The Canvas
Canvas Introduction
The canvas is the main part of Dia. The Dia canvas is the window where all
the user's objects will be placed on the screen and arranged. When the
diagram is printed or saved, the contents of the canvas will be saved.
Gridlines
Gridlines are similar to the lines on graph paper. They allow the user
to easily align objects on the canvas. The gridlines can be hidden by
going into
File
Preferences
.
In the Grid Lines tab, the user should click on the Visible button so it says No.
Rulers
Rulers appear on the top and the left of the Dia
canvas. They show, in centimeters, how large your canvas is.
On each ruler exists an arrow. The arrow moves on the ruler in coordination
with where the mouse pointer is. For example, if the user moves the mouse
up, the vertical ruler's arrow will move up, indicating the change. These
arrows become useful when an object needs to line up exactly at a certain
measurement point.
Rulers, unlike gridlines, cannot be removed.
Background Color
The background color option allows you to change what the background looks
like in the canvas. By default, the color is white. However, the color
can be changed by going into
View
Diagram Properties
Background
and
clicking on the bar. The bar displays what your background color is.
The gridlines will change their color automatically to stay visible if
the background color is changed to black.
Zooming
Zooming allows the user to get up closer to their diagram. This helps to
let the user make precision drawings.
The canvas can be zoomed up to 400%. Zoom can be done by clicking on the
magnifying glass on the toolbox and clicking on the canvas. To zoom out,
hold the shift button and click again on the canvas.