Smart Mouse can display special pointers to indicate that constraints
are met. You can toggle the pointer display if more than one con-
straint is active. The Pointer option (see Constraint settings, next)
must be active to see Smart Mouse pointers.
To toggle the Smart Mouse pointer: Press Command (Mac)
or Alt (Windows) when a constraint pointer is visible. If another
pointer appears, both constraints are met. The symbols wont change
for different settings of one constraint type, such as two different val-
ues for the Angle constraint.
Customizing Smart Mouse constraints
You can activate constraints, change their values, and add and delete
constraints in the Smart Mouse Manager.
1
Choose Smart Mouse in the Layout menu to open the Smart
Mouse palette if necessary, then double-click a constraint icon to
open the Smart Mouse Manager.
2
To activate or deactivate a constraint, click to the left of the
constraint name in the scrolling list. You can activate multiple con-
straints, but only two can affect the pointer at once.
3
Configure the constraint settings described next and click OK.
Constraint settings
The settings in the Current Constraints area at the top of the Smart
Mouse Manager affect the behavior of all Smart Mouse constraints.
Select a constraint in the list to see its symbol in the Icon box.
Priority
When multiple constraints are active, those at the top of the
scrolling list take precedence over those lower in the list. To change
the priority of a constraint, drag it to a new position in the list.
Source Lines
If checked, Canvas displays a line to show that the
pointer, or an object you are moving, is aligned horizontally or verti-
cally with a snap point such as the corner of an object.
Pointers
If checked, constraint symbols appear as you draw or drag
objects to indicate that a constraint is met.
Constraint Range
The maximum distance, horizontally or verti-
cally, from a target point at which the constraint causes the pointer to
snap to the target point.
Objects Within
For absolute constraints only, specifies how close
the pointer must be to an object for the object to trigger the constraint.
Tip
To temporarily hide Smart
Mouse pointers, press the Shift
key. Smart Mouse pointers
reappear when you release the
Shift key.
Constraints are listed at the top
of the Smart Mouse dialog box,
from High to Low priority. A
check mark indicates active
constraints. Constraints
preceded by a delta symbol ( )
are relative constraints.