ptg
174 Chapter 5
If you want to create columns for a more newspaper style for your text,
you can create columns in a TLF text box (New!). In the Property
Inspector for text, you can use the Container and Flow section to spec-
ify the number of columns, the gutter size between the columns, the
padding size between the text and the border edge, the maximum num-
ber of characters, and the alignment to display the text the way you
want. In addition, you can select a border and background fill color. If
you want to offset the first line of text, you can specify the distance you
want.
Creating Text Columns
Create Text Columns
Select the TLF text box you want to
change with the Selection tool or
select text within the TLF text box
with the Text tool.
Click the Columns box in the
Property Inspector in the
Container and Flow section,
specify the number of columns you
want.
In the Property Inspector in the
Container and Flow section
(New!), specify any of the
following:
◆ Alignment. Click the Align Top,
Align Center, Align Bottom, or
Justify button.
◆ Max Chars. Specify the
maximum number of characters
allowed in the text box.
◆ Gutter. Specify a gutter width in
pixels.
◆ Padding. Specify a Left, Right,
Top, and Bottom padding width
in pixels.
◆ Border and Background Color.
Click the Border or Background
color swatch, and then select a
color.
◆ 1st Line Offset. Click the 1st
Line Offset list arrow, and then
select an option: pt (specify a
height in points), Auto (default),
Ascent, or Line Height.
3
2
1
1
3
2
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 5 Working with Text 175
If you work with different languages that read from left to right across
the screen, such as Arabic, instead of right to left, such as English, you
can change the direction of text to display the language the way it’s
supposed to appear (New!). In the Property Inspector for text, you can
use the Direction option to display text from left to right or right to left.
If the Direction option is not available, you need to select the Show
Right-to-Left Options on the Options menu in the Property Inspector or
in Text Preferences.
Changing Text
Direction
Change Text Direction
Select the TLF text box you want to
change with the Selection tool or
select text within the TLF text box
with the Text tool.
To show langu ag e re lated opt io ns
(New!), click the Options button,
and then click Show Right-to-Left
Options to select it with a check
mark.
To change the dir ec tion (New!),
click the Direction list arrow, and
then click Left to Right or Right to
Left.
3
2
1
Did You Know?
You can always show right-to-left
options.
Select the Show Right-To-Left
Text Options check box in the Text
Preferences dialog box.
You can make right to left text flow the
default.
Select the Right To Left Text
Flow check box in the Text Preferences
dialog box.
1
2
3
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
176 Chapter 5
If you work with different languages that read vertically down the
screen, such as Japanese, you can change the orientation of text to
display the language the way it’s supposed to appear (New!). In the
Property Inspector for text, you can use the Orientation option to dis-
play text horizontally or vertically. If you need the text to rotate and fol-
low the orientation of the line, you can set it to rotate automatically. If
you’re working with Asian text, you can use the Advanced Paragraph
section in the Property Inspector to select options for Mojikumi,
Kinsoku Shori Type, and Leading Model.
Changing Text
Orientation
Change Text Orientation
Select the TLF text box you want to
change with the Selection tool or
select text within the TLF text box
with the Text tool.
To change the ori en tatio n, c li ck
the Orientation button in the
Property Inspector, and then click
Horizontal or Vertical.
To show langu ag e re lated opt io ns ,
click the Options button, and then
click Show Asian Options to
select it with a check mark.
To change Asi an t ex t op tions ,
specify any of the following in the
Advanced Paragraph section:
◆ Mojikumi. Select Auto, Space,
or East Asian.
◆ Kinsoku Shori Type. Select
Auto, Prioritize Least
Adjustment, Push In Kinsoku,
or Push Out Only.
◆ Leading Model. Select Auto,
Roman Up, Ideographic Top Up,
Center Up, Top Down, Center
Down, or Ascent Descent Up.
4
3
2
1
Did You Know?
You can always show right-to-left
options.
Select the Show Asian Text
Options check box in the Text
Preferences dialog box.
1
3
2
4
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 5 Working with Text 177
Create a Vertical Text Block
Select the Classic text box you
want to change with the Selection
tool or select text within the
Classic text box with the Text tool.
Click the Change Orientation
button in the Property Inspector,
and then click Vertical, or Vertical,
Left To Right.
When you're finished, click
anywhere on the Stage outside the
text box.
Rotate Characters in a Text Box
Select a character or word in a
text box or select the text box with
the Selection tool.
In the Property Inspector, click the
Rotate Text button (Classic),
enabled only for vertical text
boxes, or click the Rotation
list arrow (TLF) (New!), and then
click Auto, 0°, or 270°.
2
1
3
2
1
2
Vertical, Left to Right Orientation
Did You Know?
You can also rotate a text box with the
Free Transform tool.
Click the Free
Transform tool, point to the outside
edge of a corner (pointer changes to
an arced arrow) , and then drag.
Text rotat es 90 degre es
Did You Know?
You can make vertical text the default
orientation.
Select the Default Text
Orientation check box in the Text
Preferences dialog box. This can be
useful when working in some Asian
languages.
2
3
Vertical, Right to Left
Orientation
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
178 Chapter 5
The Properties Inspector provides advanced options for TLF text
(New!). In the Advanced Character section, you can change the text
case (such as upper or lower case), specify a baseline for multi-lan-
guage text or baseline shift (such as superscript or subscript), apply
line breaks, and select the user’s language and region. Similar to a fea-
ture in Adobe Photoshop, you can apply blending modes (New!) and
color effects (New!) to a text box in front of another element, such as
a graphic, to create a new look from the mix of color pixels.
Changing Advanced
Text Options
Change Advanced Character
Options
Select the TLF text box you want to
change with the Selection tool or
select text within the TLF text box
with the Text tool.
In the Advanced Character section
of the Property Inspector (New!),
specify any of the following:
◆ Case. Changes the text to upper
or lower case, or caps.
◆ Digit Case. Changes the text to
settings specified by the font
designer.
◆ Digit Width. Changes the text
to proportional or tabular
widths.
◆ Dominant Baseline. Changes
the multiple language text to a
common baseline.
◆ Alignment Baseline. Changes
the baseline alignment for
multiple language text.
◆ Ligatures. Changes the running
together of letters, such as
“Th.”
◆ Break. Specifies the use of line
breaks.
◆ Baseline Shift. Specifies the
shift in the baseline in points
(pt) or percentage (%). You can
also select Superscript or
Subscript for standard shifts.
◆ Locale. Specifies the user’s
language and region.
2
1
2
1
From the Library of Wow! eBook
ptg
Chapter 5 Working with Text 179
Add Display and Color Effects
Select the TLF text box you want to
change with the Selection tool.
In the Display and Color Effect
sections of the Property Inspector
(New!), specify any of the
following:
◆ Display. Click the Blending list
arrow, and then select a
blending effect.
◆ Normal. Removes the
current blending effect.
With that in mind, the modes
that produce the most stunning
results are Multiply, Screen,
Hard Light, and Difference.
◆ Color Effect. Click the Style list
arrow, and then select a color
effect.
◆ None. Removes the current
color effect.
◆ Brightness. Specifies the
lightness/darkness of the
text.
◆ Tint. Specifies the blending
of a color and white (which
increases lightness) for the
text.
◆ Advanced. Specifies the
blending of a color and an
alpha blend for the text.
◆ Alpha. Specifies the
blending of two colors
(allowing for transparency)
for the text.
2
1
Loading an External Text File
If you have a body of text that may change over time, you can use the
ActionScript command LoadVars to load a text file (.txt). To load the
text file headlines.txt (which contains headlines=”sample text”) into
the headlines dynamic text box (instance is
headlines_text
and var is
n
ews_lv
) using the LoadVars object, you can use a similar script:
var news_lv:LoadVars = new LoadVars();
news_lv.load(“c:/yourfolderlocation/headlines.txt”);
news_lv.onLoad = function () {
headlines_txt.text = news_lv.headlines;
}
For Your Information
1
2
From the Library of Wow! eBook