Creating new alignment guides, Setting precise positions of objects – Apple Numbers '08 User Manual

Page 153

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Chapter 8

Working with Shapes, Graphics, and Other Objects

153

Creating New Alignment Guides

You can create your own alignment guides to help you place objects.

To create an alignment guide:

1

If you’re editing text in an object or if you’re editing the content of a table cell, select an
object or click the canvas.

2

Click View in the toolbar, and then choose Show Rulers.

3

Place the pointer over a ruler, click, and drag onto the page. An alignment guide
appears.

4

Drag the guide where you want it on the page.

To remove an alignment guide that you’ve created, drag it off the edge of the page.

Setting Precise Positions of Objects

You use the Metrics Inspector to precisely locate objects.

To set the precise position of an object:

1

Select the object you want to position.

2

Click Inspector in the toolbar, and then click the Metrics Inspector button.

3

Enter X and Y values in the Position fields.

The specified coordinates determine the position of the upper-left corner of the
object’s container box.

 The X value is measured from the left edge of the layout.
 The Y value is measured from the top edge of the layout.

If an object is rotated, the X and Y coordinates specify the upper-left corner of the
rotated container box.

When you enter X and Y coordinates for line positions in the Metrics Inspector, the Start
coordinates represent the first endpoint you created. If you later flip or rotate the line,
the Start coordinates continue to represent the first endpoint.

Position a fixed line on
the page by specifying X
and Y coordinates for its
second endpoint.

Position a fixed line on
the page by specifying X
and Y coordinates for its
first endpoint.

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