Labeling Objects with a Custom Sequence

When you use the Label command from the Display menu to label several objects, Sketchpad normally generates a sequence of labels by changing only the ending of whatever you type as the first label. Thus if you type A1 as the first label, Sketchpad generates a sequence in which all the labels start with A, but with different numbers following the A: A1, A2, A3, and so forth. Similarly, if you type 123a as the first label, only the endings change: 123a, 123b, 123c, and so forth.

To generate a sequence in which the changing portion is not at the end, select the objects to label and choose Label Objects from the Display menu. In the Label Multiple Objects dialog box, define a custom sequence by entering a special first label. This special custom sequence label—similar to the custom template used when merging text—must begin with an equal sign (“=”), and contain “{...}” immediately following the part of the label that should change over the sequence.

Thus you can type “=P{...}1” to generate the sequence starting with P1, Q1, and R1. Similarly, type “=A{...}[x]” to generate a sequence that begins with Ax, Bx, and Cx.