How to Insert and Customize Polygon Shapes

The Polygon tool in DRAWings PRO XII allows you to quickly create complex, multi-sided vector shapes. This guide covers how to select the tool, customize its properties before and after drawing, and how to edit the shape using nodes.

Part 1: How to Insert a Polygon Shape

Follow these steps to create your first polygon.

1. Locate the Shape Tools: All readymade shape tools are located in the “Shapes” section of your toolbar.
   • Useful Tip: The icon visible in the “Shapes” section is always the last used shape.
2. Select the Polygon Tool: Place your mouse cursor over the “Shapes” section to expand the list of available tools, and then click on the Polygon Shape icon.
3. Customize Tool Options: Once the tool is selected, the “Tool Options” bar will appear. Before drawing, you can set the following properties:
   • Number of Sides: Define how many sides your polygon will have (e.g., 5 for a pentagon, 6 for a hexagon).
   • Start Angle: Adjust the initial rotation of the shape.
4. Draw the Polygon: Click on the canvas, hold the mouse button, and drag to define the position and size of your polygon.
5. Finalize the Shape: Release the mouse button to finalize the shape.
   • Useful Tip: The Polygon tool remains active after you create a shape, allowing you to draw multiple polygons. To exit the tool and return to the selection cursor, simply right-click on the design area.

Part 2: How to Edit an Existing Polygon

After a polygon is created, you can still modify it using two different methods.

Method 1: Using the Tool Options Bar

This method is ideal for changing the polygon’s core properties.

1. Select the polygon shape you wish to edit.
2. With the shape selected, go to the “Tool Options” bar.
3. You can change the Number of Sides or Start Angle at any time, and the selected shape will update instantly.

Method 2: Using the Node Editor

This method is used for quick visual adjustments to the shape’s position, size, and rotation.

1. Select the polygon shape.
2. Enter Node Editing mode.
3. You will see that the polygon does not have standard nodes. Instead, it has “special nodes” that control its properties:
   • Start Angle Node: Use this node to visually click and drag the polygon’s rotation (start angle).
   • Size/Proportion Node: Use this node to click and drag, changing the overall size and proportion of the shape, just as you did when first drawing it.
   • Center Node: Use this node to click and drag the shape to a new position without changing its other properties.

Part 3: Advanced Manual Editing (Convert to Curves)

If you need to manually edit the individual points of the polygon (e.g., make one side longer than the others or curve a specific line segment), you must first convert it from a “shape” to a “vector object.”

1. Select the polygon.
2. Use the “Convert to Curves” function (typically found in a right-click menu or the main toolbar).

Important: Once you convert the polygon to curves, the special nodes for adjusting sides, start angle, and size will no longer be available. The shape will become a standard object with regular nodes at each corner, which you can then move, add, or delete individually.