Embossing an object in Macromedia

Embossing an object

Use Emboss to create a three-dimensional effect in which the edges of an object are raised or lowered so the object appears to be embossed into the background. Applying the Emboss Xtra creates multiple objects much like blending or smudging.

You can only emboss closed paths with a Basic, Gradient, or Pattern fill.

To emboss a selected object:

1	Do one of the following:
	Choose Xtras > Create > Emboss.
	Note: To apply the effect without opening the dialog box, hold down Control (Windows) or Command (Macintosh), and click the Emboss button.
	Choose Window > Toolbars > Xtra Operations to display the Xtra Operations toolbar and click the Emboss button.
2	In the Emboss dialog box, click a button at the top to choose an effect: Emboss, Deboss, Chisel, Ridge, or Quilt.
3	From the Vary list, choose an option to specify the relief and how an object's colors create highlight and shadow:
	Contrast specifies a tint of the path's original colors for the highlight and percentages of black combined with the path's original color for the shadow.
	Colors specify colors using the Highlight and Shadow color wells.
	The Emboss Xtra creates incremental colors to achieve an effect. Applying the effect to objects with spot, Hexachrome, or RGB colors yields incremental CMYK process colors.
4	For Depth, enter a value up to 72 or drag the slider between 1 and 20 to control the distance by which the effect is raised or impressed.
5	For Angle, enter a value or drag the dial to set the angle for the light source. Angle affects the direction of the highlight and shadow.
6	Select Soft Edge to blend the relief for the Emboss or Deboss effect.
7	Click Apply to preview the effect, or click OK to apply the effect and close the dialog box.

Using 3D rotation

The 3D Rotation Xtra tool applies three-dimensional rotations to two-dimensional objects.

To set 3D rotation options:

1	Choose Window > Toolbars > Xtra Tools.
2	Double-click the 3D Rotation tool in the Xtra Tools toolbar to display the 3D Rotation panel.
3	Select the amount of control over the rotation, Easy or Expert.
4	Choose the point of rotation from the Rotate From pop-up menu:
	Mouse Click rotates from the point you click with your mouse.
	Center of Selection rotates from the center of the object selected.
	Center of Gravity rotates by the visual center of the object.
	Origin rotates from the lower left corner of the object.
5	Enter a Distance value, or drag the slider to the left (smaller values) to maximize distortion, or drag to the right (larger values) to minimize distortion.
6	If you selected the Expert option, choose the point of projection, or vanishing point.
	Mouse Click makes the projection extend to the location you click with your mouse.
	Center of Selection makes the projection center behind the selected object.
	Center of Gravity makes the projection center behind the visual center of the object.
	Origin makes the projection begin at the lower left corner of the object.
	XZ and YZ coordinates appear below the pop-up menu.
	X/Y coordinates lets you enter x and y coordinates for the projection. The value defaults to the last mouse coordinates.

To rotate a selected object in 3D:

1	Choose Window > Toolbars > Xtra Tools.
2	Select the 3D Rotation tool in the Xtra Tools toolbar.
3	Click the object, and drag to rotate it. Hold down Shift to constrain the rotation to 45° increments.

Converting vector graphics to bitmap images

You can directly convert, or rasterize, a vector graphic to a bitmap image in FreeHand using the Rasterize command. The rasterized object becomes an embedded TIFF file residing in the FreeHand document. Rasterizing replaces the original vector graphic with the new bitmap image. If you want to keep the original graphic, make a copy and rasterize the copy. If the graphic is too large or complex to rasterize directly in FreeHand, an error message appears. For more complex graphics, use the FreeHand export option.

To rasterize one or more selected objects in FreeHand:

1.      Choose Modify > Rasterize.

2.      In the Rasterize dialog box, choose a resolution:

v  72 dpi for artwork intended for the Web

v  144 dpi for artwork intended for draft printing

v  300 dpi for artwork intended for final printing

3.      Set an Anti-Aliasing value to smooth lines and outer edges in the image. Higher values give a smoother result.

4.      Click OK.

Cropping a bitmap image

You can use the Crop tool to hide unwanted portions of a bitmap image. The hidden portions are not deleted.

By default, the Crop tool does not appear on any toolbar. You can add it to a toolbar, or use its hot key to activate it.

To add the Crop tool to a toolbar:

1.      Choose Window > Toolbars > Customize.

2.      In the Commands list, click Other.

3.      Drag the Crop tool button to any open toolbar.

4.      In the Customize window, click Close.

To crop a selected bitmap image:

v  Press C or click the Crop tool button to activate the Crop tool.

v  Drag any of the crop handles to hide or reveal portions of the bitmap image. Hold down Shift while cropping to constrain the tool.