ConceptDraw Smart Objects.
Lesson 2. Work with Object Coordinates.

This lesson is dedicated to work with object coordinates, which will help you in your further work with groups of objects.

In ConceptDraw the following system of object coordinates is applied: the coordinates central point is in the upper left corner, axis X is directed to the right, axis Y - down.

If an object has some other parental object, then the coordinates central point of the outer coordinates is the upper left corner of the parental object at creating one. At rotation of the parental object the coordinates central point of the given system rotates together with the object.

If an object has no parental object, then the coordinates central point of the outer coordinates for it will be the upper left corner of the document page.

The coordinates central point of the inner coordinates is the upper left corner of the object. At further rotation of an object the coordinates central point moves together with the object accordingly.

There are the following parameters of coordinates:
(GPinX, GPinY) define the object's rotation center in the outer coordinates
(LocPinX, LocPinY) - the same point of the inner coordinates
Àngle - the rotation angle of the inner system against the outer system

These values can be found in the section Transform in the Shape Parameter Table.

At creation of an object the corresponding data on its Width and Height and on coordinates of its rotation center are entered to the table - GPinX, GPinY, LocPinX, LocPinY.

In order to change the coordinates of the object's rotation center against the outer coordinates, i.e. of the page or of the parental object (if there is one) we should change the values GPinX and GPinY. If we need to relocate the object's rotation center against the object itself, i.e. move the object's rotation center from its geometrical center, for instance, to its upper right angle, we should change the values LocPinX, LocPinY.

The rotation center can also be moved manually. For this, select the rotation mode by pressing on the toolbar Drawing Tools and drag the rotation center with the mouse. In this case, however, you do not define the rotation center coordinates accurately enough.To make an accurate drawing we suggest that you use the tables.

The coordinates LocPinX, LocPinY are assigned with the values Width and Height of an object. For instance, to relocate the object's rotation center to the upper right of the object we need to set the value LocPinX = Width*1, and LocPinY = Height*0, i.e. we are moving the object's rotation angle in the inner coordinates for the object's length horizontally to the right and are not moving vertically. On the pictures below the rotation center is shown as the green circle with a dot inside.

	Changing the values LocPinX and LocPinY

We get the following :

Note that the values GPinX and GPinY do not change at changing the values LocPinX, LocPinY, i.e. the object will get relocated on the page so that the new rotation angle takes the same place against the outer coordinates.

Now the object will be rotating not against its center but against his upper right level.

You can also use number bigger than 1 and even negative ones as numeric coefficients for the values Width and Height. In such cases the object's rotation angle will get beyond the object's borders.

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