Viz World Classic User Guide

Version 23.0 | Published December 12, 2023 ©

Editing Shapes

The options on the Shape panel allow you to edit the entire shape:

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_shape_panel.png
It provides the following options:

  • Move Shape: Allows you to move, stretch, or rotate a shape.

  • Open Shape: Opens a shape at a selected segment or point.

  • Divide Shape: Divides a shape into two shapes.

  • Join Shapes: Joins two shapes.

  • Smooth: Converts all the points on a shape from corner points to curve points.

  • Sharpen: Converts all the points on a shape from curve points to corner points.

  • Filled/Outline: Specifies whether the shape is filled.

  • Open/Closed: Specifies whether the segment between the endpoints should be drawn.

  • Use To Cut Hole: Makes the shape cut a hole in shapes below it in the Shapes list.

  • Fix Shape: Adds a keyframe (for example, to an animated path).

  • Remove Keys: Removes a keyframe. Use Next and Prev Shape Key to jump between the keyframes.

These options are described in greater detail in the following procedures:

To Move a Shape

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_move_shape_tool.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab, and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Move Shape tool. The shape is shown with a dotted bounding rectangle.

Either:

  • Drag the shape by a point within the rectangle to move it to a new position.

Or:

  • Right-click at the destination and click Move here from the appearing context menu:

    images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_move_here.png

To Resize a Shape

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_move_shape_tool.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab, and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Move Shape tool.

  4. Move the mouse pointer to one of the eight handles on the corners or midpoints of the bounding rectangle.

  5. Drag to resize the shape:

    images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_resize.png
  6. Hold down CTRL to constrain the shape to its original aspect ratio.

To Rotate a Shape

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_move_shape_tool.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab, and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Move Shape tool.

    images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_rotate.png
  4. Point to the rotation handle, which is a yellow circle to the right of the pin position. The cursor changes to a rotation symbol.

  5. Drag the handle to rotate the shape about its pin position.

To Move the Pin Position

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_move_shape_tool.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab, and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Move Shape tool.

  4. Point to the pin position, which is initially at the center of the shape. The cursor changes to a pin symbol.

  5. Drag the pin position to move it.

To Open a Shape

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_open_shape.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Open Shape tool.

Either:

  • Click the border of the shape to open the shape with the start and end points either side of the corresponding segment:

    images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_delete_segment.png

Or:

  1. Click a point to open the shape using that point as the start point.

  2. Click the point a second time to use that point as the end point.

To Divide a Shape

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_divide_shape.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Divide Shape tool.

  4. Drag between two non-adjacent points on the border of the shape.

The shape is split into two shapes along the line joining the points.

To Join Two Shapes into One

images/download/attachments/140821367/workingwithshapes_join_shapes.png

  1. Select a shape from the Layers list.

  2. Select the Contents tab and then the Shape tab.

  3. Select the Join Shapes tool. The start and end points of each shape are displayed.

  4. Click the start or end point on the first shape. A line extends to the cursor.

  5. Click the start or end point on the second shape. The selected endpoints are joined to combine the two shapes into a single shape.