Layouts

The Layouts tab opens the layout design and storage area. Layouts are created by arranging various CAD, report, image, and other items on a defined paper size.

There are two default layouts included in the layouts shortcuts. The Micro Layouts, which is designed to print on an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper, and the Big Layouts, which is designed to be plotted on a 36” x 48” sheet of paper. You can use either of these layouts as is, modify them to suit your needs, or create new layouts from scratch.

To save time, you can use the Layout Templates feature to select multiple objects in your layouts and group them for insertion into other drawings. For details, see Layout templates.

Creating a new layout

To create a new layout

1. Click the Layouts shortcut tab.
2. Right-click in the Layouts shortcut area, and then choose New Layout.
3. Type the name of the new layout.
4. Click OK.

Result: An empty layout is created. A shortcut to your new layout is added to the Layouts shortcut bar.

Note: By default, empty layouts are set up to use 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper.

Working with layouts

To modify layout settings

1. Select the layout for which you want to modify the settings.
2. From the Options menu, choose View Options.

Tip: You can also use the View Options tool on the Standard toolbar.

The View Options button.

Result: The View Options window appears.

Presentation tab

Options on the Presentation tab affect the appearance and printout of the layout.

• Name: The name of the layout.
• Background Color: Sets the background color of the layout view. This does not affect your printed copy.
• Grid On: Select this checkbox if you want gridlines to appear on the layout. Gridlines are for reference only; they assist with the design of items on the page. Gridlines do not appear in the printed output.
• Color: Sets the color of the gridlines.
• Show placeholders only: Select this checkbox to display only the placeholders for the various items in the layout. If unchecked, both the placeholders and contents of the items in the layout are displayed. This is to facilitate the layout setup and does not affect the printout.

Snap

• Snap: Select this checkbox to snap the items in the layout to the gridlines.
• Interval: Specify the interval between the points on the grid.
• Units: The units of measurement for the layout. The coordinates at the bottom of the layout change according to the selection. This does not affect the printed output.

Paper Size

• Paper Size: Choose the desired paper size from the drop-down list. If you do not find the size you want, choose Custom, and then specify the width and height as desired.
• Landscape: Select this checkbox if you want the page to be set up in landscape format.

Tile Printing

• Show page guides: Select this checkbox if you want the printable outline to be displayed on each sheet of paper that comprises the layout. The solid outline is the chosen printer’s paper size and orientation.
• Show page number: Select this checkbox if you want the page numbers of the layout to be displayed in the center of each page. The page numbers are for reference only and do not appear in the printed output.
• Tile options: Select one of the following option buttons:
• Top-Left: Places the top-left corner of the layout in the top-left corner of the first page, and then arranges the remaining pages accordingly.
• Center: Places the center of the layout at the center of a page, and then arranges the remaining pages accordingly.
• Split Center: Places the center of the layout at the corner of four pages, and then arranges the remaining pages accordingly.

Inserting items on layouts

Notes:

• To adjust the view of the layout as you work on it, you can use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out and/or pan around with the middle mouse button.
• To copy and paste items in your layout, select the item that you want to copy and click Edit > Copy (or press CTRL + C). Then, to paste the item, click Edit > Paste (or click CTRL + V) and click to place the pasted item.

Objects can be inserted from the following categories:

• basic shapes (lines, rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and text)
• images (bitmap and jpeg)
• CAD items
• data items
• report items
• worksheet items (includes the default Title Block)
• legend items
• key items
• new plot items

To insert a line onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Line.

Tips:

• You can also use the Line tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.
• Press SHIFT while drawing the line to draw it at a 45-degree angle, or along the X or Y axis.

2. Click on the page where you want to start drawing the line and, holding the mouse button down, drag it to the end point of the line. Release the mouse button when you have the desired shape.
3. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish placing the line.

Result: The line is placed on the layout.

To insert a rectangle onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Rectangle.

Tips:

• You can also use the Rectangle tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.
• Press SHIFT while drawing the outline of the rectangle to create a perfect square.

2. Click on the page at the starting point of the rectangle and, holding the mouse button down, drag out the shape of the rectangle. Release the mouse button when you have the desired shape.
3. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish placing the rectangle.

Result: The rectangle is placed on the layout.

To insert a rounded rectangle onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Round Rectangle.

Tips:

• You can also use the Round Rectangle tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.
• Press SHIFT while drawing the outline of the rectangle to create a perfect square.

2. Click on the page at the starting point of the rectangle and, holding the mouse button down, drag out the shape of the rectangle. Release the mouse button when you have the desired shape.
3. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish placing the rectangle.

Result: The round rectangle is placed on the layout.

Note: You can only see the rounded corners of the rectangle if you zoom in on the drawing.

To adjust the corners of a rounded rectangle

You can adjust the roundness of the rectangle’s corners by following these steps:

1. Select the rectangle.
2. Hover over the top-right corner until you see a curved arrow appear, as shown below:

3. Click and drag the corners of the rectangle inward to the desired amount of roundness.

To insert an ellipse onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Ellipse.

Tips:

• You can also use the Ellipse tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.
• Press SHIFT while drawing the ellipse to draw a perfect circle instead.

2. Click on the page at the starting point of the ellipse and, holding the mouse button down, drag out the shape of the ellipse. Release the mouse button when you have the desired shape.
3. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish placing the ellipse.

Result: The ellipse is placed on the layout.

To insert text onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Text.

Tip: You can also use the Text tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click on the page at the starting point of the text box and, holding the mouse button down, drag out the shape of the box. Release the mouse button when you have the desired shape.
3. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish placing the box.

Result: The text box is placed on the layout.

4. To type text in the new box, double-click the box, and then delete the default text.
5. Type your custom text.

Tip: Press SHIFT+ENTER to force a new line of text if Text Wrapping is enabled on the New Plot Text toolbar.

6. Click anywhere in the drawing to finish adding the text.

Tips:

• You can use the Layout Text toolbar to easily modify text.
• You can also replace your layout text with variables by typing them directly. Surround the variable with per cent symbols (%) when altering the text item’s properties. For example, to add the Chief Lighting Designer variable, you would type %Chief Lighting Designer%.
• For information on the variables available in layouts, refer to Smart cells.
• For information on using Scene variables in layouts, refer to Scene variables in layouts.
• You can also right-click the text object and select Item Properties to access more options.
• In the Properties window, you can also click Insert Smart Variables to select smart variable text listed in Production Team Info.

To insert image items onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Image.

Tip: You can also use the Image tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the page where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select Image View to be referenced dialog box appears.

Note: The images listed here were imported in the Images layout tab. To import a new Image (for example, a logo) use this tab. For more information, see “Images”.

3. Select the image that you want to add to the layout, and then click Select.

Result: The image appears within the placeholder as drawn.

To insert CAD items onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose CAD.

Tip: You can also use the CAD item tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the “page” where you want the item to appear.

Result: The CAD item, which is referenced from CAD mode, appears within the placeholder as drawn. By default, CAD items appear in plan view and at a scale of 1/16”=1’.

To insert report items onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Report.

Tip: You can also use the Report tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the “page” where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select Report to be referenced dialog box appears.

3. Select the report item that you want to add to the layout, and then click OK.

Result: The selected report (referenced from PRES mode) appears within the placeholder as drawn.

Note: If the Group By option has been set for a report, the report cannot be added to a layout. Setting the Group By option creates page breaks within the report and layouts do not support reports with page breaks. For more information on this option, see Report tab.

To insert worksheet items onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Worksheet.

Tip: You can also use the Worksheet tool from the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the “page” where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select Worksheet to be referenced dialog box appears.

3. Select the worksheet that you want to add to the layout, and then click OK.

Result: The selected worksheet (referenced from PRES mode) appears within the placeholder as drawn.

To insert new plot items onto the layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose New Plot.
2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the “page” where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select New Plot to be referenced dialog box appears.

3. Select the New Plot item that you want to add to the layout, and then click OK.

Result: The selected New Plot item (referenced from PRES mode) appears within the placeholder as drawn. To adjust the contents that are displayed within the placeholder, refer to Adjusting the contents for further details.

Layout templates

The Layout Templates feature can be used to improve your workflow and save time. Layout Templates allow you to select multiple objects in your layouts and group them together. These groups can then be inserted into any layout in any WYSIWYG file.

This is possible because once a Layout Template is created, it is added to the Layout Template Database and is saved with the current installation of WYSIWYG. As a result, Layout Templates are available in all files opened and created in the same installation of WYSIWYG. Layout Templates may be moved to other WYSIWYG installations and to new versions of the software via .WUD files.

Layout template icons

The Layout Insert toolbar includes the three icons for creating, inserting and deleting Layout Templates. You can also use the menu commands, as detailed in the procedures below.

For information on how to import or export Layout Templates, see WYSIWYG user data profile.

To create a new layout template

1. In your layout, select the items that you want to include in the Layout Template. For example, you can select Title Blocks, Plot Notes, Custom Legends and Keys, Disclaimers, and so on.
2. Right-click and select Create Layout Template.

Tip: Alternately, you may click the Insert menu and choose Layout Template > Create.

3. Type a name for your new Layout Template.
4. Click OK.

Tip: If you do not select any items in the Layout, saving a Layout Template will prompt you to save the entire Layout as a Layout Template. This includes Layout view options, such as Paper Size and Tile Printing. To insert the entire Layout, right-click on the Shortcut Bar (Layouts page), and select New Layout Using Layout Template.

To insert a layout template in a layout

Once you have created a Layout Template, you can insert it into other drawings as follows:

1. In your Layout, right-click and select Insert Layout Template.

Tip: Alternately, you may click the Insert menu and choose Layout Template > Insert.

2. In the window that appears, select the name of the Layout Template that you want to insert, and then click OK.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to insert the Layout Template and click to place it.

Tip: If no items in a Layout are selected, saving a Layout Template will prompt you to save the entire Layout as a Layout Template. This includes Layout view options, such as Paper Size and Tile Printing. To insert the entire Layout, right-click on the Layouts shortcut bar and select New Layout Using Layout Template. Type a name for the new Layout, and then click OK to create it. The new Layout appears on the Layouts shortcut bar.

To delete a layout template from the database

Once you have created a Layout Template, you can delete it from the database.

Attention: A deleted Layout Template will no longer be saved with your WYSIWYG file and you will no longer be able to insert it in subsequent drawings.

1. On the Layouts tab, on the Layout Insert toolbar, click the Delete Layout Template icon.

Tip: Alternately, you may click the Insert menu and choose Layout Template > Delete.

2. In the window that appears, select the name of the Layout Template that you want to delete, and then click the Delete checkbox.
3. Click OK to delete the Layout Template.

Content and Item Properties

As with all objects in WYSIWYG, the objects that you have placed on your page have unique properties. There are two types of properties:

• Content Properties
• Item Properties

Content Properties

Content Properties affect the content of the presentation item. When you open these properties, you open a similar or identical dialog box to the View Options dialog box that appears when you are working on the original item in CAD, DATA, or PRES mode. In this dialog box, you can modify the information to be displayed and control how it is displayed.

To modify Content Properties

1. Select the presentation item that you want to modify.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Content Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Content Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: The Content Properties dialog box appears.

Note: Content properties for CAD items are discussed in CAD items.

Item Properties

Item Properties affect the placeholders and the scaling of the contents. Options here include the outline’s weight and color, and various printing options for the contents, such as scale.

To modify Item Properties

1. Select the presentation item you want to modify.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Item Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

The Item Properties button.

Result: The Properties dialog box appears.

Note: The first tab of the properties dialog box is identical regardless of the type of presentation item. Options here affect the outline and fill color of the placeholder.

CAD items

You can modify or edit CAD items to meet printing requirements. Their content properties are detailed below.

Note: Options which do not appear in the CAD item’s Content Properties follow the settings specified in Document Options.

To modify content properties of CAD items

1. Select the CAD item, right-click, and then choose Content Properties or click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: The Content Properties window appears.

2. Modify options as desired.
3. When finished, click OK.

General tab

Options on the General tab affect the scene that is displayed in the CAD item. Only fixtures and objects on the active layers are displayed in the layout.

• Follow Current Scene: Select this checkbox to use the scene that is displayed on the drop-down list on the Scene toolbar. Clear the checkbox, and then select the desired scene from the Scene drop-down list. For more information on scenes, see Scenes.

CAD Rotation tab

Options on the CAD Rotation tab affect the angle at which the CAD item is printed.

• Angle: Type an angle value in degrees if you want the drawing in the CAD item to be printed on an angle. This feature is helpful for printing booms.

CAD Printing tab

Options on the CAD Printing tab affect the scale for the drawing.

• Fit: If you select this option, the entire CAD drawing is scaled to fit inside the placeholder.
• Fixed: If you select this option, the CAD item is printed at the specified scale. To determine which portion of the CAD item is displayed inside the placeholder, choose Open Contents. Inside this view, you can move around a white rectangle that represents the placeholder. See Adjusting the contents for details on the functionality available with Open Contents.
• Variable: If you select this option, when you “open contents” you will be able to change the size of the white rectangle without affecting the original placeholder. The portion of the drawing contained within the white rectangle is scaled to fit in the placeholder. See Adjusting the contents for details on the functionality available with Open Contents.
• On paper: The scale ratio that you want to use on a paper copy of the layout.
• Real World: The “real” measurement for the scale ratio that you specify in the On paper box. For example, you may want to use a scaling of one inch in a paper copy of your layout. This one-inch measurement translates to a “realistic” measurement (for example, 3 feet).
• Point Size: The size at which points are printed.
• Hide Zero Intensity Fixture: Select this checkbox to hide any fixtures with an Intensity set to zero so they do not print.

View Type tab

Options on the View type tab affect the view type of the CAD item.

• View Type: The view types available are those discussed in Plot types.
• WorkPlane: The workplanes available are those discussed in Plot types.
• Scrollbars: Select this checkbox to display the scrollbars on the bottom and left side edges of the layout. Clear this checkbox to turn the scrollbars off.

Wireframe Details tab

Options on the Wireframe Details tab affect the amount of information that is shown in the CAD item.

• Wireframe Details: Information of CAD items in wireframe that you can display on the layout.
• Wireframes & Layouts: Select the corresponding checkboxes in this column to display the selected wireframe information on the layout.
• Select the checkbox on the top row of the column to select all check boxes below.
• Click on the arrows in leftmost column to expand and display the rows with additional options.
• Use Document Defaults: Select this checkbox to reference the options selected on the Wireframe Details tab of Document Options. Clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox to make specific changes for the active view.

Fixture Attribute Details tab

Options on the Fixture Attribute Details tab affect which attributes of the fixture you want to display with the fixture object.

• Fixture Attributes: Fixture information that can be displayed around the fixture symbols in the CAD item. To modify how the attributes are laid out, refer to Fixture Notation and Information Layout in Fixture notation.
• Wireframes & Layouts: Select the corresponding checkboxes in this column to display the selected attributes in the layout.

Note: The checkboxes in Fixture Tooltips and Shaded Views columns do not apply to Layouts in Presentation mode.

Tip: Select the checkbox on the top row of the Wireframes and Layouts column to select all check boxes below.

• Use Document Defaults: Select this checkbox to reference the options selected on the Wireframe Details tab of Document Options. Clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox to make specific changes for the active view.
• Get Document Settings: Click this button to retrieve the values you have set in the Fixture Attribute Details tab in Document Options.

Adjusting the contents

If you chose fixed or variable scaling on the CAD Printing tab or if you inserted a New Plots item, you can further set up how the item will appear within the placeholder by modifying the open contents.

To adjust the contents

1. With the item selected, from the Modify menu, choose Open Contents.

Tip: You can also click the Open Contents tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: A new window opens, displaying your drawing and the item placeholder.

2. Adjust the positioning of the placeholder as desired.

Tip: To adjust the view of the contents, you can use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out or pan around by holding down the middle mouse button.

3. Close the window.

New Plot items

New Plot items are inserted into your layout using the options specified when you created the item. You might want to modify these options if you wish to display or print the New Plot item in black and white, for example.

To modify content properties of New Plot items

1. Select the New Plot item on the layout.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Content Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Content Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: The Content Properties window appears.

For an explanation of the options that are available, refer to Modifying the properties of a plot.

Note: Any options that you modify here are also updated in the New Plots view that you inserted.

Image items

Special considerations should be given to printing images on layouts. To maintain the integrity of the image, WYSIWYG can maintain the aspect ratio of the image so as not to distort it.

To maintain aspect ratio

1. Select the image item on the layout.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Item Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

3. Click the Image tab.

4. Select the Keep Aspect Ratio checkbox.

Result: When this box is checked, the height versus width relationship of the original image is maintained regardless of how you resize the placeholder.

Worksheet, report, and spreadsheet items

Worksheet, Report, and Spreadsheet items are inserted into your layout at a set scale (100%) regardless of the paper size. For readability purposes, you can readjust this value.

To adjust the properties of worksheet, report, and spreadsheet items

1. Select the worksheet, report, or spreadsheet item on the layout.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Item Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

3. Click the Worksheet, Report, or Spreadsheet tab as appropriate.

4. From the Worksheet drop-down list, select the item that you want to modify. The options vary based on the type of item that you have selected.
5. Click to select the Gridlines option to print gridlines.
6. In the Scale box, type a percentage value to increase or decrease the size of the contents.
7. Click Use Auto-fit to automatically fit the item in the bounding box, and then choose an auto-fit option:

• Attempt to fill: WYSIWYG will attempt to fill the bounding box, ignoring the scale specified in the Scale box.
• Limit: WYSIWYG will still attempt to fill the bounding box; the scale specified in the Scale field will be considered.

8. Click to select Fit Whole Sheet to specify that Auto-fit should apply to the entire contents of the worksheet/spreadsheet/report
9. Click to toggle Fit all rows and Fit all columns to specify that Auto-fit should apply to all rows or all columns of the worksheet/spreadsheet/report. Alternately, you can specify to which rows and columns it should apply.
10. Click OK.

Legends

You may want to add a legend to your layout to provide a definition of the symbols used in the layout. To add a legend to a layout, you must first use the Legend Wizard to create the legend. The legend that you create can consist of the symbol name, wattage, count, and any other special notes. You can create multiple legends per layout.

The Legend shortcuts in Layouts can be set to follow the Scenes available in the Scene Database.

To create legend items

1. Right-click on the Wizards shortcut bar, and then select New Legend.

Result: The Enter new Legend name dialog box appears.

2. Type a name for the legend, and then click OK.

Result: The legend shortcut is stored in the shortcut bar and the Legend Wizard appears. The Legend Symbols Editor appears as displayed below. All fixtures in your CAD drawing are listed in the Legend Editor for possible inclusion in the Legend. All the options to configure your Legend are available from this dialog box.

Legend layout

Options found here affect the layout of your legend.

• Title: The Title field displays the name of the legend. Type a title in the Title box if you want a title other than the default name to be displayed.
• Scene: The Scene field is not editable and only displays the name of the scene where the legend symbols listed in the Legend Editor table are displayed. A scene is set by right-clicking on the Legend shortcut >Properties. In the Scene Database window, you can choose the Scenes that you have created or (Current Layer Only) or (All Layers).
• Automatic updates: By default, this option is on and will automatically update the legend when there are updates in your CAD drawing
• Display Columns: The Display Columns button is used to edit what columns are displayed in the legend. Clicking the button will bring up the Legend Options window. From here choose the columns that you want displayed by selecting the appropriate columns from the list. The Symbol and Name columns are displayed by default. Order the display of columns by clicking the Up and Down buttons.

• In the Rename column, type a name for the selected Legend Column header.
• Move Up: Select a row and use this button to move the fixture row up in the table.
• Move Down: Select a row and use this button to move the fixture row down in the table.
• Reset to Default: When a fixture row is selected that has cells that have been edited, this button becomes active. By clicking this button, the all the editable cells in the row will be reset to their default text.
• Symbol: The Fixture Symbol section displays up to three symbols that represent a fixture from different views, Plan, Front, Side, if available. Use the checkbox under each symbol if you wish it in the Legend.

Note:  At least one symbol must be displayed for each symbol.

Legend information

Each symbol type that exists in your CAD drawing is displayed for possible inclusion in the legend. The counts of each symbol type is updated automatically as symbols with the same symbol type are added or deleted from the CAD drawing.

Options found here affect the symbol information that is displayed in the legend.

• Display checkbox: By default all fixtures are displayed in the legend, as identified by the checkbox. Clear this checkbox if you do not want the highlighted fixture in the table to be displayed in the Legend.
• Symbol: This column displays the name of the Symbol from the Library which represents the fixture in your CAD drawing and will be displayed for this fixture on the Legend.
• Name: By default, the name of the fixture will be displayed, as listed in the Library Browser. If you wish to edit the displayed fixture name, click in the cell and type in your preferred Name for display.
• Count: By default, the total number of the fixture in the drawing appears in the Count column. This value includes only hung fixtures in your show file. If you wish to edit this number, click in the cell and enter a new count.
• Spares: By default, this column is blank. If you have spare fixtures that you would like to display on your Legend, click in the cell and enter a number of Spares.
• Wattage: By default, the table displays the wattage for the Lamp in volts. If you wish to edit this value, click on the cell and enter a new Wattage value.
• Lamp: displays the lamp of the fixture.    
• Fixture Options: displays any options that are available on the fixture. To edit this cell, click on it and add or remove any of the text.
• Notes: Type in any additional notes that should be displayed for this fixture in the Legend.
• Color Source: By default, the Color Source will be set to Plot Color, which means the Legend will automatically display the symbol using the Layer Color or Object Color of the fixture, if the color is the same for all instances of the fixture in your drawing. If the color is not the same, the Plot Color will automatically be set to Black. Alternatively, you can switch this column to Custom Color, and then select a custom color for the symbol from the color box on the Color column.
• Color: Click the color box to open a color picker. Select the new color that you want to apply to the symbol, and then click OK.
• Symbol Fill: By default, the Symbol Fill is set to Plot Color, which will automatically display a filled fixture symbol using the Symbol Fill that was set in the plot if all instances of the Fixture are set to the same Plot Color (otherwise, the fixture will not be filled automatically). Alternatively, you can switch this column to Custom Color, and then select the color from the color box on the Symbol Fill column.
• Fill Color: Click the color box to open a color picker. Select the new fill color that you want to apply to the symbol.
• Rotate: By default the checkbox is unchecked to display the fixture symbol in its default orientation. To rotate the symbol, click on the checkbox and select it.
• Mode: Displays the fixture’s mode setting.
• # Channels: Displays the total number of DMX channels required by the fixture.

Note: The Legends table will display information in blue text after a cell has been edited.

Legend display options

How a legend appears in a report can be customized to meet your needs.

Options found here affect how a legend appears in the report.

• Display Legend title: Enable this option to display a title for your legend.
• Display column headings: Enable this option to display the headings of columns in the legend.
• Display accessories: Enable this option to display accessories of fixtures.
• Line weight: This option determines how thick or thin symbol lines will appear.
• Max column width: The number sets the width of the columns. The width must be set in order to set Word Wrap option. (Note: The minimum width for a column is 30).
• Word wrap: Enable this option to wrap text that exceeds the max column width.
• Font: From this drop-down list, select a support font style.
• Font Size: Set the font size for all text in the legend.

Editing a legend

To make changes to the information that is displayed in the legend, click on the Legend Shortcut, and it will open the Legend Symbol Editor, and then make any necessary modifications.

Note: In the Legends Wizard, the Legends table will display information in blue text after a cell has been edited.

Once a legend has been defined, it does not change until you make modifications to its settings, but the data associated to the fixtures may update if you selected the Automatic updates checkbox. If any new fixtures with different symbol types are added to the file or any removed, these additions/deletions will be automatically.

To rename, delete, or clone the shortcut, follow the steps defined in Working with shortcuts.

Inserting a legend onto the layout

Once the legend has been created using the Legend Wizard, you can place it onto the layout.

To insert a legend onto a layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Legend Item.

Tip: You can also click the Legend tool on the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the page where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select Legend to be referenced dialog box appears.

3. Select the legend that you want to add to the page, and then click OK.

Result: The legend is added to the page at the position where you inserted the placeholder.

Modifying the properties of a legend

To modify the properties of a legend

1. On the layout, right-click the legend that you want to modify and choose Item Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: The Properties dialog box appears.

The General tab is similar for all items. For more information on this tab, see To modify Item Properties.

Legend tab

Options on the Legend tab affect the scaling and content of the placeholder.

• Legend: Select the legend that you want to be displayed on the layout. A list of all the legends you have created is displayed on the drop-down list.
• Scaling Type: How you want the legend to scale. Can fit to the page or be fix ratio.
• Scaling: The scale ratio in inches and feet at which the legend should be printed. If the scale that you want to use for printing is not displayed, select Custom.
• On paper: The scale ratio that you want to use on a paper copy of the layout.
• Real World: The “real” measurement for the scale ratio that you specify in the On paper box. For example, you might want to use a scaling of one inch in a paper copy of your layout. However, this one-inch measurement translates to a more “realistic” measurement (for example, 3 feet).
• Display Gridlines: Select this checkbox to show the gridlines in the legends table.

Legends in scenes

The Legends shortcut in Layouts can be set to follow Scenes.

To select the scenes where legends are displayed

1. In Layouts tab in PRES mode, right-click on the Legend shortcut and choose Properties.

Result: The Legend dialog box appears.

2. In the Scene section, choose the Scene where the Legend will be displayed.

• Follow Current Scene: Select this checkbox to choose the default scene that was set in the Scene Database.
• Scene: From this drop-down, select the scene where the Legend will be displayed.

3. Click OK.

Result: Only the Legend symbols in the selected Scene is displayed in the Layout.

Keys

You may want to add a key to your layout to provide a definition for the fixture notation used in the layout. To add a key to a layout, you must first use the Key Wizard to create the key. The key you create consists of the symbol of one given fixture and identifiers for the various attributes notated around the symbol. You can create multiple keys per layout.

To create key items

1. Right-click on the Wizards shortcut bar, and then select New Key.

Result: The Enter new Key name dialog box appears.

2. Type a name for the key, and then click OK.

Result: The key shortcut is stored on the shortcut bar and the Key Wizard appears.

Step 1 - Key Symbol Selection

Options in Step 1 allow you to choose the symbol that will represent the fixture or accessory in the key.

• List of symbols: Select the symbols you want to use. You can choose up to one fixture symbol and one accessories symbol. The symbols available in this list are the default WYSIWYG symbols for each fixture or accessory type. When you select a symbol, it appears in the preview window to the right.
• Change Symbol: Enables you to choose a different symbol from the more extensive symbols library which includes the USITT standards, among others. Follow the steps in “Changing Symbols” to perform the modifications.
• Delete Symbol: Click this button to remove the selected symbol from the preview window.

Changing symbols

1. From the list of items in the window to the right of the preview window, select the symbol. To change the symbol, click the Change Symbol button. The following dialog box appears:

2. From the list on the left side, choose the new symbol. When you are finished making your choice, click Select.

Step 2 - Symbol Layout

For each attribute there are two entries. One is for the attribute itself, the other is to label the attribute. The label is distinguishable by the qualifier “Key” (for example, the attribute Focus and the label Key - Focus). An extension line is drawn between the label and the attribute. For each attribute and its label you must decide whether you want to display it in the key by having its checkbox selected in the Visible column.

If an attribute is included, you can further specify how it will be displayed using the various formatting options (including text size and color, shape size and color, and justification).

You can also edit all the text, choose to give examples of attribute values, and provide custom definitions for the labels.

Options in Step 2 allow you to choose the attributes and notation to be displayed around the chosen symbols.

• Fixture: The name of the selected fixture.
• Filter: Enables either Attributes, Keys or both to be visible in the symbol layout.
• Display Title: Select this checkbox if you want the name of the symbol displayed in the key. Type a title in the Display Title box if you want a title other than the default name to be displayed.
• Key Title: The title that will appear for the key.
• Font Type: The selected font type for the key title.
• Font Size: The size of the font for the key title.

Note: The key title is not visible in the preview window and can not be seen until the key is inserted into the layout.

• Zoom: Manages the magnification of the key in the preview window.
• Rotation: Manages the orientation of the key in the preview window.
• Grid Snap: When enabled the placement of objects will be aligned to grid points in the preview window.
• Visible: Select this checkbox if you want the attribute or label to be displayed around the symbol in your key.
• Property: The name of the symbol attribute.
• Color: Select this to set a specific color for the attribute or label.
• Text: Type the text that you want displayed for the attribute or label.
• Symbol Fill: Select this checkbox to add fill to the symbol, then click the color box to choose the fill color.
• Copy: Will copy the Color, Text, Shape and placement of objects in the preview window as they currently appear.
• Paste: Will add all objects, settings and placements of objects that were previously saved using Copy.

Note: Copy and Paste work across different Keys.

Text

How the text in the key will appear.

• Height: How large the text in the key will appear.
• Rotation: Specifies the attribute or label alignment in relation to the fixture symbol.
• Italics: Select this checkbox to italicize the attribute or label font.
• Line weight: Adjust this value to increase or decrease the density of the label or attribute font.
• Text Anchor: Controls the justification for the text. This is in relation to the insertion point or shape.
• Horizontal: The horizontal justification for the text.
• Vertical: The vertical justification for the text.

Shape

Associates a shape with the label or attribute, if desired.

• Style: What type of shape is associated with the label or attribute. You can choose from: none, circle, square, octagon, or diamond.
• Size: Increase or decrease the size of the shape as desired.
• Line Weight: The thickness of the line that makes the shape.

3. Set the position of the attribute or label by clicking and dragging on the label or attribute in the preview window. You can also select an attribute by clicking on it in the preview window.
4. The key as it will be drawn on the layout is displayed in the preview window. Once all the attributes are set as desired, click Finish.

Result: The Wizard shortcut is stored in the shortcut bar with the name you specified in the Title box.

Editing a key

To make changes to the information that is displayed in the key, open the Key Wizard by double-clicking on the key shortcut, and then make any necessary modifications. Once a key has been defined, it does not change until you make modifications to its settings.

To rename, delete, or clone the shortcut, follow the steps defined in Working with shortcuts.

Inserting a key into a layout

Once the key has been created using the Key Wizard, you can place it on the page.

To insert a key into a layout

1. From the Insert menu, choose Key item.

Tip: You can also click the Key tool on the Layout Insert toolbar.

2. Click and drag a window (placeholder) on the “page” where you want the item to appear.

Result: The Select Key to be referenced dialog box appears.

3. Select the key that you want to add to the layout, and then click OK.

Result: Your key appears within the placeholder as drawn. By default key items are set to a scale of 1/16” = 1’.

Modifying the properties of a key

To modify the properties of a key

1. On the layout, select the key that you want to modify.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Item Properties.

Tip: You can also click the Item Properties tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Result: The Properties dialog box appears.

The General tab is similar for all items. For more information on this tab, see To modify Item Properties.

Key tab

Options on the Key tab affect the scaling and content of the placeholder.

• Key: Select the key that you want to be displayed on the layout. A list of all the keys that you have created is displayed on the drop-down list.
• Scaling Type: How you want the key to scale. Can fit to the page or be fix ratio.
• Scaling: The scale ratio in inches and feet at which the key should be printed. If the scale that you want to use for printing is not displayed, select Custom.
• On paper: The scale ratio that you want to use on a paper copy of the layout.
• Real World: The “real” measurement for the scale ratio that you specify in the On paper box. For example, you might want to use a scaling of one inch in a paper copy of your layout. However, this one-inch measurement translates to a “realistic” measurement (for example, 3 feet).

Sharing keys

Keys that have been previously created can be shared between WYSIWYG files on the same computer. The key first needs to be designated for sharing and saved to WYSIWYG itself. Then any other WYSIWYG file can insert the key or remove it from being shared.

To share a key

Note: A key must first be previously created in the current WYSIWYG file before it can be shared.

1. In PRES mode, from the Insert menu, choose Share Keys, Share Keys with Other Files.

Result: The Share Key with Other Files dialog box appears.

2. In the Share Key with Other Files dialog box select the desired key from the drop down menu.
3. Click OK.
4. Enter a new name for the key that is being shared. This is how other WYSIWYG files will identify the key.
5. Click OK.

Result: The key is now shared with other WYSIWYG files on the same computer.

To insert a shared key into a file

1. In PRES mode, from the Insert menu, choose Share Keys, Insert Shared Keys.
2. The Insert Shared Key dialog box appears.

3. In the Insert Shared Key dialog box, enter a name for the imported key in the Enter Key Name field. This name will be how the imported key will appear in the current file.
4. Select the desired key to import from the Selected Shared Key drop- down menu.
5. Click OK.

Result: The selected key will be imported into the current WYSIWYG file.

To remove a shared key

1. In PRES mode, from the Insert menu, choose Share Keys, Remove Shared Keys.
2. The Remove Shared Key window appears.

3. In the Remove Shared Key window, for each key you want to remove, select the checkbox next to the key in the Delete column.

Note: You can select all keys using the Select All button, or clear all keys using the Select None button.

4. Click OK.

Result: The selected keys are removed from sharing between WYSIWYG files. If a key was previously imported into a WYSIWYG file, it will remain in the file as it was imported.

Note: Shared Keys can be shared to other WYSIWYG installs and computers, by using the WUDs feature.

Layout tools

Locking items in layouts

You can “lock” items in your Layouts to avoid accidentally moving or deleting them once you are satisfied with their placement. Once an item is locked, you can still select it (and access its Properties), but you can’t move or delete it.

To lock an item in a layout

1. In your Layout, click the item that you want to lock.
2. On the Layout Edit toolbar, click to select the Lock icon.

Tip: Alternately, you can click CTRL + L to lock the selected item.

Result: The grips of the item turn red instead of black and you cannot move or delete the object.

To unlock an item in a layout

When you click on an item in a Layout and see that its grips are red, or you notice that it cannot be moved or deleted, this means that the item is “locked.” Follow the procedure below to unlock it.

1. In your Layout, click the item that you want to unlock.
2. On the Layout Edit toolbar, click to select the Lock icon.

Tip: Alternately, you can click CTRL + L to unlock the selected item.

Result: The grips of the item turn black instead of red and you can now move or delete the object.

Placeholders

You can move and resize placeholders at any time.

To resize a placeholder

1. Click to select the presentation item.
2. Click and drag the marker points of the placeholder to resize it.

Note: Resizing a placeholder affects the content that is displayed. You might have to edit the scale of the contents or revisit open contents.

To move a placeholder

1. Click to select the presentation item.
2. When a small grey rectangle appears on your cursor, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the placeholder to the desired location.
3. Release the mouse button.

Tip: Use the gridlines of the presentation view to line up placeholders.

To copy a placeholder and its contents

1. Click to select the presentation item.
2. When a small grey rectangle appears on your cursor, press and hold the CTRL key.
3. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the copied item to the desired location.
4. Release the mouse button.

Ordering

To facilitate overlaying and underlaying placeholders, use the Bring to Front and Send to Back tools. Think of placeholders as being piled on top of each other. Bring to Front moves the selected placeholder and its contents to the top of the pile. Send to Back moves the selected placeholder and its contents behind all of the others.

To overlay a placeholder

1. Click to select the presentation item.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Bring to Front.

Tip: You can also use the Bring to Front tool on the Layout Edit toolbar

To underlay a placeholder

1. Click to select the presentation item.
2. From the Modify menu, choose Send to Back.

Tip: You can also use the Send to Back tool on the Layout Edit toolbar.

Printing layouts

If you have a large layout you can “tile print” the layout across multiple smaller sheets of paper. To set up how you want the layout arranged on the sheets of paper, see Working with layouts.

You can print a complete layout or specific pages of a layout based on the settings that you choose when printing.

To print a layout

1. From the File menu, choose Print.

Result: The Print dialog box appears.

2. From the Name drop-down list, select the printer (or plotter) that you want to use. WYSIWYG records the name that you choose for future reference and thereafter displays it as the default printer for layouts.
3. To print all pages of a layout, select All.
4. To print select pages of a layout, click Pages, and then enter the range in the from and to boxes.
5. If you want to print multiple copies of the pages, select the value from the Number of copies list box.
6. Click OK.

Batch printing

You can print multiple shortcuts at once on the Reports, Layouts, or Worksheets tabs in PRES mode, choosing to save them as PDF files in the folder of your choice.

To print multiple layouts, reports or worksheets

1. On the Reports, Layouts, or Worksheets tab, click File > Batch Printing.

Result: The Batch Printing dialog box appears.

2. Select the shortcuts that you want to print. To print all, click the checkbox on the row on top of the list to select all the check boxes below.

• To print to PDF, select the Print to PDF checkbox, and then specify the output folder.
• To auto-select the paper size for print, select the Use layout Paper Size checkbox.
• The Landscape column indicates if the document prints in the landscape orientation (Yes) or portrait orientation (No).
• To add a prefix to the printed file name, select the Prefix checkbox and type the prefix text in the Prefix box.

3. To change the output location for the printed file, enter the location in the Output Folder box or click Browse to select the new location.
4. Click OK.

Exporting layouts

On the Layouts tab, you can export the Layout as an image stored in your computer.

To export a layout

1. From the File menu, choose Export As Image.

Result: The Save As window appears.

2. In the Save As window, navigate to the location where you want to save the exported layout image.
3. In the File name box, type the name of the exported layout image.
4. From the Save as type drop-down list, select the exported file type.
5. Click Save.

Result: The image of your Layout is saved into the selected location.