Object Control - One Of The The Keys To Mastering Canvas™ 6

Deneba Canvas 6 supports layers. It is extremely flexible in that it allows vector, text and bitmap objects to coexist across multiple layers or to be stacked together in a single layer. Often, you will need to place objects directly on top of each other. Selecting objects hidden under other objects can be a challenge. You can spread objects amongst layers to make it easy to select and edit them individually.

Layers and Object Stacks

Each layer has its own stack. When you issue commands such as bring to front, send to back, shuffle down and shuffle up, the commands affect only objects on the current layer. When you begin to work with multiple layers, you need to bear in mind the effects of duplicating and moving objects between layers. There can be little or no change to the screen display, but there may be major changes to your composition.

1. Below is a diagram showing objects A, B and C on layers 3, 2 and 1 (below left). Object A is on top and is the only one visible (below right). You can easily select object A, B or C using the Document Layout palette. Simply hide the layers containing objects you don't want to select.

Layers View

What you see

2. Now let's select and copy object B with Edit > Duplicate or Edit > Replicate with no offset. The duplicate object "B" is in a stack of two objects on layer 2. There are some important points to be made here:

a.) The duplicate object "B" (shown in yellow for emphasis) is placed directly on top of its original. If you want to select the original then you need a means to select objects that lie directly beneath other objects.
b.) Immediately after duplicating the original object "B" it becomes unselected
and the duplicate is now selected so you need to be aware of which object you are working with (there is no change to the screen display).

Layers View

What you see

3. Now click the Send To Layers button on the toolbar or click Object > Arrange > Send To Layers. A palette will appear. Choose layer 1 and click "Select". Some more important points need to be made here:

a.) The view on the screen does not change. You see the same thing as in the previous step.
b.) When you send to layers, the object is placed at the top of the stack on the target layer.
c.) The object is still selected, but on a different layer.

You are seeing only one object - the duplicate "B" object. Everything above and below it is hidden from view while it is selected. If you deselect all objects, the view will change and object "A" will be showing again.

Layers View

What you see

This simple little demonstration says an awful lot about how to work with Canvas. You need to be aware of these points and know what you are looking at on the screen so you can stay in control.

Using The Context Menu To Select Objects Within a Stack

When you have an object stack on one layer, you select objects with the Context menu. Position the mouse pointer directly over the top object in the stack, then Right-Click (Windows®) or Control-Click (Mac®). This will bring up the following context menu (the contents will vary depending upon the operation):

This is the Windows version...

		Use the "Select" menu item when selecting and not editing an item in the stack.

The context menu can be used for both selecting and editing. When you need to edit an object in the stack, use the "Edit" menu item to avoid double-clicking the mouse. Doing so would run the risk of inadvertently repositioning the object or activating a paint tool.

This is the Mac version...

		Use the "Edit" menu item when editing an item in the stack to avoid double-clicking.

Tip: To edit an unselected paint object at the top of the stack directly under the mouse pointer, click on the object with any paint tool. This will put the object into edit mode.

The objects listed in the stack are in the same physical order as in the document. Objects at the top of the list are in the top of the stack and objects at the bottom of the list are at the bottom of the stack. Additionally, the list is a complete list of all objects across all layers that lie directly under the mouse pointer when clicked, not just the stack of objects on the current layer.

Using The Document Layout Palette

In the above scenario at step 2 where object "B" was selected then copied, the easiest way would be to use the Document Layout palette.

Click visibility bullets to hide layers (you can only hide layers which are not activated).

The highlighted layer means it is activated. Here objects on layer 2 can easily be selected.

Using The "Find" Command

One of the most powerful ways to select objects is with the "Find" command. Canvas lets you select objects based on their attributes. One application for this is managing spot color separations. In the example below, you can globally select and replace fill inks with the find command:

Click Edit > Find, then in the palette, select the color you wish to find and select for replacement

Next click "Select". All objects filled with the chosen ink will be selected. You are just a click away from assigning a new fill ink.

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