iCalamus > Reference > Tool palette > Creation tools Index

Line tool

Use this tool to create a line frame. iCalamus offers three line tools and a variety of pre-defined line types, like simple lines, multiple lines, arc lines and crosses.

Choose the desired line type in the Line tool by right clicking on the Line tool symbol in the tool palette. Alternatively, keep the mouse button pressed until the Line tools menu appears from which you can choose the line type. Now create a new frame in the document by dragging the mouse. If you press [Esc] before you release the mouse button, the line that you are drawing will be deleted immediately.

Line Tool

Use this tool if you want to draw simple lines very fast. When you release the mouse button, a line frame is created which can be edited like all other frames.
Tip: Press [Shift] in order to create straight lines with 0, 45 or 90 degrees (etc.) automatically.

Polyline Shape Tool

Using this tool, you can draw multiple straight lines at once. Click to positions which should be connected by lines. If you press the mouse button while dragging to the next point, the result will not be made of straight lines but of curves. A double click ends the current polyline.

Freehand Shape Tool

Draw absolutely freehand lines with this tool. Just draw the line you want with the mouse cursor. As soon as you release the mouse button, your drawn path will be vectorized and rounded.

Simple Line Types

The line types in the next group are pre-defined lines which can be drawn by choosing the relevant line type and creating a frame. See the New Line Object section of the Frame inspector for additional information about these line types: Diagonal Cross, Cross, Corner Line, Line with Three Sides of a Rect.

Dynamic Line Types

The last group of line types in the list offers dynamic line types. See the New Line Object section of the Frame inspector for additional information about these line types: Multiple Lines, Circle Arc Line, Line with Variable Corner.
After you have created the relevant line frame, you can change its parameters with the menu item Edit Shape Parameters in the Frame inspector. (The editing dialog for each of these line objects is included above with the information about each object.) Such things as the number of Multiple lines (How about Music Score lines?) or the angle of an Arc line can be changed there.