Performing basic operations with graphic elements

When developing displays, layouts, and GEM classes, Graphics Studio provides various tools to help you add, modify, and manipulate elements on the editing canvas. This topic provides the following information:

The basic operations you can perform with elements when developing displays, layouts, and GEM classes
The tools you can use to perform these operations

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Adding elements to the editing canvas

Palette pane: Drag and drop from the Palette pane.
Ribbon: Add a shape element from the Insert tab > Shapes group.; Add a text element from the Insert tab > Text Box group.
Graphics Configuration pane: Add a shape or text element from the Format / Drawing Tools tab > Insert Shapes group.

Aligning elements

Aligning elements to the grid

Ribbon: Use the grid settings in the View tab > Show group.

Aligning elements to each other

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Align commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon: Select two or more elements and then use the Align commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format/Drawing Tools tab > Arrange group.

Aligning text on an element:

Ribbon: Use the Align commands in the Home tab > Paragraph group.
Graphics Configuration pane: Configure the text's horizontal or vertical alignment in the Text tab > Alignment property group.

Connecting elements

Ribbon

Add a connector element to the editing canvas from the Home tab > Drawing group or the Insert tab > Shapes group. Then, use the connector to connect the connection points between two elements.

By default, GEMs do not have connection points, but you can add connection points to them in one of the following ways:

For linked GEMs: Add the connection points to the GEM's GEM class: Use the Connection Point Tool in the ribbon's Format / GEM Class Tools tab > Connection Points group.
For unlinked GEMs: Use the Connection Point Tool in the ribbon's Format / GEM Tools tab > Connection Points group.

Cutting, copying, and pasting elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Cut, Copy, Paste, or Duplicate commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon commands: Use the Cut, Copy, and Paste commands in the Home tab > Clipboard group.; Use the Duplicate command in the Format / Drawing Tools tab > Insert Shapes group.

Deleting elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Select an element and press Delete. Press and hold Ctrl to select multiple elements for deletion.; Use the Delete command in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon: Use the Cut command in the ribbon: Home tab > Clipboard group.

Formatting an element's fill, border, and background

Note:

Applies only to basic elements (including basic elements inside a GEM).

Ribbon: Use the Fill, Border, and Background commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format / Drawing Tools tab > Shape Styles group.
Graphics Configuration pane: Modify an element's fill and line properties in the Basics tab > Fill group or Line group.

Formatting the text on a text element

Ribbon: Use the Font commands in the Home tab > Font group or Format / Drawing Tools tab > Text Styles group.
Graphics Configuration pane: Modify the element's text properties in the Text tab.

Grouping elements

To group, ungroup, or regroup two or more elements, select the elements and then do one of the following:

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Group commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon: Use the Group commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format/Drawing Tools tab > Arrange group.

Hiding and unhiding elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Visibility commands in an element's shortcut menu.; Click or next to the element in the Selection pane.

Locking and unlocking elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Lock commands in an element's shortcut menu.; Click or next to an element in the Selection pane.

Moving elements

Editing canvas: Drag an element to the desired location.
Graphics Configuration pane: Modify an element's horizontal and vertical positions in the Basics tab > Geometry property group.
Shortcut keys: To slightly move an element in the direction of the arrow, select the element and press the arrow key indicating that direction.

Positioning elements

Graphics Configuration pane: Select an element's horizontal or vertical position on the canvas in the Basics tab > Geometry property group.

Reordering elements

Editing canvas: Use the Bring Forward and Send Backward commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon: Use the Bring Forward and Send Backward commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format / Drawing Tools tab > Arrange group.

Resizing elements

Editing canvas

Click an element's handles and drag to resize. To maintain the element's aspect ratio, press Shift while dragging the handles.

Ribbon

Modify an element's height or width in the Format / Drawing Tools tab > Size group.

Graphics Configuration pane

Modify an element's height or width in the Basics tab > Geometry property group.

Shortcut keys

Press Shift plus an arrow key to resize an element in one of the following ways:

Keyboard shortcut	Resizing effect
Shift + ↑	Increases an element's height in both directions
Shift + ↓	Decreases an element's height in both directions
Shift + →	Increases an element's width in both directions
Shift + ←	Decreases an element's width in both directions
Note: If an element's aspect ratio is locked, its height or width changes proportionally.

Rotating and flipping elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Rotate commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon commands: Use the Rotate commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format / Drawing Tools tab > Arrange group.
Graphics Configuration pane properties: Modify an element's Rotation Angle property in the Basics tab > Geometry property group.

Selecting elements

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Select the element. Press and hold Ctrl to select multiple elements.
Ribbon: Use the Select commands in the Home tab > Editing group.

Spacing elements

Select three or more elements, and then do one of the following:

Editing canvas or Selection pane: Use the Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically commands in an element's shortcut menu.
Ribbon: Use the Distribute Horizontally or Distribute Vertically commands in the Home tab > Drawing group or Format/Drawing Tools tab > Arrange group.

Zooming into or out from content on the editing canvas

Ribbon: Use the Zoom commands in the View tab > Zoom group.
Mouse shortcut: Press Ctrl while moving the mouse wheel to zoom in (wheel up) or zoom out (wheel down).
Status bar settings: Use the Zoom slider or Zoom setting in the bottom right corner of the Graphics Studio status bar.