Graphics Software, Continued
Movement or
select tools
Movement or select tools extract and move image segments into the
electronic clipboard or scrapboard for later recall and repositioning.
Movement tool icons may resemble lassos (rope) or marquees (rectangle).
Movement tools select pixilated images with some surrounding white space
or white space enclosed within the pixilated image.
Isolating tools
GROUP, UNGROUP, and ISOLATE are forms of movement or select tools
that allow you to separate design elements for detailed alterations.
GROUP: GROUP combines design elements from different layers onto one
layer. Reducing the number of layers in illustrations simplifies image
construction and occupies less memory space.
UNGROUP or ISOLATE: UNGROUP or ISOLATE isolates design
elements for further manipulation. At times, you may have to ungroup
elements, edit, then regroup them to successfully modify illustrations.
Auto-tracing
tools
Auto-tracing tools are quick ways to repeat images without redrawing them.
Auto-trace tools automatically plot vectors of traced images and convert them
into drawn lines. You may have to refine and sharpen the traced lines before
using them in your artwork.
Shape tools
Shape tools easily create shapes on screens by clicking a shape icon. You
may then click and drag the shape on the screen until the shape reaches the
desired size and form.
Shape tools create circles, ovals or ellipses, squares
or rectangles, or trapezoids and polygons. Shape tools draw precise lines,
Bézier curves, and freehand lines. Shape tools that push shape limitations are
SKEW, REFLECT, and SPIN or FREE ROTATION tools. SKEW shape
tools angularly distort images much the way italicizing distorts text.
REFLECT creates mirror images. SPIN or FREE ROTATION rotates
design elements around a stationary point.
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