Tool Palette
Many of the tools in this palette are easy guess what they do.
Click on the Rectangle tool. It will change to indicate it is selected.
Click and drag to create a rectangle.
The X and Y coordinates show up on the Data Display bar.
Click and hold the mouse button and then drag to the opposite corner or the rectangle. The rectangle is created when the mouse is no longer depressed.
(Screen Hints)
Draw a second rectangle from the lower right corner of the first one.
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With the Rectangle Tool still selected, float your mouse to the lower
right corner. When you are getting close to the corner a message
will appear. Vectorworks is anticipating that you would like to use
that corner as one of your endpoints.
Screen hints will also show up for the center or the Rectangle and the center of each of the sides. This features enables the creation of accuratly aligned shapes. |
Create another rectangle above the first one alligned to the left side.
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If you would like to create another rectangle that is aligned with another object move your cursor in the vicinity of that edge or side of an object. A dashed line will appear and a message that indicates the alignment. Move your cursor slowly to where you want to begin or end the new rectangle. |
Create a square
from the centerpoint of one of the rectangles.
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Often we desire to create a constrained shape, a straight
line as opposed to an angled one, a square instead of a rectangle,
a circle instead of an oval.
Holding down the [Shift] key at the same time as the shape is clicked and dragged constrains the resulting shape. |
Double Clicking on the rectangle tool will bring up a dialog box.
The size of the object can be entered on the keyboard. Tab brings up the next field.
The location of the object may be inserted by next mouse click or entering the coordinates.
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Click on the 2-D Selection tool
(Arrow) and click on an object.
Clicking the mouse on the drawing surface not occupied by an object Deselects an object.
Objects
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Holding Down the Shift Key allows Multiple Objects
to be selected.
(Clicking a Selected object toggles off the selection.) *clicking on blank space and moving the mouse over objects will select all the objects completely surrounded. |
[control] +Z is the command for Undo.
The command to Undo may be found under the Edit Menu. Repeated [control] + Z may undo up to 20 steps. If you accidently move an object, it is very simple to return it to the previous location.
[control] + Y is the command for Redo.
This command is also located under the Edit Menu. Multiple Redos are also possible.
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Select the object
Click on the oject and drag it to a new location. Release |
with Constraints
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Holding down the [Shift] key while moving an object will
constrain the move.
In the example, the rectangle is constrained in the Horiznotal as indicated by the screen hint. |
Select the Square
Move the mouse over the center
Click on it with the Screen Hint and move it to the bottom center of the rectangle.
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Select an object.
[control]+ M
brings up a dialog box.
Type in values and click
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This is a efficient method to move an object a determined distance. |
VectorWorks default places the objects created last on top of previously created objects.
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In this example:
The rectangle was drawn first. the circle second the line third and the triangle last. A filled object will cover over preiously drawn objects.
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Under the Tool Meubar
The Send command can alter the object order.
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The Send Forward
or Send Backward moves the object one at a time.
The Send To Front
[Control] + F
or Send to Back
[Control] + B
moves an object to the start or back of the entire drawing.
 The Send Back Command moves the triangle back and the line appears on top of the triangle. |
 Repeating the Command places the triangle underneath the circle. |
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Moving the mouse point over a selected objects verticies changes the curser into an arrow. Click to resize the object. |
[control] + I opens the object info box.
This is a powerful tool to edit an existing object.
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An object may be resized by entering different values for x and y.
(you may type in + or - the amount you would like to change the X or Y
value.
An oject may be moved by changing the x and y coordinates.
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The objects that have been created thus far have been with the default of black outline and solid white fill.
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The attribute palettle will change how an object is drawn.
The Paint bucket indicates fill.
Selecting an object and then changes the attributes only changes the object. Changing the attributes without an object selected, the changes will be maintained in the attrbute box. |
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Line Style
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2-Dimensional Tool Palette
Click and Drag Creation
Smart Cursor Alignment
Constraints (shift key)
Creation by Dialog box
Selecting / deselecting objects
Selecting multiple objects
Undo
Redo
Delete
Object order (Send)
Move
Editing by selection
Editing by Object Information
Attributes