Just discovered this!

[Rik]

I think the Xperts probably already know but, I just came across this.
Does it in XDP7 and XDPX. I'm not sure about other versions, but these two I have and I can check.

If you click to select an object, and you press the CTRL key, and then drag the object around the screen, you can move it in straight lines.
Left, right, up, down, in straight lines.
And at 45 degree angles as well.

You get a star shape that appears and guides you, to ensure that you are dragging the object on the line you want.

Try it!

[Seagull]

Sorry Rik Van Winkle, this trick has been around since day one. Anyway, I'm glad you're awake now and and while you missed out with this hint you're next hint may be a winner...

[camelot217]

Love this... use it all the time moving and lining things up. Great for webdesigns!

[PhilM]

Yes, the program has always done this, (Ctrl means "Constrain"), but the indicator was new to V7.

If you set the "Angle constraint" in the Options dialog General tab, the indicator will show more or fewer "compass points" (although it does get slightly confused when the angle isn't a factor of 360...)

Phil

[Rik]

Sorry Rik Van Winkle, this trick has been around since day one. Anyway, I'm glad you're awake now and and while you missed out with this hint you're next hint may be a winner...

Sorry Frank, I never said this was a hint!
I just said I came across it.

I use CTRL all the time to draw straight lines (when using the Shape Tool), but had never pressed CTRL when dragging an object.
So, I just thought it was worth sharing, where a brand new user might just find it useful.

And, I've learned from Phil's post also.

[Su Lawrence]

It's one of the things I like about Xara, there are lots of these little ... not sure what is the right word ... functions I guess and it is always cool when you come across something you hadn't already been aware of.

I've used the program since around 1998 (when it was CorelXara) and there are still things I am learning about this stuff. I knew about the contraint angle and drag (it's handy for aligning dropped copies), I often use Ctrl to drag point handles when I want to resize a filled rectangle, for example, without changing the fill/transparency (I don't have a num pad on this pc so can't use the minus key for that).

Thanks for sharing Rik.

Regards

Su

[haakoo]

I use CTRL all the time to draw straight lines (when using the Shape Tool), but had never pressed CTRL when dragging an object.

Rik,

Better use ALT button for this;
If you make a habbit of this,you'll find that if you use the shapebuilder tool will also draw straight lines(alt not ctrl)
If you use the ctrl+alt,it draws straight lines at your angle constraints
and if using ctrl+alt+shift it is an eraser with straight lines in angles
This also applies for the eraser tool

Hans

[steve.ledger]

..

[haakoo]

..

Steve,
Lost in translation?

[Rik]

Steve,
Lost in translation?

I'm with you on this one, Hans.

I've tried to translate what Steve said into Hindi as well (the language I grew up with) and I still could not make anything out of it.