Vector Diagram Help - Unite Page

Welcome to Vector Diagram – a professional vector graphics editor for creating diagrams, flowcharts, technical illustrations, posters, and more. This guide covers the essential features to help you get started quickly.

1. Starting Up and Interface Overview

Launch Vector Diagram

Double‑click the Vector Diagram icon on your desktop.
Or select it from the Start menu / Applications list.

Main Window Layout

Area	Description
Title Bar	Displays the current document name and the program name.
Menu Bar	Contains File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Shape, and more.
Toolbar	Quick access icons for New, Open, Save, Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, etc.
Drawing Area	The main workspace where you create and arrange objects.
Sidebar (right)	Contains the Page Pane (thumbnail overview), Properties panel (formatting options), and Gallery (pre‑made shapes and symbols).
Rulers	Show horizontal and vertical measurements for precise positioning.
Status Bar	Displays page number, zoom level, object count, and view options.

2. Document Basics

New, Open, and Save

New: File > New > Drawing or press Ctrl+N.
Open: File > Open or Ctrl+O – supports .odg (native format), .svg, .vsd (Visio), .dxf, .ai, .eps, and many other vector formats.
Save: File > Save / Save As or Ctrl+S. The default format is .odg, but you can also save as .svg, .pdf, .png, .jpg, and more.

Document Views

Normal View (default): Displays your drawing with rulers and guides.
Master View: Edits the master page (background elements that repeat on all pages).
Layer View: Shows and manages layers (see Section 8).

Switch views via View > the corresponding option.

3. Working with Pages

Adding a New Page

Insert > Page or right‑click a page thumbnail in the sidebar and select New Page.
You can have multiple pages in one document (useful for multi‑page diagrams or presentations).

Deleting / Duplicating a Page

Right‑click a page thumbnail and choose Delete Page or Duplicate Page.

Page Setup (Size and Orientation)

Format > Page – set paper size (A4, Letter, A3, etc.), orientation (Portrait/Landscape), and margins.
You can also define custom page sizes.

4. Basic Drawing Tools

Selecting Objects

Click the Selection tool (arrow icon) on the toolbar, or press F1.
Click an object to select it; hold Shift to select multiple objects.
Drag a rectangle around objects to select them all.

Drawing Shapes

Select a shape tool from the toolbar, then click and drag on the drawing area:

Tool	Description
Rectangle	Draws rectangles and squares (hold `Shift` for a perfect square).
Ellipse	Draws ellipses and circles (hold `Shift` for a perfect circle).
Line	Draws straight lines.
Polygon	Draws closed multi‑sided shapes. Click to add vertices, double‑click to finish.
Curve / Bézier	Draws free‑hand curves or precise Bézier paths.
Connector	Used for flowcharts – connects shapes with adjustable lines that stay attached when shapes move.
Freeform Line	Draws free‑hand lines (like a pencil).
Callout	Adds labels with adjustable pointer lines.

All shapes are vector‑based – they remain sharp when scaled.

Drawing Precise Shapes

Hold Ctrl while dragging to draw from the centre outward.
Hold Shift to constrain proportions (square, circle, 45° angles).
Hold Alt to temporarily ignore snap‑to‑grid.

5. Working with Objects

Moving and Resizing

Select an object, then drag it to move.
Drag a corner handle to resize (hold Shift to maintain aspect ratio).
Drag the green rotation handle (appears at the top) to rotate the object freely.

Editing Paths (for curves and polygons)

Select a curve or polygon and double‑click it – you will enter Edit Points mode.
You can:
- Drag existing points to change the shape.
- Add points by clicking on the path.
- Delete points by selecting and pressing Delete.
- Convert points between sharp and smooth (right‑click > Convert to Curve / Convert to Line).

Grouping and Ungrouping

Select multiple objects, right‑click and choose Group (or Ctrl+Shift+G) to treat them as one unit.
To edit individual parts, select the group and use Ungroup (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G).

Duplicating

Select an object and press Ctrl+D to duplicate it in place, then drag to the new location.
Or use Edit > Duplicate for multiple copies with offset options.

6. Formatting Objects

Select an object and use the Properties panel (or right‑click > Format) to adjust:

Fill (Interior)

Colour: Solid, gradient, hatching, or bitmap pattern.
Transparency: Set a percentage to make objects see‑through.

Line (Outline)

Colour and Width (thickness).
Style: Solid, dashed, dotted, or custom patterns.
Arrowheads: Add arrows to the start/end of lines (for connectors and lines).

Shadow

Enable shadow, set colour, offset, and blur radius.

Position and Size

Enter exact X/Y coordinates, width, and height for precise placement.

7. Adding and Formatting Text

Inserting Text

Click the Text tool (letter “A” icon) on the toolbar.
Click on the drawing area to create a text box, then start typing.
Alternatively, double‑click any shape to add text inside it.

Formatting Text

Select the text (or text box) and use:

Font, Size, Bold/Italic/Underline – from the toolbar or Format > Character.
Paragraph alignment – left, center, right, justified.
Text direction – horizontal or vertical (useful for labels).

Text Along a Path

Draw a line or curve, then select both the path and the text.
Format > Text > Fit Text to Path – the text will follow the curve.

8. Layers – Organising Your Drawing

Layers help you separate different parts of your drawing (e.g., background, main objects, annotation).

Managing Layers

View > Layer or click the Layer tab in the sidebar.
Add Layer: Click the + icon and name it.
Delete / Rename: Right‑click a layer.
Visibility: Toggle the eye icon to show/hide a layer.
Lock: Prevent objects on that layer from being edited or selected.

Moving Objects Between Layers

Select an object, right‑click > Arrange > Assign to Layer, then choose the target layer.

Layer Order

Layers are drawn from bottom to top – the topmost layer appears in front.
Drag layers up/down in the sidebar to reorder them.

9. Align, Distribute, and Order

Aligning Objects

Select multiple objects.
Shape > Align (or use the toolbar alignment icons):
- Align left, right, top, bottom, or centre horizontally/vertically.

Distributing Evenly

Select three or more objects.
Shape > Distribution – evenly space them horizontally or vertically.

Z‑Order (Front/Back)

Select an object, right‑click > Arrange:
- Bring to Front / Send to Back
- Bring Forward / Send Backward (one step at a time)

10. Grid, Guides, and Snapping

Grid

View > Grid to show/hide the grid.
Tools > Options > Grid to adjust grid spacing and subdivision.

Guides

Drag from the rulers (top/left) onto the drawing area to create guide lines.
Use guides to align objects precisely.
View > Guides to show/hide them, or View > Snap to Guides to enable snapping.

Snapping

View > Snap to Grid / Snap to Guides / Snap to Object Borders – helps objects align automatically.

11. Connectors and Flowcharts

Using Connectors

Select the Connector tool from the toolbar.
Click on the first shape (a connection point will appear), then drag to the second shape – the connector line remains attached even if you move the shapes.

Glue Points

Objects have default connection points (small blue crosses).
To add custom glue points: Insert > Glue Point (or use the dedicated tool) – click on an object to place a new connection point.

Flowchart Symbols

The Gallery (sidebar) provides pre‑drawn flowchart shapes – drag and drop them onto your drawing.

12. Inserting External Content

Images (Raster Graphics)

Insert > Image > From File – choose a .png, .jpg, .gif, or other bitmap file.
You can crop, resize, and rotate images like any other object.

Spreadsheet Charts

Copy a chart from a spreadsheet application and paste it into Vector Diagram – it will be embedded as a vector object (if possible).

OLE Objects

Insert > Object – embed other document types (e.g., a text file or spreadsheet) into your drawing.

13. Exporting and Printing

Export as PDF

File > Export As > Export as PDF.
Choose options: export all pages or a range, image compression, and whether to include layers.

Export as Image

File > Export As > Export as Images – save each page as a separate PNG, JPEG, BMP, or GIF.
Vector formats like SVG, EPS, or DXF are also available for compatibility with other design software.

Printing

File > Print or Ctrl+P.
Preview the print output and adjust scaling if needed.

14. Keyboard Shortcuts – Quick Reference

Action	Shortcut
New Drawing	`Ctrl + N`
Open Document	`Ctrl + O`
Save	`Ctrl + S`
Print	`Ctrl + P`
Undo / Redo	`Ctrl + Z` / `Ctrl + Y`
Cut / Copy / Paste	`Ctrl + X` / `Ctrl + C` / `Ctrl + V`
Select All	`Ctrl + A`
Group / Ungroup	`Ctrl+Shift+G` / `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G`
Duplicate	`Ctrl + D`
Bring to Front / Send to Back	`Ctrl+Shift+F` / `Ctrl+Shift+B`
Align Left / Right / Top / Bottom	`Ctrl+L` / `Ctrl+R` / `Ctrl+T` / `Ctrl+Shift+B` (see menu for all)
Start drawing shape	Select tool and drag
Constrain proportions (while drawing)	Hold `Shift`
Draw from centre	Hold `Ctrl`
Enter edit‑points mode	Double‑click a curve/polygon
Insert Comment	`Ctrl+Alt+C`
Zoom In / Out	`Ctrl+Scroll` (mouse)