Dips > Drawing Tools

# Tools Overview

The Tools menu offers a variety of drawing and analysis tool options.

- The drawing tools can be used to customize the appearance of plots for screen captures and reports.

- The analysis tools interact directly with the stereonet and can be used to assist with various tasks and analyses.

The following options are available.

Drawing Tools

- Text

- Arrow

- Line Segment

- Ellipse

- Rectangle

- Polyline

- Polygon

Analysis Tools

- Cone

- Trend Line

- Pitch Grid

- Fold Analysis

- Measure Angle

- Select Pole

All objects created with the Tools menu options are referred to as Drawing (or Analysis) Tools in the Dips documentation.

Adding Tools

Drawing tools (i.e. text, arrows etc) can be added anywhere in stereonet or rosette plot views. The analysis tools (i.e. cones, trend line) interact directly with the stereonet and can be used to assist with various types of analyses.

Editing Tools

After adding Tools to a view, they can be formatted, moved, re-sized, deleted, hidden or copied. To edit drawing tools:

- Tool visibility can be configured using the Sidebar plot option checkboxes.

- If you left click on a drawing tool, you can edit the tool properties in the Sidebar, and you can re-size or move the tool (if applicable) by clicking and dragging with the mouse.

- If you right click on a drawing tool, the popup menu will display applicable editing and visibility options.

See the Edit Tools Overview topic for more information.

Saving Tools

Tools are automatically saved with the Dips file (i.e. when you select the Save or Save As options in the File menu), and will automatically re-appear when you open the file.

Undo / Redo

The Undo / Redo options apply to drawing / analysis tools as well as other Dips file changes. Therefore you can easily undo / redo changes to the Tools.