Customize property/tool bars

[inphoenix]

Just read the article in Graphics Unleased newsletter on 'Your Very Own Interface' by Rick Altman. Loved it and was able to get the nudge tool on the Standard toolbar. But I've tried unsuccessfuly to get the align/horizontal/center button to be on the standard toolbar and be active. I've cuztomize,select icon, drag to standard and several tool/property bars and most of the time it's greyed out. I don't understand the concept I guess. I've selected an object and still the icon is greyed out. It sometimes becomes active but haven't figured out the combination to making it active. CorelDraw 9 Win98 SE

[cem]

I've never customized any toolbars but if you are talking about aligning objects, the easiest way is keyboard shortcuts, i.e., L,R,T,B,C,E,P (left, right, top, bottom, center horiz., center vert., center of Page) once you have selected two or more objects. No dialogue boxes no buttons.

I hope that's what you were trying to do.

Craig

[Not Ziggy]

Marie, it's a bug. And like a number of bugs that only show up if you customize the toolbars, it's been around for several revisions. It doesn't work properly in version 10, either.

If you've seen the button active, it's because it does center to the page if you select more than one item, but it won't work for only one.

Because I'm a mouse person, I do it in four clicks by having the "Align" button on my toolbar. Then I click on "Center of page" (which selects both "Center" buttons), then click OFF whichever check box I'm NOT using, and finally click on "OK."

[inphoenix]

Craig, Ziggy, thank you both so much for your suggestions... I thought it was me not a bug. Two or more hmmm. Well I think I'll set up some keyboard shortcuts as I'm NOT a mouse person. Too old. I come from the old 'keypunch' school. ha ha ha.

Again thank you so much for your help.

Marie

[cem]

Those shortcuts ar already setup for you. To see or print a complete list of the default keyboard shortcuts go Tools>Options>Workspace>Customize>Shortcut Keys print 'em out and prop it up in front of your monitor for a while. You won't remember all of them, but for things you do all the time they sure beat digging through menus or tring to hit a radio button.

[inphoenix]

Craig, thank you so much. Spent no time at all following your suggestion. I'm sure I'll use this so much I probably should laminate it. LOL

Marie

[whagen]

Not only can you put a "command" like "Align" on the tool bars (or property bar) you can put icons for the individual align options, such as align top, align left, etc., on the bars. Very handy.

It is a bit tricky to figure out how to customize the toolbars, but it's very useful for the time it can save you over and over again. I spent about an hour customizing my property bars--you can have different command icons depending on what's on the screen and selected. I don't remember any bugs (in Draw 9). I'd recommend you look in the online help for how to customize the tool bars.

This is critical, and not immediately obvious: You have to go to Tools/Options/Documents and choose something like "Apply Options to All New Documents." (Don't know exactly because I'm not at my computer.) Otherwise, you're just changing options for the file you have open (I think).