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Overview Tools
-Selection Main Plot Window Menus Report Window Help Index |
The Tools Panel -> Symbol Tool  The symbol tool will draw a symbol of the type selected in the inspector's symbols tab. Symbols are not resizable. However, when they are selected they can be rotated or replaced with a different symbol using the inspector. The line and fill characteristics of the symbol are controlled by the inspector's Drawing tab. The location of the symbol (it's center) can also be edited using the inspector's measurements tab. Symbols have information attached to them that is edited using the inspector's info tab. Any of the info fields can be shown on the drawing as text fields which behave like the objects created with the text tool. These fields can be selected and edited. In fact, changing the text of one of these field changes the associated property of the symbol that "owns" it. Any text fields created for a symbol will move when the symbol moves. The locations of a symbol's text fields relative to it's center can be copied using the Format menu's Copy Field Locations command. This then allows you to move other symbols' fields into the same relative positions using the Paste Field Locations command. There are several differences between text objects created with the text tool and text fields associated with symbols. First, the font and style of any text object is independent of any other. Text fields, on the other hand, share a font and style with all other fields of the same property. Second, text fields can only be selected by clicking directly. Dragging a selection "marquee" will not select them. Symbols can interact with positions. When the View menu's Snap To Grid option is active, symbols will "attach" themselves to positions when they are dragged. Positions and symbols also interact to automatically number lights as they are added The symbol tool can be selected by pressing the "2" key when a plot window is the front window. |
