Changing position and size of objects

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Changing position and size of objects

In this section, you will learn how to change the position and size of objects:

Changing the position of objects

To change the position of an object, click on it to select it. You can now either drag it with the mouse to the desired position or move it with the arrow keys on the keyboard.

You will also find such a handle handle_objects on all objects for moving the object with the mouse. This makes it easier for you to handle small objects.

Alternatively via the dialog box: Right-click on the object to open the context menu and select the last entry Properties. In the dialog box, switch to the Format tab. You can specify the exact position there.

Tip: To enable or disable positioning aids for accurate object placement, please also read the sections Using the grid and Using guides.

Changing the size of objects

The size of an object can be changed as follows:

Dragging the handles on the selection frame

Click on the object to select it. The object will then be surrounded by a blue selection frame which also contains some round "handles". When you drag one of these handles with the mouse, the size of the object is changed accordingly.

Via the dialog box

You can also resize objects via the dialog box. Right-click on the object to open the context menu and select the last entry Properties. On the Format tab, these settings can be specified exactly in numeric values. For more information on this dialog box, see Object properties, Format tab.

Via the ribbon tab

If you have selected an object, you will also find input fields for the Width and Height in the group Resize on the far right of the object-specific ribbon tab. Type the desired values here or increase/reduce the values with the small arrow keys next to the input field.
If the option Keep aspect ratio is enabled, changes in height automatically have a proportional effect on width (and vice versa).
For OLE objects, an additional option named Keep scaling is available. If it is enabled, any changes made to the object's size inside its source application will automatically affect the object in Presentations. If it is disabled, the object will always remain the same size in Presentations. (Note: Not all OLE source applications support this feature.)

Using rulers

The document window displays two rulers: a horizontal ruler (at the top) and a vertical ruler (on the left).

Tip: With the ribbon command View | Ruler ruler_icon, you can show or hide the rulers.

When you edit text, these rulers display margins, indents, and tabs. Otherwise, the rulers extend to the total size of your slide and help you determine positions and sizes when you move or resize objects.

The units of measure used by the rulers are inches or centimeters, depending on your computer's regional settings.

ruler

The "origin" of the rulers (the location where the horizontal and vertical rulers intersect) is in the top left corner of the slide by default. However, you can move the origin anywhere, which can be useful when positioning objects:

To move the origin, click on the icon ruler_zeropoint in the top left corner where the rulers intersect, and drag the mouse cursor to the desired location in the slide while still holding down the mouse button. If you simply click on the icon, you can switch the origin back and forth between the top left corner and the center of the slide.

Note: The values for the position of objects that you can view and change in the Object properties dialog box (on the Format tab) are always calculated from the origin of the rulers. If you move the origin, Presentations changes these values accordingly. (You open the dialog box by right-clicking on the object and selecting the last entry Properties in the context menu.)

Preventing changes to the position and size of objects

By locking an object, you can prevent it from being moved or resized with the mouse or the arrow keys on the keyboard.

Select the object, right-click on it to access the context menu and then select the last entry Properties to open the dialog box. On the Properties tab, enable the option Locked.

Now the object can no longer be moved with the mouse, and it cannot be resized by dragging its boundary lines. The object also cannot be moved with the arrow keys of the keyboard. The position and size can only be changed by entering values in the dialog box.

If you disable the option Locked again, the position and size of the object can also be changed with the mouse.