Formatting rectangles using the Property List

You can use this procedure to format either a rectangle (with square corners) or a rounded rectangle (with rounded corners).

The Property List is the most convenient way to format text, as it contains all the options of the other interfaces, and it appears on the same screen as the Layout area. Its rectangle formatting options consist of colors, including gradient colors for rectangles, and rectangle borders (including 3D borders and drop shadows). The general and layout properties include the properties that define the shape, such as name, position, and size.

To format a rectangle

1. Open the document to be formatted in the Document Editor. (How?)

2. If the Property List is not displayed, select Property List from the View menu.

3. You can change the Name, which identifies the rectangle.

4. To make the rectangle appear three-dimensional, like a button, apply a 3D effect:

   • Change 3D effect to either Sunken (to inset the rectangle, like a pushed button) or Raised (to outset the rectangle, like a button).

   • Enter the thickness of the 3D line, measured in points, in 3D weight.

     The 3D effect border takes precedence over any existing border. If you later disable the 3D effect, the original border settings are restored.

5. To change the background color, select a new Backcolor using the Color dialog box.

6. Change the Backstyle property to specify whether the background is:

   • Transparent, which allows you to see what is behind the rectangle.

   • Opaque, which covers what is behind the rectangle. It also allows the fill color of the rectangle to be seen.

   • Gradient, which blends two colors together. For more information, see Steps to apply gradient colors.

7. To "float" the rectangle on top of the background, apply a drop shadow:

   • Set Drop shadow to True.

   • Enter the offset of the drop shadow, in points, in Drop shadow depth.

8. To apply gradient colors, which blend two colors to create a gradual color change in the background, see Steps to apply gradient colors.

   The following line properties are not available for rounded rectangles because they do not have borders.

9. To change the color of the border, select a new Line color using the Color dialog box.

10. To define the type of border lines, select one of the following in Line style:

    • Solid

    • Dashed

    • Dotted

    • Double

    • None

11. To specify the thickness of the border lines measured in points, enter the value in Line weight.

12. To display a pop-up tooltip, enter the text in Tooltip.

13. To hide the rectangle in PDF view, set Visible to False.

    The rectangle is still displayed in Design View.

14. For rounded rectangles, you can determine whether rounded corners are displayed for the top corners only or all four corners. Set Top corners only to True or False. For more information, see Controlling the display of rounded corners in Flash Mode.

15. The left margin is the distance between the left edge of the rectangle and the left border of the section. Enter a new number in the Left property.

16. The top margin is the distance between the top edge of the rectangle and the top of the section. Enter a new number in the Top property.

17. To change the height of the rectangle, enter the new number in the Height property.

18. To determine whether the height is dynamic or static, set the Height mode. The options are described below:

    • Fixed: The height does not change from the size set in the Height property.

    • 100%: Sets the rectangle height to the height of the section.

19. To change the width of the rectangle, enter the new number in the Width property.

20. To determine whether the width is dynamic or static, set the Width mode. The options are described below:

    • Fixed: The width does not change from the size set in the Width property.

    • 100%: Sets the rectangle width to the width of the section.

Related Topic

• Adding rectangles to documents