*** From the Archives ***
This article is from August 2, 2002, and is no longer current.
QuarkXPress How-To: Working with the Bézier and Freehand Tools
|
Defining Points and Segments
Both Bézier and Freehand tools can be used to create Bézier items, but their methodology is somewhat different. While the Freehand tools create Bézier items according to how you drag the mouse, the Bézier tools create items based on the mouse action involved in creating the points.
As shown in Figure F, a single click on the page with the Bézier Text Box tool creates a cor-ner point. A second click creates another corner point with a straight segment between them. Next, a click-and-drag action with the mouse creates a curved segment with a smooth point.
Figure F: Using the Bézier Text Box tool, try to re-create this figure.
As you click and drag to create a new point, several things occur in the background. To begin with, where you first click the mouse defines that point’s position and the resulting path’s starting point. As you hold down the mouse and continue to drag, you’re no longer holding the actual point; rather, you’re dragging the curved segment’s curve handle.
Curve handles can be rotated 360 degrees around its point. Where you release the curve handle defines the starting angle of the next segment you create. As you drag the curve handle, you’ll see that it stretches back and forth like a rubber band. The distance you create between the curve handle and its point affects the severity of the angle for the following segment.
An Open or Shut Case
At this point, you might have lost sight of your ultimate goal, which is to create an open or closed Bézier path. A line is an open path and a box is a closed path. Bézier and Freehand box tools always create closed paths. Bézier and Freehand line tools always create open paths.
To close an open path, you must join the endpoints, after which you can fill the resulting box with a picture, text or color — depending on the definition of its content (Picture, Text or None) — just as you can with all boxes in QuarkXPress. The method for closing a path depends on the tool you use to create the path.
To close a path created with a Bézier or Free-hand line tool, select the path with the Item tool, hold down the [option] key ([Alt] key in Windows), and then choose Item > Shape > Bézier. Another option is to select the endpoints and then choose Join Endpoints from the Merge command in the Item menu. And, although Bézier Text Box and Picture Box tools automatically close paths after you select a different tool or double-click on the page, you can specify where you want to close a path by simply positioning the crosshair pointer over the first point and then clicking on it with the resulting Close Box pointer.
 |