** File: TPPlt_02.hlp
** Index: 51

** Content: Plot editing basics
   :: Add Object
   :: Select Object


Û  Plot editing basics

    This section discusses the basic plot
editing techniques.  We will mainly discuss
the plot objects, not a graph with axes and
curves.  For a discussion of curve and plot
editing, see the corresponding sections in
the TechPlot's handbook (for instance,
Section 5.4 on 2D graphs, Section 5.5 on
3D graphs).

Û  Add object

    To add an object, perform the following
steps:

  þ Move the mouse (or emulated mouse) to
    the specific tool in the tool box and
    click the mouse button or press the
    <Ins> key.

  þ Move the mouse to the client area and
    position it at the starting position of
    the place where you want the object to
    be drawn.

  þ Press the mouse button and drag to an
    ending position then release.  If you
    are using the emulated mouse, press
    the <Ins> key, then move the mouse
    cursor to the ending position and press
    the <Ins> key again.

    When you finish these steps, a new
object will appear on your screen in the
current active color (as shown in the
color palette).  This object can be
independently moved, resized, deleted, etc.


Û  Select object

    To select an object, you can use
either of the following methods.

  Using mouse:

  þ If you have used an edit tool in the
    previous action, make sure that the
    current tool is the Pick Tool.

  þ Move the mouse cursor onto the object
    you wish to select.

  þ Click the mouse button (or press the
    <Ins> key twice when you use emulated
    mouse) to select it.

  Using keyboard:

  You can select an object by using <Tab>
  key and its combination with <Ctrl> and
  <Shift> keys.  <Tab> key will move the
  selected object at same hierarchy level,
  <Shift-Tab> will move it into next level,
  and <Ctrl-Tab> will move it one level up.

  þ If the current active plot object is
    an independent object such as a text
    object, a graph, a circle, etc.,  use
    <TAB> key to circle among all
    independent objects.

  þ If the object you want to select
    belongs a graph such as graph title,
    axis label, tick marks, etc., you need
    select the graph first and then use
    the <Shift-Tab> key to got inside to
    the graph.  Then you can use <TAB> key
    to select the objects that belong to
    the graph.  To exit from selection
    among objects in graph, use the
    <Ctrl-Tab> key.

  þ When you want to select axis label, you
    must first select the graph.  Then use
    <Shift-Tab> to go inside the graph and
    use <Tab> key to select the axis.
    After the axis is selected, use
    <Shift-Tab> again to go inside the axis
    and use <Tab> to select axis label.

Once an object is selected, a rectangle box
with four small boxes will be drawn around
the select object to indicate that this
object is selected.  If another object has
been selected previously, it will then be
automatically deselected.

    After an object has been selected, you
can move, resize, delete, or change its
format attribute.  For the selected object,
you can change the attribute of it by
choosing the Format | Object Format
command.  See Chapter 9 "Plot View
Reference" of the TechPlot user's handbook,
for details.

