Element Presentation

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User Libraries: Element Presentation

Libraries are special drawing files that contain graphic elements, property containers, or drawing tool references for use as specialized drawing tools. A library palette has 3 different presentation formats; Name, Element, and Button (or Icon). This documentation page discusses the use of the Element presentation form of the Library palette. This view displays all library elements graphically and the name of the selected element.

The user library palette may be resized as desired. If there is not room to show all graphics in the library sliders are provided to scroll down the contents of the library. The size of the individual library elements and number of columns is set automatically after a user resize of the palette.

This Element presentation view of a library palette is accessed by first opening a library using the Libraries main menu. If the library is in the Name presentation format, use the popup menu at the bottom of the palette to select this, the Element, presentation form. If the library is in the Button (or Tool - Icon) format use the lower right "L" button to return to the Name or Element (last used) view.

The buttons and popup menu found at the bottom of the palette are discussed on the User Libraries help page. Click the link to learn about their use.

The library’s complete contents are shown as a thumbnail images on the array of squares found on the top portion of the palette. The name of one selected library element (last selected) is shown in the text box near the bottom of the palette. Scrollers are provided if necessary to view the complete contents in the screen area provided.

The Element images are used to select a library element, click on an element to select. Selected elements have a red frame in their element square. Multiple selections are possible, use the Shift key to extend a range of selections. The Apple-Command key is used to make multiple, non-contiguous, selections, hold down the CMD key to add another element to the selection. In the case of multiple selections, only the last (most recent) selection is shown in the name text box at the bottom of the palette. Multiple selections are useful when arranging or moving graphic elements between different libraries.

The name of a library element is changed by first selecting the element’s image, then editing the text in the lower text box. Names of elements in a library must be unique. If a duplicate name is entered, EazyDraw will automatically make it unique by adding a counting number at the end of the name.

Use drag and drop to move elements to different locations in the library. First select an element square (or squares), then click and drag it to a new location to re-arrange the location of elements in the library.

Click - drag - drop is used from element squares portion of the palette to an EazyDraw drawing. This action will add the library element(s) to the drawing. Drag and drop between libraries is also supported, this will add a copy of library element to the destination library, the originating graphic always remains in the source library.

Drag and Drop works in both directions. A graphic from an EazyDraw drawing may be added to a library by dragging the graphic to element squares area at the top of this palette. The specific drop position is honored and the new library element is inserted into the corresponding position in the library. The other way to add a graphic to a library is to use the "plus" button found near the bottom of this palette.

Selected Elements are removed from a library with the "minus" button found at the bottom of the palette. This action cannot be undone.

Library elements may be parameter set containers (see the Transfer Palette documentation for more information on this) and not actual graphics. In this case the graphic display is shown with a faint yellow background and a blue dashed border. This provides a visual clue that indicates the different behavior of the library element. If the parameter set is fully abstract and originated directly from a parameter palette, the graphic shown is a rounded rectangle with an accentuated top right corner.

This presentation mode does not show or work with an independent icon for library elements. The Name presentation form of this palette is used for that work. The representations shown in the element squares are thumbnail renditions derived directly from the library element.

The display of library elements on this palette may be high resolution vector quality, or more likely a lower resolution bitmap renditions. This choice is made automatically by EazyDraw. The choice of library display method does not represent the format or inherent quality of the library element. A vector graphic library element is stored in the native vector format and added to a drawing as a full quality original vector graphic. The use of a bitmap display for this palette is often required to properly convey the appearance of the original graphic. A large complex group graphic may not be recognizable as a size reduced line-art vector, but the original appearance is maintained when shown as an down-sampled and anti-alias bit map representation. This is true for large size line art group graphics and also for any text.