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IntroductionThe Rectangle tool, shortcut R, is used to draw rectangles or squares on the stage. By using the Subslection tool, this shape can be modified to be another polygon. A shape drawn in this way can have filler and outline, just outline, or just filler. Shapes can also have rounded corners.
This tutorial outlines how to use the rectangle tool in Flash 5.
To draw a rectangle with a filler and a an outline, click on the Rectangle tool icon, and select two colors from the color options in the Toolbox. One color is for the outline, and one if for the filler.
Move the cursor to the stage click and drag. You will see a rectangle being drawn. To draw a square, hold the SHIFT key down as you click and drag. When you release the mouse button, the rectangle is drawn on the stage. Try this.
The figures show a rectangle being drawn, and one actually drawn.
Once the rectangle is actually drawn, the shape can be modified using the Subselection tool. Select the Subselection tool, and then move the cursor over the drawn rectangle. The cursor will change shape as it is moved over the rectangle.
When the cursor is s filled black rectangle, this means that an entire shape can be dragged.
When the cursor is a square outline, then a corner on the rectangle can be dragged to create a new polygon. The figures show how to do this.
Select a corner and drag. The two figures show a new shape being drawn, and the final result.
Select a side of the new polygon and see the cursor change to a filled square, and then drag. Note that the whole shape moves.
The Arrow tool is used to move filler, or to change the shape of the polygon. The cursor has three shapes as it is moved across the polygon, when the arrow tool is selected. These shapes are cross hairs, curved line, and two lines at right angles. They allow the filler, sides, corners to be changed.
When the cursor is a curved line, the side of the polygon can be modified to a curved line. Select a side of the polygon, and drag the cursor. the figures show a line being changed.
When the cursor is a two lines at right angles, then a corner can be dragged, and the filler extends to fill the new shape. Select a corner and drag. The figures show this action.
When the cursor is cross hairs, then the filler can be moved and the outline remains in place. The figures below shows this.
The color of the filler is changed by selecting with the arrow tool the fill color option on the Toolbox, and then selecting the filler with the Arrow tool. The figure shows a color change to red.
To change the color of a side, then select the stoke color option from the toolbox, and then click on a side.
A part of the shape can be selected using the arrow tool and drawing a rectangle over the polygon. The figure shows a selection taking place. Then this selection can be dragged as shown in the next figure.
An outline can be omitted by selecting the icon on the color palette with a diagonal red line, or by selecting the same icon on the toolbox below the two color icons. This selection has the effect that only filler is drawn on the stage.
To draw only outline, the filler can be omitted by selected the icon below the two colors with the red diagonal line.
This tutorial covered how to draw shapes using the Rectangle tool, and also how to modify them using the Subselection and Arrow tools. Colors can be changed using the palette omitted completely by selecting the No Color toolbox option (icon with a red diagonal line).