- Setting Selection Preferences
- Selecting Lines with the Selection Tool
- Selecting Fills with the Selection Tool
- Using a Selection Rectangle
- Using the Lasso Tool
- Deselecting Elements
- Repositioning Elements Manually
- Repositioning Elements Numerically
- Basic Editing Tasks: Cut, Copy, Paste
- Editing Existing Elements with Assistance
- Moving End Points with the Selection Tool
- Moving Points with the Subselection Tool
- Reshaping Curves with the Selection Tool
- Reshaping Curves with the Subselection Tool
- Converting, Removing, and Adding Points
- Reshaping Fills
- Changing the Size of Graphic Elements
- Reorienting Graphic Elements
- Distorting Graphic Elements
- Changing the Envelope of Selected Elements
- Modifying Strokes
- Using the Eraser Tool in Normal Mode
- Using the Faucet Modifier
- Modifying Fill Colors
- Creating Solid Colors: Color Mixer Panel
- Creating New Gradients
- Creating Color Sets
- Putting Gradients to Work
- Modifying Applied Gradients
- Applying Attributes of One Graphic Element to Another
- Converting Lines to Fills
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Editing Existing Elements with Assistance
Rather than have Flash assist you with everything you draw, you may prefer the flexibility of simply sketching with the pencil tool's freeform Ink mode. Flash can always recognize shapes and apply smoothing and straightening after you draw them.
To smooth an existing line:
- Select the line with curves you want to smooth.
To smooth the curves, do one of the following:
- With the Selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Smooth button (Figure 3.23).
Figure 3.23 With your line selected on the Stage (top left) and the selection tool selected in the Toolbar, click the Smooth button (right). Flash smoothes the line (bottom left).
- From the Modify menu, choose Shape > Smooth (Figure 3.24).
Figure 3.24 Choose Modify > Shape > Smooth to smooth curves selected on the Stage.
Flash smoothes the curves in the selected line according to the tolerances currently set in the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog. With repeated clicking, you can smooth the curves further and ultimately reduce the number of curve segments in the line.
- With the Selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Smooth button (Figure 3.23).
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To straighten an existing line:
- Select the line you want to straighten.
To straighten the line, do one of the following:
- With the selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Straighten button (Figure 3.25).
Figure 3.25 With your line selected on the Stage (top-left) and the selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Straighten button (right). Flash straightens the line (bottom-left).
- From the Modify menu, choose Shape > Straighten.
Flash straightens the selected line according to the tolerances currently set in the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog (see Chapter 2).
- With the selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Straighten button (Figure 3.25).
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- If the line still looks too rough after your first attempt, apply the Smooth or Straighten command again. Repeated smoothing eventually flattens your curves; repeated straightening eventually turns curve segments into straight-line segments (Figure 3.26).
Figure 3.26 Invoking the Smooth and Straighten commands several times can change the appearance of a line dramatically.
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To make Flash recognize existing shapes:
- Select your rough version of an oval or rectangle.
To make Flash recognize your shape, do one of the following:
- With the selection tool selected, in the Toolbar, click the Straighten button.
- From the Modify menu, choose Shape > Straighten.
If the shape is recognizable under the tolerances currently set in the Editing tab of the Preferences dialog (see Chapter 2), Flash recasts the shape as a perfect oval or rectangle.
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- If at first Flash fails to recognize your rough shape, try again. Often, the newly straightened shape falls within the parameters Flash needs to recognize it (Figure 3.27).
Figure 3.27 Use the Straighten command to recognize a shape.
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