Subtitles of the Movie

You can create a variety of vector shape objects using either the Tools Palette, also referred to as the Tools Panel sometimes, as well as the Vector Shape window. These objects can include simple geometric shapes, filled and unfilled, as well as more free-form shapes created with the Pen tool. The advantage of these vector shapes over bitmap objects is that they're smaller, they'll load faster if you're producing web content and they also scale seamlessly so you can make them smaller or larger. Now, oftentimes you'll spend more time editing your vector shapes. So let me now focus in this movie on how to edit vector shapes here in the Vector Shape window. When you create vector shapes, you're creating vertices, spelled v-e-r-t-i-c-e-s. These are fixed points. You could also create handles, which are the points that determine the degree of curvature between the vertices. These curves are known as Bezier curves. A vertex without a handle creates a corner. You can see these, using the Pen tool. Notice that if I just click without dragging my mouse, I'm just creating vertices here that are straight line segments. However, if I click and drag my mouse, I'll create curved line segments and here are the Bezier curves that again dictate the level of curvature between vertices. Notice that there's a specific order, color order that's created when you create vector shapes here in the Vector Shape window. Notice that the first vertex is always green and the last vertex is always red. Notice it as I keep adding vertices the last one goes red. All other vertices, notice, are blue. Notice also that unselected vertices are solid and selected vertices are unfilled. So there, right there, that's a selected vertices. So I can move it around. Notice that I can also move the entire object by clicking on one of the line segments. You can change vector shapes by moving, adding or deleting control points and changing the way they control the curves. You can also change the way a vector shape is placed on the Stage by moving its registration point. You'll do that using this tool, Registration Point tool. Kind of a very intuitive tool. You just click where you want the new registration point to be. Notice that if you don't change anything, the registration point will be by default in the middle of the object. To demonstrate that let's create a rectangle and notice that the registration point will be right in the middle by default. To adjust the outline of a vector shape, use the Arrow tool here in the upper left-hand corner. To move a curve or a corner point, simply drag it to another location. To move multiple points, just SHIFT+CLICK to select all the points. Let's move both of these points here. Notice that they're both open there with no filled color. So I can now move both of them. Let's SHIFT+CLICK the red vertices. So I can now move all three of these. To drag a single curve within a shape, select the Arrow tool and just drag the curve. If the curve is filled, click anywhere within the filled area and just drag on the curve. Let me create a new shape to demonstrate this technique. So here' s a curved object. Use the Arrow tool and now I can just grab that line segment and move it where I need it. To adjust a curve, select a curve point and drag out the control handle like so. So there's a difference between moving the actual vertice, changing its degree of curvature or moving the line itself. Now, these vector shapes are composed of both straight lines and curved line segments. But you can switch back and forth between corner points and curve points. To change a corner point to a curve point, you'll alt click if you're in windows or option click if you're on the Mac and drag away from the handle to extend a control handle. So here is a corner point. So I'm on the PC right now so if I alt click on that point, I can drag out a Bezier curve, thereby converting that straight line to a curved line segment. To convert a curve point to a corner point, drag the control handles directly over the curve point like so and that converts it back into straight line segments right there. There are additional techniques for modifying the shape of your lines and curves here in the Vector Shape window, including adding a point to the middle of a shape, adding a new point that is connected to a certain end point, joining two curves or splitting two curves. So let me demonstrate these more advanced concepts and techniques in the next movie.