Editing Tools

Essential Diagram comes with a number of editing tools that allow users to work interactively with the Diagram Control in context of Diagram Building applications. Besides a slew of built-in tools, custom tools providing custom functionality can be defined and added to the diagram controller.

Select Tool

This default tool will activate the select tool and deactivate any other active tools. Objects that are selected using the Select Tool are drawn with select handles. Multiple objects can be selected using the select tool by holding down SHIFT or the left mouse-button and dragging. The last object selected is the anchor object.

Align Tool

Using these tools, one or more nodes can be selected and aligned with respect to each other. You can apply relative alignment on a set of selected nodes with respect to the first node in the selection.

Layout Tool

The layout tools can be used to adjust the spacing and sizing of the diagram nodes. Below is a note on different possible layouts.

• Space Across - Evenly spaces the selected object along the x-axis
• Space Down - Evenly spaces the selected object along the y-axis
• Same Width - Sets the width of the selected object to match the width of anchor object
• Same Height - Sets the height of selected object to match the height of the anchor object
• Same Size - Sets the height and width of selected object to match anchor object

Nudge Tool

The Nudge tools trigger finer movement of nodes in the diagram.

• Nudge Up - Moves selected object up by one grid unit
• Nudge Down - Moves selected object down by one grid unit
• Nudge Left - Moves selected object left by one grid unit
• Nudge Right - Moves selected object right by one grid unit

Z-Order Tool

The nodes can be grouped and their Z-order can be changed by using the Z-Order tools.

• Group Tool - Creates new group using currently selected objects
• Ungroup Tool - Ungroup selected group
• Bring to Front - Moves selected object to top of Z-order of its layer
• Send to Back - Moves selected object to bottom of Z-order of its layer
• Bring Forward - Moves selected object up by one level in the Z-order of its layer
• Send Backward - Moves selected object down by one level in the Z-order of its layer

Rotate Tools

These tools can be used to rotate objects on the diagram canvas.

• Rotate Left - Rotates selected object left by 90 degrees
• Rotate Right- Rotates selected object right by 90 degrees
• Flip Vertical - Rotates selected object by 180 degrees around its local y-axis
• Flip Horizontal - Rotates the selected object by 180 degrees around its local x-axis

Pan Tool

It changes the cursor into a hand-symbol allowing the user to drag the diagram view port in any direction.

Zoom Tool - The Zoom tool allows the user to zoom in and out using the mouse and the magnification property in the view provides precise control.

Text Formatting Tools

The Diagram Control comes with sophisticated text formatting options such as subscript, superscript, uppercase conversion, lowercase conversion, font style and font color options.

The font color can also be styled with brushes using the Font Color Style Editor.