Creating a Dashed Polygon

ClarisDraw can apply dashes only to a line. Following are the steps to create a dashed polygon. Please note that an object created with this workaround cannot easily be filled with a color or pattern.

1. Double-click on the Line tool so that it is locked (it will turn a darker gray when locked).

2. Choose Guideliner in the Layout menu so that it has a checkmark next to it.

3. Draw the first side of your polygon.

4. When drawing subsequent sides of your polygon allow the Guideliner to locate the end of the previous side (indicated by a plus sign) so you can connect the sides easily.

5. When all of the sides are done, select all the lines (drawing a selection rectangle around the lines instead of using the Shift key will be easiest).

Note: When selection handles overlap, they disappear. In this example, when all the lines are selected none of the selection handles will show.

If you do not need to fill the polygon with a color or pattern, use this step:

6. With the lines selected, choose dashed from the Line Styles menu (located on the horizontal tool bar) and choose Group from the Arrange menu.

You will be able to resize and change the pen color of the object you have just created, but you will not be able to fill it with a color or pattern.

If you need to fill the polygon with a color, use these steps:

1. With the lines selected, choose Copy from the Edit menu, create a Paint Frame large enough to contain the object and Paste. You will see your object in the Paint Frame.

2. While still in the Paint Frame, fill the inside of the polygon with the color you want and fill the rest of the Paint Frame outside the polygon with black. Now change the black to white. (This step is used to eliminate the Pen color of the object while creating a Fill color.)

3. Click to select the Paint Frame with the Arrow tool and choose a transparent Fill and Pen color so that the Frame border and background disappear.

4. Move the Paint Frame to behind the polygon that you first drew by using the Move to Back command from the Arrange menu. Next, move the Paint Frame so it is directly underneath the drawn version of your Polygon (the Arrow keys on the keyboard allow you to move the object in small increments for precise alignment).

5. Select your drawn lines, choose dashed from the Line Styles menu (located on the horizontal tool bar) and choose Group from the Arrange menu.

6. Select the Paint Frame and the drawn objects and group them.