Using object coordinates to draw and modify objects

You can use the Object coordinates docker to draw and modify shapes and lines with precision. The live preview in the drawing window lets you see the effects of your adjustments.

You can type coordinate values to specify the exact position, dimensions, and angle of rotation of an object. You can also set object attributes interactively by dragging in the drawing window.

Drawing rectangles and squares

To draw a rectangle with precision, you can specify an origin point, which is one of nine points in the rectangle (four corner points, four midpoints, and one center point). If you rotate the rectangle, the origin point is used as the center of rotation. You can also specify the angle of rotation, and the width and height of a rectangle.

If the angle of rotation is 0, you can specify the position of the lower-left and upper-right corners of the rectangle.

To draw a square, you can specify the origin point, the length of a side, and an angle of rotation.

Left: The origin point of a rectangle appears as a blue node in the live preview. You can select the center point, or any corner or midpoint, as the origin point.

Drawing ellipses and circles

To draw an ellipse with precision, you can specify an origin point, which is one of nine points in the bounding box that can be drawn around the ellipse. The origin point is used as the center of rotation.

You can also specify the ellipse diameters, which are the width and height of the bounding box around the ellipse, and the angle of rotation. If the angle of rotation is 0, you can specify the exact position of the lower-left and upper-right corners of the bounding box around the ellipse.

To draw a circle, you can specify the origin point, diameter, and angle of rotation.

You can specify the width and height of the bounding box that can be drawn around an ellipse.

Drawing polygons

To draw a polygon, you can specify the number of sides, the angle of rotation, or the center and diameters of the bounding ellipse that can be drawn around the polygon. The center of the bounding ellipse, also known as the "polygon center," is used as the center of rotation.

You can also draw regular polygons with precision. All sides of a regular polygon are of equal length. You can specify the side length and angle of rotation, or the center and diameter of the bounding circle that can be drawn around the regular polygon.

You can specify the diameters of the bounding ellipse that can be drawn around the polygon.

Drawing lines

You can draw a straight line by using one of two methods. With the first method, you specify the start point and endpoint of the line. With the second method, you specify the start point and length of the line, plus an angle of rotation.

You can create complex lines by specifying the coordinates of multiple points. You can delete points, and you can modify the coordinates of existing points. After adding all the points you want, you can close the curved line by connecting its start point to its endpoint.

Straight and multipoint lines

Modifying existing objects

You can use the Object coordinates docker to modify existing objects with precision. Note that when you modify an existing object, it is replaced with a new object. As a result, the following transformations and effects applied to the original objects are lost: envelope effects, rotations, and skew effects. In addition, any changes that were previously applied to the nodes on a polygon are lost.

To draw or modify a rectangle by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the Rectangle button .

You can also
Draw a rectangle by specifying the exact position of its lower-left and upper-right corners	In the Bounding box area, type values in the x and y boxes. The first pair of boxes controls the position of the lower-left corner. The second pair of boxes controls the position of the upper‑right corner. This method for drawing rectangles is available only when no rotation is applied.
Set the lower-left and upper-right corners of a rectangle directly in the drawing window	In the Bounding box area, click the Set lower-left corner interactively button or the Set upper-right corner interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Set the origin point directly in the drawing window	Click the Set origin point interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the dimensions of the rectangle directly in the drawing window	Click either of the Set dimensions interactively buttons , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a square by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the arrow at the bottom of the Rectangle button, and click the Square button .

You can also
Set the origin point directly in the drawing window	Click the Set origin point interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the length of a square side directly in the drawing window	Click the Set dimensions interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify an ellipse by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the Ellipse button .

You can also
Draw an ellipse by specifying the lower-left and upper-right corners of the bounding box around an ellipse	In the Bounding box area, type values in the x and y boxes. The first pair of boxes controls the position of the lower-left corner of the bounding box. The second pair of boxes controls the position of the upper-right corner of the bounding box. This method for drawing ellipses is available only when no rotation is applied to the ellipse.
Set the lower-left and upper-right corners of an ellipse’s bounding box directly in the drawing window	In the Bounding box area, click the Set lower-left corner interactively or Set upper-right corner interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Set the origin point directly in the drawing window	Click the Set origin point interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the dimensions of the ellipse directly in the drawing window	Click either of the Set diameter interactively buttons , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a circle by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the arrow at the bottom of the Ellipse button, and click the Circle button .

You can also
Set the origin point directly in the drawing window	Click the Set origin point interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the diameter of a circle directly in the drawing window	Click the Set diameter interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a polygon by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the Polygon button .

You can also
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the polygon center directly in the drawing window	Click the Set polygon center interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the diameters of the bounding ellipse directly in the drawing window	Click either of the Set diameter interactively buttons , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a regular polygon by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the arrow at the bottom of the Polygon button, and click the Regular polygon button .

You can also
Set the side length directly in the drawing window	Click the Set dimensions interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	Click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the polygon center directly in the drawing window	Click the Set polygon center interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Specify the diameter of the bounding circle directly in the drawing window	Click the Set diameter interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a straight line by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the 2-point line button .

You can also
Draw a straight line by specifying its start point, length, and angle of rotation	In the Points area, type values in the Start point x and y boxes. In the Object size area, type a value in the Line length box. Then, type a value in the Angle of rotation box.
Set the start point or endpoint of a line directly in the drawing window	In the Points area, click one of the Set point interactively buttons , and click in the drawing window.
Set the line length directly in the drawing window	In the Object size area, click the Set line length interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.
Set the angle of rotation directly in the drawing window	In the Object size area, click the Set angle interactively button , and drag in the drawing window.

To draw or modify a multi-point line by using object coordinates

1 .	Click Window Dockers Object coordinates.

2 .	Click the Multi-point line button .

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To add another point, click the Add point button , and type values in the X and Y boxes.

You can also
Specify the position of a point directly in the drawing window	Click a point in the Object coordinates docker. Click the Set point interactively button , and click in the drawing window.
Delete a point	Click a point in the Object coordinates docker, and click the Delete point button .
Connect the start point with the endpoint of a line	Click the Auto-close/open curve button .

Use the following keyboard shortcuts to create a multi-point line quickly:

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