<chapter label="4" id="objects-chapter">
  <title>Objects and the Toolbox</title>
  <para>
    A diagram in <application>Dia</application> consists of a set of objects.  Objects are shapes that are either
    predefined or user-defined. The Toolbox allows you to select the desired
    object and allows you to set default properties for objects.
  </para>
  <sect1 id="toolbox-overview">
    <title>Dia Toolbox Overview</title>
    <figure>
      <title>Dia Toolbox</title>
      <screenshot>
        <screeninfo>Dia Toolbox</screeninfo>
        <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    <para>
      When <application>Dia</application> is executed, two windows open: the canvas, 
      which contains the diagram,
      and the Toolbox, which contains the object palettes and other controls. The
      Toolbox is divided into three regions. The top region contains 14 buttons. The 
      first three are controls used to adjust the diagram. The next 11 are the icons
      for the built-in basic objects. 
    </para>
    <para>
      The middle portion of the Toolbox contains the selected Special Objects. 
      This is used to select among the many built-in object sheets supplied with Dia, 
      such  as UML, Flowchart, Network, etc.   
    </para>
    <para>
      The bottom portion of the Toolbox contains special controls that set default
      properties for objects placed on the canvas. These include foreground color, 
      background color, and line width. There are also three controls that set
      the default properties for line objects. These are beginning arrow style, 
      ending arrow style, and line style.
    </para>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-modify">
      <title>Modify Control</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Modify Control</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Modify Control</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-modify" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure> 
      <para>
        The Modify control is the default setting when using Dia. This control
        allows you to select one or more objects on the canvas. After an object
        is added to the diagram, the Modify control is automatically selected
        for you. This makes it easy to add an object and then continue working
        without having to reselect the Modify control.
      </para>
      <tip>
        <para>
          You can toggle between an object control and the Modify control using the
          Space key. For example, say you wish to add several Box objects to the 
          diagram. First, click on the Box icon and click on the canvas to add the Box.
          At this point, the Modify control will be selected automatically. To reselect
          the Box control, press the Space key. Now you can click on the canvas again
          to add a second Box object. Continue to press Space and then click to add
          as many Box objects as desired. 
        </para>
      </tip>
      <tip>
        <para>
          You can customize <application>Dia</application>
          to disable the automatic selection of the Modify control. See
          <link linkend="user-interface">Customization / User Interface</link> 
          for more information. 
        </para>
      </tip>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-textedit">
      <title>Textedit Control</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Textedit Control</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Textedit Control</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-textedit" srccredit="Hans Breuer" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure> 
      <para>
	The Textedit control is new with Dia from version 0.97 - it indicates being 
	in text edit mode. Together with an appropriate object selection it is one way
	to start text modification.
      </para>
      <para>
	An object supporting in-canvas text editing can be in two different selection modes.
	The normal selection is the same for all objects, it allows to manipulate the objects
	position, grouping etc.. Some object can enter a second selection mode, which allows
	to edit their text from the canvas. 
      </para>
      <tip>
        <para>
	There are multiple ways to enter text edit mode. You can press-and-hold the left mouse button,
	activate text editing by Enter or F2 key or select the respective object after activating
	Textedit from the toolbox.
        </para>
      </tip>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-magnify">
      <title>Magnify Control</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Magnify Control</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Magnify Control</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-magnify" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        The Magnify control is one method for zooming in or out. See  
        <link linkend="zooming">The Canvas / Zooming</link> for more 
        information about zooming. The Magnify control stays active until you
        press one of the other controls.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-scroll">
      <title>Scroll Control</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Scroll Control</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Scroll Control</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-scroll" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        The Scroll control is used to move around the diagram. When this control
        is active, the mouse pointer changes to a hand. When the Scroll control 
        is active, you can scroll around
        the diagram by clicking anywhere on the canvas and dragging the mouse. The
        diagram scrolls within the canvas window. The Scroll control stays active 
        until you press one of the other controls.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-basic">
      <title>Basic Objects</title>
      <para>
        After the Modify, Zoom, and Scroll controls, the next 11 buttons allow you
        to place Dia's basic objects on the canvas. See  
        <link linkend="basic-objects-introduction">Basic Objects Introduction</link>
        for more information on Dia's basic objects.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-special">
      <title>Special Objects</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Special Objects</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Scroll Control</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-special" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        On the Toolbox, just below the basic object icons, is a drop-down listbox
        that allows you to select a sheet of special objects to be included in the
        diagram. As you can see from the screenshot above, <application>Dia</application> 
        provides a large number
        of special objects. To use a special object, first select the desired sheet
        using this drop-down listbox. Then, just click on the desired object and 
        click on the canvas to insert the object.
        See  
        <link linkend="special-object-categories">Special Object Categories</link> 
        for more information on the various types of special objects available.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="toolbox-lower">
      <title>Default Color, Line Width, and Line Style</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Default Color, Line Width, and Line Style</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Default Color, Line Width, and Line Style</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/toolbox-lower" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        Below the special objects palette are controls for setting the default 
        foreground and background   color, line width, and line style. 
        These controls all set default
        properties for new objects being added to the canvas. They do not affect the
        properties of existing objects already on the palette. These settings 
        stay in effect for all future <application>Dia</application> sessions, 
        until they are changed. 
      </para>
      <para>
        The two squares on the left allow you to set the default foreground and
        background colors for all new objects being added to the diagram. If you 
        double-click on the upper square (i.e., the black one in the screenshot 
        above), you can set the default foreground color for all new objects.
        Double-clicking on the lower square (white in the screenshot) allows you to
        select the default background color. See <link linkend="colors"> 
        Objects / Colors </link> for more information about selecting colors.
      </para>
      <tip>
        <figure>
          <title>Restore Default Colors Button</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Restore Default Colors Button</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/default-colors" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>
        <para>
          To set the colors back to the default, click on the black and white box
          to the bottom left of the color selector.
        </para>
      </tip>
      <tip>
        <figure>
          <title>Reverse Colors Button</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Reverse Colors Button</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/reverse-colors" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>
        <para>
          To inverse the colors, click on the little arrow to the top right of the
          two boxes.
        </para>
      </tip>
      <figure>
        <title>Default Line Width</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Default Line Width</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line-width" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        To the right of the two squares are five lines of increasing width. To
        select the desired default line width, simply click on it. A dashed-rectangle
        indicates which width is currently selected. 
      </para>
      <figure>
        <title>Arrow and Line Style</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Arrow and Line Style</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/arrow-style" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>  
      <para>
        At the bottom of the Toolbox are three buttons.  The left button allows you 
        to select the default arrow shape for the beginning of a line. In the screenshot
        this is defaulting to "no arrow". The right button allows you to select the
        default arrow shape for the end of a line.  Since only lines have arrows, 
        these buttons only affect
        line objects and have no effect on other shapes. The middle button allows 
        you to select the default line style (solid, dashed, etc.).  
      </para>
      <note>
        <para>
          The line-width and line style settings affect all basic objects. For shapes,
          these settings determine the line properties of the shape outlines. These
          settings also are used for some special objects (e.g., Flowchart objects). 
          Other special objects (e.g., AADL objects) 
          have fixed line widths and are not affected by these settings. 
        </para>
      </note>

    </sect2>
  </sect1>


  <sect1 id="using-objects">
    <title>Using Objects</title>

    <sect2 id="adding-objects">
      <title>Adding Objects</title>
      <para>
        Adding objects to the <application>Dia</application> canvas is done
        by clicking on the desired object's icon button in the 
        <interface>Toolbox</interface> and then
        clicking on the canvas at the desired insertion point. The selected object
        will be inserted at that point.
      </para>
      <tip>
        <para>
          You can quickly add multiple objects of the same type to the diagram
          using the Space key to toggle between the Modify control and the
          desired object. For example, say you wish to add several Box objects to the 
          diagram. First, click on the Box icon and click on the canvas to add the Box.
          At this point, the Modify control will be selected automatically. To reselect
          the Box control, press the Space key. Now you can click on the canvas again
          to add a second Box object. Continue to press Space and then click to add
          as many Box objects as desired.
        </para> 
      </tip>
      <tip>
        <para>
          If you are using different colors or line styles for different objects, 
          one trick to save time is to create a separate file of sample objects with the 
          desired properties on a separate diagram. Then copy and paste these objects 
          onto your working diagram as you need them. 
        </para>
      </tip>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="moving-objects">
      <title>Moving Objects</title>
      <para>
        When an object is inserted into the canvas, the desired object will appear
        with small green boxes (known as handles) around the border.
        <figure>
          <title>Object Handles</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>The line icon</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line_icon" srccredit="Steffen Macke" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure> 
        To move an object, 
        click anywhere inside the object (or somewhere on a line other than
        a handle) and drag the mouse to the desired location on the canvas. For
        line objects, you need to click on the line. 
      </para>
      <tip>
        <para>
          When moving an object, be sure not to click on a handle. Otherwise, you will
          resize the object instead of moving it.
        </para>
      </tip>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="resizing-objects">
      <title>Resizing Objects</title>
      <para>
        Handles are used to change the size of the object.  To expand an object, 
        just click a handle and drag it away from the center of the object.
        To shrink an object, drag a handle toward its center. The 
        object's size will change as you drag the mouse.
        If an object has a fixed aspect ratio, changing one dimension automatically
        changes the other. If an object has a free aspect ratio, you can change one
        dimension (e.g., height) without affecting the other (e.g., width). Some 
        objects have a property setting that determines whether the aspect ratio 
        is fixed or free.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="deleting-objects">
      <title>Deleting Objects</title>
      <para>
        To delete an object, click on the object to select it. The handles 
        will display, which indicates that the object is selected.  
        Then press the Delete key or select
        <menuchoice>
          <guimenu>Edit</guimenu>
          <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem>
        </menuchoice> from the menu.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="connecting-objects">
      <title>Connecting Objects With Lines</title>
      <para>
        In many diagrams, shapes are connected to each other using one of the 
        basic line objects. When a shape is not selected, a number of connection 
        points are displayed on its borders as small "x" figures. There is
        also a connection point in the middle of each shape. Lines also have 
        connection points where other lines can connect.
      </para>
      <para>
        Lines have handles on each end that are used to connect them to other objects. 
        These handles are green if the line is not connected and red if it is connected.
        Lines also have orange handles that are used to shape the line. The figure below
        shows several lines with green handles on the unconnected end and red handles
        on the connected end.
        <figure>
          <title>Line Handles</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Line Handles</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line-handles" srccredit=   "Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>
      </para>

      <para>
        To connect two shapes with a line: 
      </para>
      <orderedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Select the desired line (Line, Zigzagline, etc.) by clicking on the Toolbox icon.
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            You can either click on the canvas to place the line on the diagram and
            then drag the "from" end of the line to the desired connection point of 
            the first object. 
          </para>
          <para>
            Or you can save a step by clicking directly on the desired connection point 
            of the first object. In this case, the line will
            display with the "from" end of the line already connected to the first object.
          </para>
          <para>
            In either case, when the "from" end of the line is connected,  
            it's "from" handle will be red.
          </para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Click on green handle at the "to" end of the line and drag it to the desired
            connection point on the second object. When the line is connected, the outline 
            of the object being connected will turn red, as shown in the figure below.
            <figure>
              <title>Line Connected</title>
              <screenshot>
                <screeninfo>Line Connected</screeninfo>
                <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line-connect" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
              </screenshot>
            </figure>
            At this point, the two objects are connected. If you move either object, 
            the line will stretch to keep them connected. If you move the line, it will
            disconnect from both objects. If you do this by mistake, you can undo using 
            Ctrl+Z or <menuchoice>
              <guimenu>Edit</guimenu>
              <guimenuitem>Undo</guimenuitem>
            </menuchoice>. 
          </para>
        </listitem>
      </orderedlist> 
      <para>
        At any time, you can disconnect or connect to a new point by clicking on the "from"
        or "to" handle  and dragging it to a new location on the diagram.
      </para>
      <tip>
        <para>
          If you connect a line to a fixed point on a shape's perimeter, it will stay 
          connected to this point when the object is moved. 
          <figure>
            <title>Fixed Connection Point</title>
            <screenshot>
              <screeninfo>Fixed Connection Point</screeninfo>
              <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/connect-fixed" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
            </screenshot>
          </figure>   
        </para>
        <para>
          If you connect a line to 
          the middle of an object, when you move the object the displayed 
          connection point moves automatically, so you don't need to change the 
          connection point. 
          <figure>
            <title>Middle Connection Point</title>
            <screenshot>
              <screeninfo>Middle Connection Point</screeninfo>
              <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/connect-middle" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
            </screenshot>
          </figure>
        </para>
        <para>
          Note that, when a line is connected to the middle of an object, the line's
          connection handle is still positioned on the perimeter of the object. So 
          to move the line's connection point, drag on the line's handle (as opposed
          to the middle of the object).
        </para>
      </tip>  
      <tip>
        <para>
          If you connect a Line or Polyline object to the middle of a shape 
          when you first place the 
          line on the canvas, you need to be careful when connecting the "to" end 
          of the line. Be sure to click on the line's handle and not on
          the surrounding area within the shape. If you click on the surrounding area
          inside the shape, you will select the shape and not the line's handle. If this 
          happens, click outside the shape to deselect it and then carefully click
          on the "x" in the middle of the object (not on the line's arrow). The 
          handle will display, and you can drag it to the desired location. Note that 
          the handle will display as red, because it is connected to the middle. Also
          note that you need to drag it outside the shape before you can see the line.
        </para>
      </tip>
      <para>
        See <link linkend="line">Basic Objects / Line</link> for more information on
        the different lines available. 
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="entering-text">
      <title>Entering Text</title>
      <para>
        Text can be entered by selecting the object, entering text edit mode and then 
	typing the text.
        The font, size, alignment, and other formatting properties can be changed by 
        double-clicking the object, when not in text edit mode.
      </para>
      <para>
	Many Dia objects suport in-canvas editing of text. Dia versions before 0.97
	had not explicit distinction between a selected object and it's text edit mode.
	As a result numerous workarounds were needed to support canvas and text editing
	with the same set of keys, e.g. the Delete key was not deleting the character
	right to the cursor, but instead the whole object.
      </para>
      <para>
	With Dia 0.97 and later there is a dedicated <link linkend="toolbox-textedit">text edit mode</link>.
	You can enter it by hitting Enter or F2 key while an appropriate object is selected.
        To leave text editing just click outside of the editable area or hit the Escape key.
      </para>
      <figure>
        <title>Edit Menu Text Commands</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Edit Menu Text Commands</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/edit-text" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>  
      <tip>
        <para>
          While in text edit mode the normal Copy / Paste keys (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V) work on 
          the entire text. The Edit menu also contains the commands 
          Copy Text, Cut Text (Shift+Ctrl+X), and Paste Text (Shift+Ctrl+V) 
          to copy, cut, and paste just the text contents of an object. 
          Note that when you paste text into an object, the text is 
          formatted according to the <application>Dia</application> object properties, 
          not the text source.
        </para>
      </tip>
      <tip>
        <para>
          You cannot select a section of text inside an object with the mouse (this
          moves the cursor). You can insert characters at the current cursor position 
          just by typing. You can delete the character to the left of the mouse using 
          Backspace. The Del key deletes the character right to the cursor. 
	  To delete all of the text in an object, use the Cut (Shift+Ctrl+X). 
        </para>
      </tip>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="aligning-objects">
      <title>Aligning Objects</title>
      <para>
        <application>Dia</application> provides several options to help 
        arrange multiple objects without needing to move each object 
        individually. These are available on the <menuchoice>
          <guimenu>Objects</guimenu>
          <guimenuitem>Align</guimenuitem>
        </menuchoice> menu choice shown below.
        <figure>
          <title>Objects / Align Options</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Objects / Align Options</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-menu" srccredit="Hans Breuer" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>     
      </para>
      <sect3 id="how-to-align">
        <title>How To Align Objects</title>
        <para>
          To align objects, first select the objects to align (see  
          <link linkend="selecting-chapter">Selecting Objects</link>
          ) and then execute one of the align commands, using either the menu 
          or the shortcut key. The order in which objects are selected does not 
          matter. 
        </para>
      </sect3>
      <sect3 id="align-left-center-right">
        <title>Left, Center, and Right Align</title>
        <para>
          The align left, right, and center are used to align objects arranged
          vertically on the canvas. The align left aligns the selected objects 
          to the left edge of the left-most object. Similarly, the align right 
          aligns the selected objects to the right edge of the right-most object. 
          Align center aligns the center of each object to the mid-point between the
          extreme left and extreme right edge of all selected objects. Examples of 
          align left, center, and right are shown below.  
        </para>
        <figure>
          <title>Before Left, Center, Right Align</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Before Left, Center, Right Align</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/before-left" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>Align Left</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Left</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-left" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>Align Center</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Center</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-center" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>Align Right</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Right</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-right" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>
      </sect3>   
      <sect3 id="align-top-middle-bottom">
        <title>Top, Middle, and Bottom Align</title>
        <para>
          The align top, middle, and bottom are used to align objects arranged
          horizontally on the canvas. The align top aligns the selected objects 
          to the top edge of the upper-most object. Similarly, the align bottom 
          aligns the selected objects to the bottom edge of the lowest object. 
          Align middle aligns the middle of each object to the mid-point between the
          extreme top and extreme bottom edge of all selected objects. Examples of 
          align top, middle, and bottom are shown below.  
        </para>
        <figure>
          <title>Before Top, Middle, Bottom Align</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Before Top, Middle, Bottom Align</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/before-top" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>Align Top</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Top</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-top" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure> 
        <figure>
          <title>Align Middle</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Middle</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-middle" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure> 
        <figure>
          <title>Align Bottom</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align Bottom</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-bottom" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
      </sect3>
      <sect3 id="align-spread-out">
        <title>Spread Out Horizontally and Vertically</title>
        <para>
          The Align / Spread Out commands can be used to create uniform spacing
          for objects arranged either horizontally or vertically. Examples of these 
          commands are shown below.
        </para>
        <figure>
          <title>Before Spread Out Horizontally</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Before Spread Out Horizontally</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/before-hor-spread" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>After Spread Out Horizontally</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>After Spread Out Horizontally</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/after-hor-spread" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>      
        <figure>
          <title>Before Spread Out Vertically</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Before Spread Out Vertically</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/before-vert-spread" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>After Spread Out Vertically</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>After Spread Out Vertically</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/after-vert-spread" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
      </sect3>

      <sect3 id="align-adjacent-stacked">
        <title>Align Adjacent or Stacked</title>
        <para>
          The Align / Adjacent command is used to place objects next to each other with no 
          horizontal space in between. The Align / Stacked is used to place objects directly
          on top of each other, with no vertical space in between. Examples of these 
          commands are shown below.
        </para>
        <figure>
          <title>Align / Adjacent</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align / Adjacent</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/adjacent" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>Align / Stacked</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Align / Stacked</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/stacked" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>      
      </sect3>

      <sect3 id="align-connected">
        <title>Align Connected</title>
        <para>
	The Align Connected command tries to align connected objects, so that the 
	connecting lines are either horizontal or vertical afterwards.
        </para>
        <figure>
          <title>Before Align Connected</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Before Align Connected</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-connected-before" srccredit="Hans Breuer" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
        <figure>
          <title>After Align Connected</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>After Align Connected</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/align-connected" srccredit="Hans Breuer" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>   
	<note><para>
	  The algorithm used to align connected objects is not fool proof, infact it
	  is very simple. If the resulting alignment does not match your expectations
	  use Undo to revert it. A different selection of objects may producae a result
	  more to your liking.
	</para></note>
      </sect3>
    </sect2>

    <sect2 id="grouping-objects">
      <title>Grouping Objects</title>
      <para>
        Grouping allows you to treat several objects as a single entity.  
        A group enables you to 
        fix the position of the member objects in relation to each other and to 
        change the properties of all member objects at one time. 
        To create an object group, select two or more objects and then 
        select   <menuchoice>
          <guimenu>Objects</guimenu>
          <guimenuitem>Group</guimenuitem>
        </menuchoice>. 
      </para>
      <figure>
        <title>Before and After Group Create</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Before and After Group Create</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/object-group" srccredit= "Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        When the group is created or subsequently selected, a set of black handles 
        displays around the outside of the group, as shown in the figure 
        above. At this point, you can
        move the  entire group just like you 
        would move a single object. Just click and drag on any of the objects 
        in the group. 
      </para>
      <para>
        You can also change the properties of all objects in a group by double-clicking
        or using the right-click context menu. 
        See <link linkend="changing-group-properties">Changing Properties for a 
          Group of Objects</link> for more information.
      </para>
    </sect2>

  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="object-properties">
    <title>Object Properties</title>
    <para>
      The properties of an object control it's appearance. Properties include text 
      font and appearance; line width, style, and color; transparency (i.e., draw background
      yes or no);  foreground and background 
      color; and any other settings that control the way an object is displayed. 
      Different types of objects have different sets of properties.
    </para>
    <para>
      The specific properties of an object are determined in two different ways. 
      The default settings in force at the time the object is added 
      to the canvas determine the object's initial properties. Once objects are 
      placed onto the diagram, their properties may be set using the Properties 
      dialog box for the object or for a group of objects.
    </para>
    <sect2 id="default-properties">
      <title>Sources of Default Properties</title>
      <para>
        An object's default properties are set in two places within Dia. First,
        as discussed above in <link linkend="toolbox-lower">
          Default Color, Line Width, and Line Style</link>, default values for 
        the foreground and background
        color; the line width; and the line style of all basic objects and some 
        special objects
        are determined by settings on the Toolbox. For basic lines, 
        the default beginning
        and ending arrow styles are also determined by the Toolbox settings.  
      </para>
      <para>
        The rest of an object's default properties can be set using the Defaults: 
        Properties dialog box for each object. This is opened by double-clicking
        on the object's icon on the Toolbox. Since the available properties for each 
        type of object can be different, each object's default properties dialog
        is different. Below are examples of the default properties dialog for
        the basic Text and Box objects.
      </para>
      <figure>
        <title>Default Text Properties</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Default Text Properties</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/defaults-text" srccredit= "Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <figure>
        <title>Default Box Properties</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Default Box Properties</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/defaults-box" srccredit= "Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>          
      <para>
        For objects that include text, the dialog will normally include the
        text alignment, the font name, the font modifier (normal, bold, etc.), and
        the font size (in centimeters, not points). This makes it possible to set
        defaults for text display for any object that can contain text.
      </para>
    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="changing-properties">
      <title>Changing Object Properties</title>
      <para>
        Once objects are placed onto the diagram, their properties can be 
        changed either individually or as a member of a group.
      </para>
      <sect3 id="changing-individual-properties">
        <title>Changing Properties for One Object</title>
        <para>
          To change the
          properties of an individual object, either double-click on the object 
          or select the object, right-click to display the context menu, and select
          the Properties option. In either case, the Properties dialog for the selected
          object will display, allowing you to change any of the object's properties.
        </para>
        <note>
          <para>
            If multiple objects are selected, you can still change the properties of one
            of the selected objects by double-clicking that object. This will only change
            the properties of the one object you double-clicked.
          </para>
        </note>
      </sect3>
      <sect3 id="changing-group-properties">
        <title>Changing Properties for a Group of Objects</title>
        <para>
          You can change the properties of a group of objects at one time by selecting
          two or more objects and then selecting 
          <menuchoice>
            <guimenu>
              Objects
            </guimenu>
            <guimenuitem>
              Group
            </guimenuitem>
          </menuchoice>
          to create a group. Once the group is created, you can set properties for all
          objects in the group. To do this, either double-click on the group or right-click
          to display the context menu and select the Properties option. 
          The Properties: Group dialog will display. Only properties that pertain
          to all of the selected objects will display in the dialog. If your group
          contains only objects of one type, then all of the properties for that object
          type will display. 
        </para>
        <para>
          For example, if a group contains all basic Line objects, 
          all of the Line properties will display in the Properties: Group dialog. 
          If a group contains a basic Line 
          and a basic Box, the Properties: Group dialog will only show Line width, 
          Line color, and Line style, since these are the properties these objects
          have in common. 
        </para>
        <para>
          Changing properties for a group is a powerful feature of 
          <application>Dia</application>. For example, say you have a large diagram 
          and you need to 
          change the line style of all the basic Line objects everywhere in the diagram.
          You can accomplish this easily with the following steps. 
          <orderedlist>
            <listitem>
              <simpara>
                Select one basic Line object.
              </simpara>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <simpara>
                Use   
                <menuchoice>
                  <guimenu>
                    Select
                  </guimenu>
                  <guimenuitem>
                    Same Type
                  </guimenuitem>
                </menuchoice>
                to select all of the basic Line objects on the diagram. 
              </simpara>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <simpara>
                Use 
                <menuchoice>
                  <guimenu>
                    Objects
                  </guimenu>
                  <guimenuitem>
                    Group
                  </guimenuitem>
                </menuchoice> 
                to create a group for the selected objects. 
              </simpara>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <simpara>
                Double-click on the
                group and make your property changes. 
              </simpara>
            </listitem>
            <listitem>
              <simpara>
                Use 
                <menuchoice>
                  <guimenu>
                    Objects
                  </guimenu>
                  <guimenuitem>
                    Ungroup
                  </guimenuitem>
                </menuchoice>
                to remove the group. 
              </simpara>
            </listitem>
          </orderedlist>
          With this technique, you can quickly change the properties
          of many objects. This also works with selections containing 
          multiple object types, as long as all of the selected objects have the 
          properties you want to change. 
        </para>
      </sect3>


    </sect2>

  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="colors">
    <title>Colors</title> 
    <para>
      All objects in <application>Dia</application> have color attributes. Lines 
      have line color. Shapes have line color and fill color. Text and other objects
      that contain text have text color. In addition, the 
      <menuchoice>
        <guimenu>
          Diagram
        </guimenu>
        <guimenuitem>
          Properties</guimenuitem>
      </menuchoice>
      allows you to set colors for Background, Grid Lines, and Page Breaks.
      Finally, the Toolbox allows you to set default foreground and background
      colors for new objects. 
    </para>
    <para>
      In most cases, there are two methods for selecting a color. First, you 
      can select a color from a list of colors provided in the drop-down listbox
      by each color property.
      <figure>
        <title>Color Listbox</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>Color Listbox</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/color-dropdown" srccredit="Mark Dexter" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>  
      The list contains five primary colors (black, white, red, green, and blue)
      plus custom colors that have been previously used. You can just select a
      color from the list or select "More colors..." to display the Select color
      box. The Select color box allows you to select any color. It is explained in
      the next section.


    </para>
    <sect2 id="color-selector">
      <title>Select Color Box</title>
      <figure>
        <title>Select Color Box</title>
        <screenshot>
          <screeninfo>The Select color box is described below.</screeninfo>
          <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/color-selector1" srccredit="Jeremy" />
        </screenshot>
      </figure>
      <para>
        The Colors selector box contains 7 zones:
        <orderedlist>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              The colors wheel allows you to select a color using the mouse.
              Select the color you want from the outer
              ring. A white or black line shows the current position on the
              ring. Select the darkness or lightness you want using the inner
              triangle. A white or black circle shows the current position
              in the triangle. You can click or drag on either surface. The
              currently-selected color displays in the right side of the 
              rectangle just below the circle.
            </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              Below the color wheel there are two rectangles. The left one
              displays the current color of the object, the right one the new color 
              (i.e., the one you currently have chosen using the colors wheel).
              Pressing the OK button will set the object to the new color.
            </para>
            <para>
              Just to the right of these rectangles, there is a pipette button.
              When you click this button, the mouse pointer changes to
              a pipette. When the pipette is active, you can click on
              the canvas or any open application window (Like
              <application>The Gimp</application>), and select any color! 
            </para>
            <note>
              <para>
                On Windows, you can only select from colors on the Dia canvas.
              </para>
            </note>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              In the lower right there is a predefined color palette.
              Click on any of these to choose the color.
            </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
            To control the transparency of the color you can use the slider in
	    the middle right. 
            </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              In the upper center there are settings for Hue, Saturation, and Value 
              (HSV). You can select a 
              color by typing a numeric value or by using the increment / 
              decrement controls. Note that when you enter a value here, the 
              color wheel selection changes to reflect the new color.
            </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              To the right, there are settings for Red, Green, and Blue.
              These work the same as the HSV controls. 
            </para>
          </listitem>
          <listitem>
            <para>
              In the middle of the box is a place to enter a Color name.
              This supports standard color names or HTML-style hexadecimal
              color values. 
              (See
              <ulink type="http"
                  url="http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/types.html#h-6.5"
                  >HTML4.01 colors on http://www.w3.org</ulink>), and hexadecimal
              values (0-9A-F) on 3 or 6 octets.
            </para>
          </listitem>
        </orderedlist>
      </para>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="diagram-tree">
    <title>Diagram Tree</title>
    <para>
      The Diagram Tree provides an alternative method of working with a diagram. 
      This window displays a list of all objects in the diagram in a scrolling 
      list box. By right-clicking on an object, you can perform a number of operations.  
    </para>
    <sect2 id="open-diagram-tree">
      <title>Opening the Diagram Tree</title>
      <para>
        The Diagram Tree is shown by selecting 
        <menuchoice>
          <guimenu>
            File
          </guimenu>
          <guimenuitem>
            Diagram Tree
          </guimenuitem>
        </menuchoice> from the Toolbox menu bar or by pressing F8
        when the Toolbox is in focus.
      </para>

    </sect2>
    <sect2 id="working-diagram-tree">
      <title>Working With the Diagram Tree</title>
      <para>
        Some actions on the Diagram Tree affect the diagram itself. By selecting
        objects in the tree, you can modify multiple of them at once.
        You can sort the objects in the tree by type or name. click on the
        respective table header.
        If you right-click on the Diagram Tree list, a context menu
        displays with three options. 

        <figure>
          <title>Diagram Tree</title>
          <screenshot>
            <screeninfo>Diagram Tree</screeninfo>
            <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/diagram-tree" srccredit="Hans Breuer" />
          </screenshot>
        </figure>  

        These options are explained below.
      </para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Select will transfer the current the selection in the tree to the diagram.
          </para>
        </listitem> 
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Locate will bring the selected object(s) into view on the canvas.
            This can be useful if you are trying to find an object in a large 
            diagram.
          </para>
        </listitem> 
        <listitem>
          <para>
            Properties will display the properties dialog for the selected object(s). 
            See <link linkend="object-properties">Object Properties</link> for 
            more information.
          </para>
        </listitem> 
      </itemizedlist>
    </sect2>
  </sect1>
</chapter>