Drawing Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com You can use InDesign’s drawing tools to draw almost anything— from straight lines and boxes to incredibly complex freeform shapes The drawing tools can be divided into three types: the Rectangle, Polygon, Oval, and Line tools are for drawing basic shapes; the Pencil, Smooth, Eraser, Pen, Add Point, Delete Point, and Convert Point tools draw or edit more complex paths (see Figure 5-1) The Scissors tool gives you a way of cutting paths Some of the path drawing tools (the Rectangle, Oval, and Polygon tools) have counterparts that draw frames (the Rectangular Frame, Oval Frame, and Polygonal Frame tools) The only thing different about these tools is that the “frame” versions draw paths whose content type has been set to “Graphic.” That’s it In this book, we’ll use the default variant of the tool to refer to both tools—when we say “the Rectangle tool,” we’re referring to both the Rectangle tool and the Rectangular Frame tool Which path drawing tools should you use? Don’t worry too much about it—the basic shapes can be converted into freeform paths, and the freeform drawing tools can be used to draw basic shapes The paths you draw in InDesign are made up of points, and the points are joined to each other by line segments (see Figure 5-2) A path is just like a connect-the-dots puzzle Connect all the dots together in the right order, and you’ve made a picture Because points along a path have an order, or winding, you can think of each point as a milepost along the path Or as a sign saying, “Now go this way.” 335 336 6 Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com Figure 5-1 Drawing Tools Freeform path drawing tools Basic shape tools Pen tool Rectangle tool Pencil tool Ellipse tool Polygon tool Path editing tools Rectangle Frame tool Add Point tool Ellipse Frame tool Delete Point tool Polygon Frame tool Convert Point tool Line tool Scissors tool Smooth tool Erase tool Figure 5-2 Parts of a Path Control handle Line segment First point in the path Control handle Last point in the path Point Line segment Drawing Basic Shapes Using the basic shapes tools (the Rectangle, Polygon, Ellipse, and Line tools, and their frame-drawing counterparts) is straightforward: drag the tool and get a path of the corresponding shape If you want to draw a frame, you can either use the frame-drawing variant of the tool, or draw the path and then convert it to a frame To draw a rectangle, oval, polygon, or line, follow the steps below Select the appropriate tool from the Tools panel To specify the type of polygon you’ll be drawing, double-click the Polygon tool and choose the shape you want in the Polygon Settings dialog box before you start drawing Position the cursor where you want one corner of the shape, then drag InDesign draws a path, starting where you first held down the mouse button To draw squares or circles, hold down Shift as you drag the Rectangle tool or Ellipse tool When you hold down Shift as you drag, the Polygon tool produces equilateral polygons Holding down Shift as you drag the Line tool constrains the angle of the Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com 337 line to 45-degree tangents from the point at which you started dragging Hold down Option to draw a basic shape from its center Press the arrow keys while dragging to create a grid of shapes For details, see “Grid Mode” in Chapter 9, “Transforming.” When the basic shape is the size and shape you want it to be, stop dragging and release the mouse button You can also create rectangles, ellipses, and polygons by specifying their width and height (see Figure 5-3) Select the Rectangle, Ellipse, or Polygon tool Position the cursor where you want to place one corner of the basic shape, or hold down Option/Alt and position the cursor where you want to place the center point of the shape, or select a point on the proxy in the Control panel or Transform panel Click InDesign displays a dialog box Enter values in the Width and Height fields, then click the OK button Figure 5-3 Adding a Basic Shape “by the Numbers” You can control the origin of the basic shape by selecting a point on the Control panel’s Proxy before you click InDesign displays a dialog box (Rectangle, Polygon, or Ellipse) Enter the Select a basic shape tool, then click on the dimensions you want and page or pasteboard click the OK button InDesign creates a basic shape using the dimensions you entered Points and Paths Why is it that the most important things in life are often the most difficult to learn? Drawing by manipulating Bezier paths—the geometric construct used to represent path shapes in most of today’s vector drawing programs—is one of those difficult things When we first encountered Bezier curves, the process of drawing by placing points and manipulating control handles struck us as alien, as nothing like drawing at all Then we started to catch on In many ways, we had been drawing lines from the point of view of everything but the line; in a Bezier-path-drawing program such as InDesign, we draw lines from the point of view of the line itself This 338 6 Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com is neither better nor worse; it’s just different and takes time to get used to If you’ve just glanced at the Pen tool and are feeling confused, we urge you to stick with it Start thinking like a line Thinking Like a Line Imagine that, through the action of some mysterious potion or errant cosmic ray, you’ve been reduced in size so that you’re a little smaller than one of the dots in a connect-the-dots puzzle For added detail and color, imagine that the puzzle appears in a Highlights for Children magazine in a dentist’s office The only way out is to complete the puzzle As you walk, a line extends behind you As you reach each dot in the puzzle, a sign tells you where you are in the puzzle and the route you must take to get to the next dot in the path Get the idea? The dots in the puzzle are points The route you walk from one point to another, as instructed by the signs at each point, is a line segment Each series of connected dots is a path As you walk from one dot to another, you’re thinking like a line Each point—from the first point in the path to the last—carries with it some information about the line segments that attach it to the previous and next points along the path Paths and their formatting (fill and stroke) attributes are different things Even if the fill and stroke applied to the path is “None” or the stroke weight is there’s still a path there When you select a point, the point “fills in,” becoming a solid square Unselected points on the path are shown as hollow squares Winding Paths have a direction, also known as “winding” (as in “winding a clock”) Path direction generally corresponds to the order in which you placed the points on the path (see Figure 5-4) In our connectthe-dots puzzle, path direction tells us the order in which we should connect the dots To reverse the direction of a path, select the path and choose Reverse Path from the Paths submenu of the Object menu InDesign reverses the direction of the path You can also reverse the direction of a selected path using the Reverse Path path operation, as discussed in “Path Operations,” later in this chapter Figure 5-4 Path Direction, or “Winding” The order in which you create points determines the direction (or “winding”) of the path Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com Point Types 339 Points on an InDesign path are either corner points or curve points Each type of point has its own special properties ▶ A curve point adds a curved line segment between the current point and the preceding and following points Curve points have two control handles extended from them, and moving one control handle affects the position of the other control handle One control handle affects the curve of the line segment following the curve point on the path; the other affects the curve of the line segment preceding the curve point Curve points are typically used to add smooth curves to a path (see Figure 5-5) ▶ A corner point adds a straight line segment between the current point and the preceding point on the path (see Figure 5-6) Corner points are typically used to create paths containing straight line segments Which point type should you use? Any type of point can be turned into any other type of point, and anything you can with one kind of point can be done with the other kind of point Given these two points (so to speak), you can use the kinds of points and drawing tools you’re happiest with and achieve exactly the results you want There is no “best way” to draw with InDesign’s Pen tool, but it helps to understand how the method you choose works Figure 5-5 Curve Points Figure 5-6 Corner Points Control Handles Curve points curve the line segments attached to the point All of the points in this example are curve points Corner points, by default, apply no curve to the line segments attached to the point All of the points in this example are corner points You control the curvature of the line segments before and after each point using the point’s control handles Points can have up to two control handles attached to them By default, new corner points have none and curve points have two Note that each line segment has up to two control handles defining its curve—the “outgoing” control fm Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com Table 9-1 Gap Tool Shortcuts 601 To this: Using the Gap tool, this: Move the gap and resize all objects along the gap Drag between two objects Move the gap between only the two Shift-drag nearest objects Resize the gap instead of moving it Command/Ctrl-drag Resize the gap between only the two nearest objects Shift+Command/Ctrl-drag Move the gap and objects in the same direction Option/Alt-drag Move the gap and only the nearest objects in the same direction Shift+Option/Alt-drag Resize the gap and move the objects Command/Ctrl+Option/ Alt-drag Resize the gap and move only the nearest objects Shift+Command/ Ctrl+Option/Alt-drag When some people first start using the Gap tool, they can’t figure out how to “push” a row of objects away from other objects The trick is to move the Gap tool to the other side of the objects and “pull.” It’ll make sense once you start using the tool Locking Objects In InDesign, you can lock an object’s position—which means that you can’t transform it You can determine whether locked objects can be selected If the Prevent Selection of Locked Objects option is turned on in General preferences, you cannot select a locked object If it’s turned off, you can select the object and copy it or change its appearance; you just can’t transform it To lock an object, select it and press Command-L/Ctrl-L (or choose Lock from the Object menu) To unlock an object, click its lock icon (or choose Unlock All on Spread from the Object menu) You can also lock or unlock an object in the Layers panel Of course, another good way to lock an object is to place it on a layer and then lock the layer An object on a locked layer is totally locked; you can’t even select it 602 6 Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com Hiding Objects You can hide an object if you don’t want it to be printed, exported, or selected To hide objects, choose Hide from the Object menu or use the Layers panel Choose Show All On Spread from the Object menu to view all hidden objects Transform Your Life! Fuzzy caterpillars turn into moths Clark Kent jumps into a phone booth and emerges as Superman Werewolves stalk the moors under the full moon Bewildered authors turn into parents These transformations are all everyday, natural phenomena Make InDesign’s transformation tools an integral part of how you work with the program, and you’ll have their powerful, almost magical forces on your side ... click InDesign displays a dialog box (Rectangle, Polygon, or Ellipse) Enter the Select a basic shape tool, then click on the dimensions you want and page or pasteboard click the OK button InDesign... Bezier-path-drawing program such as InDesign, we draw lines from the point of view of the line itself This 338 6 Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com... “winding”) of the path Simpo PDF Merge and Split Unregistered Version - http://www.simpopdf.com Point Types 339 Points on an InDesign path are either corner points or curve points