Working with Vector Shapes in Java

Generation Code 128 in Java Working with Vector Shapes

Fireworks gives you two ways to draw on your canvas: Vector mode: Uses points, lines, and shapes to define image elements Bitmap mode: Uses pixels to define image elements Each method has advantages and disadvantages, and which mode you use depends on what you are attempting to do If you want to make a shape that you can easily tweak, resize, or export to Macromedia Flash or FreeHand later, you will want to work in vector mode When you make a simple vector shape in Fireworks, what you are actually creating is a mathematical model of a series of points connected by lines By adding, subtracting, or moving points, you can change the shape without changing any of its other qualities, such as the line (stroke), width, and texture Because a simple vector shape is more a mathematical description of an image than an actual image, its data size is small Not only that, but a square of a particular color and stroke width and gradient fill is basically the same data size whether it s 10 x 10 pixels or 1000 x 1000 pixels on-screen That becomes important in Macromedia Flash, in which smaller image data sizes mean faster downloads The basic building block of a shape is the path The path by itself is just a set of coordinates; in order to make the path appear, you need to apply a stroke A stroke in Fireworks is like a brushstroke in painting Stroke properties include width, texture, and color The thicker the brush, the thicker the stroke it makes Of course, in Fireworks, you can make strokes with the Pencil and Pen tools, and with other tools as well Read on to discover how to create and edit vector shapes

When you first create a line using the Line tool, it is a straight line (though it can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) To create a line in Fireworks, just follow these steps:

1 Select the Line tool from the Vector part of the Tools panel 2 Place your cursor over the spot where you would like your line to start

When your cursor is over the canvas, it becomes a cross hair The center of that cross hair is your point of contact with the canvas

By default, the stroke of your line is 1 pixel in width By popular demand, Macromedia has introduced dotted and dashed lines to Fireworks MX 2004 You can access the dotted and dashed line stroke options in the Stroke Category pop-up menu in the Property inspector, as shown in Figure 3-7

If you hold down the Shift key while you draw a line, you restrict the angle of the line to 45-degree increments

Fireworks has easy-to-use tools for creating rectangles (including squares), ovals (including circles), and polygons The tools for making all these shapes are grouped with the Rectangle tool in the vector section of the Tools panel When you click the Rectangle tool and hold down the mouse button, a pop-up menu displays three basic tools at the top: The Rectangle tool: Use this tool to create squares and other rectangles The Ellipse tool: Use this tool to create round shapes like circles and other ovals The Polygon tool: Use this tool to create many-sided shapes (up to 360sided) Use the Property inspector to set the number of sides before you draw on the canvas The slider includes values from 3 through 25; for values greater than 25, you need to type a number in the field By default, the Polygon tool creates pentagons Add three points and you have an octagon, or delete two points to get a triangle See the section, Making complex shapes, later in this chapter, for information on the tools below those three in the Rectangle tool pop-up menu To make a rectangle, follow these steps: