Subtitles of the Movie

Previously, I've demonstrated how to create Vector objects in Fireworks CS4 using a variety of auto shapes, or how to edit existing paths, or how to create graphics by drawing out paths with the Pen Tool. You could also use Path Operations in the Modify Menu to create new shapes by combining or altering existing paths. For some path operations the stacking order of the selected path objects defines how these various operations work, so you'll want to do lots of experimentation here. But to create one continuous path from two open paths Ð notice that I have two paths here, two waves that I drew earlier with the Pen Tool. If I select the Subselection Tool and I'm going to draw a marquee covering those last two points there so that the last point of the first object is selected and the first point of the second object is selected, and now choose from the Main Menu: Modify, Combine Paths, Join. Notice that the lines are joined up and now if I select the Selection Tool I have one object. I can also join the ends of this now single line by simply selecting the line and then choosing from the Main Menu: Modify, Combine Paths, Join Again, and notice that there's a line now from the first point to the last point. I can also create two separate objects. These are enclosed paths so they have different fills with different colors. I can then select both of them and then choose Modify, Combine Paths, Join. Notice that they join together and they also have the same fill color. I can reselect the object and choose: Modify, Combine Paths, Split, and that will split them into separate objects and then I can go ahead and color them separately and differently. I can also move one object over the other. Select both of them and then choose: Modify, Combine Paths, Union, and that will combine the two paths, meld them together so they have the same stroke color and the same fill color. Let's go ahead and undo that change there. Let's select the blue one and overlap it with the red one. Select both objects and this time choose: Modify, Combine Paths, Punch. You can see that the object on the top punches out the object on the bottom. Let's go ahead and undo that as well. Let's select both and this time choose: Combine Paths, Intersect, and now only where the two objects intersect is there now left an object that's now been created from a punch-out of everything else that was not intersecting. Continuing, let's go ahead and undo that join and let's move these objects, and also let's create another object here using my Free Form Tool. So, I have a set of objects and lets overlap them, select all of them, like so, and now let's choose: Modify, Combine Paths, Crop. You can see that now I'm cropping out everything. Let's go ahead and undo that so you can see what I've done. Notice that I'm cropping out everything that's not intersecting. Let's go back and redo that, except for this little sliver right here. Notice that this section and this section are being preserved with the resident colors of the object as well. Let's go ahead and undo that. Notice that again, the stacking order dictates what's happening here. The red color of this object is being put into this object that's intersecting. This is staying blue and this overlap here is being removed completely. So there you have some examples of some of the methods here for creating new Vector objects using Combined Paths, Join, Split, Union, Intersect, Punch, and Crop. You also have commands under Modify, Alter Path: Simplify, Expand Stroke, Insert Path, and so on. Let's move to this Vector shape here and let's apply some of these Alter Path commands. Let's Simplify this path by the amount of 10. Let's go ahead and Simplify this again, this time to a value of 30. Notice that it's curving out that line, making it a little bit more simple. Let's go ahead and undo those two. That's my original line. Continuing we can do Modify, Alter Path, Expand Stroke Ð kind of an interesting effect there. And, Alter Path, Inset Path, so I can Simplify, Expand an Inset requires one or more paths. I don't have a path there anymore, but if we go over to this object that I created earlier, let's select both of those paths there, and then Modify, Alter Path, Inset Path Ð I have a variety of settings here: Inside, Outside, Width, Corners, Miter Limit, click OK, I get this resultant object. So there you have a variety of methods of editing paths with Path Operations from the Modify, Combine Paths, and Alter Path menu options. Let me now move on to the next movie and go into creating Bitmap graphics with Fireworks CS4, including creating Bitmap Objects, Editing Objects with the Image Editing Panel, Retouching Bitmaps, Bitmap Filters, and much, much more.