Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional Bible

Chapter 9. Modifying Graphics

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Sampling and swapping fills and line styles

• Applying the Gradient Transform tool to control gradient and bitmap fills

• Using Modify Shape options

• Working with the Free Transform tool and the Info panel: Skewing and rotating

• Stacking, grouping, and arranging item types

• Combining Drawing Objects

• Creating and managing compound shapes

• Using Break apart and Trace bitmap

• Autopilot editing with Find and Replace

After becoming familiar with the Flash authoring environment and learning to use the Drawing tools, you are now ready to move on to the fun part: messing with the basic shapes and text elements you have made to achieve custom results.

In this chapter, we revisit some of the core tools to show you new ways to apply them. We also introduce some specialized tools that exist only to transform your artwork. Following a look at how the Eyedropper, Paint Bucket, and Ink Bottle work together to modify strokes and fills, we'll show you how to use the Gradient Transform tool to create custom fills.

The Modify Shape submenu offers some special commands you can apply to alter lines and fills, whereas the Modify Transform submenu includes various options for skewing, stretching, rotating, flipping, and rotating shapes.

Before explaining the Flash stacking order and how to create compound shapes, we introduce the powerful Free Transform tool and the Envelope modifier that enables you to warp and distort multiple shapes simultaneously. Other features worth exploring ...