Everything on a page is an object, whether it is a text block, text frame, picture, EPS graphic or polygon. PageStream provides four tools to manipulate objects:

• Object tool: Use the Object tool to edit, move and scale objects. When this tool is selected, you can manipulate with Object menu commands.
• Reshape tool: Use the Reshape tool to add, delete and move points in paths. You can also split and join paths, change arc angles and distort grid objects.
• Crop tool: Use the Crop tool to crop and shift the contents of framed graphic objects (pictures, drawings, and EPS illustrations).
• Rotate tool: Use the Rotate tool to rotate, slant and twist objects visually and to set the rotation about point.

Selecting Objects

The Object tool allows you to select objects to move, scale or change. An object is selected when size handles (small squares) are shown around its bounding box. You can also select objects with the Reshape, Crop and Rotate tools, but some Object menu commands are disabled when these tools are selected.

If the object is unfilled, you must click on the path (outline) of the object to select it. If the object is filled, you can click anywhere inside the object.

To select an object: Select the Object tool and click on the object with the mouse pointer. Hold down a modifier key to change how the object is selected.

Modifier Key	Effect
Shift	Adds to the selection if unselected; deselects if selected.
Control	Selects the bottom object.
Option (Alt)	Selects all objects in the stack.
Control Shift	Adds the bottom object to the selection if unselected, deselects if selected.
Option Shift (Alt Shift)	Adds objects at the point if unselected; deselects if selected.
Control Option	Add all objects in the stack.
Control Option Shift	Removes all objects in the stack

To deselect an object: Click on a blank area of the page or press the Space Bar to deselect all selected objects, or Shift click a selected object to deselect it.

You can select objects by dragging the mouse around them. PageStream displays a dashed box called a marquÈe when you drag the mouse. Any object that is at least partially inside the marquÈe will be selected.

To select multiple objects: Select the Object tool and drag around the objects to select. Hold down a modifier key to change how the objects are selected. Hold down Alt when initiation the drag to force drag select, even if dragging would normally move or scale an object.

Choose Select All to select all objects on the page or spread.

Modifier Key	Effect
Shift	Adds to the selection if unselected; deselects if selected.
Control	Always adds objects, regardless of their selected state.
Control Shift	Always removes objects, regardless of their selected state.

Changing the Stack Order of Objects

Objects are placed on the page in a stack. The first object drawn will be at the back of the stack. Subsequent objects will be in front of it in the order they are drawn, unless you change the stack order. When you click on a stack of objects, only the front-most one will be selected. You can also select through the stack to select the back-most object by holding down Control, or you can select the entire stack of objects by holding down Option (Alt). You can also select the next object in the stack by pressing Tab or the previous object in the stack by pressing Shift Tab.

You can move an object to the front or back of the stack, or move it forward or backward just one object at a time.

To change the stack order of objects: Select the object(s) to change, then choose the Bring to Front, Bring Forward, Send Backward, or Send to Back commands from the Object menu as applicable.

Working with Groups

PageStream can combine objects into groups to freeze their relative positions and to simplify manipulating them. A group of objects can be selected, moved, scaled and edited as one object. The appearance of the individual objects is unchanged when they are grouped; groups exist only to make editing easier.

Groups can be many levels deep. For example, you could group a number of groups together as one group, or group objects with another group.

To create a group: Select the objects to make into a group. Choose Group from the Object menu.

To select a group: Click on any of the objects within the group. Size handles will appear around the group's objects.

To add objects to an existing group: Select the group and the additional objects. Choose Group from the Object menu. The new group will be made up of the original group and the additional objects. You could also ungroup the original group and then group its objects with the new objects.

To edit individual objects from a group, you must first select the group and then ungroup it to reduce it to its component objects.

To dissolve a group: Select the group and choose Ungroup from the Object menu. Groups are ungrouped in the same order they were grouped. That is, subgroups are not ungrouped when a group containing subgroups is ungrouped.

Working with Drawings

PageStream can combine objects into drawings to simplify manipulating them. A drawing can be selected, moved, scaled and edited as one object. The appearance of the individual objects is unchanged when they are combined into a drawing. The differences between drawings and normal groups are:

• Drawings can be cropped and scaled in a frame.
• Drawings can be left or made external.
• The line weights of drawings are scaled with the drawing when printed. n Drawings can be named and given a description.
• The display of drawings can be toggled off with the Show Drawings option in the Preferences dialog box.

Vector graphics imported from formats other than EPS are imported as drawings. EPS files created with Adobe Illustrator or Art Expression may also be imported as drawings.

To select a drawing: Click on any of the objects within the drawing. Size handles and a gray line will appear around the the drawing's objects.

To dissolve a drawing to edit its component objects: Select the drawing and choose Dissolve Drawing from the Drawing submenu in the Drawing menu.

To create a new drawing: Select the objects to make into a drawing. Choose Make Drawing from the Drawing submenu in the Object menu.

To add objects to an existing drawing: Select the drawing and the additional objects. Choose Add to Drawing from the Drawing submenu in the Object menu.