Distort existing objects [rctangle to parallelogram]

[reader]

Noob Alert!

No mechanical drawing experience either.

I've spent more than an hour in help manual trying to learn how to
distort an existing shape into another shape.

Something along the line of turning a rectangle into a parallelogram.

None of the handles on a rectangle appear to have that kind of
fucntion.

Searches in help file on `distort object', `edit object' ,`change
object' and even directly on `parallelogram' have not helped.

I'm laying out cement forms for a project and am attempting to draw
the footings to scale in an isometric view, hence the need to turn
rectangles (a footing) into a parallelogram (an isometric footing).

And then flesh out the other dimension.

 

[Andy]

Not sure about a parallelogram, but if you select your rectangle and
keep the pointer over the shape the selection will change giving you
additional handles. You can move the corners as you require.

 

[reader]

Not sure about a parallelogram, but if you select your rectangle and
keep the pointer over the shape the selection will change giving you
additional handles. You can move the corners as you require.

I'm not seeing the `change' you mention, that gives handles capable of
moving corners.

When I select the rectangle I get 8 square handles spaced around the
rectangle. All of them say `resize shape' when I hover over them.
When dragged the size of the rectangle changes... nothing else.

There is a diamond in the center, when hovered it says `center of
rotation'. A circle hangle just above the rectangle that says
`rotation', then there are 4 faint blue arrow heads. Just outside of
each side. These light up when you hoover and display a cranked line
with arrow head, and says: `Drop and connect rectangle shape'.

What am I missing here?

 

[Paul Herber]

I'm not seeing the `change' you mention, that gives handles capable of
moving corners.

When I select the rectangle I get 8 square handles spaced around the
rectangle. All of them say `resize shape' when I hover over them.
When dragged the size of the rectangle changes... nothing else.

There is a diamond in the center, when hovered it says `center of
rotation'. A circle hangle just above the rectangle that says
`rotation', then there are 4 faint blue arrow heads. Just outside of
each side. These light up when you hoover and display a cranked line
with arrow head, and says: `Drop and connect rectangle shape'.

What am I missing here?

After you have selected the shape you need to wait for a couple of
seconds.

 

[reader]

After you have selected the shape you need to wait for a couple of
seconds.

After 15 seconds I see nothing more than is described above. This is
the demo version... is this aspect diabled?

 

[Paul Herber]

After 15 seconds I see nothing more than is described above. This is
the demo version... is this aspect diabled?

Create a new rectangle with the drawing tool.
With nothing selected, select this rectangle and leave the mouse
hovering over the shape. Initially there will be green handles in the
corners and in the middle of the shape's vertices. After 1/2 second
these green handles will move outwards a small amount and show new
smaller handles at the corners and vertices. By moving these handles
you can modify the shape into other similar shapes, e.g.
parallelogram/trapezium.

 

[Al Edlund]

neat !
al

Create a new rectangle with the drawing tool.
With nothing selected, select this rectangle and leave the mouse
hovering over the shape. Initially there will be green handles in the
corners and in the middle of the shape's vertices. After 1/2 second
these green handles will move outwards a small amount and show new
smaller handles at the corners and vertices. By moving these handles
you can modify the shape into other similar shapes, e.g.
parallelogram/trapezium.

 

[reader]

neat !
al

Unless I'm selecting this wrong somehow the `other' handles never
appear.

My steps: 1) create rectangle from rectangle on drawing toolbox.

the rectangle is then selected automatically. I see 8 square handles.
Holding the mouse over the shape... nothing happens... ever.

To test selection I click somewhere else in screen then come back and
click my rectangle. Again I see 8 green squares holding the mouse
over the shape... nothing more happens.

In all cases the mouse has what looks like a cross hair with arrow
heads attached to it.

Is there some other step involved in selection?

 

[Andy]

You need to keep the mouse positioned over the lines of the rectangle.

 

[reader]

You need to keep the mouse positioned over the lines of the rectangle.

That doesn't help here. This is beginning to seem a bit mysterious.

Any ideas why I do not get the secondary smaller handles?
Is the proecess more complex than the steps I posted?

Is seeing the cross-hair with arrow heads normal?

 

[reader]

That doesn't help here. This is beginning to seem a bit mysterious.

Any ideas why I do not get the secondary smaller handles?
Is the proecess more complex than the steps I posted?

Is seeing the cross-hair with arrow heads normal?

I've posted a small video showing what I do here. Can anyone see what
is wrong:

http://www.jtan.com/~reader/handles

 

[Paul Herber]

I've posted a small video showing what I do here. Can anyone see what
is wrong:

http://www.jtan.com/~reader/handles

Well, it crashed my web browser the first times I tried it (IE and
Mozilla). After a reboot it worked.
Hmmm, it appears you are doing nothing wrong.

 

[reader]

Well, it crashed my web browser the first times I tried it (IE and
Mozilla). After a reboot it worked.
Hmmm, it appears you are doing nothing wrong.

Sorry it crashed your browsers... and hope it isn't something I've
done. Its a sort of standard Quicktime format... sorensen3
compression on a quicktime *.mov.

As you see, no extra handles appear. What do you suppose is the
reason. Do you know if the trial version has limitations that might
cause this?

 

[Andy]

What about posting your diagram or putting that on your web page.

 

[Paul Herber]

Sorry it crashed your browsers... and hope it isn't something I've
done. Its a sort of standard Quicktime format... sorensen3
compression on a quicktime *.mov.

No problem ! Stuff happens.

As you see, no extra handles appear. What do you suppose is the
reason. Do you know if the trial version has limitations that might
cause this?

Hmmmm. I can't find any setting that can turn this on/off.
Idea ! Go to your graphic card settings, wherever they are, and turn
off any graphics hardware acceleration.

 

[reader]

What about posting your diagram or putting that on your web page.

I'm not sure what you are talking about Andy...

 

[Paul Herber]

Sorry it crashed your browsers... and hope it isn't something I've
done. Its a sort of standard Quicktime format... sorensen3
compression on a quicktime *.mov.

As you see, no extra handles appear. What do you suppose is the
reason. Do you know if the trial version has limitations that might
cause this?

http://www.pherber.com/images.html

shows the before and after effect you should see.

 

[moxsolid]

Hi Paul,

I am running Visio 2002 10.0.525, and i followed your instructions very
carefully, yet i have yet to get the additional handles to present themselves
either. i let the mouse hover over the lines of the rectangle and over the
rectangle itself, neither of which seems to work.

can you provide some other insight?

thank you!

mox

 

[Paul Herber]

Sorry, I don't know anything more that can be done, I can find no
setting that controls this effect.

 

[Staffan]

I don't think the method discussed here applies to Visio 2002 so no wonder it
doesn't work. Try this instead:
Select the rectangle with the Line Tool activated. Then you will see the
shape vertices in the corners that you can move.

/Staffan