Scaling of raster or bitmapped objects is described by converting such raster or bitmapped objects into symbol objects in a graphics development environment (GDE). A grid of lines is superimposed over the symbol visually dividing it into multiple segments. The position and shape of each segment will determine how the symbol is scaled during operation. The various segments may either be locked or editable. When edit input is received to change a size of the symbol, the locked portions of the symbol object are preserved while the editable regions are scaled to accommodate the edit instruction.