Chapter Lessons Use the Macromedia Flash drawing tools OVERVIEW Chapter Lessons Use the Macromedia Flash drawing tools Select Objects and Apply Colors Work with objects Work with text and text objects Work with layers and objects Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Drawing in Flash 8 Flash creates and manipulates vector graphics INTRODUCTION Drawing in Flash 8 Flash creates and manipulates vector graphics Vector format vs. bitmap format Bitmap graphics are based on pixels Altering pixels can result in jagged edges Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Vector Graphics Native to Flash Represent images using lines, curves INTRODUCTION Vector Graphics Native to Flash Represent images using lines, curves Can resize without losing image quality Generally smaller than bitmap images Good for Web sites Not as effective at bitmaps for photo-realistic images Drawing Objects in Flash 8

INTRODUCTION Modifying Vectors Objects created using Flash drawing tools have a stroke, a fill, or both Strokes can be segmented into smaller lines You can modify the size, shape, rotation, and color of each stroke, fill and segment Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Flash Drawing Tools Selection Subselection Free Transform LESSON 1 Flash Drawing Tools Selection Used to select an object or parts of an object such as the stroke or fill, and to reshape objects Subselection Used to select, drag, and reshape Free Transform Used to transform objects by rotating, scaling, skewing, and distorting Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Gradient Transform Line LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Gradient Transform Used to transform a gradient fill by adjusting the size, direction, or center of the fill Line Used to draw straight lines Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Lasso Pen Used to select objects or parts of objects LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Lasso Used to select objects or parts of objects Pen Used to draw lines and curves by creating a series of dots Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Text Oval Rectangle Used to create and edit text LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Text Used to create and edit text Oval Used to draw oval and circular shapes Rectangle Used to draw rectangular and square shapes Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Pencil Brush Ink Bottle Used to draw freehand lines LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Pencil Used to draw freehand lines Brush Used to paint with brush-like strokes Ink Bottle Used to apply line colors and thickness to a stroke Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Paint Bucket Eyedropper LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Paint Bucket Used to fill enclosed areas of a drawing with color Eyedropper Used to copy stroke, fill and text attribute from one object to another Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Drawing Tools Eraser LESSON 1 The Drawing Tools Eraser Used to erase lines and fills The Oval, Rectangle, Pencil, Brush, Line, and Pen tools are used to create vector objects Drawing Objects in Flash 8

FIGURE 1 Macromedia Flash tools LESSON 1 FIGURE 1 Macromedia Flash tools Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 2 Selecting Objects Before you can edit a drawing, you first must select the object, or part of the objects Objects are made up of a stroke(s) and a fill Strokes and fills can be selected independently Strokes can have several segments Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Using the Selection Tool LESSON 2 Using the Selection Tool To select only the fill Click just the fill To select only the stroke Click just the stroke To select both the fill and the stroke Double-click the object or draw a marquee around it Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Using the Selection Tool LESSON 2 Using the Selection Tool To select part of an object Drag a marquee that defines the area you wish to select To deselect an item(s) Click a blank area of the stage Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 2 Using the Lasso Tool Provides more flexibility when selecting an area of the stage Use the tool in a freehand manner to select any size and shape of area Use the Polygon Mode option to draw straight lines and connect them Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Using the Selection Tools LESSON 2 Using the Selection Tools Stroke selected Fill selected Stroke and Fill selected Group selected Part of Object Selected Unselected FIGURE 9 Objects or parts of objects are highlighted when selected Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Object Drawing Model Two drawing models Merge Drawing Model mode LESSON 2 Object Drawing Model Two drawing models Merge Drawing Model mode Stroke and fill are separate Stroke and fill can be individually selected Object Drawing Model mode Stroke and fill are combined and cannot be selected individually Use the Break Apart option from the Modify menu to separate the stroke and fill Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 2 Object Drawing Model In either mode you can turn off the fill or the stroke when drawing an object You can toggle between the two modes using the Object Drawing icon in the options section of the Tool panel Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Colors Change color of the stroke or fill LESSON 2 Working with Colors Change color of the stroke or fill Stroke Color and Fill Color tool Located on colors section of Tool panel Click and select a color swatch on the color palette The Color palette Can type in a six character code that represents the RGB values Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Gradients LESSON 2 Working with Gradients A gradient is a color fill that makes a gradual transition from one color to another Apply a gradient with the Paint Bucket Tool The position of the Paint Bucket Tool determines the direction of the gradient fill Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Objects Objects can be copied and pasted LESSON 3 Working with Objects Objects can be copied and pasted Objects can be transformed with the Free Transform Tool Select the object, then the tool to display the eight square-shaped handles and center circular transformation point Rotate and Skew, Scale, Distort, Envelope Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Objects Objects can be enlarged or reduced in size LESSON 3 Working with Objects Objects can be enlarged or reduced in size Use the Scale option of the Free Transform tool Drag corner handles to resize the object without changing its proportions If you drag one of the middle handles, the object will be reshaped as taller, shorter, wider, or narrower Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Objects Objects can be rotated and skewed LESSON 3 Working with Objects Objects can be rotated and skewed Select the object, click the Free Transform tool, click the Rotate and Skew option Use the Distort and Envelope options to reshape an object by dragging its handles Drawing Objects in Flash 8

FIGURE 20 Using handles to manipulate an object LESSON 3 Drag corner handle to rotate an object Drag middle handle to skew an object FIGURE 20 Using handles to manipulate an object Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Reshaping a Segment of an Object LESSON 3 Reshaping a Segment of an Object The Selection tool can be used to reshape the edge of an object When you point to the edge, the pointer displays an arc symbol You can drag the edge of an object by using the Arc pointer If the selection tool points to a corner of an object, the pointer displays an L-shaped symbol Drawing Objects in Flash 8

FIGURE 21 Using the Selection tool to distort an object LESSON 3 FIGURE 21 Using the Selection tool to distort an object Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 3 Flipping an Object You can use other options to flip an object horizontally or vertically The Remove Transform Command allows you to restore an object to its original state Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 4 Work with Text Flash provides a lot of flexibility when formatting text Typeface (Font) Size Style (bold, italic) Color (including gradients) Transformation Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Entering Text and Changing the Text Block LESSON 4 Entering Text and Changing the Text Block Text is entered into “Text Blocks” Text Blocks expand as more text is entered and may extend beyond the edge of the stage You can adjust the size to a fixed width by dragging the handle in the upper right corner Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Changing Text Attributes LESSON 4 Changing Text Attributes The Properties panel allows you to change the font, size and style of a single character or an entire text block FIGURE 32 The Properties Panel when a text object is selected Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Working with Paragraphs LESSON 4 Working with Paragraphs Flash acts similar to a word processor You can align paragraphs Left, Right, Center, Justified Use the Properties panel to: Set margins, indents, and line spacing Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 4 Transforming Text Text is an object, and can therefore be transformed like other objects in Flash The entire text block gets transformed Use “Break Apart” command to transform individual letters Drawing Objects in Flash 8

FIGURE 37 Skewing the text LESSON 4 Transforming Text FIGURE 37 Skewing the text FIGURE 38 Reshaping a letter after the text block has been “broken apart” Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Learning about Layers Two types of spatial organization LESSON 5 Learning about Layers Two types of spatial organization Position of objects on the stage Stacking order of objects that overlap Layers are used on a timeline as a way to organize objects Placing objects on their own layer makes them easier to work with Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Six Layer Types Normal (default layer type) LESSON 5 The Six Layer Types Normal (default layer type) All objects on these layers appear in the movie Guide (Standard and Motion) Standard guide layers serve as a reference point for positioning objects on the stage Motion guide layers are used to create a path for animated objects to follow Drawing Objects in Flash 8

The Six Layer Types Guided Mask Masked LESSON 5 The Six Layer Types Guided A layer that contains an animated object, linked to a Motion Guide layer Mask A layer that contains and reveals portions of another layer Masked A layer that contains the objects that are hidden and revealed by a Mask layer Drawing Objects in Flash 8

FIGURE 41 The Layers section of the timeline LESSON 5 The Six Layer Types Folder A layer that can contain other layers Show/Hide All Layers Show All Layers as Outlines Lock/Unlock All Layers Lock/Unlock This Layers Show/Hide this Layer FIGURE 41 The Layers section of the timeline Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 5 Working with Layers Using the Layer Properties dialog box allows you to: Specify the type of a layer Name a layer Show/Hide a layer Lock a layer View layers as outlines Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Using a Guide Layer Used to align objects on the stage LESSON 5 Using a Guide Layer Used to align objects on the stage Use the Layer Properties Dialog box to set the layer as a guide Turn on “Snap to Guides” Drag the desired object to the guide line Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Distributing Text to Layers LESSON 5 Distributing Text to Layers Used when text blocks are made up of more than one character Distributes text to its own respective layer FIGURE 44 Distributing text to layers Drawing Objects in Flash 8

LESSON 5 Using Folder Layers Allows you to organize layers by creating folders and grouping other layers in them FIGURE 45 A folder layer Drawing Objects in Flash 8

Chapter 2 Tasks Use the Macromedia Flash drawing tools SUMMARY Chapter 2 Tasks Use the Macromedia Flash drawing tools Select Objects and Apply Colors Work with objects Work with text and text objects Work with layers and objects Drawing Objects in Flash 8