Line Fill tab of the Object Format dialog box

You can leave the Object Format dialog box open while you select and edit objects in your drawing.

Clicking the Lock/Unlock Fill Display button alternately locks and unlocks the tab.

Indicates the tab is unlocked. When unlocked, the tab changes to the settings of the objects you select.

Indicates the tab is locked. When locked, the settings on the tab do not change when you select objects.

This panel lets you fill the line of a selected object or group of objects with a solid color.

You can apply the color to the selected object either by clicking the color and then clicking Apply or by double-clicking the color.


Palette list box	Lets you select a standard or custom color palette.
Palette Options	Opens a menu that lets you manage Designer's colors and palettes.
Color Palette	Shows the colors available in the current color palette.
Color Mixer	Opens the Color Mixer dialog box. You can use the four color swatches on the four corners of the Mixing Palette to create colors for a custom palette.
Edit Color	Opens the Color Picker dialog box. The dialog box lets you choose a color from the full range of possible colors and add it to the color palette.

This panel lets you fill the line of a selected object or group of objects with a color gradient.

Click the left mouse button on a color to make it the starting color for the gradient. Click the right mouse button on a color to make it the ending color.

You can also have multicolor gradients by adding points to the gradient distribution bar and selecting colors for them.


Palette list box	Lets you select a standard or custom color palette.
Palette Options	Opens a menu that lets you manage Designer's colors and palettes.
Color Palette	Shows the colors available in the current color palette.
Gradient distribution	The gradient distribution bar lets you change the distribution of the gradient. To add a pointer, click in the bar or just above it. To move a pointer (other than 0 or 100), drag it along the bar. To change the color for a pointer, click it, then click a color in the color palette. To delete a point, click it then press DELETE. This example shows a multicolor gradient:
Gradient shape	Click one of these buttons to select a shape for the gradient: Linear Radial Square Conical
Preview area	Shows a sample of the shape, distribution, and angle of the gradient you have chosen, and lets you drag handles to adjust the origin and angle of the gradient.
Origin	Type a value for the starting point of the gradient. If you prefer, you can drag the solid square handle in the preview area.
Angle	Type an angle for the gradient. If you prefer, you can drag the solid circular handles in the preview area.

This panel lets you fill the line of a selected object or group of objects with a two-color hatch pattern.

You choose the hatch pattern from the gallery of predefined patterns. You can change the foreground and background color, and you can vary the line thickness and spacing in the pattern.

To apply the hatch pattern to the selected object, click Apply or double-click the pattern.


Hatch Pattern area	Displays the hatch patterns available in Designer.
Thickness	Lets you change the line thickness of hatch fills. The default value is 100%. Changing this value to 200% makes the lines twice as heavy; setting it to 50% makes the lines half as heavy.
Spacing	Lets you change the spacing between hatch lines. The default value is 100% (no change). Setting this value to 200% doubles the space between lines; setting it to 50% cuts the space in half.
Foreground	Lets you set the hatch pattern color. Click the Foreground button, then click a color in the color palette.
Background	Lets you set the color behind the hatch pattern. Click the Background button, then click a color in the color palette. The background color is transparent by default.
Palette Options	Opens a menu that lets you manage Designer's colors and palettes.
Color Mixer	Opens the Color Mixer dialog box. You can use the four color swatches on the four corners of the Mixing Palette to create colors for a custom palette.
Edit Color	Opens the Color Picker dialog box. The dialog box lets you choose a color from the full range of possible colors and add it to the color palette.

This panel lets you fill the line of a selected object or group of objects with a two-color or multicolor bitmap image.

You can either choose the image from the gallery of predefined images or create your own fill images using the Clipboard. For two-color images, you can change the foreground and background color.

To apply the image fill to the selected object, click Apply or double-click the pattern.


Image pattern category list	Lets you select a category of images.
Category Options	Lets you create, import, rename, or remove categories.
Image pattern list	Displays the image patterns available for the selected category.
Paste	Puts an image pattern in the preview box (to the left of the Add and Replace buttons) using an object that you have created and copied to the Clipboard.
Remove	Removes a selected pattern from the image pattern list. You can only remove the image patterns that you create.
Scale %	The default value for image scale is 100%. Setting this value to 200% makes the image twice as large; setting it to 50% makes the image half as large.
Add	Adds the pasted image pattern to the current category.
Replace	Replaces the selected image pattern with the pasted image pattern.

This panel lets you fill the line of a selected object or group of objects with another object. You can fill with a single instance of the fill object or with repeating rows and columns of the fill object.

You can either choose the fill object from the gallery of predefined objects or create your own fill objects using the Clipboard. For two-color fill objects, you can change the foreground and background color.

To apply the object fill to the selected object, click Apply or double-click the fill object.


Object pattern category list	Lets you select a category of objects.
Category Options	Lets you create, import, rename, or remove categories.
Object pattern list	Displays the object patterns available for the selected category.
Paste	Puts an object pattern in the preview box (to the left of the Edit, Add, and Replace buttons) using an object that you have created and copied to the Clipboard.
Remove	Removes a selected pattern from the object pattern list. You can only remove the patterns that you create.
Edit	Opens the Edit Object Fill dialog box for editing the selected object pattern.
Add	Adds the pasted object pattern to the current category.
Replace	Replaces the selected object pattern with the pasted object pattern.

This panel lets you remove the line of a selected object or group of objects. The line becomes invisible.

To see the outline of an object that has invisible fill for both its line and its interior, point to Preview on the View menu, and click Wireframe.

This option lets you choose whether an object is filled before or after its lines are drawn.

This option lets you choose whether transforming (resizing, rotating, skewing, or flipping) an object also transforms its fill. For example, with fill transform turned on, resizing an object with an image fill resizes the image fill; with fill transform turned off, resizing the object does not resize the image fill.

The Preview button lets you see the effect of any changes on a selected object. (This button has no effect if no object is selected.) You may have to move the dialog box to see the selection.

The Object Format box stays open to let you apply changes to objects without having to open the dialog box repeatedly. Click Apply each time you want to apply a change to a selected object. The dialog box does not close until you click Close.

By rolling up the Object Format dialog box, you can keep it accessible, but out of your way. Click

on the title bar to roll up the dialog box. Click

to unroll it.