TOOLS

Certain drawing tools have drawing options attached to them. You see these at the bottom of the tool palette when you select a drawing tool. In this illustration, the magnet button allows you to “snap to” other objects on the stage.

Selection tool: Use this tool to select things, move them, and edit shapes and lines

Subselection too: This works like the hollow arrow in Illustrator. Click on a line or shape to edit its control points.

Line tool: click and drag to create straight line segments in any direction; use the Shift key to constrain a line to horizontal, vertical or 45 degrees.

Lasso tool: select freeform shapes by clicking and dragging around an area.

Pen tool: Click to create corner points, and click and drag to create curve points. This tool works a bit differently than the one in Illustrator, but probably identical to the one in Freehand.

Text tool: Click and type, or click and drag to establish a bounding box. There are three kinds of type in Flash: Static, Dynamic, and Input. Use static text: select it in the properties palette.

Ellipse tool: Hold the Shift key to constrain to a perfect circle.

Rectangle tool & Polystar tool: Click and drag to create a rectangle or star shape. Double click on the rectangle tool to add rounded corners to a rectangle. Use the “options” button on the properties palette to specify the number of points to a star, or sides to a polygon.

Pencil tool: select a line/edge color to draw with this. its options are to draw straight lines, curved lines, and “ink” lines (which remain as you drew them).

Paintbrush tool: Select the fill color you want when using this tool. Its options include normal, fills, behind, selection, and inside. You also get a dropdown menu for selecting brush size and another for brush shape.

Free Transform tool: Click on an object with this tool and then use the control points to rotate, scale, distort, and skew it. From its options, you can also choose “envelope” which places curve points around the object that you can then click and drag to distort the image.

Fill Transform tool: This is for gradient fills (see the section on color for more information).

Ink Bottle: Select a stroke color and use this tool to add or change the stroke around a shape.

Paintbucket tool: Select a fill color and click within a shape to change its color. You have some options about whether this will fill shapes that are not quite closed, mostly closed, or not to fill open shapes.

Eyedropper tool: Use this to pick up a color used elsewhere in your document. As soon as you click, the eyedropper turns into the paintbucket or inkbottle so you can apply the color/stroke to another object.

Eraser tool: Use this to erase lines or fills; select its size and shape from the option portion of the tool palette. You can erase normally, just fills, just lines, selected fills, or just inside an object. The faucet icon completely erases anything you click on.

View tools: The hand guy scrolls around your stage (use the Spacebar shortcut). The magnifying glass zooms your view closer or further away (use the space and keys, or space, , and option keys shortcuts).

Colors: The pencil icon selects edge/stroke colors from a popup swatch panel. The bucket selects fill colors.

The button under the two color selections (from left to right) reset colors to black and white, make transparent (no color), and reverse colors.

tool panel

TOOLS Certain drawing tools have drawing options attached to them. You see these at the bottom of the tool palette when you select a drawing tool. In this illustration, the magnet button allows you to “snap to” other objects on the stage. Selection tool: Use this tool to select things, move them, and edit shapes and lines Subselection too: This works like the hollow arrow in Illustrator. Click on a line or shape to edit its control points. Line tool: click and drag to create straight line segments in any direction; use the Shift key to constrain a line to horizontal, vertical or 45 degrees. Lasso tool: select freeform shapes by clicking and dragging around an area. Pen tool: Click to create corner points, and click and drag to create curve points. This tool works a bit differently than the one in Illustrator, but probably identical to the one in Freehand. Text tool: Click and type, or click and drag to establish a bounding box. There are three kinds of type in Flash: Static, Dynamic, and Input. Use static text: select it in the properties palette. Ellipse tool: Hold the Shift key to constrain to a perfect circle. Rectangle tool & Polystar tool: Click and drag to create a rectangle or star shape. Double click on the rectangle tool to add rounded corners to a rectangle. Use the “options” button on the properties palette to specify the number of points to a star, or sides to a polygon. Pencil tool: select a line/edge color to draw with this. its options are to draw straight lines, curved lines, and “ink” lines (which remain as you drew them). Paintbrush tool: Select the fill color you want when using this tool. Its options include normal, fills, behind, selection, and inside. You also get a dropdown menu for selecting brush size and another for brush shape. Free Transform tool: Click on an object with this tool and then use the control points to rotate, scale, distort, and skew it. From its options, you can also choose “envelope” which places curve points around the object that you can then click and drag to distort the image. Fill Transform tool: This is for gradient fills (see the section on color for more information). Ink Bottle: Select a stroke color and use this tool to add or change the stroke around a shape. Paintbucket tool: Select a fill color and click within a shape to change its color. You have some options about whether this will fill shapes that are not quite closed, mostly closed, or not to fill open shapes. Eyedropper tool: Use this to pick up a color used elsewhere in your document. As soon as you click, the eyedropper turns into the paintbucket or inkbottle so you can apply the color/stroke to another object. Eraser tool: Use this to erase lines or fills; select its size and shape from the option portion of the tool palette. You can erase normally, just fills, just lines, selected fills, or just inside an object. The faucet icon completely erases anything you click on. View tools: The hand guy scrolls around your stage (use the Spacebar shortcut). The magnifying glass zooms your view closer or further away (use the space and keys, or space, , and option keys shortcuts). Colors: The pencil icon selects edge/stroke colors from a popup swatch panel. The bucket selects fill colors. The button under the two color selections (from left to right) reset colors to black and white, make transparent (no color), and reverse colors.