InDesign for QuarkXPress Users [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Freeform Shapes

As with QuarkXPress, InDesign offers two types of tools to create Bézier shapesfreeform and precise tools. If you haven't learned to use the Pen tool in another application, the freeform tools are the easiest to use, and InDesign's tools definitely give more control than those of XPress. Let's take a look at the three freeform drawing tools first.

Pencil Tool

The Pencil tool (press N) works analagously to QuarkXPress's Freehand Box and Line tools (see Figure 12-3). To create a line, you simply draw with it like you would on a piece of paper. But InDesign's Pencil tool not only draws, it redraws: if, after drawing a line, you draw over part of the line, InDesign deletes from that point to the end and the redraws using the new path you specified. If you want to use the Pencil to create a frame instead of a line, draw the shape, then hold down the Option/Alt key when you get close to the starting point, and a tiny circle cursor appears. Release the mouse button first, then the key, and you make a closed shape.

Smooth Tool

You may use the Smooth tool to smooth out a freeform shape. Dragging the Smooth tool over a path reduces the angularity of curves (helping to compensate for your shaking hand!) and produces a curve with fewer anchor points. You can also choose to smooth by holding down the Option/Alt key when using the Pencil tool.

In InDesign, you can control how accurately the Pencil and Smooth tools follow your mouse movements by double-clicking on each tool, opening the Pencil Tool Preferences dialog box (see Figure 12-4) or a similar dialog box for the Smooth tool. The Fidelity slider controls how much your mouse movements affect the path: Low pixel values produce more angles, and high values produce smoother curves. The Smoothness slider controls whether smoothing is automatically applied as you move; the default is 0%, meaning no smoothing.

Erase Tool

Finally, drag with the Erase tool to delete part of the freeform shape you created. It works like a real world eraser, erasing anchor points and the line segments between them.