Stretching an object

[Mikerosen]

I draw a rectangle, ABCD. I want to drag side CD down, leaving line AB in position, and stretching lines BC and DA. If I drag a side of the rectangle, the entire object moves. When I convert to lines, and select a line, I can move either endpoint, or grab the line in the center and move it, but the sides don't stretch.

How do I do this?

[debenriver]

Just select the rectangle and grab a corner point – either C or D – and drag it down. You will get the rectangle you show below. To make it longer, rather than wider, drag a corner point sideways.

If you want to drag just corner C down so that A, B & D remain in place, select the rectangle and convert it to a polygon (option–apple-p). Then when you select and drag the corner point C, it will drag just point C down. Do the same horizontally to move C sideways. Usually the point will drag vertically or horizontally perfectly as long as you don't depart too far from the vertical or horizontal. Or you can select the point with option key held down to ensure that it tracks either vertical or horizontally.

Hope this helps!

George

[Mikerosen]

So I leave it as a rectangle: not break it into lines. Thanks.

[debenriver]

Yes! And rounded rectangles, circles, ovals, arcs and elliptical arcs are the same – they are all objects, not polygons, so dragging on one point retains their basic attributes, just making them bigger or smaller.

They can all be converted to polygons with option-apple-p.

George

[Mikerosen]

George, what about this scenario: i draw a rectangle. Using the parallel tool, I create another rectangle within the first. Can I move the two lines together, maintaining the distance between them?

This is a fairly common need for me. I would draw one of those to represent a cabinet door, but I would resize it for other locations on the unit.

[Eric Pousse]

Mike,

I think that to do this the best will ne to use the command "Move points"

Because if you select the 2 objects and take one by one of its black handles this object will be resized but the other will only moved.
And if you take one of the blue handles, all dimensions will be resized including the dimension between them.

[debenriver]

Mike

You maybe haven't found Move Points yet? Took me a long time and then it was by accident! You use the Arrow tool with the option key held down, and drag to select just over where the points are that you want to move (let's say the bottom four corner points of two parallel rectangles) and then enter (in the case of the bottoms of a rectangle) the Y distance that you want to move them.

You can also make a rectangle into a parallelogram by dragging over, say, the bottom of the rectangle with the option key held down and then specifying a move distance for X.

It says it clearly enough if you hover over the tool – but somehow that didn't register with me at all!

George

[Mikerosen]

Move Points helps considerably! Many thanks.

Can it be done by dragging, or only by entering numbers?

It would be nice if selected points were shown (or is this an option that I haven't found, yet?)

[Eric Pousse]

Mike,

This function works only with numbers.

And I show it on the page : http://adx-online.com/realcadd/realcaddus.htm

[Mikerosen]

Mike,

This function works only with numbers.

And I show it on the page : http://adx-online.com/realcadd/realcaddus.htm

OK, I found it. But I still want to know if it would be possible to show the points that have been selected.