Selection and Anchor Shapes
In This Topic
When two or more shapes are selected, MyDraw becomes ambiguous on which shape some commands should work, for example, the align lefts command. To visualize which shape will be used for such commands, MyDraw has two types of anchor shapes:
- Alignment anchor - the shape that alignment commands will use. The trackers of the alignment anchor are filled in black.
- Format anchor - he shape that formatting commands will use. The trackers of the format anchor are filled in white.
If a shape in multi-selection is both alignment and a format anchor, then its trackers are filled in white, i.e., the coloring of the format anchor takes precedence.
The following image shows how a selection with a different alignment and format anchor looks:
In this case the red line is the format anchor and the orange rectangle is the alignment anchor.
Aligning Shapes
To align your shape, first select the two or more shapes you need to align. Go to the Arrange ribbon to the Align group. There are six options:
- Align lefts: This option will align the leftmost pixel of both shapes along the same vertical line.
- Align centers: This option will align the rightmost pixel of both shapes along the same vertical line.
- Align rights: This option will align the center pixel of both shapes along the same vertical line.
- Align tops: This option will align the topmost pixel of both shapes along the same horizontal line.
- Align middles: This option will align the exact middle of both shapes along the same horizontal line.
- Align bottoms: This option will align the bottommost pixel of both shapes along the same horizontal line.
Z-Order
Z-Order is the order of precedence that the shapes in the drawing area have over one another. This basically means which shape is on top, the shape below it, and which is on bottom. The Z-Order area of the Arrange ribbon tab has four options:
- Bring to Front: This option will move a selected shape to the front of the Z-Order (on top of all other objects)
- Send to Back: This option will move a selected shape to the back of the Z-Order (behind all other objects)
- Bring Forward: This option will send the shape one level up in the Z-order
- Send Backward: This option will send the shape one level down in the Z-order
Grouping and Ungrouping Shapes
Grouping and ungrouping shapes allow the user to create a grouping of shapes so that their location and connectors may be manipulated together rather than individually. Groups support drill-down selection, which means you can select a shape within the group by first clicking on the group to select the group and then to click on the particular shape within the group to select it.
To create a group of two or more shapes, select them with a selection box, or Ctrl-Click on each one in succession, and click on the Group button from the Action ribbon tab or use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+G. You can group not only shapes but also multiple groups. When a set of shapes are grouped, they will act as one shape, allowing for resizing and rotation.
To ungroup a set of shapes, or groups, click the Ungroup button from the Action ribbon tab or press Ctrl+Shift+U from the keyboard.