Objects in a Document
Senior 2 · ICT
Objects in a Document
Lesson 2 of 5
16 min
Let's begin
The school health club wants a poster showing the steps of hand washing, joined by arrows. A list of sentences would work, but a diagram of boxes and arrows is quicker to read on a wall. Word processors have built-in shapes for exactly this.
A shape is a ready-made drawing object such as a line, arrow, rectangle, circle, star, callout or flowchart box. In LibreOffice Writer, the shapes are on the Drawing toolbar. If it is not showing, choose View > Toolbars > Drawing, or click Show Draw Functions on the Standard toolbar. In Word, choose Insert > Shapes.
The shapes are grouped: lines and arrows, basic shapes, symbol shapes, block arrows, flowchart shapes, callouts, and stars and banners.
Double-click a shape and type: the text sits inside it and moves with it. (Word: select the shape and start typing, or right-click > Add Text.)
When shapes overlap, they are stacked in layers. Use right-click > Arrange: Bring to Front, Bring Forward, Send Backward or Send to Back.
Grouping joins several objects into one, so they move and resize together. Hold Shift and click each object, then choose Format > Group > Group or press Ctrl+Shift+G. To separate them again, choose Format > Group > Ungroup. (Word: Shape Format > Group.)
Tip
Draw, double-click, group. Draw the shape, double-click to type in it, and group the finished diagram so it never falls apart when you move it.
How do you draw a perfect circle with the ellipse tool?
Solution: Hold Shift while dragging. The width and height stay equal.
A label is hidden behind a large rectangle. Name two ways to fix this.
Solution: Select the label and choose Arrange > Bring to Front, or select the rectangle and choose Arrange > Send to Back.
Habimana moves his diagram, but the arrows stay behind. What should he have done?
Solution: Grouped the boxes and arrows (select them all, then Format > Group > Group, or Ctrl+Shift+G) so that they move as one object.
What is the difference between a shape's fill and its line?
Solution: The fill is the colour or pattern inside the shape. The line is its outline, with its own style, width and colour.
Remember
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