Drawing ellipses by rectangle

You can construct an ellipse that is inscribed in an auxiliary rectangle. The ellipse is defined by its primary and secondary radii, and the angle between the primary radius and the x-axis.

NOTE: The contextual edit bars, attributes and tabular presentation of a circle are the same for all ellipse-drawing modes.

Control points

The control points of an ellipse defined by a rectangle are the four vertices of the circumscribing rectangle. While you draw an ellipse by rectangle, the following pointers appear:

About to draw the first vertex of the circumscribing rectangle.

About to draw the second vertex of the circumscribing rectangle.

About to draw the third vertex of the circumscribing rectangle.

To draw an ellipse by rectangle

1. Do any of the following:

• On the Objects toolbar, click Ellipse by Rectangle .
• On the Objects menu, point to Ellipses, and then click Ellipse by Rectangle.
• Press CTRL+D+E+R.

2. (Optional) Snap the vertex point of the circumscribing rectangle that you are about to place to another object or point.
3. In the graphical area, click to place the first vertex of the circumscribing rectangle.
4. To define the three vertices that define the circumscribing rectangle of the ellipse, repeat Steps 2 and 3.

To modify an ellipse by changing its attributes

1. Select the ellipse.
2. In the contextual edit bar, enter respective values, and then press ENTER.

To modify an ellipse by modifying its circumscribing rectangle

1. Rest the mouse pointer over the ellipse to detect the vertices of the circumscribing rectangle.
2. To position the ellipse, click a vertex, drag it to where you want it to be, and then click.

To reposition an ellipse by dragging

1. Select the ellipse.
2. Do any of the following:

• Drag the ellipse to where you want it to be.
• In the contextual edit bar, in Dx and Dy, enter offset distances relative to the original location of the ellipse, and then click.

NOTE: If the control points of the ellipse — for example, the vertices of the circumscribing rectangle — coincide with the control points of other objects, for example, when the ellipse is inscribed into a design box — Package Designer repositions the ellipse and modifies the connected objects depending on the direction and distance at which you drag the ellipse.