Outline Tab

The Outline Tab allows you to change the color, width, and size of a vector geometry (i.e., rectangle, ellipsis, curve, etc.) or add a border to an image.

Change the color, width, or size of a vector geometry or add a border to an image using the Outline Tab of the Geometry Editor dialog box.

When you add a border to an object, by default it will pick up the outline size and color of the last-clicked object (unless it was a text, table or foreign object with no outline). Click an empty place in the Work Window to reset.

Controls on the Options Tab of the Geometry Editor dialog box include the following:

Field/Control Description
Thumbnail View Displays the object currently selected for editing. Also shows preview of editing operations.
Red Click and drag the slider left or right to adjust the red hue of the selected geometry. Or, you may enter a value in the field.
Green Click and drag the slider left or right to adjust the green hue of the selected geometry. Or, you may enter a value in the field.
Blue Click and drag the slider left or right to adjust the blue hue of the selected geometry. Or, you may enter a value in the field.
Color Click to open the Color dialog box and select a system or custom color. When you are finished, the values of the selected color will appear in the Red, Green, and Blue fields.
Click and drag to use the color dropper tool to pick up a color anywhere on your computer screen. Release the mouse button to set the values of the selected color in the Red, Green, and Blue fields.
Line Width Click and drag the slider right to increase or left to reduce the width in pixels of the selected geometry. Or, you may enter a pixel value in the field. The default value is 1. (Not available for image object geometries.)
No Line Click to set the value in the Line Width field to 0. The selected geometry will appear as a dotted line in the Work Window and will be invisible in the Preview Window or when published.
Geometry Size Displays the current width and height in pixels of the selected geometry. Use the spinners to change the width and/or height, or enter values in the fields. . (Not available for image object geometries.)
Open End Click to checkmark to make the last point of the selected curve or polygon geometry unconnected to the first point, leaving it open. Click to un-checkmark to connect the last and first points of the selected curve or polygon geometry, closing it.
OK Click to accept the current settings and exit the dialog box.
Cancel Click to cancel the operation and close the dialog box.
Help Click to open a context-sensitive help topic.
 
Changing an Object’s Geometry Component
  1. Select the object whose geometry component you want to edit.
  2. Press the ALT+O keyboard shortcut

    OR

    Click the Object Editor button: in the Object Bar

    OR

    Select Object>Object Editor.

    The Object Editor dialog box will open.

  3. Click the Components Tab.
  4. From the Geometry drop-down menu, select the geometry component you wish to apply to the selected object. A preview of the geometry component will appear in the Thumbnail View.
  5. When you are finished, click OK. The new geometry component will be applied to the selected object.
Adding a Border to an Object

You may add a border to an image, table, text, title, or foreign object. (You may also add a border to a code object but doing so would negate the invisibility of code objects.)

  1. Select the object to which you want to add a border.
  2. Press the ALT+G keyboard shortcut

    OR

    Right-click the object, and then select Edit Geometry

    OR

    Click the Geometry Editor button: in the Object Bar

    OR

    Select Object>Geometry Editor.

    The Geometry Editor dialog box will open.

  3. Click the Outline Tab.
  4. Use the Red, Green, and Blue sliders to choose a color for the border

    OR

    Click and drag the Color Dropper button: anywhere on your computer screen to pick up a color

    OR

    Click the Color button to open the Color dialog box to select a system or custom color. For more information, see Color Dialog Box.

  5. Click and drag the Line Width slider to the right to select a width in pixels for the border

    OR

    Enter a pixel width value in the box.

    A preview of the border will appear in the Thumbnail View window.

  6. When you are finished, click OK. The border will be applied to the selected object.

Since there is not the option of adding space between the object and border or of offsetting the border, you may find these borders do not suit your purpose. Keep in mind that you can also add a separate, independent rectangle object and then group it to join it with the object.

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