas.

To inverse the colors, click on the little arrow to the top right of the two boxes.

To set the colors back to the default, click on the black and white box to the bottom left of the color selector.