Basic Toolbox: Object Overview

What is an object?

In CorelDraw, an object is any item you create or import into your document. It may be a rectangle, a circle, text, a photograph. All work in CorelDraw is done through selecting an object. Various effects can be applied to an object depending on the type of object and the tool you have selected. For this tutorial, choose the Rectangle Tool and create a rectangle. (See Rectangle Tool tutorial in this series.)

Pick Tool Selection

Choose the Pick Tool from the Toolbox and click on the rectangle. Note the 8 square "handles" that surround the square. These handles indicate that the object is active. You can resize the rectangle proportionately by clicking and dragging on the corner handles. The side handles resize only in one direction.

Move Object

Click and drag anywhere on a filled object, or on the outline of an object that has no fill to move. Release mouse button when object is in desired position. Click anywhere off the rectangle to deselect.

Rotate Object

Double click on the rectangle. Note how the handles change to double-ended arrows. This indicates that the object can be rotated or skewed. Click and drag on corner handles to rotate. Press the CTRL key while you rotate to constrain the rotation to 15 degree increments. Note the target-like icon in the middle of the rectangle when the rotate selection is active. Click and drag this icon to change the point of rotation. Click off the rectangle to deselect.

Skew Object

Double click on the rectangle and the double-ended selection arrows will appear. Click and drag on one of the side handles to skew the rectangle. Release mouse button when desired effect is created.

Shape Tool Selection

Delete the distorted rectangle. Draw a new rectangle. Choose the Shape Tool from the Toolbox and click on the rectangle. Note the selection now appears as four corner handles and dotted lines. This indicates that the object is active with the Shape Tool. Click and drag on one of the corner handles. Note how the corners become round. The Shape Tool and Pick Tool have very different functions with objects.

Node Selection

Choose the Freehand Tool from the Toolbox. Click and drag to create a curved line. (See Freehand Tool tutorial.) Release the mouse button. Choose the Shape Tool. There should be three or four blank squares along the line. These are nodes, and can be moved individually. Click on a node. Note how it becomes black, indicating that this node is active. The dotted lines coming from the node control the shape of the line (see next step). Drag the selected node a short way. Note how the line shape changes.

Controlling Curves

Click and drag the handle at the end of the dotted line coming from the node. This is a control point. As you drag the control point, note how the shape of the line changes. The blue line in the sample above shows the progression of the line shape as you drag the control point. Release the mouse when you have the shape you desire.

Source: http://www.webreference.com/graphics/corel101/4/