<chapter label="3" id="objects-chapter">
<title>Objects</title>
  <sect1 id="objects-introduction">
  <title>Objects Introduction</title>
   <para>
    Objects are what makes up a diagram.  Objects are shapes which are either
    pre-defined or user-defined.
   </para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="using-objects">
  <title>Using Objects</title>
   <sect2 id="adding-objects">
   <title>Adding Objects</title>
    <para>
     Adding objects to the <application>Dia</application> canvas can be
     accomplished by clicking on the desired object in the 
     <interface>Toolbox</interface> to select what you want placed on the 
     canvas.  
     Clicking on the canvas will then place the object on the canvas.
    </para>
    <para>
     <application>Dia</application> provides two types of objects:
      <itemizedlist>
       <listitem>
        <para>
         User-defined objects allow a user to create their own objects,
         which are based off of a prefabricated template.
        </para>
        <para>
         For example, clicking on the square object and placing it on the
         canvas, creates a square.  However, the dimensions of the object can
         be changed.  See the Resizing Objects section for more information.
         <!-- Add link to resizing objects -->
        </para>
       </listitem>
       <listitem>
        <para>
         Pre-defined objects are mostly designs which cannot be edited.
         They can be resized, but the object itself cannot be edited.
        </para>
       </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="moving-objects">
   <title>Moving Objects</title>
    <para>
     When an object is inserted into the canvas, the desired object will appear
     with small green boxes (also known as handles) defining the borders.
     <figure>
       <title>Adjuster Dots</title>
       <screenshot>
         <screeninfo>The green dots allow resizing the image.</screeninfo>
         <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/greendots.png" srccredit=
	 "Kevin Breit" />
       </screenshot>
     </figure> 
     The area inside the boxes is the object area.  Click and hold on the
     object area.  Then move the mouse around, inside the canvas, to move
     the object to another place on the canvas.
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="resizing-objects">
   <title>Resizing Objects</title>
    <para>
     The previous paragraph, explains the concept of the green boxes.
     These are used to manipulate the size of the object.  To change the size,
     click and hold on a green button.  Drag to the respective size, then let
     go.
    </para>
    <para> 
     The corner green buttons will change both the height and the width at 
     the same time.       
     The two on the top and bottom edges, in the center will edit height while
     the two on the left and right edges, in the center will edit width.  
     Some shapes 
    </para>
    <tip>
     <para>
      To drag with the corner buttons, but keep proportions, hold the shift key
      while resizing.  This only applies to the special objects, not regular
      shapes.
     </para>
    </tip>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="deleting-objects">
   <title>Deleting Objects</title>
    <para>
     To delete an object, click on the object to select it. The green boxes
     will appear to indicate the object is selected.  
     From the menus choose Edit, Delete.  
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect3 id="aligning-objects">
   <title>Aligning Objects</title>
    <para>
      <application>Dia</application> provides some functionality to help 
      arrange mulitple objects without needing to move each object 
      individually.  
      <!-- TODO explain the different types of Alignment -->
    </para>
   </sect3>
   <sect3 id="grouping-objects">
   <title>Grouping Objects</title>
    <para>
       Grouping allows you to treat several objects as a unified group that 
       acts a lot more like a single object.  A group enables you to 
       fix the position of the objects in releation to each other.  
       Select more than one object and then from the menu choose 
       Object, Group to group them.  
    </para>
   </sect3>
  <sect2 id="line-properties">
   <title>Line Properties</title>
    <para>
     One of <application>Dia</application>'s objects is the line.  The line
     object is symbolized by the following icon:
    </para> 
    <figure>
      <title>The line icon</title>
     <screenshot>
      <screeninfo>The line icon</screeninfo>
      <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line_icon.png" srccredit=
      "Steffen Macke" />
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="line-styles">
   <title>Line Styles</title>
    <para>
     Lines can be easily edited to easily create items such as arrows.  At the
     bottom of the toolbox is 3 buttons with lines through them.  Clicking
     and holding will open up a menu which demonstrates what the change will
     look like.
    </para>
    <figure>
    <title>Line properties</title>
      <screenshot>
        <screeninfo>The three sections are all described below.</screeninfo>
        <graphic format="PNG" fileref="graphics/line_props.png" 
	srccredit="Kevin Breit" />
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    <para>
     Lines can employ different style types such as:
     <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Solid
       </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
      <para>
       Dashed
      </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Dash-Dot 
       </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Dash-Dot-Dot
       </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Dotted
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </itemizedlist>
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="line-thickness">
   <title>Line Thickness</title>
    <para>
     The thickness of lines can be edited by clicking on the five thicknesses
     to the right of the color selector.
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="arrows">
   <title>Arrows</title>
    <para>
     The line tool can be used to create arrows.  By clicking on the two side
     buttons on the bottom of the toolbox, a menu pulls out showing the possible
     beginning and end designs for the arrows.
    </para>
   </sect2>
   <sect2 id="line-colors">
   <title>Line Colors</title>
    <para>
     The line color can be edited by double-clicking on the line once it has
     been placed on the canvas.  A window will show up.  The second line is
     labeled as "Line Colour" with a bar demonstrating the selected color.  By
     clicking on the bar, you can change the color of the line.
    </para>
   </sect2>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="object-properties">
  <title>Object Properties</title>
   <para>
    Each object has its own properties assigned to it.  They can be accessed
    by double-clicking on an object already on the canvas.  A window will appear
    allowing you to edit numerous properties including:
    <itemizedlist>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Line width
      </para>
     </listitem>
     <listitem>
      <para>
       Line color
      </para>
     </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    among others.
   </para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="colors">
  <title>Colors</title> 
   <para>
    All the objects can be colored in different ways, according to a user
    defined setting.
   </para>
   <para>
    The color control is located near the bottom of the toolbox. There are two
    squares make up the control.  The one on the top left is the
    foreground color.  The one in the bottom right is the background color.
    To edit the colors, click on the desired box and select the color in the
    color window that appears.
   <note>
    <para>
     This control will only allow the selection of colors of objects which have
     not yet been placed on the canvas.
    </para>
   </note>
   <tip>
    <para>
     To inverse the colors, click on the little arrow to the top right of the
     two boxes.
    </para>
   </tip>
   <tip>
    <para>
     To set the colors back to the default, click on the black and white box
     to the bottom left of the color selector.
    </para>
   </tip>
  </para>
 </sect1>
</chapter>
