Draw query

Many moons ago there was an article on how to create a ‘key-hole’ effect using !Draw – it was so that a shape could be overlaid over an image for example and only the parts in the ‘hole’ would be seen.

At the time I used the instructions to create a ‘donut’ hole so that I could create CD/DVD labels. I place images behind the proforma and only part of the image is revealed in the hole.

Does anyone remember the steps to do this? Or can point me to an article that sets out the process please?

Yup, can do!

Halfway down the tools (top left of the Draw window) you’ll see a jagged line tool with the middle section dashed. That’s the “Move” tool for doing a move in the middle of a “path”. First draw the outline of the outer edge of your “door” using one of the two “Closed Path” tools – but don’t finish the path, leave the last bit to close itself. Now click on the Move tool, then go and do the outline of your keyhole, finishing off with the normal double click to close the path. You now have a door with a keyhole – give it a fill colour (white?) and make sure it’s the front layer (ctrl-F).

Oh – and if you want to use the Rectangle or Ellipse (which, if you’ve got a grid lock on, can also do Circle and Square) for the door, the hole, or both, then you could make the two shapes separately and then link them up using my !XP1PathEd utility, available (free) from http://clive.semmens.org.uk/RISCOS/index.html

Thanks for the suggestion Clive. I downloaded the utility but it comes in as a text file – what file type should I set it to please?

Tried to draw a square with a circle in it and then to give the centre transparency but keep coming up with a solid colour. Do you need to convert to path at some point or is that only for text?

It’s a self-extracting archive, so all you have to do is download the file into a suitable directory, set the file type to FFC, and double-click on it, which will create the whole application in the same directory. That’s explained at the top of the page! :)

Yes, you can only do the Move tool trick if you’re using the closed path tools, not the ellipse or rectangle tools.

Your explanations on extracting the utility are indeed very clear. I remember skimming the first line where it tells you they are RISC OS but, slackly, didn’t read the rest as I went down to the appropriate part of the page. Sorry!

Not a problem! :)

Hope it does what you need. Any suggestions for enhancements cheerfully considered – but no promises! :)