Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Unit B: Creating Graphics and Text

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Objectives Understand vector and bitmap graphics Create a new document Set tool options and create a shape Reshape an object Select and modify a shape Copy and transform an object Use design panels Create text Modify text

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Understanding Vector and Bitmap Graphics Bitmap images   For static design elements or limited animation Vector graphics   Often used in Flash   Create with drawing tools on Tools panel

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Understanding Vector and Bitmap Graphics Bitmap graphicsVector graphics Display image as a matrix of dots (pixels) on a grid Consist of a finite number of pixels Resolution-dependent  Resizing affects image quality Mathematically calculated Composed of anchor points and straight or curved line segments (collectively form a path) Appear smooth; appropriate for illustrations Resolution-independent  Offer more flexibility than bitmap images

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Understanding Vector and Bitmap Graphics Comparing vector and bitmap images

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Understanding Vector and Bitmap Graphics Resolution   Degree of clarity, detail, and sharpness of displayed or printed image   Expressed by number of pixels per square inch; (the higher the better) Flash drawing modes   Merge Drawing mode Assumes that objects’ paths combine   Object Drawing mode Treats object as a whole

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Understanding Vector and Bitmap Graphics Comparing objects in Merge Drawing and Object Drawing modes

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating a New Document Several methods to precisely measure and position objects on the Stage   Display rulers   Create guides   Display a grid

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating a New Document Document Properties dialog box

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating a New Document Viewing the grid turned on in a document

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating a New Document Grid dialog box

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Setting Tool Options and Creating a Shape Tools panel is separated into sections, each containing related tools (e.g., drawing, view, and selection) Many tools have tool options at the bottom of the Tools panel

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Setting Tool Options and Creating a Shape Drawing and painting tools

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Aligning Objects on the Stage Snap Align Snap to Grid Snap to Guides Snap to Objects Snap to Pixels Viewing rulers, guides, and alignment lines

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Setting Tool Options and Creating a Shape Select colors for strokes and fills using color pop-up window Setting stroke color by clicking a color swatch

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Setting Tool Options and Creating a Shape Creating a shape

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Reshaping an Object Selection Tool   Manipulates shape directly by dragging object’s border into a different contour Zoom Tool   Adjusts the view Guide layer   Contains a shape you can use to Trace or align objects Create a motion path for animated objects

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Reshaping an Object Modifying a shape

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Reshaping an Object Creating a curve

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Selecting and Modifying a Shape Selection tools

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Selecting and Modifying a Shape Selecting a fill

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Selecting and Modifying a Shape Selecting part of a stroke

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Copying and Transforming an Object Transform an object by   Scaling   Rotating   Skewing   Distorting Different ways to copy an object from outside or within the program Reconfigure objects using options for the Free Transform Tool

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Copying and Transforming an Object Options for the Free Transform Tool

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Copying and Transforming an Object Copying and pasting a selection

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Copying and Transforming an Object Positioning the rotate pointer

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Copying and Transforming an Object Paste and drag options from Edit menu   Paste in Center   Paste in Place   Paste Special   Duplicate

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Using Design Panels Perform specific design functions Click a command on Window menu to open panels Frequently used panels   Dock in an existing panel group   Create a new panel group

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Using Design Panels Info panelShows information based on where pointer is on the Stage Align panelSizes, aligns, or distributes multiple objects to Stage or each other Transform panelPerforms functions of the Free Transform Tool Color panelContains features for adjusting object’s stroke and fill colors Swatches panelContains colors from active color palette, or set, of available colors

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Using Design Panels Viewing the Info and Align panels

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Using Design Panels Skewing an object using the Transform panel

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Using Design Panels Viewing the Color panel and Swatches panel

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating Text Using the Text Tool Text block   Object containing text that can be moved and modified Modifiable text attributes: font, size, style, color, alignment, orientation, and spacing Variable-width text   Text block expands as you type Fixed-width text   Width is limited by size of text block

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating Text Creating a fixed-width text box

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating Text Viewing fixed-width text

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Creating Text Creating variable-width text

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Modifying Text Use features on Properties panel   Character and Paragraphs sections (font attributes, indent, margins, text orientation)   Options section (link to a Web site)   Filters section (drop shadow, bevel, glow)

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Modifying Text Editing text attributes

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Modifying Text Sampling a color

Adobe Flash CS4 – Illustrated Modifying Text Aligning text