Hint: convert most things to a Shape

**Acorn** · 01 September 2014, 10:42 AM

Select the object, press Ctrl-1.

Smart Shape
Straight Line
Image --> clipped photo
Grouped object, Text Panel --> to get to the shape controls you need to ungroup a number of times before the Shape control points are available.
Font --> usually two ungroups (ctrl-U) are needed.
Mould, Bevel - one ungroup.
3D --> by far the best to play with.

Acorn

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 September 2014, 01:42 AM

Not following that Acorn. For example, if I create a line, with it selected if I hit Ctrl+1 it remains a line.

**Acorn** · 02 September 2014, 07:37 PM

Egg, if you Select and then right click on a straight line the pop-up menu indicates "Straight line Tool" mode.
Clicking Ctrl-1 and doing the same changes the line to "Shape Tool" mode.

Now you can Select the line and then the Shape Tool (F4) but to make it into a Shape you have to bend the line.
You may not have wanted to do this.

I included it for consistency and simplicity.

Acorn

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 September 2014, 08:15 PM

Hi Acorn, you're making my head hurt now

Egg, if you Select and then right click on a straight line the pop-up menu indicates "Straight line Tool" mode.

With you so far.

Clicking Ctrl-1 and doing the same changes the line to "Shape Tool" mode.

Lost, senior moment coming on.

Q: "Clicking Ctrl-1" do you mean Clicking Ctrl+1?

Helllppppp.

**Acorn** · 02 September 2014, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Egg Bramhill

Q: "Clicking Ctrl-1" do you mean Clicking Ctrl+1?

I use either interchangeably - sorry.

Acorn

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 September 2014, 08:41 PM

That doesn't make any change for me then Acorn.

**gwpriester** · 02 September 2014, 09:46 PM

Well, OK. If you're using Designer Pro you can use Shift Ctrl S.

You can also double click on almost any object and depending what the object is the cursor/tool changes.

The most obvious is text. Double click on text and the tool changes to the Text Tool.

Double click on a bitmap and you get the Crop Tool.

Double click on a rectangle, ellipse or smart shape and you get the appropriate tool.

NOW. Double click in the center X of a rectangle with the Rectangle Tool and you get...?

Double click on a beveled Quickshape with the Selector Tool and you get...? Not what you might expect.

**Egg Bramhill** · 02 September 2014, 10:21 PM

Maybe I'm missing the point but the thread is titled "Hint: convert most things to a Shape"

I can see if I select an Object (line, rectangle, bitmap etc and double click it opens the editing tool. However it doesn't convert the object to a shape.

If I select a line, double click on it, it changes the tool, but it doesn't "create a shape".

Pressing Ctrl+1 does nothing at all.

What am I missing here?

**gwpriester** · 03 September 2014, 12:59 AM

Egg - I think that in apps like Web Designer where Xara have made the product user friendly by removing most of the important features (

) there is no Convert to Editable Shapes option. But if you use the Add Shapes option, Ctrl 1, the object is in essence converted to editable shapes.

I'm sure there is an air tight logic buried in these somewhere.

**Acorn** · 03 September 2014, 06:44 AM

Gary - thank you for your explanations.

Egg, I was promoting Ctrl+1 for both XWD10P & XDPX10 as the default menu Shortcut for Add Shapes.
I am sorry your configuration doesn't have Ctrl+1 working. Alt+A+C+A may work and the full path is Arrange > Combine Shapes > Add Shapes.

I especially omitted the pathing to Add Shapes as "Shapes" is confusing when you are selecting only one (apparent) object.

Acorn