Icon

Name

Description

Toggle Preview/Edit Mode

Toggles between Preview and Edit modes. This is equivalent to going between Preview and Design mode in the Ignition designer. Edit mode will allow you to make changes to the layout of the report. Preview mode will populate the report with data and show you what it will look like in the runtime.

Selection Tool

Default tool. Clicking on objects with the selection tool will select them for movement or modification.

Line Tool

Click and drag to create a line.

Rect Tool

Click and drag to create a rectangle. The Rect inspector will allow you to set rounding radius.

Oval Tool

Click and drag to create an oval. The oval inspector will allow you to select sweep and start angle.

Text Tool

Click and drag to create text. Click for more on text editing.

Polygon Tool

The polygon tool lets you click points that will be joined with straight lines.

Alternatively, you can click-drag-release to position line segments interactively.

If you hold down the alt key while adding points the polygon tool will behave like pencil for added segments.

Editing stops under the following conditions: clicking the same point twice, clicking close to the start point or clicking a new tool in the tool bar (like the selection tool) .

Pencil Tool

The pencil tool lets you click and draw free-hand path segments, automatically smoothing the curve on mouse up. If you hold down the alt key, it will behave like polygon for added segments. Editing stops under the same conditions as polygon.

Menu Item

Function

Group/Ungroup

Allows you to merge the currently selected shapes into a single shape for convenient management. Contained shapes are still accessible, via double-click super-select. Ungroup separates grouped shapes.

Bring to Front/Send to Back

All shapes have an order on the page that determines what is drawn on top when two shapes overlap. These options allow you to alter that order.

Make Row Top/Center/Bottom

Quickly align several shapes in a row, either by their top, center, or bottom border. Useful when shapes are of different heights.

Make Column Left/Center/Right

Same as above, but for columns.

Make Same Size, Width, Height

Make several shapes the same width, height or both.

Equally Space Row/Column

Equalizes the distance between shapes horizontally or vertically.

Group in Switch/3D Shape

This feature groups selected shapes in a Switch Shape, which has the same features as Table Row Versions. It's a powerful way to conditionally provide a different look for a specific element.

Move to new layer

Creates a new page layer with the currently selected shapes.

Combine/Subtract Paths

Takes multiple overlapping shapes (such as a rectangle and an oval) and combines them into a single shape using the combined paths. A powerful tool to construct complex shapes.

Convert Into Image

Converts the selected shape into an image. Be sure to group shapes first if you want to convert multiple shapes into a single image.

TIP

The Drawing Tools are really intuitive. Try them out. You'll be an expert in no time.