Creating New Documents
Creating New Documents
In Canvas X Draw, you can create several different types of documents: Illustrations, Publications, Presentations, and Animations.
There are two ways to create a new document:
- Startup dialog box: When you first start Canvas X Draw, you can create a new document from the Startup dialog box. The new document opens immediately. You can then use the Configuration Center to change document attributes such as the document units and drawing scale.
- Inside Canvas X Draw: If you have Canvas X Draw open already, you can create a new document from the File | New menu or by clicking the New Document icon. The New Document dialog box opens so that you can set the document attributes immediately.
To Create a New Document from the Startup Dialog Box:
In the Startup dialog box, click a document type.
If you don't see the Startup dialog box, choose Window | Show Startup.
To Create a New Document from Inside Canvas X Draw:
- Do one of the following:
- Choose File | New.
- Click the New Document icon.
- In the New Document dialog box, select the document type.
- Select options for the new document.
- Click OK.
New Document Options
The items that you define in this dialog box can be modified via the Properties bar or Document Setup manager (Layout | Document Setup).
Select a type of document. Depending on your choice, the dialog box may offer more or fewer options; i.e., Publication offers Margin settings, rather than a Drawing scale, as well as a layout menu. | |
Drop-down list | For a Publication document, select one of the following:
|
Define the document size and paper unit. The maximum document size is 2000 miles x 2000 miles. Select preset sizes, or set the document size to the printer paper, or enter a custom size. To set up a custom size, choose Custom and enter the width and the height. Select the paper unit from the menu. To change the page orientation of the document, click the Portrait or Landscape button. This swaps the width and height values. To change the paper color, select a color from the drop down. | |
Choose the measurement units for the rulers. (See Setting Up Rulers.) Select the Pixel mode checkbox to view graphics at 72 ppi before they are rendered. | |
For an illustration, animation, or presentation, select one of the preset scale options or create a custom scale. (See Setting Up Rulers.) | |
Margins | For a publication, select the left, right, top, and bottom page margins. |
Save as default | Select this checkbox if you consistently work with the same document type and layout. |
Choosing a Document Type
When you create a new document, you can select an Illustration, Publication, Presentation, or Animation document.
Illustrations
| The most commonly-used format, Illustration documents are the basis for most Canvas X technical illustrations. Illustration documents are general-purpose documents for all types of illustrations and graphics. You can specify a custom document size, and the document can have multiple pages (called sheets), with multiple layers on each sheet. |
Publications
| Publish documents using one of the standard paper sizes or a custom size. Specify full pages or facing pages, or choose one of the standard templates to create brochures, flyers, labels, magazine pages, and more. Publication documents are designed for publications printed with two-sided (facing) pages, although you can also create a Publication that has pages with single sides. You can use master pages to hold items that you want to appear throughout the publication. You can also use multiple layers on each page. |
Presentations
| Presentations and slideshows provide a powerful way of displaying technical data. Presentation documents are designed for on-screen slideshow presentations. You can use multiple layers and a master slide to hold background elements. You can use more than a dozen transition effects, including wipe and dissolve, during slide show playback. |
Animations
Using Document Templates
Templates are special Canvas X Draw documents that you can use as the basis for new documents. When you select a template choosing File | New from Template, Canvas X Draw creates a new document containing the graphics and text in the template and uses the template’s settings for layers, slides, pages, rulers, grids, guides, views, and default object attributes.
How is a template different than a regular Canvas X Draw document? When you choose a template, Canvas X Draw creates a new document based on the template, but doesn’t actually open the template file. When you make changes to the new document and save it to disk, the changes don’t affect the template.
Canvas X Draw treats a template in a similar way when you open one by double-clicking its icon or using the Open command. In either case, rather than open the actual template document, Canvas X Draw makes a new document based on the template’s document type and contents.
Templates, like regular Canvas X Draw documents, are various types: Illustration, Presentation, Publication, and Animation.
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