[Solved] Can't draw Ellipse

[bteck]

I am using OpenOffice 2.4.0. I have two issues requiring help:
1. When I pick a rectangle and try to draw it into a new page, 'Draw' will draw it as a square. If I select one edge and drag it, the square will expand as if I have set its size property to 'keep ratio'. The result is always the same irrespective of whether I set the size property to 'keep ratio' or not. I can only drag one edge to get a rectangle if I press the 'shift' key while I drag the edge. I suspect this is a bug in 'Draw'. Can anyone help?

2. How do I draw a segment of a circle and pie? OpenOffice help stated that:
"To draw a sector of a circle or an ellipse:
1. Open the Ellipses toolbar and click one of the Circle Pie or Ellipse Pie icons .
The mouse pointer changes to a cross hair with a small icon of a sector.
2. Position the pointer at the edge of the circle you want to draw and drag to create the circle."

But when I click on the Ellipses toolbar, I cannot open it. Hence I can only select the ellipse. How do I "open the Ellipses toolbar"?

[bhmt]

I am using OpenOffice 2.4.0. I have two issues requiring help:
1. ......

2. How do I draw a segment of a circle and pie?

1. (I noticed it, too)

2. I found the circle pie shape and maybe how to do elipse (not per "help") (see attached pic and odg):

In Draw, look on the drawing toolbar for the "Basic Shapes" icon (about 10 from the left). You can drag that whole pallet up and it copies itself as a floating tool pad. (Just "x" it closed when done).

See the "circle-pie" shape?

That circle-pie has round handles to change the angle/size/location of the wedge "pie" opening.

The square rectangles control the overall size. And if you hold the Shift key and drag maybe you get "elipse."

(I didn't notice a separate elipse icon yet).

Picture

[bteck]

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =11&t=4911#
I got you bhmt. Thanks for helping on the drawing of pie and segment.

[bhmt]

I am using OpenOffice 2.4.0. I have two issues requiring help:
1. When I pick a rectangle and try to draw it into a new page, 'Draw' will draw it as a square. ... I can only drag one edge to get a rectangle if I press the 'shift' key while I drag the edge. I suspect this is a bug in 'Draw'. Can anyone help?

That "rectangle wants to be a square" problem? I can "fix" mine by renaming my user folder (Windows XP).

There's posts on how to do that in the forums.
That situation also appeared for me in with Circle/Ellipse I have the same actions in Writer, Calc, Impress and Draw. , and that same (similar) pallet seems to be used in Writer, Calc, Impress and Draw. I'm probably going to make a post for that.

Edit: Seems fixed using the renamed profile now? (2nd Edit) >> tbeck found the source of the observed behavior in Draw as the Grid ..Snap Position check box settings chosen (see tbeck posting below). That should be the same in Impress, too. As for my Writer and Calc, that's not clear. They do work fine now, but Writer and Calc have different Tools...Grid check box options and do not include the Snap Position options at all.

[bteck]

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =11&t=4911#
I found the source of the "rectangle wants to be a square" problem.
In the "Grid options" menu ([Tools]>[Options]>[OpenOffice.org Draw]>[Grid]), under the "Snap Position" selection, if I checked on "When creating or moving objects", then I can only draw Squares or Circles instead of a rectangle and ellipses. If I unchecked the "Snap Position" - "When creating or moving objects", then I can draw rectangles and ellipses normally.

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/ ... =11&t=4911#
Nevertheless, I believe this is a bug in the option. Shouldn't the above selection snap only one edge of the rectangle I am drawing or moving to the nearest grid "When creating or moving objects"?

[bhmt]

Thanks for the point to the Grid Snap Position in Draw. I see that Draw and Impress share that dialog layout (but act independently). And Writer and Calc share a reduced dialog of options (and act independently).

(oddly, my Writer and Calc were both experiencing that "can't draw a rectangle" restriction while using the Basic Shape rectangle (and ellipse) pallet icons, perhaps identical to that in Draw and Impress, although Writer and Calc dialogs do not have the Snap Position options. That got straightened out by renaming my user directory (it immediately worked as advertised). Then I wanted my old customized toolbars, etc., so after running a while and using all the pallets and then going back to my previous profile (eg unrenaming the user directory after deleting the new one) it kept working as advertised (which makes no sense in a way). Writer/Calc are not restricted by Draw/Impress Snap Postion check box settings. (yet)(I cannot reproduce it). I only mention it here in case someone else....)

Nevertheless, I believe this is a bug in the option. Shouldn't the above selection snap only one edge of the rectangle I am drawing or moving to the nearest grid "When creating or moving objects"?

Beats me. I'll confess to not using these features much. And seldom in a "let me learn this " mode. I really have no comment. Maybe it's related or interacts with one of the other Grid options ( < head spins > )

[acknak]

The only bug is in the design and wording of the user interface for the feature. Draw is functioning exactly as intended, it's just that the intention is not very clear.

Normally, no one ever see this odd design because the "Snap Position > When creating or moving objects" option is OFF by default. But sometimes it flips ON all by itself, and then it just confuses people no end.