Hopefully A Very Simple Question - Setting Origin to Center of Objects

[Zwaeback]

Hello,

I've checked the help & searched for related info, but can't figure out how to set the origin to center the object rather than align with the lower left hand corner. For those who use Coreldraw I'm basically looking for Xara to position the origin of objects in the same way.

Thank you for your help,
Phil

[Zwaeback]

Hello,

I've checked the help & searched for related info, but can't figure out how to set the origin to center the object rather than align with the lower left hand corner. For those who use Coreldraw I'm basically looking for Xara to position the origin of objects in the same way.

Thank you for your help,
Phil

[arnold foss]

Phil
I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for but you can set the origin in a number of positions by using this tool. You need to click twice on your object to see where it is set to. Then by typing co-ordinates in the box next to it you can place the object wherever you want based on the origin point. Hope this helps.

Arnold

[This message was edited by fossman on June 28, 2002 at 13:17.]

[Ross Macintosh]

that in Fossmans's screen capture that the centerpoint is displayed? Sure you do. If you see that then you can drag its little icon anywhere you want. Or - you can use the buttons the Fossman dude suggests to reposition it to mid or corner points as per the little nine-square grid.

If you dont't see what the Fossman sees - then click the selected object a second time. That would normally bring up the rotation/skew handles and the center of rotation. If it doesn't it is because you have the 'handle' display setting turned off. Note on Fossmans's capture the icon showing a rotation arrow is depressed; It has to be. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Zwaeback]

I must be missing something or too used to how coreldraw & illustrator work.

For simplicity sake i have a rectangle with the origin in the center. Its x position is 4.5.

I have another smaller rectangle in the center of the larger one. It origin is also in the center. It x position is 4.72.

My question is why aren't the x positions the same. Very often i need to align objects & the auto alignment tools don't quite do the job for me.

Thanks for your help,
Phil

[Ross Macintosh]

I think you'll find yourself stuck with the locations being referenced only off the lower left 'corner'. My comments in the previous posting related to the center of rotation.

I've always found the alignment tool works well for aligning centers, tops, bottoms, or sides. When I have run into fussy alignment situations such as aligning to a certain point, I find reducing the quality slider to its minimum quite handy. All objects display as very fine wireframes. In that view, and zoomed in tight, it can be quite easy to align objects quite accurately.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Ross

<a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

[Zwaeback]

Thank you Ross. I suppose i would have to just get used to using the alignment tool in Xara. I should probably be using it more often in Coreldraw.

Phil

[Su Lawrence]

I too thought that the only x and y value given in Xara for an object was taken from the left and bottom. I didn't think that there was a way to get the centre xy value without using snap to objects and guidelines or by doing some maths (not my best subject!)

But to my surprise I have just found that you can if you are using ellipses, rectangles or quickshapes.

If you check out the drop down box that appears with these options there is one entry called centre. This tells you the x and y value of the centre point. You can then type in a number or use the arrow icons to change it, and so align objects to each other centrally. Although I have found that the auto alignment works well, it doesn't give you the option of say choosing one object to align another one to, without moving the first object.

One weird anomaly I found with this was I marquee selected two objects with the same centre points and the value came out as 'many', even though they were the same.

Anyway hope this helps.

Regards

Su