Dreamweaver MX: The Missing Manual

Modifying Layer Properties

Once you’ve drawn a layer, it isn’t locked down on the page. Using the Property inspector, you can rename it, resize it, move it, align it with other layers, and set many other properties.

But first, you need to select the layer using one of these methods:

• Click the layer’s name in the Layers panel (see page 375).

• Click the layer’s selection handle (see Figure 12-4).

• Click the layer’s border.

• Click the marker that indicates the HTML code for the layer (see Figure 12-4).

And if that isn’t enough ways to select a layer—Macromedia’s programmers never sleep—you can also Shift-click a layer. This technique also lets you select multiple layers, so that you can set the properties of (or align) many layers at once. If you’re working in a layer or have a layer selected, Shift-clicking another layer selects them both. You can continue to Shift-click to select additional layers. (Shift-click a second time to deselect a selected layer.)

Resizing Layers

When you select a layer, eight handles appear around the edges of the layer (see Figure 12-4). You can drag any of these handles to change the layer’s dimensions. The corner handles resize both the width and height simultaneously.

You can also use the keyboard to resize a layer. First select the layer, and then do one of the following:

• Press the Ctrl () key and press the arrow keys to change the layer’s size by one pixel. The ...