Whenever I tried to win an argument with my mother, she'd usually end up saying the final words, "Like it or get used to it." That's the way it is with the multitude of programs graphic artists use today. Incorporating multiple programs into a single, seamless suite is an extremely difficult concept. When programs are developed by different companies, and those companies are merged into conglomerates, technologies collide and so do our brain cells as we try to cope with program similarities and differences.
Macromedia Studio MX is certainly no different. Having used FreeHand since the late '80s, it's only natural for me to think that newer Macromedia programs like Flash and Fireworks would utilize the same tools and tool functions that FreeHand introduced and developed. But since other teams with their own priorities developed the newer programs (sometimes from other companies), we've ended up with quite a few inconsistencies. Due to user expectations for each program, Macromedia reworked tools to create as much uniformity as possible. In most instances this works, but at other times it falls considerably short of uniform.
In the absence of one program that does it all, we users must adapt. Flash does many things that could be done in FreeHand, but Flash is an animation program. If you want real drawing power, you'll have to turn to FreeHand. FreeHand was built from the ground up as a drawing program, and its toolset is second to none (one if you're a die-hard Adobe Illustrator user). The accuracy and repeatability inherent in FreeHand surpass anything Flash can do, but there are several differences that you'll have to "like or get used to."
Stroke
Problem: Stroke ends become rounded when imported or pasted into Flash.
Solution: Get used to it. There is a simple workaround however if you know that you won't be modifying the shape of the path in Flash. Use the Trace tool in FreeHand to trace a path or dashed line. Give the tracing a stroke of none and a solid fill to retain sharp-cornered dashes. You can copy and paste the traced path into Flash or export it as a Macromedia Flash SWF file. Another solution is to use the Expand Stroke Xtra, opting for square end caps; give the path a stroke of none and whatever fill color you want.
Curves
Problem: Curves created in FreeHand are modified when imported or pasted into Flash.
Solution: Due to the way each program creates paths (see the Bézier Curve sidebar), you will have to tweak the path in FreeHand and check the import in Flash until it meets your expectations.
Subselect
Problem: The Pointer tool changes curves in Flash, but only moves paths in FreeHand.
Solution: You should learn to like this. Use the Pointer tool or Subselect tool to adjust point control handles. Change the type of point from Corner to Curve to Connector in the Object panel. To adjust path sections with control handles while using the Pen or Bezigon tool, hold down the Command/ Control key to temporarily switch to the Pointer tool; add the Option/Alt key to reach the Subselect tool.
You can also use the Pointer tool to push or pull a line segment by holding down the Option key as you drag the path segment. If you see a plus sign (+), you are duplicating the path - be careful.
Freeform
Problem:
The Pointer tool is used to pull or push path sections in Flash, but it isn't in FreeHand.
Solution: Get used to it. If you want to smoosh, squeeze, or scooch sections of a path in FreeHand, use the Freeform tool. This tool will push, pull, or reshape a path, changing, adding, or deleting points as you work.
In Push/Pull mode you can push or pull the path. Double-click the tool in the toolbox (it may be hidden behind the Roughen or Bend tools - click and hold on either of them to be able to select it from the pop-up menu). As shown in Image I, with the Push/Pull option you can set the size of the tool in pixels from 1 to 1000. The Precision setting determines how many points may be added to the path - larger numbers will add more points and therefore higher precision. The Pull setting allows you to pick Between Points or By Length. If you choose Between Points, the entire path segment will be modified. A By Length setting will create a modification in the length you set in pixels in the Length window. All of the settings in this dialog box can be entered manually or by moving the sliders. Last, if you have a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet you can choose to have either or both size and length determined by the pressure you apply to the pen. You must click the OK button to close the window and use the tool. It doesn't take long to get the hang of using the tool. If you click on the path and start to drag (pull), you'll notice the little "s" next to the cursor as the path changes according to your settings and the amount you drag. To push the path, click next to the path. A circle is added to the cursor as you push a curve into the path.
In Reshape mode the settings are about the same, with the addition of a Strength value. This is indicated as a percentage and indicates how strong the distortion will be. The cursor changes to something you've never seen in FreeHand - three concentric circles (see Image II). The center circle is where the cursor tip is, the middle circle indicates the strength of the distortion, and the outer circle marks where a point or points will be placed on the path. Additional points will be placed as required to make the new curve.
I have a Wacom Intuos2 on my lap whenever I'm working in a drawing or photo manipulation program, and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's important to note that if you are using a graphic tablet, the path distortion changes in direct relation to the settings you've opted for in the dialog box. You can start out with a wide round shape and, by releasing pressure on the tablet, reduce the distortion to a skinny dart. Without a tablet, pressing the keyboard arrows reduces or enlarges the size of all three Freeform tools on the fly (see Images III and IV).
Paths
Problem: The Pointer tool can be used to remove sections of a path in Flash, but selects entire paths in FreeHand.
Solution: Like it. Compared to FreeHand, Flash uses a fairly haphazard method of selecting the sections. With the tools in FreeHand (see Image V), you can be extremely precise.
Bézier Curves in FreeHand and Flash
A path drawn in FreeHand and imported to Flash sometimes loses its original shape, and a path drawn in Flash may be different when the file is opened later. What in the world is going on?
The reason the rules are so flexible is mainly because FreeHand's PostScript format utilizes Cubic Bézier curves, and Flash's SWF files are made of Quadratic Bézier curves - I know, your eyelids just got very heavy. The short definition of a Bézier curve: points on a page are connected by a path and described in computer code as a mathematical equation. For a more detailed description you can read all about Bézier curves at www.moshplant.com/direct-or/bezier/. FreeHand's Bézier curves utilize a control handle for each end segment of the curve, whereas Flash's curves have only one control handle for the curve.
That means when you draw something in FreeHand or Flash, both Pen tools use control handles at each end of a path, and the initial path is drawn the same way. But when it comes to editing the curvature of the path different methods must be employed. In Flash, after a path is drawn, use the Pointer tool to modify the path by clicking and holding on the path, then drag to change the curve. Flash will add points and control handles to the path as you drag, but you won't see them until you select the path with the Subselect tool. Clicking individual points will cause the control handles for the point to appear. If you click the Pointer on a path, a section of the path will be selected. You can move that section in its entirety, resize it, change its color or thickness, or delete it if you wish.
However, in FreeHand it's a different story. You usually modify the curvature of a path by using the Pointer tool or Subselect tool to adjust connector handles. The path remains contiguous unless you use one of several methods to break it. For this discussion, we'll consider that you want the path to remain whole.
Any FreeHand user will tell you that the easiest way to modify a path is to adjust the control handles. There are two schools of thought as to when that adjustment is done. One school plots points in a semi-accurate array without regard to complete curve conformity. When this artist is done placing all the points with the Pen or Bezigon tool, he or she goes back around the path and adjusts control handles and/or points to make the path fit the shape accurately. The other school - which I believe has the largest enrollment - places a point and adjusts the control handle immediately. When the last point is placed, the path is complete. As you place a point, keep the mouse button down and drag away from the previous point. This pulls out a pair of control handles that happen to extend equally on either side of the point you just placed. The control handle you dragged out actually affects the shape of the path to the next point you place. With Show Pen Preview selected (double-click the Pen or Bezigon tool in the toolbar), you can see what the path will look like after the next mouse click. If you don't want a curve on the next path section, click the tool on the last point. The control handle will disappear and the next point you place will give you a straight path from the last point. Dragging as you place that point will create a new set of control handles that you can manipulate to create a curved path.
Knife Tool
Double-click the Knife tool to bring up its dialog box. The settings are pretty straightforward. The Freehand option lets you cut through objects as if you were drawing with the Pencil tool. Hold down the Option/Alt key to draw a straight line; use the Shift key to constrain the slice to 45° increments. The Straight option draws straight lines without the Option/Alt key. The width can be set from 0 to 72 points (1 inch). The path will be cut in two places separated by the distance you put in this field. When you make the knife cut, the path stays selected and you see the new points. Deselect the path by pressing the Tab key, or Command/Control, clicking the cursor away from the path. Now you can select the section that you cut and delete it or use it in some other way. The last two options in the Knife dialog box are Close Cut Paths and Tight Fit. The first adds two points, one on top of the other in the path, and allows a closed path with a fill to remain intact.
Deselecting Close Cut Paths will turn the path into an open path, and unless you have Show Fill for New Open Paths set in your FreeHand Preferences, the fill will disappear. With that option in play, the fill will show as it did originally. The Tight Fit option adds precision to the course your cursor takes while you're cutting with the knife. To use the Knife tool, simply drag it across a selected path.
Split Command
The Split command is extremely powerful because it can be accessed in so many ways. The concept is to select a point or several points on a single path or many paths. Then do one of the following:
- Choose Modify>Split from the menu
- Use a custom keyboard shortcut
- Click the Split icon that you've placed in your main toolbar
No matter which method you use, the paths will be separated at every selected point. To reconnect the path sections, use the same methods with the Join command.
Eraser Tool
This tool is new in FreeHand MX. It works similar to the Knife tool, only you get a lot more bang for your buck. Double-clicking the Eraser tool icon brings up a dialog box where you can set minimum and maximum widths for the eraser tip. The numbers relate to the units of measure you have the document set to. Here's where the Wacom tablet comes into play again, because now you can draw freehand inside objects. Tip size can also be changed as you're working by pressing the keyboard arrow keys. Image VI shows a little of what can be done on a map. A rectangle was given a gradient fill, and another rectangle with a solid color was placed directly above it. The Eraser tool was given identical Min and Max widths to create a consistent line width; then, holding down the Option/Alt key to constrain the tool to a straight path, lines were drawn into the rectangle. Draw in freehand (Pencil tool) style without the modifier keys. If the path cuts through two sides of the object on the first cut, the object will become separate objects. That means that every section you want to reapply the Eraser to will have to be selected. However, punching a small hole prior to the "real" editing with the Eraser creates a compound path that will remain selected as you draw with the tool. Another bonus of this method of drawing is that any erasures take on the stroke attributes of the object it's erasing. In Image VI, a custom brush tip was applied in a spray pattern to add texture to the strokes. The Eraser tool does not work on live text.
Image VII goes a little further with the usefulness of the Eraser tool. The color NASA image from Mars is overlaid with a rectangle with a black Lens fill set to darken by 50%. Using the eraser tool, the rock, was outlined. Then the center dark area of the rock isolated by the erasing was selected with the Subselect tool and deleted, leaving a full-color image popping out of a severely desaturated background - without Photoshop.
Click Problem: Clicking anywhere on an object in FreeHand selects the fill and stroke of the object; single-clicking on an object in Flash will select either the stroke or the fill - double-clicking selects both.
Solution: You'll learn to like it. You can change the width of a stroke, and the color of the fill or stroke - or both - quickly.
Overlap
Problem: Why doesn't FreeHand allow overlapping objects to be removed as they can in Flash?
Solution: You'll learn to like it. In Flash, if you draw objects that overlap all contiguous shapes are modifiable separately. Every new object creates a dividing operation, effectively removing the overlapped portions. In FreeHand, overlapping objects remain intact unless you use some of the path operation tools. Refer to Image VIII for examples. The original art consists of a square, a circle, and a triangle with solid fills and a brush stroke.
- Intersect: This command results in the lowest common denominator. Any portion of any object that does not overlap all the other objects will be deleted, with the fill and stroke attributes of the bottom-most object taking priority in the final intersected object.
- Punch: The top-most object punches a hole through everything beneath it.
- Divide: This is the Flash method. All overlapping paths are cut and closed. The result is a jigsaw puzzle of pieces that can be manipulated as you wish.
- Union: All the objects become united in one contiguous mass. Overlaps are deleted and the object retains the attributes of the bottom-most object in the stack.
- Crop: The top-most object acts as a cookie cutter and removes everything outside its shape. The action is the direct opposite of the Punch function.
There's no getting around the fact that both Flash and FreeHand have some drawing tools and tricks that could be utilized in each other's program. Until that happens, take the time to experiment with the FreeHand toolset and save yourself a lot of frustration. I think you'll grow to really like FreeHand's drawing capabilities.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Delores Highsmith, David Spells, Peter Moody, and other engineers at Macromedia for the technical editing they provide.
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