Layout editor

Standard toolbar

The Layout editor has two toolbars that provide shortcuts for some regularly used menu commands:

 

 

In this topic, the Standard toolbar is described.

 

When you leave the mouse pointer for a short period of time on top of a button, a tooltip will appear with the name of the button / the menu command that it will perform. Also the status bar at the bottom of the window may provide you with a short explanation on the effect of using the button.

You can move the toolbar and dock it along an edge of the window; you can also make the toolbar floating.

The following actions can be performed:

 

Open:

Open another layout in the layout editor; this will replace the layout that is currently open. A dialog box will appear in which you can choose another layout.

Save:

Save the current layout. If a map view is selected when you click this button, the map view will be saved. The button is only available if the contents of the layout or the selected map view have changed.

When this is the first time you save a layout, a Save As dialog box will appear.

Print:

Print the layout. You can also use the Ctrl+P keys on the keyboard. A Print dialog box will appear in which you can select a printer, etc.

Cut:

Copy the current selection to the clipboard and delete the selection from the layout. You can also use the Ctrl+X keys on the keyboard.

Copy:

Copy the current selection to the clipboard. You can also use the Ctrl+C keys on the keyboard.

Paste:

Paste the contents of the clipboard into this layout as text, as a picture or as a bitmap. You can also use the Ctrl+V keys on the keyboard.

Clear:

Clears or deletes the selected object from the current layout. You can also use the Del key on the keyboard.

Entire Page:

Display the layout as an entire page in the layout editor window.

Normal:

Switch off Zoom In, Zoom Out, or Pan, and return to normal pointing mode. The mouse pointer will change back into a normal pointer. You can also press the Esc key or the Ctrl+N keys on the keyboard to return to Normal mode.

Pan:

Allows you to roam through the entire page of the layout, when you zoomed in on the layout.

Zoom In:

Allows you to zoom in on a selected spot or area in the layout.

The mouse pointer will change into a magnifying-glass with a large plus inside, then:

  • click in the layout window to zoom in on that position with a factor 2, or
  • drag the mouse pointer in the layout window from one corner of interest to another (any zoom in factor).

Zoom Out:

Allows you to zoom out from a selected spot in the layout window.

The mouse pointer will change to a 'magnifying'-glass with a large minus inside, then:

  • click in the layout window to zoom out with a factor 2, or
  • drag the mouse pointer in the layout window from one corner to another (any zoom out factor):
    • when you drag a small rectangle to zoom out: you will zoom out a lot;
    • when you drag a large rectangle to zoom out: you will zoom out a bit.

Redraw:

Redraws the contents of the layout window. If a map view is selected when you click this button, the map view will be redrawn.

Keep scale:

Fix the scale for a selected map view or not.
The effect is noticed when dragging borders of a map view:

  • when the scale of a map view is fixed and you drag the map view's borders: the area shown by the map view is reduced or enlarged,
  • when the scale of a map view is not fixed and you drag the map view's borders: the scale on which the map view is displayed is changed.

 

  1. When the button appears down: the scale of the map view is fixed for display and printing. You can only change the scale of a map view manually by typing a scale in the Layout Management pane.
  2. Dragging the size handles of a selected map view to the outside:

    • if the map view was displayed as an entire map, it will remain as it was; the scale of the map view and thus its size are already fixed;
    • if only part of the map view was displayed, then the map view will become larger, but the scale on which it is displayed remains the same (already fixed).

    Dragging the size handles of a selected map view to the inside:

    • only part of the map view will be shown; the scale on which the map view is displayed remains the same (already fixed).

     

  3. When the button appears up: the scale of the map view is not fixed.
  4. Dragging the size handles of a selected map view to the outside:

    • the map view will become larger (the scale will be automatically adjusted).

    Dragging the size handles of a selected map view to the inside:

    • the map view will become smaller (the scale will be automatically adjusted).

The toolbar can be hidden or shown with the Standard Toolbar command on the View menu. If the action of a certain button cannot be performed at a certain moment, the button appears gray.

See also: