Drawing and Vector Effects
Creating Math Equations
Creating Math Equations You can create editable math equation objects and place them in your documents. To Create a Math Equation: Choose Object | Create Math Equation. Create an equation in the Math Equation Creator dialog box by doing any of the ...
Displaying Data in Charts
Displaying Data in Charts Make your data more comprehensible by displaying the information in a chart. Use bars, lines, bubbles, points, pie charts and more to represent your data and communicate visually with color. Create Charts Charts are visually ...
Converting Macro Files to Symbols
Converting Macro Files to Symbols If you have used previous versions of Canvas X Draw (versions 3.5 to 11), you might have a set of legacy Canvas X Draw Macro files. You can convert these Macro files (.MCR) to the new Symbol file format (.CSY) so ...
Modifying Preinstalled Symbols
Modifying Preinstalled Symbols Canvas X Draw comes with hundreds of pre-installed symbols, many of which do not contain any fill. Because they don't contain any fill, if you try to apply a fill ink from the Toolbox, nothing happens. However, if you ...
Creating New Symbols
Creating New Symbols You can create your own symbols from a single vector object, a group of vector objects, or a composite object. Text is converted to a path when an object is saved as a symbol. Save your new symbols in the My Symbols folder so ...
Working with the Symbol Library Palette
Working with the Symbol Library Palette The Symbol Library palette comes stocked with a range of symbols you can use in your Canvas X documents, or you can create your own symbols and add them to the Symbol Library. You can create symbols from any ...
Binding Objects to Path
Binding Objects to Path The Bind to Path command is used to bind and align vector objects to a selected path. If you create your object before you create the path, any irregular object must first be converted to paths (Path | Convert to Paths) before ...
Applying Dynamic Effects
Applying Dynamic Effects You can use Dynamic Effects to apply shadows, reflections, glow, or soft edges to objects. Dynamic Effects will move and resize with the objects they are applied to. You can add multiple types of Dynamic Effects to an object. ...
Creating Shadows for Objects
Creating Shadows for Objects The Shadow command lets you apply two types of offset (“drop”) shadows to selected objects. Use the command to apply a shadow made of vector objects or an image. Canvas X Draw places the shadow directly behind the ...
Applying a Mirror Effect
Applying a Mirror Effect You can quickly and easily mirror objects, paths, and images. Using this tool, you can create one half of a drawing and then mirror that half to create a whole, symmetrical drawing. To Mirror Objects, Paths, or Images: Select ...
Fractalizing Objects
Fractalizing Objects Fractals are mathematical transformations that simulate the irregularities and patterns in natural shapes, such as coastlines and mountain ranges. When you fractalize a vector object, its outline becomes jagged. You can use the ...
Colorizing Objects
Colorizing Objects Use the Colorize command to tint vector objects with solid color fill or pen inks when you want to mix two colors, or shade one color with another. Doing this in the Presets palette can be complicated, since you have to create a ...
Extruding Objects
Extruding Objects The Extrude command lets you create objects that appear to have three dimensions. Extrude vector and text objects in parallel style, and vector objects in circular and semi-circular (“sweep”) style. You can rotate and scale extruded ...
Enveloping Objects
Enveloping Objects The Envelope command lets you distort shapes and text, as if an illustration was drawn on a rubber sheet and then stretched. When an object is in Envelope Edit mode, its bounding box acts like the rubber sheet. Canvas X Draw ...
Blending Objects
Blending Objects Using the Blend effect, create gradual transitions in shape, color, and stroke width between two or more objects. Canvas X Draw generates a series of objects (from back-to-front through the stacking order) that appear to transform ...
Combining Objects
Combining Objects The Combine command in Canvas X Draw allows you to create new objects from the intersection of two or more vector objects. You can outline the overlapping objects, delete all except the overlapping area, subtract the overlapping ...
Using Clipping Paths
Using Clipping Paths A clipping path is a special object that creates a frame or window on an object. You can use text objects and vector objects as clipping paths. You can apply a clipping path to one or more objects. The clipping path frames the ...
Offsetting Paths
Offsetting Paths Use the Offset Path command to create new objects that follow the path of a vector object. Composite objects created by the Concentric Circles, Spiral, Cube, Gridmaker, or Multigon tools cannot be offset. An offset object’s path ...
Perspective Effects
Perspective Effects Commands in the Path | Perspective menu can be used to modify vector objects. The 1 Side, 2 Sides, and Vanishing Point commands let you slant the bounding boxes of vector objects to align with vanishing points. By applying these ...
Measure Path Tool
Measure Path Tool The Measure Path tool allows you to draw a polygon path, measure the distance of the path, and calculate data, such as required time and/or required steps to travel the distance based on velocity parameters you have set. To ...
Object Path Editor
Object Path Editor This function allows you to view and edit the X/Y coordinates of each individual point of a basic vector object, polygon, or Bézier curve. Basic vector objects are rectangles, lines, ovals, and arcs. To View the Points of a Single ...
Using Virtual Guides for Precise Vector Placement
Using Virtual Guides for Precise Vector Placement Virtual guides are designed to make it easy to establish angles and distances. Once you have enabled virtual guides, you can click anywhere in the work space and see guide lines at angles you specify. ...
Using Smart Mouse for Precise Alignment
Using Smart Mouse for Precise Alignment Smart Mouse is a drawing aid that can help the cursor precisely snap to a point on another object when you are drawing. Snap constraints like Smart Mouse are particularly useful when creating technical ...
Sizing and Aligning with Smart Snaps
Sizing and Aligning with Smart Snaps You can use Smart Snaps to center and size objects relative to each other or to their place on the page. The Smart Snaps appear as dotted lines on the page. Smart Snaps are on by default. Alignment on the Page As ...
Using the Dimensioning Tools
Using the Dimensioning Tools You can easily add formatted dimensions to documents with the Dimensioning tools. These tools can measure horizontal, vertical, oblique, and perpendicular distances; measure diameter, radius, angle, area, and perimeter; ...
Using the Dimensioning Tools
Using the Dimensioning Tools You can easily add formatted dimensions to documents with the Dimensioning tools. These tools can measure horizontal, vertical, oblique, and perpendicular distances; measure diameter, radius, angle, area, and perimeter; ...
Setting Up a Document’s Measurement Scale
Setting Up a Document’s Measurement Scale Canvas X Draw offers a variety of options for creating scale drawings. You can use the Add unit feature to define a new unit of measurement for a particular document or redefine an existing unit. (See Adding ...
Setting Up a Document’s Measurement Scale
Setting Up a Document’s Measurement Scale Canvas X Draw offers a variety of options for creating scale drawings. You can use the Add unit feature to define a new unit of measurement for a particular document or redefine an existing unit. (See Adding ...
Exporting and Importing Geometric Data
Exporting and Importing Geometric Data Canvas X Draw lets you export numerical data about a geometric object to a text file. You can also import geometric data from a text file or from a .CSV file. Exporting Geometric Data To Export Geometric Data: ...
Joining Open Vector Objects
Joining Open Vector Objects The Smart Join function lets you join two or more open vector objects together to become a single object. To Join Objects Together: Select the open vector objects you want to join by holding down the Shift key and clicking ...
Joining Open Vector Objects
Joining Open Vector Objects The Smart Join function lets you join two or more open vector objects together to become a single object. To Join Objects Together: Select the open vector objects you want to join by holding down the Shift key and clicking ...
Converting Polygons to Bézier Objects
Converting Polygons to Bézier Objects The Fit Bézier command changes a polygon to a Bézier curve path. This command can be applied to a single selected polygon that is not in Edit mode. Fit Bézier is useful when you want to use handles attached to ...
Converting Polygons to Bézier Objects
Converting Polygons to Bézier Objects The Fit Bézier command changes a polygon to a Bézier curve path. This command can be applied to a single selected polygon that is not in Edit mode. Fit Bézier is useful when you want to use handles attached to ...
Simplifying Vector Paths
Simplifying Vector Paths The Reduce Points command lets you simplify vector paths by reducing the number of anchor points in the path. Simplifying is a good practice when paths you import or create have a very high number of anchor points. These ...
Simplifying Vector Paths
Simplifying Vector Paths The Reduce Points command lets you simplify vector paths by reducing the number of anchor points in the path. Simplifying is a good practice when paths you import or create have a very high number of anchor points. These ...
Reshaping Paths by Editing Anchor Points
Reshaping Paths by Editing Anchor Points A path can contain two kinds of anchor points: smooth points and corner points. Smooth point: An anchor point that connects two curve segments where the curve flows smoothly through the anchor point without a ...
Reshaping Paths by Editing Anchor Points
Reshaping Paths by Editing Anchor Points A path can contain two kinds of anchor points: smooth points and corner points. Smooth point: An anchor point that connects two curve segments where the curve flows smoothly through the anchor point without a ...
Editing Object Paths
Editing Object Paths Most vector objects in Canvas X Draw are paths. Whether you draw with Path tools (Curve, Freehand, Polygon, Smooth Polygon, Auto Curve) or other shape tools (Rectangle, Oval, Line, Arc), you create paths, and you can use the same ...
Editing Object Paths
Editing Object Paths Most vector objects in Canvas X Draw are paths. Whether you draw with Path tools (Curve, Freehand, Polygon, Smooth Polygon, Auto Curve) or other shape tools (Rectangle, Oval, Line, Arc), you create paths, and you can use the same ...
Drawing with the Path Tools
Drawing with the Path Tools You can use the Curve, Polygon, Smooth Polygon, Freehand, Vector Brush, and Auto Curve tools to draw vector objects as open or closed paths. When you use the Curve, Polygon, Smooth Polygon, and Auto Curve tools, you set ...
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