ClarisImpact: All About Object Libraries and Clones

One of the features that makes ClarisImpact so easy to use is Object Libraries. Claris provides a plethora of Object Libraries with ClarisImpact and you can also make your own. An Object is any picture, text or model. A Library is a place to archive objects. To use an existing Library first make sure you have installed the ClarisArt folder (Easy Install will automatically install this folder of graphic libraries or you can use Custom Install) and then follow these steps:

1. Create a new ClarisImpact document or open an existing one.
2. Choose Open Library... from the File menu.
3. Navigate to the ClarisArt folder and open any Library such as "Animals (B&W)".
4. Double-click on the desired Object Library.

Once you have found an object you would like to place on the document:

1. Move the mouse arrow onto the object in a Library and notice that the Arrow turns into a Hand.
2. Click and hold the Hand on the object and then move the mouse to the document area (a rough outline of the object should move with the Hand).

3. Let go of the mouse when you are at the desired location of the object.

An alternate way of adding an object from a Library to a document:

1. Click in the document where you want the picture to be placed.
2. Click on the object in the Library palette so that it highlights.
3. Click the Use button.

Adding a picture to an Object Library is just as easy. First draw a picture using the ClarisImpact drawing tools or import an existing PICT, GIF, TIFF or EPSF type graphic. To import a picture:

1. Create a new ClarisImpact document or open an existing one.
2. Click in the document where you want the picture to be placed.
3. Choose Place File... from the File menu.
4. Navigate through the dialog box to the location of the picture.
5. Double-click on the desired picture.

To add a picture from a ClarisImpact document to a Library:

1. Open a existing Library from the ClarisArt folder.
2. Select the object in the document you want to add to the Library.
3. Click the Add button in the Library floating palette.

To add many objects at once to a Library simply select multiple objects and then click the Add button on the Library floating palette. NOTE: Selecting many objects can done by using the Shift key when clicking on additional objects, by using Select All from the File menu or using the arrow tool to draw a selection rectangle around the objects. If you want to add many objects to a Library as one picture use the Group feature from the Arrange menu before clicking the Add button.

Creating your own Object Library is just as easy. Just choose New Library from the File menu and an Untitled Library will appear. Here is a good time to point out the menus on the Library floating palette. Notice that each Library floating palette has a set of menus: File, Edit and View. Choose Save As... from the File menu on the Library floating palette to archive your own custom Object Library. The View menu has an interesting menu choice called "View Options...". This allows you to change the way the Library floating palette looks.

Also, notice the triangle just to the right of the Use button. Clicking on the triangle will make more choices available such as Rename and Find. Rename allows you to change the name of an object. Find allows you to locate an object in a Library that has grown too large to easily scroll through.

When an object is moved from a Library into your document a Clone is made. Clones can be useful if you decide to edit an object but have used that same object in many places throughout your document. As an example, place two different objects from a Library many times into a single document. NOTE: Only the first copy of an object needs to be placed in the document using an Object Library. Subsequent copies of an object can be copied and pasted or duplicated. Next, change any of the objects to a different fill color. What if you wanted all of your objects to be changed to the new color? Follow the steps below:

1. Select the object that has the fill color.
2. Choose Replace Clones... from the Edit menu.
3. Notice that the only Master Objects that appear in the scrolling list are those that have been placed from an Object Library.
4. Click the button Use Selected.
5. Click Replace All.