Existing Artstream documents can be opened with the File->Open
option. This option opens the file browser, which allows navigation through the
file system, and selection of any compatible document. A new window is
then launched for each opened document.
The ability to rename, relocate or delete an existing document is provided by the operating system, either with a graphical desktop tool or a Unix shell.
The Page Option Menu provides several options for the creation, deletion,
reordering and viewing of pages. One or more new pages can be added with the
Page->Insert dialog. One or more pages can be
deleted with the Page->Delete dialog. A single,
or series of pages can be reordered, or moved within a document with the Page->Move
dialog. Additionally pages can be moved within or between dialogs using the
Object Manager. Selected pages can
be brought into the current view using the Next,
Previous, First, Last
and Goto options, which place the upper left of the
requested page in the upper left of the view.
One or more documents with one or more pages can be visible to the
Artstream interface. A document is opened with a default window and
initial view. The view can be changed in any window and additional
windows can be opened and assigned another view of the document. A new
window is opened with the Window->New Window
option, This launches a new window, initially with the default view.
The new or old window can then have its view changed. All views are
continuously updated, including the display of interaction.
Info Palette
The view of the window currently in focus is described
in the View Info palette.
The info palette serves several functions depending on the operation in effect.
At all times, the current page, zoom and pan values are displayed. Displays
based on the current operation are:
Adjusting Views
The view of a window can be positioned to anywhere in
the document using any of several pan and zoom facilities, or the page switching
entries on the Page option menu.
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The pan tool repositions the paste-board inside the document window by clicking or dragging. The middle mouse button can also be dragged to zoom in and out with this tool. |
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The zoom tool increases or decreases the view inside a document window. Clicking centers and doubles the size of the area under the cursor. Dragging maps the dragged box to fill the window. Holding down the ALT key while clicking or dragging performs the reverse operation. |
Pan Scrollbars and Zoom Thumbwheel  |
Pan Zoom Dialog  |
A view can also be adjusted with the pan scrollbars and zoom thumbwheel located at the bottom and right sides of the document window. The view is moved horizontally or vertically in the same direction as each scrollbar. The view zooms into the image as the thumbwheel is rotated downwards (inwards), and out when rotated upwards (outwards).
A view position can also be assigned using the Pan/Zoom dialog. With this dialog, the point that will occupy the center of the screen, and the zoom factor can be specified numerically.
The Object Manager provides a complete view of all active documents. This palette displays all elements with collapsible views of each document, page and layer. The Object Manager includes controls to:
Selection
There is one current layer for each page. Each new shape added to a page is
added into the page's current layer. By default the last (bottom) layer in a
page is current. A new current layer for each page is set by single clicking
the layer icon
of the desired layer.
One or more shapes can be selected in each document by pressing the
associated shape icon
, and
holding the SHIFT key for multiple selections. An entire layer
can be selected by double clicking on the layer icon, and an entire
page can be selected by double clicking on the page icon. For each
shape selected in this palette, the corresponding shape is highlighted
in the document view, just as the shape icon is highlighted when a
shape is selected from the document view.
Reorder/Transfer
By reordering or transferring:
One or more icons in the Object Manager can be reordered or transferred by first selecting one or more icons, as described above, and then pressing, and dragging any one of the selected icons. As an icon is dragged, a placement pointer follows the topmost icon, indicating where it will be placed when it is released. As an icon is dragged to the top or bottom of a list that extends beyond the palette size, the list is automatically scrolled in the direction of the drag. The dragging speed corresponds to the distance of the cursor from the top or bottom of the palette.
Renaming
All of the icons in the Object Manager acquire a default, numbered name when
they are created. Any one of the document, page, layer or element icons can
be renamed by single clicking the cursor on the existing name, then typing into
the highlighted field. The entry process is completed by entering a carriage
return, with or without any prior characters. Any character except for
the underbar "_", can be used in a new name.
Adding and Deleting Layers
Layers can be added to or deleted by pressing the right mouse button,
(the only instance this button is used), over the icon of a desired layer,
revealing the layer's corresponding Layer Option Menu. A new layer can be added
after this layer with the Add Layer option, or this
layer can be deleted by using Delete Layer option
from this menu.
Hiding and Locking Layers
Any layer can be made invisible (hidden), or made unselectable (locked), by
clicking on the corresponding bulb
or lock
icon beside the
associated layer. The icon is toggled on or off with each click. A hidden layer
is implicitly locked. Hidden and locked attributes apply to a document only
as long as it is open.
A shape is implicitly selected upon creation or import. Prior shapes can be re-selected with any of several techniques using either the toolbar, tool dialog, option menu, or Object Manager palette.
Shapes can be selected with up to two levels of detail; the shape alone, or the shape with one or more of its anchor points. When the shape alone is selected all paint attributes and transformations apply to the entire shape. When a shape is selected with one or more of its anchor points, paint attributes that are anchor points addressable, (such as color), and transformations, then apply only to the selected anchor points. Where paint attributes are not anchor point addressable, (such as brush style), the paint attribute is assigned to the entire shape, regardless of the anchor point selection.
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The object selection tool selects one or more shapes by clicking on, or dragging a marquis over any part of them. Each selection replaces any prior selections unless the SHIFT key is held, which preserves existing selections. Re-selection of a shape with the SHIFT key held deselects it. Double-clicking on the tool launches the selection tool dialog. Double clicking on a shape launches a point edit dialog for that shape. Pressing and dragging also moves the shape. |
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The vertex select tool selects one or more vertices by clicking inside a vertex box, or dragging to enclose them. Each selection replaces any prior selections unless the SHIFT key is held, which preserves existing selections. Re-selection of a vertex with the SHIFT key held deselects it. Double-clicking on the tool launches the selection tool dialog. Double clicking on a shape launches a point edit dialog for that shape. Pressing and dragging also moves the vertex. |
Selection Tool Dialog
The selection tool dialog is launched by double-clicking on either the object or vertex selection tool. This dialog allows numerical specification for horizontal and vertical moves of objects, when launched from the Object Selection tool, or vertices when launched from the Vertex Selection tool. The new position will be applied to the current object or vertex when the dialog is closed with the OK button, or applied to a copy of the original object when the dialog is closed with the Copy button.
The Edit menu includes several options that apply to object selection.
All of the shapes in the current page can be either selected with the Edit->Select
All option, or deselected with the Edit->Deselect
All option. Additionally, the sequence of objects on the
current page can be stepped through, forwards or backwards, using the Edit->Select
Previous and Edit->Select Next
options. The selection of previous or next with these options is based
on the last existing selection. All other selections, but the
resulting previous or next, are removed when this option is applied.
Selection with the Object Manager
Additionally, as described above,
object selections can be made using the selection
feature of the Object Manager, which allows one or more shapes in any page
or document to be selected.
Moving Shapes and Points
Once a shape has been selected. The following techniques can be used to
change its geometry in a variety of ways.
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Once a shape has been selected with the Object Select tool, this same tool can be used to drag the selected objects to a new position. To drag one or more objects, the cursor must be down-clicked on a painted part of one of the selected shapes, (for example on an unfilled, closed outline such as the figure above, the cursor must be clicked on a black pixel of the stroke). After the down-click, single or multiple shapes can be dragged and then set to their position at the time of the up-click. |
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Once a shape has been selected with the Vertex Select tool, this same tool can be used to drag the selected anchor and direction points of a Bezier curve to a new position. When the cursor is down-clicked on a selected, (filled), anchor point square and dragged, all other selected vertices are moved the same distance. When the cursor is down-clicked inside an unselected, (outline), anchor point square, only that anchor point is moved, regardless of any selections. The direction points can be moved by clicking the cursor inside a direction point circle. Direction points cannot be selected, and can only be moved individually by dragging, or by assignment in the coordinate dialog. |
When a drag occurs inside an anchor point, only anchor points are moved. When a drag occurs on a shape, only shapes are moved.
Anchor Point Conversion
Opposing direction points can have equal slopes, producing smooth corners. or
different slopes, producing sharp corners, Unless specifically disabled during
creation, (see direction point constraints),
direction points are assigned a constraint to remain smooth while dragging.
This constraint can be toggled on and off by clicking or dragging an anchor
point, or either direction point with the corner tool.
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The corner tool toggles the constraint that controls how direction points are moved when applied to either an anchor point or either of its associated direction points. Also, the corner tool collapses or extends direction lines when applied to an anchor point, and drags constrained or unconstrained direction points. When toggled off, opposing direction points are allowed to move independently. When toggled on, direction points are constrained to the same slope when dragged with the move tool. When the corner tool is clicked on an anchor point, the direction points are collapsed, resulting in a sharp corner. When the corner tool is dragged on an anchor point, the direction points are symmetrically extended, resulting in a smooth corner. |
Point Insertion/Deletion
The Edit->Delete
option (BACKSPACE key)from the Edit Menu serves to delete both shapes and anchor points.
A shape is deleted when it is selected, without any anchor point selections,
and the BACKSPACE key, or Delete option is used. When one or more anchor points
of a shape are selected, the selected anchor points are deleted when
the BACKSPACE key or Delete option is used.
Cut & Paste
The Edit->Cut
option from the Edit Menu also serves to delete shapes. When a shape is deleted
with the Cut option, or when the Edit->Copy option
is applied, the selections are copied to the system clipboard. Elements
copied to the system clipboard can be retrieved with either or several Paste
options in the Edit Menu.
Edit->Paste pastes the clipboard contents
to the top of the page at the center of the current view.
Edit->Paste In Front pastes the clipboard
contents to the top of the page at its natural position.
Edit->Paste In Back pastes the clipboard
contents to the bottom of the page at its natural position.
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The scissors tool clicks directly on a selected contour boundary, or drags across multiple selected contours to cut the contours at all the points it intersects. |
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Insert point tool. Clicks directly on a contour or drags across multiple contours to add a control point at all the points it intersects. |
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Remove point tool. Clicks inside a vertex box, or drags around multiple vertex boxes to delete the associated control points. Applies only to selected shapes. |
Shape Transformation
Shapes are transformed around an origin, which is initially set to the center
of the shape, but can be set to a new origin with the first click of any of
the transform tools, A shape is then transformed in any of the ways listed below
when the cursor is dragged using the associated tool. Angle constraints can
be applied with the SHIFT key that restrict the drag direction
to the nearest 45° angle. Applying this constraint enables symmetrical
scaling and incremental rotation.
| Rotate tool. Clicks to define the rotation origin. Drags to rotate all selections. Applies only to selected shapes. |
| Scale tool. Clicks to define the scale origin. Drags to scale all selections. Applies only to selected shapes. |
| Reflect tool. Clicks to define the reflection origin. Drags to reflect all selections. Applies only to selected shapes. |
| Shear tool. Clicks to define the shear origin. Drags to shear all selections. Applies only to selected shapes. |
Coordinate Dialog
The coordinate list for any individual object can be viewed and edited
by double-clicking on the objects representation, (leaf icon), in the Object
Manager. All coordinates of a single object can be numerically specified,
including forward and backward direction point distances and angles. Also, the
selection state of each vertex, and the continuity lock, (smooth/corner point),
can be toggled with this dialog. The new coordinate values, selection and continuity
states are applied to the selected object when the dialog is closed with the
OK button.
Transform Palette
The Transform Dialog serves to both measure the position and dimensions of single
or multiple selections, and to change the position, dimensions, scale or rotation
of the selections by numerical entries. With one or more current selections,
the values entered into the palette are applied as soon as the focus is removed
from the input field, (either by the return key, a click into another field
in the palette, or the cursor departure from the palette). The positions and
transformations provided by the palette are based on an origin which can be
selected from a bank of toggles representing the corners, midpoints and center
of the selection's bounding box.
