Filled Areas

• Select the Box tool   or use the Box command in the Draw menu.
• Move the cursor which now has changed to a cross   to the point on the canvas where you want one corner of the rectangle and click the left mouse button.
• Move the cursor to the position where you want the opposite corner and click the right button.

   

• Keep the SHIFT key down during the last step if you want a square box.

The box will be filled according to the current settings of fill properties for the interior, and the current line properties for the edge.

Ellipses and Circles

• Select the Ellipse tool   or use the Ellipse command in the Draw menu.
• Move the cursor which now has changed to a cross   to the point on the canvas where you want one corner of the bounding box of the ellipse and click the left mouse button.
• Move the cursor to the position where you want the opposite corner and click the right button.

   

• Keep the SHIFT key down during the last step if you want a circle.

The ellipse will be filled according to the current settings of fill properties for the interior, and the current line properties for the edge.

Closed Polygons

• Select the Polygon tool   or use the Polygon command in the Draw menu.
• Draw the polygon in the same way as you would draw the corresponding polyline.
• The polygon is closed automatically when you set the last point (click the right mouse button).

The polygon will be filled according to the current settings of fill properties for the interior, and the current line properties for the edge.

Closed Curves

• Select the Closed Curve tool   or use the Closed Curve command in the Draw menu.
• Draw the closed curve in the same way as you would draw the corresponding open curve.
• The curve is closed automatically when you set the last point (click the right mouse button).

The curve will be filled according to the current settings of fill properties for the interior, and the current line properties for the edge.

Fill Properties

You can set the options in the Fill Options dialog. The most commonly used options can also be set in the Fill Options toolbox.

Note, that the edges of a filled object follow the settings of line options.

Fill Color

To change the fill color click on the fill color sample or the drop-down menu in the Fill Options toolbox to expand the fill color selection box.

 

You can now select a new fill color in three different ways:

• Click on one of the 18 colors in the fill color palette, or
   
• Use the Color Dropper tool   and pick a color anywhere on your desktop, or
   
• Press the More Colors button. It will open the Color Selection dialog by which you can get any color you want.

The fill color palette contains the eight "pure" colors plus ten more colors. Whenever you get a new fill color by means of the dropper or from the Color Selection dialog it will replace one of the colors in the fill color palette, namely the one which at the given time has the smallest hit rate. This means that the palette always gives you quick access to the ten most used fill colors and the "pure" colors.

The easiest way to select a fill color will normally be through the fill color selection box. However, if you have hidden the Fill Options toolbox you must use the Fill Options dialog to select fill color. It only contains a Color button by which you can open the Color Selection dialog; it does not include the shortcut tools provided by the palette and the dropper.

 

Fill Style

You can set the fill style in a drop-down menu:

If you select Pattern   you can select a pattern family and a pattern in the Pattern Selection dialog.

If you select Texture   you can select a texture family and a texture in the Texture Selection dialog.

Fill Rule

There are two methods to fill a closed curve or polygon.

• The Winding rule (also known as the Non-Zero rule:
  
• The Even-Odd rule (this is the default).
  

This option can only be set in the Fill Options dialog

You can in a similar way change an open object to closed by means the Change to Closed command in the Draw menu.

When you change a closed object to open the line properties (the edge of the closed object) are retained and the fill properties are suspended. However, if you later change it back into a closed object its previous fill properties are restored. If the object previously in its life cycle in the current session has been open, its previous arrow properties are restored when you change to open.

When you change an open object to closed the line properties are retained and used for the edge of the closed object. Arrow head and tail are suspended. However, if you later change it back into an open object its previous arrow properties are restored. The fill properties are inherited from the current settings, unless the object previously in its life cycle in the current session has been closed, in which case its previous fill properties are restored.

"Sleeping" line or fill properties are lost when the layout is saved.