After editing a polygon, you can change the number of sides. For example, you’ve created a 12-petal flower polygon, and your client wants only 8 petals. You select the edited shape with the Pick tool and then decrease the number of sides using the spin box on the property bar. Stars and Complex Stars You have variations on polygons at the ready in CorelDRAW, in the same group as the Polygon tool. The Star tool can be used to create pointy polygons with anywhere from 3 to 500 points. The Complex Star tool creates a number of combined polygons to make a star shape; you can create interesting symmetrical shapes by filling a Complex Star—the result contains both filled and vacant polygon areas as the component paths intersect one another. Working with the Star Tool The Star tool produces objects by using the click-diagonal drag mouse technique; CTRL constrains the shape to symmetry, SHIFT lets you drag from the center outward, and CTRL+SHIFT dragging creates symmetrical stars beginning at the initial click point and traveling outward. On the property bar, when the Star tool is chosen, you have options for the number of points for the star and the “pointiness” (sharpness) of the resulting object—how severe the indents are between points. At a setting of 1, the star object becomes pointy not at all—you’ll see that it looks quite like a Polygon tool object. So, if you can make a star using the Polygon tool, why would you ever choose the Star tool? The answer is because the geometric structure of a star shape is always perfectly symmetrical if you use the Star tool. Although you can use the Shape tool to manually tune the sharpness of a Star tool object’s points, the angle between points is always consistent. In the next illustration, you can see a Star tool object compared with a Polygon tool object that has been clumsily edited. You can’t perform this goof with the Star tool; its interior angles are always mirrored and symmetrical. Ill 8-16 224 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide Points Sharpness Star Failed attempt at a polygon as a star Using the Complex Star Tool Think of the kaleidoscope images you enjoyed as a child (or still do!) when you choose the Complex Star tool, because with only an edit or two using the Shape tool, you can create mesmerizing symmetrical shapes, unlike with any other tool in CorelDRAW. To use the tool, you know the drill if you’ve read this far! Click-diagonal drag to create a shape; by default, the complex star has 9 points of a sharpness value of 2 on a 1- to 3-point sharpness scale (available on the property bar, shown next). Ill 8-17 CTRL, SHIFT,andCTRL+SHIFT act as the same modifiers as they do with other shapes. One unique characteristic of complex stars is that they have two control points: one for the inner, negative space, and one for the points. When you edit using the Shape tool, holding CTRL constrains your edits on the control points to symmetry, but if you want a spiral treatment of a complex star, don’t hold CTRL, and then drag any way you like on both the inner and outer control points. You’ll probably want to assign a fill to a complex star as your first edit because unfilled complex stars aren’t as visually interesting. The following illustration shows what you can create by moving the inner control point to outside the outer. Imagine the snowflake patterns you can build; and like snowflakes, no two complex stars are alike! Ill 8-18 CHAPTER 8: Creating Basic Shapes, Applying Transformations 225 8 12 3 Inner control point Outer control point Figure 8-7 shows other examples of simply playing with the Shape tool on a complex star object. Also try assigning a wide white outline property to a complex star as a property to create still more variations. Using the Spiral Tool With the Spiral tool (press A as the keyboard shortcut), you can create circular-shaped paths that would be tedious if not impossible to create manually. Spiral objects are composed of a single open path that curves in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. They can also be designed to expand in even segment distances or in increasing distances as the spiral path segments travel away from its center (called a logarithmic function).You find the tool in the toolbox, grouped with the Polygon and Graph Paper tools. Ill 8-19 226 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide FIGURE 8-7 Complex stars are fast to create, fun to look at, and can serve many design purposes. Spiral tool Spiral tool options share space in the property bar (shown next) with options for the Graph Paper tool and include Spiral Revolutions, Symmetrical, and Logarithmic Spiral modes, and a Spiral Expansion slider. Ill 8-20 The objects you can create can have between 1 and 100 revolutions, each of which is equal to one complete rotation around its center point. The direction of the revolutions is set according to the click-diagonal drag action during creation of the initial shape, as shown in Figure 8-8. CHAPTER 8: Creating Basic Shapes, Applying Transformations 227 8 Spiral Revolutions Logarithmic Spiral Symmetrical Spiral Spiral Expansion Factor (while using Logarithmic) FIGURE 8-8 The direction of your spiral revolutions is determined by your initial click-drag direction. 10 symmetrical revolutions 10 revolutions, logarithmic factor of 63 Spiral objects are not dynamic; no special editing or redefining is possible once the spiral has been created. This means you must set their properties before they are created. Other than your using the Pick or Shape tool to edit its size or shape, spiral objects are a “done deal.” By default, all new spiral objects are set to Symmetrical. If you choose Logarithmic, the Spiral Expansion slider becomes available. Here’s how the modes and options affect the spiral objects you can create: ● Symmetrical vs. Logarithmic A symmetrical spiral object appears with its spiral revolutions evenly spaced from the center origin to the outer dimensions of the object. To increase or decrease the rate at which the curves in your spiral become smaller or larger as they reach the object’s center, you may want to use the Logarithmic method. The term logarithmic refers to the acceleration (or deceleration) of the spiral revolutions. To choose this option, click the Logarithmic Spiral button in the property bar before drawing your shape. ● Logarithmic Expansion option While the Logarithmic Spiral mode is selected, the Logarithmic Expansion slider becomes available—as well as a value field you can type into—and you can set this rate based on a percentage of the object’s dimensions. Logarithmic Expansion may be set from 1 to 100 percent. A Logarithmic Expansion setting of 1 results in a symmetrical spiral setting, while a setting of 100 causes dramatic expansion. If you need a shape that is reminiscent of a nautilus, increase the Logarithmic Expansion to 50 or so. Using the Graph Paper Tool The Graph Paper tool (the shortcut is D) is used to create a grid containing hundreds (even thousands) of rectangles—an emulation of graph paper. Graph paper is invaluable in chart- making as well as for artistic uses. You find the Graph Paper tool, shown at left, grouped with the Polygon and Spiral tools. This tool’s options on the property bar let you set the number of rows and columns for your new graph paper object. As with the Spiral tool, you must set options before drawing your graph paper object; a Graph Paper object cannot be edited dynamically. Ill 8-21 228 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide Graph Paper tool Columns The rectangles in a Graph Paper group are, in fact, native rectangles; you can ungroup the rectangles ( CTRL+U) and then make scalloped and rounded rectangles on each and every one of the graph paper component objects. Let’s explore one of the many creative ways to create and use the group of rectangles the Graph Paper tool builds for you. This next assignment uses the Add Perspective effect to make a dimensional chessboard beneath a drawing of chess pieces and uses one or two tricky editing techniques, but you’re guided step by step all the way. Watch how you can dramatically improve the look of a composition just by using the Graph Paper tool and some minor editing. Power-Drawing a Grid with Graph Paper 1. Open Chess set.cdr. A drawing has been created for you, and your assignment is to put a chessboard behind the drawing. 2. Choose the Graph Paper tool from the toolbox, or press D to select it. 3. Using property bar options, set the number of rows and columns to 8 for your new graph paper object. 4. Using a click-diagonal drag action, hold CTRL and drag to create the new object. Release the mouse button when the graph paper fills the height of the page. 5. Look at the status bar; it tells you that a group of 64 objects is selected. All the graph paper objects can take on a new fill and outline color in one fell swoop: click a medium gray color well on the Color Palette, and then right-click white to make the outlines white. 6. Because the objects are grouped, you have no outline pen width option on the property bar, and the white grouting outlines in this chessboard are a little too thin. No problem: with the Pick tool, right-click over the grouped objects, and choose Properties to display the Object Properties docker. ( ALT+ENTER is the shortcut.) Set the outline Width to 2 points now, as shown in Figure 8-9. 7. Choose Effects | Add Perspective. You’ll see a red dashed outline with four control points surround the group, but before actually editing the Perspective bounding outline—thus distorting its contents—let’s perform a transformation. CHAPTER 8: Creating Basic Shapes, Applying Transformations 229 8 8. Choose the Pick tool from the toolbox. Click the selected graph paper object to reveal the rotate and skew handles. While holding CTRL to constrain rotation, rotate the grouped rectangles by 45 degrees. By default, CorelDRAW constrains rotation to 15-degree increments; therefore, having two points of resistance as you CTRL-drag does the trick. 9. Choose the Shape tool (F10); the group’s shapes again feature the Perspective control points. 230 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide FIGURE 8-9 Change the outline properties of a group of objects using the Object Properties docker. 10. Choose the top control point and then drag it down until you have a chessboard in perspective. You will know when you’ve dragged enough—the chess pieces drawing will visually fit right into place. Ill 8-22 11. Optionally: with the grouped chessboard in its final perspective aspect (get happy with it because this step removes its editing properties), press CTRL+U (Arrange | Ungroup). Fill every other rectangle with a lighter color; doing this enhances the look of the chessboard, the overall illustration, and also lets the cast shadows from the chess pieces become more apparent. Ill 8-23 CHAPTER 8: Creating Basic Shapes, Applying Transformations 231 8 Hold CTRL and rotate 45 degrees. Use Shape tool to drag top node down. Holding CTRL while you drag constrains the shape of the graph paper object, but not the cells in the graph. Therefore, you could, for example, create a 5-row, 2- column graph whose overall proportions are square, but the cells within the graph paper object would be distorted to rectangles. Using Perfect Shape Tools CorelDRAW X5 gives you the power to create objects called Perfect Shapes. This group of tools (see the following illustration) helps you to draw shapes, many of which would be a challenge to draw manually, and some of which can be dynamically edited. Ill 8-24 Perfect Shapes often feature one or more control points called glyph nodes. These nodes enable you to edit specific parts of a specially formatted object dynamically, according to the shape’s design. For example, the shape representing a dog-eared page features a single glyph node that enables you to set the diameter of the inner ellipse, leaving the outer diameter unchanged, or a glyph on a beveled rectangle shape enables you to set the bevel depth, as shown in Figure 8-10. Once a specific Perfect Shape tool is selected, a collection of shapes becomes available on the property bar. Choose a specific type of shape from the property bar Perfect Shapes flyout selector, shown here, before drawing. Ill 8-25 232 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide Click Perfect Shapes button to open the flyout selector. Walk through these simple steps to quickly arrive at perfection in your CorelDRAW design work. Creating Perfect Objects 1. Choose a Perfect Shape tool by clicking the toolbox flyout and selecting a category. 2. In the property bar, click the Perfect Shapes selector and choose a symbol. Use a click-drag action to define a size and position. For all symbol types except Callout, the direction of your click-drag won’t matter because the symbols are created using a fixed orientation. For Callout shapes, the direction of your click-drag determines the object’s orientation. 3. Once your shape has been created, you may notice it includes one or more glyph nodes that control certain symbol properties. In cases where more than one glyph node exists, the nodes are color coded. To position a glyph node, use a click-drag action directly on the node itself. CHAPTER 8: Creating Basic Shapes, Applying Transformations 233 8 FIGURE 8-10 Glyph nodes can be used to control specific parts of these specially formatted objects. . feature the Perspective control points. 230 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide FIGURE 8-9 Change the outline properties of a group of objects using the Object Properties docker. 10. Choose the top. with the Star tool; its interior angles are always mirrored and symmetrical. Ill 8-16 224 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide Points Sharpness Star Failed attempt at a polygon as a star Using the. a logarithmic function).You find the tool in the toolbox, grouped with the Polygon and Graph Paper tools. Ill 8-19 226 CorelDRAW X5 The Official Guide FIGURE 8-7 Complex stars are fast to create,