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The graphics environment is a layout-based environment. The behavior of the
environment is devoted to placing, moving, and developing graphic items and frames.
It is important to understand a few basic features of the graphics environment before you
get started.
Selecting has a very specific meaning in the Gobe Productive suite. When
you are working in a word processing document, selecting text is easy. Click the
mouse button and highlight some text.
However, when you are working with frames and graphic items in the
graphics environment, selection is a little different. When you select a frame or graphic
item, small "handles" appear on the edges of the item. Since all frames
behave like graphic items, when a frame is selected, it can be resized, rotated, etc.
If you want to work on the content inside a frame, though, it must be activated.
To activate a frame, double click anywhere on the frame. The Gobe Productive
interface then changes to display the tools and menus applicable for the activated
frame. For example, while working in a word processing document, if you insert a
spreadsheet frame, the interface changes to display tools and menus applicable for the
spreadsheet environment.

In this example, a word processing frame and a graphic item (the red box)
are placed within a spreadsheet document. When the text frame is selected, small handles
appear on the edge of the frame. Notice that the PartBar is in "graphics
mode". The frame is behaving like any other graphic item.

In this example, the text frame is active. Notice that the PartBar has changed to
display the word processing tools. This is because when a frame is active, you are
"inside" the frame's environment.
To select a frame: Click the frame once. You can now manipulate
the frame like a graphic object.
To activate a frame: Click twice on the frame. You can now work
on the contents of the frame. (If the frame was already selected, you only need to click
once).
To "unselect' or "inactivate" a frame: Click
anywhere else in the workspace or select/activate a different frame.
When working with items in the graphics environment, it is important to use the correct
selection tool. By default, the cursor is in Normal mode. However, you can
change this mode at any time using the selection tool on the ToolBar.
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Normal |
Use the normal selection pointer to select, move, and activate items in
the workspace. |
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Rotate |
When positioned at the corners of a selected frame or graphic item, the
rotation pointer allows you to freely rotate an item or frame. This pointer works like a
normal pointer when not positioned at the corner of a frame or item. |
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Reshape |
When positioned over the handle of a graphic item, this point allows you
to freely reshape an item. This is especially useful for graphic items with many
handles, such as a curve or bezigon (Beizer Curve). This pointer works like a normal
pointer when not positioned at the handles on a curve. |
The Gobe Productive graphics environment has two modes: freehand and AutoGrid.
In freehand mode, you can place items anywhere in the workspace without anything guiding
the placement of those items. In AutoGrid mode, the workspace is governed by
non-printing vertical and horizontal guides. With AutoGrid mode on, items align to the
grid guides and are easier to align using the mouse. In freehand mode, items have no
guides and therefore are a little harder to align, but you can control their placement at
a much finer level. Try both modes and see which mode you are most comfortable using.
To Toggle AutoGrid Mode On and Off
- To turn AutoGrid mode on, check the AutoGrid menu item in the Arrange
menu. If the menu item is already checked, then AutoGrid mode is already on.
- To turn AutoGrid mode off, uncheck the AutoGrid menu item in the Arrange
menu.
To Display Grid Lines
The workspace can display major coordinate lines for the grid. These lines are
not all the grid lines, but merely non-printing hash marks placed at regular intervals to
help guide the layout of items in the workspace.
- To display the grid: check the Draw Grid menu item in the Arrange
menu.
- To hide the grid lines: uncheck the Draw Grid menu item in the Arrange
menu.

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