Creating Titles > Creating graphic objects
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Creating graphic objects


The Title window toolbox contains tools for creating graphic objects such as straight lines, rectangles, ellipses, and polygons. Your polygons can have sharp, defined corners or you can smooth the corners into curves. Lines and shapes initially use the default line, color, gradient, and shadow attributes. When you change graphic attributes, the change affects all future items.

In the Title window, a graphic object can be either framed (outlined with no fill) or filled (filled with no outline). You can convert between framed and filled objects. If you want a shape to have both a fill and an outline, duplicate it and apply a fill to one and a line to the other.

To create a straight line:

1 Select the line tool in the toolbox (). Each tool reverts to the selection tool () after one use unless you double-click it, as explained in Creating text objects.

2 Drag to draw the line, or hold down Shift as you drag to draw a constrained line at 45-degree increments.

To create a rectangle, rounded-corner rectangle, or ellipse:

1 Click the left half of the desired tool for a framed shape or the right half of a tool for a filled shape.

2 Do one of the following:
  • Drag to draw the shape.
  • Hold down Shift as you drag to draw a constrained shape, such as a square, a rounded-corner square, or a circle.

    • To create a polygon shape:

    1 Click the left half of the polygon tool () for a framed polygon, or click the right half of the polygon tool () for a filled polygon.

    2 Position the polygon tool where you want to start drawing, and click. This creates a point and a line segment leading out of it.

    3 Position the polygon tool where you want to end the line segment, and click.

    4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have only one segment left to draw.

    5 Do one of the following:
  • To close the polygon, click the first point you placed. A small circle appears next to the cursor when it is directly over the first point.
  • To leave a framed polygon open, double-click where you want the last point to appear. You cannot leave a filled polygon open.

    • To change a filled object to a framed object or vice-versa:

    1 With the selection tool, select the graphic object.

    2 Choose Title > Convert to Filled or Title > Convert to Framed.

    To adjust the line weight of a line or framed object:

    1 With the selection tool, select the line or framed object that you want to change.

    2 Drag the Line Weight slider to specify the line weight you want.

    You cannot adjust the line weight of a filled object because it has no outline. However, you can create a framed duplicate of the object (see the next procedure) and adjust the line weight of the new object.

    To create a framed duplicate of a filled object:

    Select a filled object, and choose Title > Create Framed Object. A framed copy appears in the same position as the original.

    To create a filled duplicate of a framed object:

    Select a framed object, and choose Title > Create Filled Object. A filled copy appears in the same position on top of the original. If you can't see the framed original behind the filled copy, select the filled copy and choose Title > Send to Back.

    To smooth a polygon:

    1 With the selection tool, select a polygon.

    2 Choose Title > Smooth Polygon.

    To edit a polygon:

    1 With the selection tool, select the graphic object that you want to edit.

    2 Drag any handle on the object.

    Creating Titles > Creating graphic objects