View Manager Docker
While working in CorelDRAW, have you ever run into a situation where you need to zoom in to manipulate a graphic, and then zoom out to see the overall effect that your changes are having? Essentially, zooming or moving to different views while working on a project.
Or perhaps, you’re working on a graphic on one page, a page that you intend to print. And while working on that layout, you need to refer to your customer’s original drawing which you’ve saved to a different page. A page you don’t intend to print.
If you find it necessary to frequently change views while working on a project, the View Manager Docker may be of assistance. The View Manager Docker is a tool that allows users to save various views, and then quickly switch between them. Views can be at different zoom levels, focused on different areas of the layout, and even located on different pages in a multi-page document. Picture 1 shows the docker without any views saved.
Accessing the Docker
There are several ways to open the View Manager Docker.
- Click on View/View Manager – see picture 2.
- Click on Window/Dockers/View Manager – see picture 3.
- If you have some Dockers open already, and are working in CorelDRAW X7, X8, or 2017, then you can also open the View Manager Docker by clicking on the Quick customize icon… (the + sign) at the bottom of the Docker’s panel. See picture 4.
- Last, but not least, you can use the keyboard shortcut keys – Ctrl+F2.
Note: As shown in all our screenshots, we have the View Manager Docker docked to the right side of our workspace. By default, the first time you open it, using the menu options shown in pictures 2 or 3, or the keyboard shortcut keys, it will be docked to the right side of the workspace.
If you already have one or more Dockers docked on the left side of the workspace, and use the Quick customize dialog screen, as shown in picture 4, then it will be docked to the side of the workspace from which the Quick customize dialog screen was called.
In other words, call Quick customize from the right side of the workspace, and the docker selected will be docked to the right side. Call Quick customize from the left side, and it will be docked to the left.
As we’ve mentioned before, one of the neat features of using Quick customize, when you have dockers docked to both sides of the workspace, is that you can move a docker from one side to the other by…
- Calling Quick customize from the side of the workspace
you want the docker moved to.
(Quick customize will show a checkmark next to all dockers that are opened.) - Left click the checkmark next to the docker you want to move. This action will close the docker.
- Left click the checkmark a second time. This will cause the docker to reopen, this time, docked to the side of the workspace from which the Quick customize dialogue was called.
What the View Manager Docker does
The View Manager Docker is very easy to use once you understand how it works.
Across the top of the docker there are several zoom command icons. See picture 5. From left to right they include:
- Zoom One-Shot – This command zooms the view one time, then returns control to the previous tool that was being used. For example, if you are working on your layout using the Shape tool, and need to zoom in or out, you can use Zoom One-Shot to change the view. After that one zoom operation is complete, control is returned to the Shape tool. This tool also allows you to draw a marquee around the area you want to zoom to, i.e., change the focus.
- Zoom in – This command zooms the view in.
The action is immediate, and the focus is not changed, whatever is in the center of the display remains in the center. - Zoom out – This command zooms the view out.
The action is also immediate, and the focus is not changed. - Zoom to selected – This command is only available when something is selected in the layout; otherwise it’s grayed out. The action is immediate, and the focus is changed to the center of the selected object or objects.
- Zoom to all objects – This command zooms to the center of all objects in the layout. The action is immediate.
Just below the Zoom Tools are + and – icons. The + icon adds the current view to the list of views. The – icon removes the selected view from the list.
To the far right, on the same level as the + and – icons, is a right facing arrow. That arrow calls a popup dialog screen, which contains more commands. See picture 6.
Using the View Manager Docker
Notice that in picture 6 we’ve saved 3 views. Picture 7 shows the views without the popup dialog screen in the way. It also shows the view list analysis. Each view consists of the following:
- Column 1 – The Page Icon – The page icon means that clicking on the view will move your view to the page from which the view was saved.
- Column 2 – The Zoom Icon – The zoom icon means that
clicking on the view will zoom the view to the same zoom level that was
recorded when the view was saved.
Note: The Page Icon shown in column 1 can be changed to a Zoom Icon. Doing so causes the View Manager to ignore the page information. That means, if the page icon is not present in column 1, clicking on the view will not switch the view to the original page where the view was captured. Likewise, the Zoom Icon shown in column 2 can be changed to a Page Icon. Doing that, causes the View Manager to ignore the zoom information. Switching the icons in both columns, results in nothing being done when the view is clicked on. The icons are toggles. Just left click on one or the other to change their state.
- Column 3 – The View Name – This is the name assigned to the view when it was captured. The name can be changed. See the popup dialog screen shown in picture 6.
- Column 4 – The Page Number – This column records the page from which the view was captured.
- Column 5 – The Zoom Level – This column records the zoom level of the captured view.
To switch views, simply left click on the desired view. The list of views is saved and recalled with the document.
Another Helpful Command
Although it’s not a part of the View Manager Docker, another helpful command is located in the lower right corner of the workspace. It’s the View Navigator. See picture 8.
When zoomed in on a project, you can change the focus of the view using the View Navigator. Picture 9 shows the popup screen you see when you left click and hold on the navigator icon. Releasing the left mouse button closes the View Navigator popup screen.
In picture 8 you can see that we are zoomed into the word View in the workspace. In picture 9 the popup screen shows the entire page. You can see a little rectangle around the word View. Using the View Navigator, you can drag that little rectangle around the page to change the focus of the view. You cannot change the zoom level with View Navigator, but you can change the area of the page that you are focused on.
Try it out. Zoom into an area of a layout, and then left click and drag the view around the page. This can be very helpful. You can change the focus without zooming out and in again. Then, with the View Manager Docker you can save as many views as you’d like.
Conclusion
In short, the View Manager Docker – allows users to quickly switch between views within a project/document. Coupled with the View Navigator, it is yet another powerful tool within CorelDRAW. Explore it. – Enjoy! It’s easy to use.
John and Judy McDaniel are owners of CorelDRAW® Help, Inc. They started in the personalization business in 1989 with CorelDRAW version 1.0. In their businesses they apply CorelDRAW! They’ve used it with—mechanical and laser engravers— to produce Awards, Gifts, and Industrial Products. They’ve also used it with all types of printers and vinyl cutters—for creating sublimation and other image transfers—for making sandblast masks—screen-printing screens—pad-printing plates—signs and banners—sales literature and flyers. In essence, they have over 20 years of experience in applying CorelDRAW! They have written hundreds of articles and tips; lectured across the country; and have been teaching CorelDRAW since 1991.