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Creating and Editing Libraries
ConceptDraw lets you create your own libraries and edit the existing ones (move, delete, add and replace shapes). For manipulating the library files and shapes, you can use the File / Library menu commands
You can create a custom shape library by using the File / Library / New command or the keyboard: Ctrl + Shift + N
An empty library box will appear in the library window. Now you can add shapes into it: paste them from documents or from other libraries.
To save a library, get the context menu on its title and use the Save command.
If you need to save the library under another name, choose the Save As option. The Save As dialog will come up to let you specify the name and location of the library file.
For saving the active library, you can also use the Save and Save As commands from the File / Library menu.
Note: If any changes were made to a library after the previous saving, the application offers you to save the changes when you close the library.
To set or modify the properties of a library, or to assign a title to a new library, use the Library Properties dialog. To call this dialog, get the context menu on the library's title bar and select the Properties option.
For the active library, you can also use the File / Library / Properties menu.
In this dialog you can specify the title of the library (which is displayed on its button in the library window), and also add information about the author and the company, a subject, and provide a short description. To save the changes, click OK in the dialog and then save the library.
To assign or modify the text, that appears when you pause the mouse pointer over a library shape, use the Library Item Properties dialog. To open it, call the context menu on the library shape and choose Properties. The Item Name field contains the pop-up hint text, and the Item Prompt field contains the text that is displayed in the Status Bar.
Adding Shapes to a Library
You can add new shapes from your drawings to libraries. There are several ways of doing this:
- By dragging and dropping: Point to a shape in the document, and holding down the mouse button, drag the shape from the document window to the library window. When you release the mouse button, a copy of the shape will be added to the library.
- By copying and pasting: Select the shape and copy it to the Clipboard (you can use the Copy command from the Edit or context menu). Then, in the library window, call the context menu for a shape in the library near which you want your shape to be inserted, and click Paste on the menu. The shape will be inserted from the Clipboard in the library, and will become selected. To add a shape to the end of the library, call the context menu at an empty place in the library window and paste the shape there.
- For a selected shape you can choose the Put into Library option from the Edit menu. The shape will be inserted in the place of the currently selected shape in the library, moving it aside. If there is no shape selected in the library, the shape from the document will be inserted at the end of the library.
Note: To insert a shape from the Clipboard into the active library you may use the Paste command from the Edit / Library Object menu.
Note: If you select several shapes and then drag or paste them to the library, they will be inserted as group (one library shape).
Replacing a Library Shape
When renewing your library shapes, you may need to update a library shape without changing its icon. To do this, use the Replace command from the Edit / Library Object menu, or use the keyboard: Ctrl + Shift + I.
Select the shape in the library, then the updated shape in the document, and perform the command. The selected shape in the library will be replaced with the selected shape in the document.
Shape's Icon
In the icon view mode (the View as Icon in the View / Libraries Window menu), the shapes are displayed in the library window in the form of icons. When you add a shape into a library, the application creates its icon automatically. However, you can replace it with a custom icon.
To do this:
- Create a Windows Bitmap (.bmp) picture in any graphics editor.
- Apply the Change Icon command from the context menu of the shape, which icon you want to replace.
- Use the file open dialog to find the picture for the new icon, and click OK.
The current shape's icon will be replaced with the new one.
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