FrameMaker 7.0 Tutorial:
Graphics

This tutorial is provided for advanced documentation students on a free, as-is basis, without guarantee of accuracy. If you find any errors or think we should include other tasks, let us know!

This tutorial discusses the following topics:

• Displaying the Tools Palette
• Drawing Basic Shapes
• Selecting Objects
• Aligning Objects
• Resizing Objects
• Duplicating Objects
• Distributing Objects
• Grouping Objects
• Changing Object Properties
• Adding Callouts and Text
• Applying and Customizing Color

Subsequent tutorials focus on tags, tables, anchored frames, templates, master pages, reference pages, cross-references, tables of contents, indexes, variable text, book building, conversion techniques, and structured documents. These tutorials provide an overview of each topic discussed. If you required information about advanced FrameMaker topics, refer to the Adobe FrameMaker User Guide or Adobe FrameMaker Classroom in a Book for the current version of FrameMaker.

Note: For the sake of brevity, we use an abbreviated style for menu commands throughout this lesson. For example, "Select File > New" means "Select New from the File menu."

Displaying the Tools Palette

1. Open FrameMaker, and select File > New > Document.
   
   
2. From the New dialog box, click Portrait.
   
   
3. Click (Tools Palette) located on the right side of the document window.
   
   The tools palette contains the following tools and properties:
   

   Selection tools: used to select existing text and drawing objects. Drawing tools: used to draw shapes such as lines, arcs, rectangles, circles, and polygons. Drawing properties: used to view and change a drawing object's properties.

   
   You will use the tools palette to select drawing tools and change the properties of drawing objects.
   
   
4. Select File > Save As.
   
   
5. In the File name box, type graphics, and click Save.
   
   

   Note: If you are working in the TCM computer lab, save the file to your lab account. If you do not have a lab account, please contact your instructor.

Drawing Basic Shapes

Note: Before you draw any graphics, create an anchored frame within which you draw all the objects in the following tutorial. For details, see anchored frames.

1. On the tools palette, click (Rectangle Tool).
   
   
2. Click and drag the crosshair in the document window to draw a rectangle. After you release the mouse button and move the pointer away from the rectangle, the pointer changes back to (I-beam).
   

   Note: You use the same basic procedure to draw circles, arcs, lines, and freehand lines.

3. Press the Delete key to delete the rectangle.
   
   

1. On the tools palette, click (Rectangle Tool).
   
   
2. Press and hold the Shift key, and then drag the crosshair to create the square. (Holding the Shift key keeps the sides of the rectangle equal, allowing you to easily create a square.)
   
   
3. Select Graphics > Object Properties.
   
   
4. In the Object Properties dialog box, type 2 in the Width and Height boxs.
   
   
5. Click Set. (This feature allows you to create objects using exact measurements.)

1. Select the square from the previous exercise.
   
   
2. Select Graphics > Set # Sides.
   
   
3. In the Set Number of Sides dialog box, type 8 in the Number of Sides box.
   
   
4. Click Set.
   
   The square changes to an octagon.
   
   

Selecting Objects

Aligning Objects

1. Draw a square. (Remember to press and hold the Shift key.)
   
   
2. Click (oval tool), and draw a circle. (Press and hold the Shift key to draw a circle.)
   
   Make the circle slightly smaller than the square.
   
   
3. With the circle still selected, press and hold the Shift key, and then select the square. (Both objects should be selected.)
   
   
4. Select Graphics > Align.
   
   
5. In the Align dialog box, select T/B Centers and L/R Centers.
   
   
6. Click Align.
   
   The center of the circle is aligned with the center of the square.
   

Resizing Objects

1. Select the square that you created in the previous exercise.
   
   
2. Position your cursor over the bottom-center selection handle until your cursor changes to (Arrow) .
   
   
   
   
3. Click the selection handle, and drag downward a few inches to extend the square into a rectangle.
   
   

   Tip: You can also resize an object to exact measurements by right-clicking the object, selecting Object Properties, and then typing exact measurement for Width and Heigth properties.

Duplicating Objects

1. Select the circle that you created in the previous exercise.
   
   
2. Place your cursor over the circle.
   
   Your cursor changes to (hollow arrow).
   
   
   
   
3. Press and hold the Ctrl key, and then drag the circle downward.
   
   Notice that (plus sign) is added to your cursor. This signifies that you are dragging a copy of the object instead of the original object.
   
   

   Tip: To drag the object in a straight line, press and hold the Shift key.

   
   
4. Repeat the steps above to create a third circle.
   
   

Distributing Objects

1. Select one of the circles that you created in the previous exercise.
   
   
2. Press and hold the Shift key, and then select the other two circles.
   
   
3. Select Graphics > Distribute.
   
   
4. In the Distribute dialog box, select Equidistant Centers for both Horizontal Spacing and Vertical Spacing.
   
   
5. Click Distribute. The three circles are now distributed with equal space between them.
   
   

Grouping Objects

1. Make certain that the three circles are still selected.
   
   
2. Select Graphics > Group.
   
   The three circles are now grouped together and treated as one object. The selection handles change to reflect this new grouping.
   
   
3. With the group still selected, press and hold the Shift key, and then select the rectangle.
   
   
4. Select Graphics > Align.
   
   
5. In the Align dialog box, select T/B Centers and L/R Centers, and click Align.
   
   The group is now centered within the rectangle.
   
   
6. To ungroup the selection, select Graphics > Ungroup.
   
   

Changing Object Properties

1. Select the top circle.
   
   
2. Click (Set Fill Pattern).
   
   
3. In the Fill Pattern dialog box, select the solid fill option.
   
   
   
   
4. Click (Set Color).
   
   
5. In the Color dialog box, select Red.
   
   
   
   
6. Select the middle circle, and repeat the steps above to apply a solid, yellow fill.
   
   
7. Select the lower circle, and apply a solid, green fill.
   
   
8. Select the rectangle.
   
   
9. Click (Set Line Width).
   
   
10. In the Line Width dialog box, select a thicker line weight.
    
    

Adding Callouts and Text

1. Click (Set Line Widths), and select a thinner line weight for the callouts.
   
   
2. Click (Set Color), and select the color black.
   
   
3. Click (Draw a Line).
   
   
4. Draw a line that extends out from the red circle.
   
   

   Tip: To create a horizontal line, press and hold the Shift key.

   
   
5. Place your cursor over the line. (Your cursor changes to a hollow arrow.)
   
   
6. Press and hold the Ctrl key, and then drag the line downward to the yellow circle.
   
   
7. Repeat the steps above to add a line to the green circle..
   
   
8. Click (Draw a Text Line).
   
   
9. Click within the document window next to the callout for the red circle.
   
   
10. Type the word Red. (You can change the font and point size using the Format menu.)
    
    
11. Repeat the steps above to add text to the yellow and green circles.
    
    

    Note: Text lines are somewhat different than other drawing objects because you can select the object (with selection handles) or select the text characters. Experiment with the two types of selection tools to see what kind of results you get.

Applying and Customizing Color

1. Select some text and click the Set Color button in the Tools Palette.


2. Select a color from the Color dialog box.

1. Click View > Color > Definitions.


2. Assign a name to your custom color, for example, Darker green.


3. For Model, select RGB.


4. Push the red, green, and blue slider bars around until you get the shade of color you want.




5. Click Add. Your customized color will be listed in the items under the Set Color button.

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