Using the Tools in Dia
The Drawing Toolbar has many functions that help users create diagrams in Dia. The Drawing Toolbar is located directly underneath the Menu Bar. It holds approximately fourteen functions.
The Modify Object tool is used to select certain objects that are in the diagram. Once these objects are selected, the Modify Object tool is able to move these objects around on the Dia diagram. By default, after every tool or function that is used, Dia selects the Modify Object tool after finishing performing the task(s).
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The Magnify tool on the Drawing Toolbar allows a user to zoom in and out on a particular part of the current diagram. Remember, to print a diagram or resize it, the original size will be used not the magnified view. For example, if you print a diagram after you zoom in on it, the diagram will not print like it displays on the screen.
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The Scroll tool, located third from the left at the top of the Drawing Toolbar is used to scroll around the diagram. Click this tool, click anywhere on the diagram, hold the mouse button down and drag to scroll throughout the entire diagram. Another way to accomplish this task is by using the scroll bars on the side and bottom of the screen. The Scroll tool allows for quicker and easier navigation throughout the project .
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The Create Text tool, located fourth from the left on the top row of the Drawing Toolbar, is used to insert text into the diagram. After clicking the Create Text tool, select where the text is to be positioned and click that spot on the diagram. Once the particular spot is clicked, begin to type the content of the text. When finished typing, the user is still capable of positioning the text. To format the text, double click the small green box directly under the text that was entered. A small Standard Text Properties window appears. At this point format and configure the text that was entered.
The Create Box tool, located left most in the second row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows boxes, rectangles, and squares of any size to be created. After creating a box in the Dia diagram, a user is able to format and configure the box using the small green squares surrounding the box. Click and drag one of these small squares to resize the box in the diagram.
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The Create Ellipse tool, located second from the left in the second row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows users to create circled and ellipses. After clicking the Create Ellipse tool, click on the diagram and drag the mouse to create any elliptical shape desired. A user is now able to format and configure the ellipse using the small green squares surrounding the shape. Click and drag one of these small squares to resize the ellipse of circle in the diagram. Remember , double click the object to format and configure the properties of the ellipse by changing the line width, color, and background.
The Create Polygon tool, located second from the right in the second row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows users to create triangles of any nature. After a user activates the Polygon tool, they are able to click and drag their mouse inside of the Dia diagram to create some sort of a triangle. After doing this the triangle can be formatted very easily using the green resizing squares that are surrounding the triangle when it is selected.
user can also double click the triangle to display the properties of the shape. In these properties, change line width line style and fill color.
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The Create Beziergon tool, located rightmost in the second row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows users to create objects that can be twisted or distorted. After activating the Beziergon tool, click the diagram and drag to create what appears to be some sort of ellipse. After releasing the mouse button, slightly different formating options are available. Notice that there are small green sizing squares for increasing and decreasing width of the circle, and also small red formatting squares. These allow users to twist the lines of the circle to create whatever shape needed. Again, by double clicking the object, the object properties appear in a small window where users can change line width, line style, line color, and fill color.
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The Create Line tool, located leftmost in the third row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows a user to create a line of any length, width, and size. After activating the Create Line tool click in an area in the Dia diagram that you are working on. Drag the mouse until a length of the line is created. After finishing, there is still the option to resize the line with the small green resizing squares at the endpoints of the line. Last, double click the line to view it's properties. From here change line width, line color, line style, start arrow size, and end arrow size.
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The Create Arc tool, located second from the left on the third row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows users to construct an arc with any size and any steep of a curve. After activating this tool by clicking on it, click and drag in the Dia diagram area to create this object. Again red and green sizing tools are available. Use these to format your object. Also you can display a properties window by double clicking on the
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The Create ZigZagLine tool, located second from the right on the third row of the Drawing Toolbar, a user is able to create lines with two vertices and two end points. Click and drag inside the diagram to construct the zigzag line. Use the green and red sizing and shaping tools to format the object to your liking. Also double click the object to view the properties of the line. Customize the line by changing some of the options in the ZigZag Line Properties window.
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The Create Polyline tool, located rightmost on the third row of the Drawing Toolbar, works much in the same way as the Create Line tool. Activate the PolyLine tool and then click and drag in the Dia diagram area. Release the mouse button when finished constructing the line. Use the small green resizing boxes to format the line. Double click to view its properties.
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The Create Bezierline tool, located on the right in the fourth row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows users to create double curved lines. Instead of only one single curve, a user can insert two curves into one single line and format these curves as desired with the small red and green sizing and positioning boxes. Double click the line to view its properties in the Bezierline Properties window.
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The Create Image tool, located on the right in the fourth row of the Drawing Toolbar, allows ythe user to insert an image into the Dia diagram. The steps to do this are simple. Double click the Create Image tool icon. A small dialog box appears. From here enter the filename of the file to insert. Or click browse to look for the specific file that will be contained in the diagram.
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The Color and Line Toolbar allows for many formatting options for the user.
The Color Choice option, located on the left of the Color and Line Toolbar, allows users to select from a wide variety of colors. To do this, click onthe foreground or background button and select a color from the color wheel.
The Line Width option, located on the right of the Color and Line Toolbar, allows users to choose from five different widths of lines. Click on one of the lines and that width will appear.
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The Object Library, which is located in the middle of the Dia startup window, allows users to insert objects and pictures into the Dia diagram that they are working on. Dia offers an excellent selection of categories that a user has the option of choosing from. After choosing a specific category, objects appear in the Object Display Box. From here you can choose objects to be inserted into your diagram. The Object Categories include: Chronogram, Circuit, Civil, ER, Electric, FS, Flowchart, GRAFCET, Jigsaw, Ladder, Logic, MSE, Misc, Network, Hydraulic, SADT/IDEF0, SDL, Sybase, and UML
In this example the Network category was chosen from the Object Library.
The Detailed Arrows Toolbar, located at the very bottom of the Dia window upon startup, allows the user to insert detailed lines and arrows into the Dia diagram.
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The middle button displays all of the choices for detailed lines to insert with the arrows that you choose The right button displays all of the arrows pointing to the right that a user can insert into the Dia diagram. |
In this example, a few of the detailed arrows and lines have been used.
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