Adobe Flash Professional CS3 - Manual (Page 180)

FLASH CS3
User Guide
174
See also
“Reshaping lines and shape outlines” on page 178
Set Pen tool preferences
Specify preferences for the appearance of the Pen tool pointer, for previewing line segments as you draw, and for the
appearance of selected anchor points. Selected line segments and anchor points use the outline color of the layer on
which the lines and points appear.
1 Select the Pen tool , then select Edit > Preferences (Windows) or Flash > Preferences (Macintosh) and click
Editing.
2 In the Category list, select Drawing.
3 Set the following options for the Pen tool:
Show Pen Preview Previews line segments as you draw. A preview of the line segment appears as you move the
pointer around the Stage, before you click to create the end point of the segment. If this option is not selected, a line
segment does not appear until you create the end point.
Show Solid Points Displays selected anchor points as hollow and deselected anchor points as solid. If this option is
not chosen, selected anchor points are solid, and deselected anchor points are hollow.
Show Precise Pointers Specifies that the Pen tool pointer appears as a cross-hair pointer, rather than the default Pen
Tool icon, for more precise placement of lines. To display the default Pen Tool icon with the Pen Tool, deselect the
option.
Note: To switch between the cross-hair pointer and the default Pen Tool icon, press the Caps Lock key.
4 Click OK.
Draw straight lines with the Pen tool
The simplest path you can draw with the Pen Tool is a straight line, made by clicking the Pen Tool to create two
anchor points. Continue to click to create a path made of straight line segments connected by corner points.
1 Select the Pen Tool .
2 Position the Pen Tool where the straight segment is to begin, and click to define the first anchor point. If direction
lines appear, you accidentally dragged the Pen Tool; choose Edit > Undo and click again.
Note: The first segment you draw is not visible until you click a second anchor point (unless you’ve specified Show Pen
Preview in the Drawing category of the Preferences dialog box).
3 Click again where you want the segment to end (Shift-click to constrain the angle of the segment to a multiple of
45˚).
4 Continue clicking to set anchor points for additional straight segments.
Clicking pen tool creates straight segments