Page 154 - Xara Designer Pro X17

154 Drawing Lines and Shapes

Drawing Lines and Shapes

The Drawing tools

You can use any of these tools to draw lines and shapes:
• The FREEHAND & BRUSHTOOL ("F3").
• The STRAIGHT LINE & ARROW TOOL
• The SHAPE TOOL ("F4").
• The SHAPE PAINTERTOOL
The FREEHAND & BRUSHTOOL is the easiest way to draw simple lines, curves, and shapes,
and it acts rather like a pencil.
The STRAIGHT LINE & ARROW TOOL is best if you want to draw single segment straight
lines, or add arrow heads and tails to any types of lines.

The SHAPE TOOL is best for drawing precise curves and lines. It is also the main tool to
edit lines and shapes.

The SHAPE PAINTER TOOL allows you to draw new shapes, or extend existing shapes, by
‘painting’ on the page with a round or elliptical ‘nib’.

Note: Although it is not in the Drawing Tools toolbar, you can also use the PEN
TOOL to create precise shapes. It has limited functionality and works like the line
tool of other drawing programs. To use the PEN TOOL, choose CONTROL BARS from
the WINDOW menu and click the BUTTON PALETTE checkbox. Then click the PEN
TOOL icon in the Button Palette.

The Freehand & Brush Tool

You can use this tool to draw in a freehand manner, as you would with a pencil.
It can also be used to create brush strokes described below. And it includes the
option to draw variable width lines using a compatible pressure sensitive drawing
device such as a graphics tablet. While using this tool the status line provides
reminders on how to use the tool.
1. Position the pointer where you want the line to start.
2. Press and hold down the mouse button. (or draw with your graphics tablet or other
connected device).
3. As you drag the pointer around the document, your line is drawn in real time.
4. Release the mouse button to terminate the line.