FW MX 2004 Tutorial (3): vector editing

Tutorials like many vector editing software, vector objects drawn in fireworks are much more modifiable than bitmap objects. Therefore, in the absence of material mapping, more often is made into vector graphics, to facilitate the save at any time, editing. The object's edits include selection, movement, padding, rotation, and distortion of the object, and so on.

　　1 , change the path

Simplified path: In order to make an irregular vector path more concise and smooth, we can reduce its path node by simplifying the path. As shown in the figure is an irregular path.

Figure 3-01

When the path is selected, click on the "Modify-change path-simplify" command on the menu bar, as shown in Figure 3-02.

Figure 3-02

Enter the value in the Quantity column to set the degree of simplification. The following figure is the path simplification effect after entering 25.

Figure 3-03

Expansion path: Click the "Modify-change path-extend stroke" command on the menu bar to widen any path. As shown in Figure 3-04.

Figure 3-04

Width--Sets the width of the path;

Angle--When the path is a curve, you can choose the style of the corner here;

Angle Limit--the number of acute angles used to limit curve paths;

End endpoint--you can select the style for the end point of the path.

When the setting is complete, the path is widened as shown in Figure 3-05.

Figure 3-05

Flex path: Use this command to change the scope of a closed path. Set the window as shown below

Figure 3-06

On the direction bar, you can set the path to the "inside" or to the "outside" direction of expansion. The effect figure is shown in Figure 3-07.

Figure 3-07

For closed paths, use the Flex Path command to automatically change the path to a closed path.

　　 2 , the operation of the object

Object selection: You can use the Pointer tool to directly select a drawing object. When you want to select multiple objects, you can select all objects by pressing the CTRL + a key at the same time or by directly selecting the box. When an object is selected at the same time, drag any object, and other objects move along with it.

When an object is completely under another object, it is difficult to use the "pointer" tool for direct point selection. You can then use the Select Rear Object tool on the toolbar to select the object that follows, as shown in Figure 3-08.

Figure 3-08

Object fill: Draw a random closed path with the Pen tool, and then set the path's stroke fill color in the Properties dialog box for the path, as shown in Figure 3-09, 3-10.

Figure 3-09

Figure 3-10

Color swatch--You can select a color as the stroke of a path in the Stroke Color Preview window. Preselection colors and the color of the page color values will be shown in the upper-left corner of the sample. At the same time can also directly enter the desired page color values, and then press "enter" can be;

Custom Color--click the Custom Color button to select or set a custom color from the color window;

Within the path--refers to filling the stroke color within the pen path;

Centered on path-fills the stroke color within the pen path;

Outside the path--fills the stroke with the pen path;

Cancel stroke--Selecting the item will remove the stroke color.

Then we'll set the inner fill color for the path. The inner fill categories are divided into five types: No fill, solid fill, web jitter, gradient fill, and pattern fill. There are many colors and styles to choose from under the various filling categories. Let's first select a fill mode in the Fill option, as shown in Figure 3-11.

Figure 3-11

Then set the color and transparency of the gradient fill in the Fill Preview box, as shown in Figure 3-12. Click on the color slider to eject the Color Preview window as shown in Figure 3-10.

Figure 3-12

You can add sliders by clicking the mouse on the Transparency slider or in the blank position of the color slider. You can select an existing linear fill style in the Presets drop-down menu. The path fill setting finishes as shown in Figure 3-13.

Figure 3-13

You can trim a gradient fill for a path by adjusting the fill handle of the Path object.

Figure 3-14

As for the other path-filling categories and the many styles under that category, it's up to everyone to try.

　　 3 , the deformation of the object

Use these items under the Modify-warp menu to distort the object, as shown in Figure 3-15.

Figure 3-15

Freeform: The feature includes zoom, tilt, and twist features that are the same as the "freeform" series on the toolbar, selected to drag and drop the object at random size, width, tilt, and rotate. Alternatively, you can use the four commonly used flip buttons on the toolbar to adjust, as shown in Figure 3-16.

Figure 3-16

Numerical Transformation: The Value Transformation dialog box pops up when the item is selected. In this dialog box, you can scale, resize, and rotate the objects in a variety of exact variants by the values you enter.

Figure 3-16

Rotate 180 degrees--the object is rotated 180 degrees;

Rotate 90 degrees Clockwise-rotate the object 90 degrees clockwise;

Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise-rotate the object 90 degrees counterclockwise;

Horizontal flip--the object is rotated horizontally with a horizontal axis;

Flip vertically-The object is flipped vertically with the vertical line as the hinge.

　　 4 , the arrangement of objects

The different objects in the same layer are arranged in the upper and lower order on the workspace, and the order of the objects can be adjusted by using the commands under Modify-Arrange in the menu bar, as shown in Figure 3-30.

Figure 3-17

Alternatively, you can use the four buttons on the toolbar to adjust, which is also a more common method, as shown in Figure 3-18.

Figure 3-18

　　 5 , alignment of objects

After you select multiple objects, use the options under Modify-align to align the objects in different ways. As shown in figures 3-26 and 3-27, the effect of Zimai and alignment is horizontal.

Figure 3-19

Figure 3-20

You can also align the selected objects by selecting different tools in the Align box in the toolbar. The boxes are left-aligned, vertically centered, right-aligned, top-aligned, horizontal-centered, bottom-aligned, evenly divided, width, and evenly divided.

Figure 3-21

In addition, by aligning panels in the combo panel, you can also make a variety of alignment to the selected object, where "to canvas" refers to the object being aligned to the edge of the canvas. Anchor points can set different alignment for the path node.

Figure 3-22

　　 6 , objects are combined with each other

Combination and cancellation: Using the Modify-Group command on the menu bar is a group of multiple vector objects, and the objects are grouped into a whole, as shown in Figure 3-15.

Figure 3-23

Using the Modify-ungroup command, you can cancel the group relationship between the two objects, separating the objects into separate states before the group.

Joining and splitting: the engagement function of paths is used to combine multiple paths into a single Path object. You can connect the endpoints of two disconnected paths to create a single closed path, or you can combine multiple paths to create a compound path. As shown in figures 3-16 and 3-17, the changes before and after the engagement path are used. The resulting compound path has the stroke and fill properties of the object that is placed on the last side.

　　
Figure 3-24 3-25

Using the split feature, you can also restore the junction path to an object that is independent of each other.

Union: A union is an operation that combines several graphic objects into a single graphic object, and the new graphic object contour consists of a union of graphic object boundaries. As shown in figures 3-18 and 3-19, we drew the green and red two drawing objects in turn. Use the Union command when two objects are selected.

　　
Figure 3-26 Figure 3-27

The object color after union is the same as the color of the lowest object before the union.

Intersection: The intersection is the intersection of two or more objects are preserved, so that the intersection to form a new drawing object. As shown in figures 3-20 and 3-21. When you select both objects to intersect, use the Intersect command.

　　
Figure 3-28 Figure 3-29

Punch: The Hole punch command is to cut off the intersection of the object at the bottom and the upper object so that the underlying object's shape is changed. As shown in figures 3-22 and 3-23.

　　
Figure 3-30 Figure 3-31

Trim: Trim is designed for multiple objects, such as three objects, hierarchical relations are green objects at the bottom, red in the middle, blue at the top, they overlap each other, using the "trim" command, the left is the topmost object and the middle, lower objects overlap, as shown in Figure 3-24, 3-25.

　　
Figure 3-32 Figure 3-33

　　 7 , Mask effect

A mask, also known as a mask, is an image processing effect that provides the shape of the underlying object for the lower-level objects, and the underlying object provides color for the topmost object. Therefore, we call the topmost object "mask Object", while the underlying object is called "Masked object". Both vector and bitmap objects can become mask objects or masked objects.

A more commonly used mask effect is to introduce an image in the workspace first, and then draw a vector ellipse over the image, as shown in Figure 3-34.

Figure 3-34

Then select two objects (press the CTRL + a key) and use the Modify-mask-group as Mask command on the menu bar, and two objects are grouped together as masked graphics. Drag the Blue Center point of the mask with the mouse to move the underlying masked object (puppy image), as shown in Figure 4-18.

Figure 4-18

As you can see, two objects are grouped together as masks to dilute the overlapping portions of the two objects. The degree of dilution is determined by the shading relationship between the Mask object and the background color. The brighter the color, the smaller the fade, and the clearer the Mask object will be.

In the layers panel, two objects are grouped together into masks, and they become a mask that is grouped in the same object layer. As shown in Figure 4-19.

Figure 4-19

When you click on the Masked object of this object layer with your mouse, there is a blue border around the object. When the masked object is a bitmap, you can edit the masked object with various bitmap tools. When the masked object is a vector graph, it can be edited or modified by various vector tools. Similarly, when the Mask object in the object layer is a bitmap or vector diagram, it can also be modified using a variety of bitmaps or vector tools. As shown in Figure 4-20.

Figure 4-20

For a mask, the mask effect can be temporarily canceled when you use the Modify-mask-Disable Mask command. You can also see in the layers panel that the mask object in the mask graphic is disabled. As shown in Figure 4-21.

Figure 4-21

When you use the Modify-mask-enable mask command, you can revert to the original mask effect.

To remove a mask effect, you can use the Modify-mask-Remove mask command. A dialog box pops up, as shown in Figure 4-22.

Figure 4-22

When you select Apply, a bitmap graphic with a mask shape independent is preserved. But the mask graphics can no longer be edited;

When you select Discard, the Mask object in the mask graphic is deleted, and only the masked object is restored.

When you want to restore the mask graphics, just click the Modify-Ungroup command on the menu bar to detach and restore the Mask object and the Masked object in the mask graphic.