- Setting Selection Preferences
- Selecting Lines with the Selection Tool
- Selecting Fills with the Selection Tool
- Using a Selection Rectangle
- Using the Lasso Tool
- Deselecting Elements
- Repositioning Elements Manually
- Repositioning Elements Numerically
- Basic Editing Tasks: Cut, Copy, Paste
- Editing Existing Elements with Assistance
- Moving End Points with the Selection Tool
- Moving Points with the Subselection Tool
- Reshaping Curves with the Selection Tool
- Reshaping Curves with the Subselection Tool
- Converting, Removing, and Adding Points
- Reshaping Fills
- Changing the Size of Graphic Elements
- Reorienting Graphic Elements
- Distorting Graphic Elements
- Changing the Envelope of Selected Elements
- Modifying Strokes
- Using the Eraser Tool in Normal Mode
- Using the Faucet Modifier
- Modifying Fill Colors
- Creating Solid Colors: Color Mixer Panel
- Creating New Gradients
- Creating Color Sets
- Putting Gradients to Work
- Modifying Applied Gradients
- Applying Attributes of One Graphic Element to Another
- Converting Lines to Fills
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Changing the Size of Graphic Elements
Flash gives you several ways to resize, or scale, graphic elements. You can scale selected elements interactively on the Stage. You can also set specific scale percentages or dimensions for your element in the Transform panel, the Property Inspector, and the Info panel.
To resize a graphic element interactively:
- In the Toolbar, select the free-transform tool (
Figure 3.47
).
Figure 3.47 The free-transform tool enables you to select and scale elements interactively.
- On the Stage, click the element you want to resize. Flash selects and highlights the element, and places transformation handles on all four sides and at the corners of the element's bounding box.
- In the Toolbar, choose the Scale modifier.
- Position the pointer over a handle. The pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, indicating the direction in which the element will grow or shrink as you pull or push on the handles.
- To resize the graphic element, do one of the following:
- To change the graphic element's width, click and drag one of the side handles.
- To change the element's height, click and drag the top or bottom handle.
- To change the size of the element proportionately, click and drag one of the corner handles.
Figure 3.48 Activating the free-transform tool's Scale modifier places a set of handles around a selected element. Click and drag the handles to change the size of the element.
)
)
You can also resize elements by using the Transform panel.
To access the Transform panel:
- If the Transform panel is not open, from the Window menu, choose Design Panels > Transform.
The Transform panel appears (
Figure 3.49
).
Figure 3.49 Choose Window > Design Panels > Transform (top) to access the Transform panel, where you can enter values for scaling, rotating, and skewing selected elements (bottom).
)
To resize an element by using the Transform panel:
- With the Transform panel open, on the Stage, select the element you want to resize. A value of 100% appears in the Width and Height fields of the Transform panel.
- To resize the element, do one of the following:
- To resize proportionately, check the Constrain check box next to the Width and Height fields and enter a new value in either field. A value less than 100% shrinks the element; a value greater than 100% enlarges the element. As you enter the value in one field, Flash automatically updates the other field. or
- To allow the aspect ratio to change, in the Transform panel, uncheck the Constrain check box; enter new percentages in the Scale Width field and Scale Height field.
- Press Enter. Flash resizes the element.
TIPs
- As long as an element remains selected on the Stage, the Transform panel resizes the element on an absolute scale (always applying the percentage you enter into the panel to the element's original size). To make changes on a relative scale; for example, to shrink the element by 50 percent, and then shrink the shrunken element by 20 percent, you must deselect the element after the first transformation, then select it again and enter the percentage for the second transformation.
- You can also enter specific width and height values for a selected element in the Shape Property Inspector (
Figure 3.50
) and the Info panel (
Figure 3.51
). To constrain proportions in the Property Inspector, click the lock button to the left of the Width and Height fields. The Info panel offers no option to constrain the width and height. To preserve the current aspect ratio, you'll have to do the math yourself. The Info panel does let you choose to change the element's size relative to the center of the object or the top-left corner of its bounding box. Click the appropriate point on the coordinate grid in the Info panel.
Figure 3.50 The Shape Property Inspector displays the width and height of the bounding box of the selected element. Enter new values to resize the element.
Figure 3.51 You can enter precise dimensions for an element's width and height in the Info panel. The coordinate grid shows whether changes will be relative to the center or to the top-left corner of the element's bounding box. To apply the values you entered in the panel to the selected graphic element, click the Stage or press Enter.
- You can undo a transformation quickly—by clicking the Reset button in the bottom-right corner of the Transform panel—provided that you have not deselected the element.
- You can scale several elements at the same time. Select all the elements and then use any of the scaling methods described earlier in this section. The bounding box that contains the elements scales relative to its center point, and the entire selection grows or shrinks to fit the new box.
- You can transform a copy of the element by clicking the Copy and Apply Transform button in the Transform panel. This feature can be tricky if you use it with raw shapes, however, because Flash doesn't offset the copy it makes. You must be sure to move the copy yourself before deselecting it.
)
)