Copyright: Mayura Draw 3.5 Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Mayura Software


Introducing Mayura Draw
Mayura Draw

Mayura Draw is a vector-based drawing program. Using Mayura Draw you can create illustrations composed of graphical shapes such as lines, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, curves and text. Mayura Draw has powerful tools for drawing, editing and transforming graphical objects. To edit an object, select the object and drag any of the handles that become visible. Transforming means moving, scaling, rotating, reflecting or skewing objects. Objects can be transformed independently or you can select a group of objects to be transformed together. All objects including text and images can be transformed.

The tool bar on the left has the tools for drawing and transforming objects. To select a tool, click on the button representing the tool on the tool bar. A tool can be canceled at any time by selecting another tool from the tool bar. Note that the shift key can be used to modify the operation of many tools.

How to draw

• Line, Horizontal line, Vertical line

• Rectangle, Square

• Ellipse, Circle

• Arc

• Curve

• Polygon

• Text

• Bitmapped images

How to select objects for reshaping and transforming

From the tool bar choose the selection tool (arrow).

To select an object simply click on it. If the object is filled then you may click inside the object. If the object is not filled you must click on the edge of the object.

Note: If Preview is turned off objects are not filled. In this case you cannot select an object by clicking inside it. Click on the edge of the object to select it.

How to select multiple objects

Click the mouse in an empty area near the objects you want to select. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the selection marquee encloses the objects you would like to select, then release the button.

An object need not be enclosed entirely within the selection marquee in order to get selected. If a small portion of the object falls within the selection marquee, it will be included in the selection.

You can also add an object to the selection or remove an object from the selection. Hold down the shift key while following the same steps as when you select an object.

To unselect all objects, click in an empty area on the page.

How to reshape objects

To reshape an object, first select it by clicking on it. Small black squares (handles) will appear on the object. You can reshape the object by dragging these handles.

If the handles are white that means the objects are either grouped or they are part of a compound path. Grouped objects must be ungrouped before they can be edited.

How to transform

Select the object you wish to transform. You can transform an object independently or you can select multiple objects to be transformed together. All objects, including text and images can be transformed.

• Move

• Scale

• Rotate

• Skew

• Reflect

How to...

• Insert your drawing in Microsoft Word and other word processors

• Change orientation to portrait or landscape mode

• Zoom in and zoom out

• Change color of lines, fills or text

• Draw arrow heads at line ends

• Add or delete nodes from an existing polygon or curve

• How to close an open polygon

• Pick color, pattern and other attributes from an object and apply it to another

• Group objects

• Align and space objects

• Make holes in objects using compound paths

Miscellaneous

• What is PostScript? Why prefer EPS format?

• Interoperability with other applications

• Limitations of export formats

• Snap to objects

• Visit www.mayura.com to download latest version.

• About Mayura Draw

Please send comments, bug reports, and suggestions for the next version of Mayura Draw to comments@mayura.com

This Help file is for Mayura Draw Version 3.5.

Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Mayura Software. Mayura is a trademark of Mayura Software.

Mayura Draw is distributed with NO WARRANTY of any kind. Use at your own risk.


Drawing Programs vs. Painting Programs

Mayura Draw is a vector-based drawing program. Unlike painting programs, which are bitmap-based, a drawing program stores your picture as lines, circles, polygons, text and other geometric shapes. This lets you modify your illustration by changing the radius of a circle, for example, or by deleting a node from a polygon. Painting programs on the other hand store your picture as an array of pixels. This lets you modify individual pixels of your picture, but you cannot, for example, modify the radius of a circle once it is drawn.

Drawing programs can let you resize your picture with no loss in resolution. Also, when the picture is printed on a high-resolution printer no 'staircasing' effect is visible. Painting programs cannot print at the full resolution of the printer, so staircasing will be visible.


How to draw a line

Select the line tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the line to start. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the line to end.

To draw a vertical or horizontal line hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw a rectangle

Select the rectangle tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first corner of the rectangle. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the opposite corner of the rectangle.

How to draw a square

To draw a square using the rectangle tool, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw an ellipse

Select the ellipse tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the center of the ellipse. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse till the ellipse has the desired size and shape.

How to draw a circle

To draw a circle using the ellipse tool, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to draw an arc

Select the arc tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the center of the arc. Click the left mouse button where you want the arc's starting angle. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse anticlockwise to the ending angle, while also moving away from the center till the arc has the desired radius.


How to draw a curve

Select the curve tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first node of the curve. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the second node, then release the button. Click the left mouse button where you want the next node and release the button. Click and release the left mouse button where you want the next node, and the next, and so on. When you come to the last node, double click the left mouse button.

To draw a closed curve, double click on the first node, as the last node.

How to make corners

To create a corner node as opposed to a smooth node, hold down the shift key while creating the node. A corner node is different from a smooth node in that moving the control handle on one side of a node will not automatically move the control handle on the other side of the node. This allows you to make corners.

To make a node node on an existing curve a corner click the right mouse button on the node and choose Corner from the context menu.

How to add or delete nodes from an existing curve

You can insert nodes, delete nodes, make a node a corner or smooth, or close or open a curve, using the context menu. To insert a node first select the curve. Make sure the selection tool is selected on the toolbar. Then using the right mouse button, click on the curve where you want to insert a node. A context menu will appear. Choose Insert Node from the context menu. You can delete a node by clicking the right mouse button on the node you want to delete and then choosing Delete Node from the context menu.

How to close an open curve

You can close or open a curve by choosing Close from the context menu.


How to draw a polygon

Select the polygon tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the first node of the polygon. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to the point where you want the second node, then release the button. Click the left mouse button where you want the next node and release the button. Click and release the left mouse button where you want the next node, and the next, and so on. When you come to the last node, double click the left mouse button.

To draw a closed polygon, double click on the first node, as the last node.

How to add or delete nodes from an existing polygon

You can insert nodes, delete nodes, or close or open a polygon using the context menu. To insert a node first select the polygon. Make sure the selection tool is selected on the tool bar. Then using the right mouse button, click on the polygon where you want to insert a node. A context menu will appear. Choose Insert Node from the context menu.

You can delete a node by clicking the right mouse button on the node you want to delete and then choosing Delete Node from the context menu.

How to close an open polygon

You can close or open a polygon by choosing Close from the context menu.


How to draw text

Select the text tool from the tool bar. Click the left mouse button where you want the text to start. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse to draw a rectangular text-frame, then release the button. Now start typing. When you reach the right edge of the text-frame the cursor will move to the next line automatically. The text-frame will automatically increase in height to accommodate the new line. If you resize the text-frame, text will reflow automatically. To resize the text-frame, select the selection tool from the tool bar. Then select the text-frame and drag any of its handles. You only need to set the width of the text-frame. Mayura Draw determines the height of the text-frame automatically.

To edit existing text, select the text tool from the tool bar and click the left mouse button on the baseline of the text you would like to edit. Use left and right arrow keys to position cursor. Use backspace key to delete characters.

To use a different font, select Font from the Text menu. Fonts are listed by their PostScript names.

To change line spacing select Leading from the Text menu. Leading is the distance from the base of one line to the base of the next line.

You can also left-align, center, right-align or justify text by selecting the appropriate alignment command from the Text menu.

Mayura Draw supports PostScript fonts, under Windows 95 only, if you have installed Adobe Type Manager (ATM) software.


How to add an image

To insert a bitmapped image (BMP file) into your drawing choose Insert from the File menu.

Images can be scaled, rotated, skewed and reflected just like other objects.

Mayura Draw preserves the full color and resolution of your images when exporting to EPS format.


How to move objects

From the tool bar choose the Selection Tool.

To move a single object simply click on it and drag the mouse. If the object is filled you may click inside the object. If the object is not filled you must click on the edge of the object.

Note: If Preview is turned off objects are not filled. In this case you cannot move an object by clicking inside it. Click on the edge of the object to move it.

To move multiple objects together, first, select the objects you would like to move. Click on any one of the selected objects. Without releasing the button, drag the mouse until the objects have been moved to the desired position; then release the button.


How to scale objects

Select the objects you would like to scale. Select the Scale Tool from the tool bar. Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the origin point (see below) and release the mouse.

2. Move the mouse away from the origin.

3. Click anywhere and without releasing the mouse, drag the mouse until the objects have been scaled to the desired size.

The origin point is the point about which you would like to scale the objects. This may be any point in your drawing, for example, the center of the selected objects.

Is it hard to control?

For good control, after choosing the origin point, move the mouse diagonally, away from the origin point. The farther you move the mouse the better the control.

Scaling uniformly

To scale objects uniformly in horizontal and vertical directions, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.


How to rotate objects

Select the objects you would like to rotate. Select the Rotate Tool from the tool bar. Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the origin point (see below) and release the mouse.

2. Move the mouse away from the origin.

3. Click anywhere and without releasing the mouse, drag the mouse until the objects have been rotated the desired angle.

The origin point is the point about which you would like to rotate the objects. This may be any point in your drawing, for example, the center of the selected objects.

To rotate objects in steps of 15 degrees, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.

Is it hard to control?

For good control, after choosing the origin point, move the mouse diagonally, away from the origin point. The farther you move the mouse the better the control.


How to skew objects

Skewing means slanting objects. You can slant objects horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Select the objects you would like to skew. Select the Skew Tool from the tool bar. Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the origin point (see below) and release the mouse.

2. Move the mouse away from the origin.

3. Click anywhere and without releasing the mouse, drag the mouse until the objects have been skewed to the desired shape.

The origin point is the point about which you would like to skew the objects. This may be any point in your drawing, for example, the center of the selected objects.

To constrain the skewing to either horizontal or vertical direction, hold down the shift key while dragging the mouse.

Is it hard to control?

For good control, after choosing the origin point, move the mouse diagonally, away from the origin point. The farther you move the mouse the better the control.


How to reflect objects

Select the objects you would like to reflect. Select the Reflect Tool from the tool bar. Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the origin point (see below) and release the mouse.

2. Move the mouse away from the origin.

3. Click anywhere and without releasing the mouse, drag the mouse until the objects have been reflected about the desired line.

The origin point is the point about which you would like to reflect the objects. This may be any point in your drawing, for example, the center of the selected objects.

Is it hard to control?

For good control, after choosing the origin point, move the mouse diagonally, away from the origin point. The farther you move the mouse the better the control.


How to insert your drawing into a word processor
How to insert your drawing into Microsoft Word

Drawings created using Mayura Draw can be included in documents created using LaTeX, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, and other word processors. To import your drawing into a word processor, save your drawing in EPS format. Use the EPS inclusion capability of your word processor to include the drawing in a document.

In Microsoft Word, from the Insert menu choose Picture. Then change Files of type to Encapsulated PostScript (*.eps). Select the file and click OK.

Note: If Word doesn't show Encapsulated PostScript in Files of type list box, you did not click the Encapsulated PostScript option when you installed Word. Reinstall Word to fix the problem.

How to create an EPS file

To save your drawing in EPS format, choose Export from the File menu. Then change the Save file as type to EPS.

The EPS Options dialog will let you include a preview in the EPS file. If you are using a WYSIWYG word processor such as Microsoft Word check the Include screen preview option.

To ensure that text will be printed using the right font, click the Include fonts option.

EPS files will only print at the intended quality if you have a PostScript printer. If your printer doesn't support PostScript, export to WMF format instead of EPS.

Technical details for advanced users:

About PostScript and the EPS file format

EPS is the format preferred by high-end desktop publishing systems. Unlike other vector formats such as WMF and CGM, EPS uses PostScript, a powerful graphics language used by high-end typesetting machines costing tens of thousands of dollars, such as Linotype, as well as cheaper laser printers costing under $1000, such as Hewlett Packard LaserJet 5MP.

EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. An Encapsulated PostScript file contains PostScript code designed to be included as a part of another page, rather than being sent to a PostScript printer directly. All EPS files contain PostScript code. However, PostScript code is in general only understood by printers equipped with a PostScript interpreter. Word processors do not understand PostScript code, and therefore cannot directly display PostScript files on the screen. To solve this problem, EPS files may contain a preview bitmap in addition to the PostScript code. When you insert an EPS file into a word processor, your word processor ignores the PostScript code that it cannot understand, and instead depends on the preview bitmap to display the drawing on the screen. But when the word processor prints the document, it sends the PostScript code to the printer instead of the bitmap. This assumes your printer can understand PostScript. If it cannot, the word processor sends the preview bitmap to the printer, resulting in poor quality.

Not all EPS files contain preview bitmaps. When you insert an EPS file which does not contain a preview bitmap into a word processor, the word processor will not be able to display the drawing on the screen. Your word processor may instead display some details about the EPS file such as its name and the date it was created. Even though the EPS file does not contain a preview bitmap, it still contains all the PostScript code necessary to print the picture. So when you print the document, the word processor sends the PostScript code to the printer and the drawing will appear in the output. Again, this assumes that your printer is a PostScript printer. If it is not, the word processor will not be able to print the graphic.

Do not confuse AI (Adobe Illustrator) format with EPS format. AI format is a simplified subset of EPS format. Since AI format is simpler many drawing programs can open AI files. However EPS files can be arbitrarily complex, so most programs can't open EPS files unless, of course, your particular EPS file also happens to be an AI file. All AI files are EPS files* but not all EPS files are AI files.

* Note however, that AI format files often omit the PostScript header portion. If the header portion is missing in your AI file then it is not, strictly speaking, an EPS file. Use AI format only for interchanging a drawing among various drawing programs. When it is time to print, use EPS format because without a header, your AI file won't print.

Trouble shooting

If your word processor is unable to print the EPS drawing you created using Mayura Draw, or if the output is of poor quality, check the following:

1. Does your printer support PostScript? If it does not, use WMF format instead of EPS.

2. Does Windows know that your printer supports PostScript? If your printer supports both PCL and PostScript you may be using a PCL printer driver. Install the PostScript printer driver that came with your printer.


How to change orientation to portrait or landscape mode

You can change the orientation of the page at any time to portrait or landscape mode and continue drawing. Select Orientation from View menu and choose the orientation you want to change to. Since orientation is only a view mode, you can switch from one orientation to another and back as many times as you want.

Note on printing landscape: It is not necessary to set the landscape mode in the Print setup dialog.


How to zoom in and zoom out

Select the zoom tool from the toolbar. Click and drag a rectangle around the area you would like to zoom in on. To zoom out, click anywhere and without moving the mouse, release the mouse button.


How to change color of lines, fills or text

Select the objects you want to change. Then choose Color from the Line menu to change line color, Color from the Fill menu to change fill color, or Color from the Text menu to change text color.

The color dialog

The color dialog lets you specify color in one of three different color models: HSB, CMY or RGB. HSB is the most intuitive color model. In the HSB color model, colors are specified using three parameters called Hue, Saturation and Brightness. Hue specifies the color of the color, such as blue or yellow. Saturation specifies the concentration of the selected hue with respect to the overall intensity. Less saturated color has some white light mixed in. If the saturation is set to 0, you get a shade of gray. Brightness specifies the overall intensity of light. If the brightness is set to 0, you get black.

In the color dialog, different hues are arranged around a color wheel. As you move towards the center of this wheel, saturation decreases. The dialog also has a brightness bar. As you move upwards on the brightness bar, the brightness increases.

To select a color, first select a hue by clicking at an appropriate angle on the color wheel. Now adjust the saturation by moving towards or away from the center. Next click on the brightness bar. Move up or down to adjust the brightness. The currently chosen color is visible in the little square next to the brightness bar. Click OK to select the color.


How to draw arrow heads at line ends

To draw arrow heads at ends of lines, first select the lines you are interested in. Then click on the Line menu, and then either First End or Second End and then choose the type of arrow head you want. Arrow heads can be placed on lines, arcs, and open ends of polylines and curves.


How to pick color, pattern and other attributes from an object and apply it to another

Select the object you would like to pick color, pattern, line style and other attributes from. Then click on the eye dropper button on the toolbar. The current paint style will be set to the paint style of the selected object. Next, select the objects you would like to apply the current paint style to. Then click on the brush button on the toolbar.


How to group objects

Select the objects you would like to group. Then choose Group from the Object menu. Group objects if you want a set of objects to behave as one object. If you select an object that is part of a group, the entire group will be selected. This ensures that you do not accidentally dismantle the group by moving or editing one of the objects in the group. Note that grouped objects have white handles instead of black. White handles indicate that the selected object cannot be edited. If you want to edit an object that is part of a group, you must Ungroup the objects first.


How to align and space objects

To align objects, select the objects you want to align. Then choose an appropriate command from the Align sub-menu in the Object menu.

Space Evenly in the Object menu rearranges selected objects such that the distance between them is uniform. The distance between objects can be either the distance between centers of the objects or the space between edges of the objects.


How to make holes in objects using compound paths

You can use the Compound Path command to make holes in objects. For example, let us say you want to make an elliptical hole inside a rectangle. First draw an ellipse over the rectangle. Then select both the rectangle and the ellipse and click on Make command inside the Compound Path menu inside the Object menu. The ellipse is now a hole in the rectangle, and objects below will show through this hole.

Mayura Draw uses the even-odd rule to fill compound paths.


Interoperability with other applications
Interoperability

Export your drawing in EPS or WMF formats to insert the drawing into your word processor. EPS format will give you the best possible results. However, your printer must support PostScript to take advantage of EPS. Use WMF format if you don't have a PostScript printer.

Drawings created using Mayura Draw can be opened in other drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, Micrografx Windows Draw. First select Export from the File menu in Mayura Draw. In the Export dialog, change Save file as type to Adobe Illustrator. Enter a file name and click OK. Your drawing will be saved in Adobe Illustrator 88 format. This file can now be opened in any of the above programs.

To open a drawing created using any of the above programs in Mayura Draw, first start the application that created the drawing and export the drawing in Adobe Illustrator 88 format. Then in Mayura Draw choose Import from the File menu. Mayura Draw can import the AI format file you created.

Mayura Draw can also create PDF files. PDF stands for Portable Document Format. Using Adobe's Acrobat Reader you can view and print PDF files, as well as publish them on the Internet. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded free of charge from www.adobe.com


Limitations of export formats

EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)

There are no limitations when exporting to this format. EPS format gives you the highest possible quality and is therefore the recommended format when you need to include your drawing in word processors and desktop publishing systems. However you need a PostScript printer to get the intended quality.

When exporting to EPS format remember to click the Include Fonts option to make sure fonts such as Symbol print correctly.

PS (PostScript)

PS has the same features as EPS. However, while EPS files are designed to be included in other documents, PS files are not. Use PS format only when you want to get a file that can be sent to a PostScript printer directly.

AI (Adobe Illustrator)

This version of Mayura Draw does not export pattern fills and bitmaps to AI files.

Export to AI format when you need to open your drawing in other drawing programs such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw or Micrografx Windows Draw.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

This version of Mayura Draw does not export pattern fills to PDF files.

Export to PDF format if you want to create a file that can be viewed on Windows, Unix, Macintosh and the web, using Adobe Acrobat. If you are using LaTeX to prepare technical documents then PDF may be an alternative to EPS.

WMF (Windows Metafile)

This version of Mayura Draw does not export bitmaps to WMF files. WMF format is not capable of displaying skewed or reflected text. If you have skewed or reflected text in your drawing those text objects will be exported as normal text.

Export to WMF format only if you do not have access to a PostScript printer.

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format)

This format can only store a maximum of 256 colors. If you have lots of colors in your drawing some colors may be lost in the GIF file. Also, due to patent restrictions, Mayura Draw does not use the LZW algorithm to compress GIF files.

To get the best possible results, export to BMP format instead and then use Adobe Photoshop or other similar dedicated image processing applications to convert the BMP file to GIF format.

BMP (Windows Bitmap format)

There are no limitations when exporting to this format. BMP is the recommended raster file format. Mayura Draw creates uncompressed 24-bit bitmap files.

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)

There are no limitations when exporting to this format. However this version of Mayura Draw does not take advantage of compression capability of the TIFF format.


How to use the Snap to Objects feature

When you draw objects with corners that touch other objects, the Snap to Objects feature helps make sure the corner touches the object exactly.

For example, with this feature turned on, if you click close to the edge of an ellipse when drawing a rectangle, that corner of the rectangle will snap to the ellipse, as if the edge of the ellipse were magnetic. How close to the edge of the ellipse do you have to click? That is determined by the Aperture Size setting.

To turn on this feature, select Object Snap command from the object menu.

Snap to Objects can often be used as an alternative to Snap to Grid.


Mayura Software

Mayura Draw is Copyright (c) 1993-99 Mayura Software.

   Mayura Software
   PO Box 50158
   Palo Alto, CA 94303-0158
   USA

Distributing Mayura Draw

Permission is hereby granted to distribute unmodified copies of Mayura Draw. No charges are due to Mayura Software for distributing Mayura Draw.

Questions and comments

You are invited to send me your questions, comments, any bugs you have found, or suggestions for the next version of Mayura Draw. Please e-mail your suggestions to: comments@mayura.com