Using the Reference Point

The reference point is a fixed point that you can place anywhere within your workspace. Because its location does not change once it is placed, the reference point lets you draw and position objects exactly where you want them relative to the reference point.

The reference point is illustrated below.

The reference point is the red plus sign. The dotted red lines connecting the drawing pointer and the reference point are alignment aids.

The reference point offers the following advantages:

• The red lines that connect the reference point and the pointer make visual alignment easy.
• The position of the reference point is not affected by changing the ruler origin, so you can use it and the ruler coordinates independently.
• The position of the reference point is not affected by changing the page size or adding pages of different sizes. This means you use the reference point to align objects across pages of different sizes in multiple page documents.
• The reference point appears at the same fixed location in all open Designer documents. This means you use the reference point to align objects across documents.
• The reference point can be hidden when not needed.
• The Reference Point coordinates dialog box shows the X coordinate offset, Y coordinate offset, linear distance, and angle between the reference point and the pointer. These measurements let you precisely position and move the cursor as you draw.
• The controls on the Reference Point toolbar let you constrain objects to the reference point in various ways. For information on using the reference point constraints, see Constraining Objects to the Reference Point.

The reference point location is not saved with a document.