Any way to use the keyboard to create lines or shapes?

[StoryNotes]

Hi --

I've spent hours searching Word and WordPerfect Help, and going thru a
telephone-book sized WordPerfect 9 manual hoping to find the answer to
this.

In good old WordPerfect 5.1, one could draw lines and line segments by
using some combination of keystrokes together with the arrow keys.

You couldn't make diagonal or curved lines (as far as I know), but you
could make horizontal or vertical lines using the keyboard, and also do
"staircase" like effects (alternating horizontal and vertical line
segments, nicely connected, completely straight), as well as squares or
rectangles.

The advangage was that each segment could be exactly the same length,
or whatever length you wanted it (say, 7 spaces).

Doing that in the modern versions of Word or WordPerfect, using the
mouse, is close to impossible.

Does anyone know of ways to make horizontal and vertical lines using
the keyboard (undoubtedly the arrow keys would need to be involved)?

If not ... what about how to create a staircase effect, or a skyline
effect, in ways where each line segment was exactly the length you
wanted?

Gotta be a way! If it could be done on WP5.1, I should think it could
be done today.

Thanks in advance,

Jeff

 

[Jay Freedman]

Another method:

Use the line tool from the Drawing toolbar to draw one line segment,
and drag its ends to get it exactly the right length (it helps to go
to Draw > Grid and set the grid spacing to what you want, and make
sure "Snap to grid" is turned on). Then copy that segment to the
clipboard, and paste it as many times as you need -- the copies will
all be the same length.

Select one and use Draw > Rotate or Flip > Rotate Left 90° to make a
vertical segment of the same length, then copy and paste that as
needed.

Finally, select all the pieces at once (either drag a selection
rectangle around them with the Select tool, or hold Ctrl while
clicking them), right-click, and choose Grouping > Group to make it
all into one object.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[StoryNotes]

Another method:

Thanks -- that should work for a lot of the things I want to do. I
didn't know about the Grid option; it helps.

I still think it would be easier moving the line a set space at a time
with the arrow keys (at least for horizontal and vertical line
segments)! But this should do most of what I need.


Thanks, also, to John McGhie.

I don't seem to have a Line Draw font installed, but I'll find it, so
that I'll have that option.

To both John and Jay (and anyone else):

So in addition to creating line segments of a measurable and consistent
length ... such as an outline of a staircase, or a series of hurdles
that get progressively larger ... such as:

_______
_______|
|
|
__________
__________|
|
|

.... except horizontal, and with the lines connecting (I've been having
problems getting the line segments to connect at exactly the right
point, maybe "Grid" will take care of that) ....

I'd also like to create things like a series of progressively taller
vertical lines (that sit on a long line segment) where each vertical
line segment is connected to the one before and after by a curved line
with a wave effect that looks nice and is regular ... sort of like a
series of shallow u's.

And I also want to create zig-zags -- like forked lightning -- to
connect some line segments. And the zigs and zags should have a
uniform look to them and follow along the same overall angle.

I'm trying to create little diagrams or models of different creative
writing techniques ...

1. The diagram described above would represent the major plot points
of a screenplay such as End of Act 1, Midpoint, End of Act 2, and
Climax. The wavy "lines" connecting them would ideally start a bit
lower than the top point of each escalating line segment, to indicate
that after a major plot event, sometimes the energy level/tension drops
a bit ... so the wavy line might start 1/4 of the way down the line
segment, and then connect, in an overall curved fashion, to the tip of
the next line segment.

2. A large, distorted W (but with a lip at the beginning and end to
represent the introduction and denouement), and where the last part of
the W gets zig-zaggy, so as to represent the Final Confrontation and/or
Ordeal right toward the end. The last leg of the W, btw, will be at a
higher level than the midpoint, to indicate rising tension and
escalation.

The beginning of the W and the last point of the W (exluding the
horizontal lips for the intro and wrapup sections) will be connected by
a wavy segment (the shallow u's), to indicate ongoing conflict and the
uphill path of the main characters.

3. I also would like to draw different things like an iceberg floating
in water (mostly submerged) ... nothing dimensional, just a line
drawing ... to represent the principal of subtext. Could I do
something like that by hand, and scan it in and have it appear as an
image that Word will accept, and which will be rendered properly in a
conversion to pdf, and that a publisher viewing the doc in Word would
see on their computer?

Right now I just have Word 2000, so if it will help I'll update to Word
2003 or whatever you recommend.

If this is too cumbersome to go into here, is there a user-friendly
book or DVD or software tutorial that would be helpful for me?

Thanks VERY much.

Jeff

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

I'm assuming you're using Windows -- Take a look at MouseKeys--it might just
give you precisely what you want, without any compromises.. Start > Programs

Accessories > Accessibility > Mouse tab. Enable it, but do also look at

settings for additional control. I have it set up here so that when NumLock
is off, MouseKeys is enabled. It works beautifully. It also gives me
keyboard-accessible "mouse" access for repetitive situations.

I find that this gives me much more precise/predictable movement than I can
get with my caffeinated hand and the mouse. It gives you mouse control using
the number pad, but everything is steadier and more predictable.

Hint: when using MouseKeys, press the Insert key (on the numeric pad) to
enter "drag" mode; press the Delete key (on the numeric pad) to end "drag"
mode. Take a look at Windows Help for MouseKeys for additional help.

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

I still think it would be easier moving the line a set space at a time
with the arrow keys (at least for horizontal and vertical line
segments)! But this should do most of what I need.

If you are using the built-in drawing program in Microsoft Word, you *can*
move lines with the arrow keys. First draw your line, then select it, then
use the cursor keys to move it.

The Grid will help to make things intersect properly. So will the Snap To
options which are on by default for AutoShapes. Look up AutoShapes in the
Help and read up on them.

Ordinary lines do not have control points, but AutoShape lines do.

So in addition to creating line segments of a measurable and consistent

You can use Copy and Scale (look them up in the Help). If you want
dimensions related to real-world dimensions (i.e. If you want a drawing to
Scale, purchase a copy of Visio. Architectural drawing is one of the things
it was designed for.

problems getting the line segments to connect at exactly the right
point, maybe "Grid" will take care of that) ....

No. If you are using the Line Draw font, the characters are built at the
edges of their character bounding boxes so that they do meet. If you are
using the drawing tools, use AutoShapes for your lines and they will snap
together automatically.

I'm trying to create little diagrams or models of different creative
writing techniques ...

Use the built-in drawing tools. Look up "Drawing" in the Help.

3. I also would like to draw different things like an iceberg floating
in water (mostly submerged) ... nothing dimensional, just a line
drawing ... to represent the principal of subtext. Could I do
something like that by hand, and scan it in and have it appear as an
image that Word will accept, and which will be rendered properly in a
conversion to pdf, and that a publisher viewing the doc in Word would
see on their computer?

Don't use scanned images in anything you are intending to send to a
publisher. They will charge you a fortune to have a graphics artist
re-create the images as vector artwork. Draw them yourself using the
built-in drawing packages.

Right now I just have Word 2000, so if it will help I'll update to Word
2003 or whatever you recommend.

Wait a while: Word 2003 is just about to hit the remainder bins. In the
meantime, the drawing tools in Word 2000 are fine, they're simply a little
more difficult to find

The easiest way to find them is to reveal your Drawing toolbar. For larger
images, use Insert>Object>Microsoft Word Picture. That reveals the whole
range of graphics extensions, which are shared by all of the Microsoft
Office tools. You may find it easier to do your drawing in PowerPoint.
It's exactly the same drawing tool across the entire suite, but PowerPoint
makes the controls a little easier to find.

If this is too cumbersome to go into here, is there a user-friendly
book or DVD or software tutorial that would be helpful for me?

No. Learn to use the Help in Word. Actually spend some time with it, just
learning to use the Help quickly. It really well give you great benefits,
for the rest of your life

Not only does it have about 35 times the information that any book has, but
it's all up-to-date to the minute Word shipped. As you are no doubt
finding, a paper book takes something like two years to write, so bits of it
are two years out of date by the time it's printed.

Never try to "Learn" anything about Word. There's too much to remember...
Instead, learn how to look it up efficiently whenever you need it. The Help
is designed to operate that way.

Cheers

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[Jeff Writer]

Thanks so much to all who responded.

John, Jay, and Herb: you guys are great.

* The tip about using the Grid function is very helpful.
* I will try the MouseKeys approach soon.
* The AutoShapes is much better for much of what I'm doing.
* I'll get Visio.
* And: I will scour and devour Help to get its info on all of this.

But the above tips really pointed me in the right direction and
provided some clarity, and will make my perusal of Help much more
meaningful.

I think I'm going to check out Herb's book, too.

Anyway, you guys were so helpful. And this is a great group. I'm glad
I discovered it.

Thanks again,

Jeff