# Working with Objects

This section describes the tools and techniques you need to create and edit objects in e-Picture documents. Topics include drawing and editing objects, selecting objects, and applying filters, special effects, and composite methods.

# About e-Picture objects

In e-Picture, you create objects using the drawing tools. Most tools create vector objects (lines and curves defined mathematically with vectors). You choose stroke and fill options for vector objects. The paintbrush tool draws bitmapped objects and has only stroke options.

As you draw objects they appear in the document window and in the Object panel. You edit some object properties, such as size, orientation, and location in the document window. You edit other object properties, such as color, opacity, and filters using the Tool Inspector or the Object panel menus.

To select individual objects, you use the arrow tool. To select areas of pixels, you use the bitmap selection tools-the freehand selection tool, the rectangular selection tool, and the elliptical selection tool.

# Using the Tool Inspector

The Tool Inspector contains the stroke and fill options for drawn objects. You can use the Tool Inspector to set options either before you draw the object or anytime the object is selected. When you select a tool, the Tool Inspector changes to display the options for that tool. For example, when you select the rectangle tool, the Tool Inspector contains the color selectors, the width setting, and the menus for selecting dash and join styles. When you select the paintbrush tool, the Tool Inspector contains color selectors and the size, ratio, pressure, hardness, and angle settings for brushes.

When a drawing tool is selected, four boxes appear immediately above the color selection area in the Tool Inspector. Clicking the transparent box, the solid color box, the gradient box, or the patterns box brings up new options in the Tool Inspector. For more information see, Drawing with a transparent stroke or fill, Drawing with a solid color, Drawing with a gradient, or Drawing with a pattern.

# Creating objects

When you create an object you set options for the stroke and the fill. Stroking creates a line that defines the object outline. Filling paints the area inside the stroke.

#### To draw an object:

1. Click a drawing tool. The Tool Inspector changes to reflect the options for that tool.
2. Click the Stroke or Fill tab.
3. Set the stroke or fill options:

- To stroke or fill with no color, see Drawing with a transparent stroke or fill.
- To stroke or fill with a solid color, see Drawing with a solid color.
- To stroke or fill with a gradient, see Drawing with a gradient.
- To stroke or fill with a pattern, see Drawing with a pattern.

1. Set the line or brush attributes:

- If drawing with a vector tool, set the line width, dash pattern, cap style, and join style. For more information, see Setting line attributes.
- If drawing with a bitmap tool, set the brush characteristics. See Drawing with the paintbrush tool.

1. Move the cursor into the window and draw. Hold down Ctrl to begin drawing from the center rather than from a corner.

Note: Press Shift as you draw to constrain the shape of the object. The line and poly line tools are constrained to multiples of 45 degrees. The rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, and arc tools are constrained to squares, rounded squares, circles, and perfect arcs.

Once you complete the object, it appears in the Objects panel. To edit the object, you change the settings in the Tool Inspector or use the controls and commands in the Objects panel. See Moving and aligning objects. To change the location, size or orientation of an object, you edit it in the document window. For more information, see Moving and aligning objects and Resizing and rotating objects.

# Drawing outside the canvas

You can draw objects that fall outside of the canvas (the area bounded by the limits). These objects can then move into or out of the image during an animation.The gray areas outside of the canvas is referred to as the overscan. When you turn off overscan, you see only the objects that are inside the canvas. You can set overscan for each individual view.

For information on resizing the canvas, see Changing canvas properties.

#### To turn overscan on or off:

Click the Overscan box in the lower right corner of the document window.

# Drawing with a transparent stroke or fill

To draw an object with no border or fill, click the transparent button in the Tool Inspector. Handles appear as you draw, and when selected, a transparent object is outlined with a thin red line.

# Drawing with a solid color

To set a solid stroke or fill color, you use the color selectors in the Tool Inspector. You can choose to use colors from different color models or sample colors from an existing document.

#### To draw using a color:

1. With a draw tool selected, click the Stroke or Fill tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Choose a color model from the menu.

   Color Model | Options:
   --- | ---
   RGB | Mix color using Red, Green, and Blue values (0-255)
   HSB | Mix color using Red, Green, and Blue values (0-255) Set Hue angle (0 to 360) Set Saturation (0 to 1) Set Brightness Value (0 to 1)
   Wheel | Click location to select a color Drag slider to change the displayed colors
   Picker | Drag an image into the box. Move the cursor into the image and click with the eyedropper to select a color.
   CMYK | Mix color using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black values (0-255)

Color Models

1. Drag a slider, type in values, or click a location to select the color. The color box changes to show the current color.
2. Drag the slider or type a value to set the Alpha transparency setting.

Note: Using an alpha channel to set object transparency against a background applies only to PNG files. Setting transparency using an alpha channel differs from setting GIF transparency in that alpha channels let you designate a specific level of transparency.This preciseness makes it easier to blend individual pixels into the browser background. Netscape Navigator 4.04 supports PNG files, but not PNG alpha channels. Internet Explorer 4 supports PNG alpha channels but the results can be inconsistent, especially when you're setting transparency for a gradient.

# Drawing with a gradient

e-Picture allows you to create your own gradient using multiple colors. A simple gradient starts with one color and moves to a second color. By default, the starting and ending colors are black and white. You can select any color from the Color panel for the gradient bounding boxes. To create different effects, you can change the gradient angle or offset, or select a pattern for the gradient.

The midpoint of the gradient is halfway between the two bounding boxes. As you drag the midpoint, the location where the colors are 50/50 changes. The color values remain the same. To create more complex gradients, you can add additional color boxes and midpoints, edit the midpoint color mode, or change the gradient blending mode.

#### To create a gradient:

1. With a draw tool selected, click the Stroke or Fill tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Click the gradient box to display the gradient panel.
3. Click the triangle to display the Gradient Composer.
4. Double-click the left box and select a starting color for the gradient from the Color panel.
5. Double-click the right box and select an ending color for the gradient from the Color panel.
6. Drag the top slider to set the midpoint (the point at which the colors are 50/50).
7. (Optional) Click to select a gradient pattern.

### Changing the gradient parameters

The gradient parameters control the offset and angle of the gradient. The offset indicates the percentage of the gradient displaying the beginning color. The angle displays the angle of the gradient from its starting position.

#### To change the gradient offset or angle:

1. Click the triangle in the Gradient Composer to display the Gradient Parameters.
2. Drag the slider or type a value to change the gradient offset (0 to 99.9%).
3. Drag the slider or type a value to change the angle (0 to 360 degrees).

### Adding colors to gradients

You can add a color at any point in the gradient to create a gradient with multiple blends between colors. When you add a new color box, a new midpoint is added. The midpoint is automatically set to be halfway between the two bounding boxes that define that gradient segment.

#### To add a new color and midpoint to a gradient:

1. Right-click the gradient bar.
2. Choose Operation and then choose an option from the menu:

- Split here adds a color box and a midpoint at the location you click.
- Split at midpoint adds a color box and a midpoint so that the gradient segments are split at the midpoints.
- Flip exchanges the colors in the two bounding boxes at either end of the midpoint.
- Split Uniform creates multiple splits equally spaced between the two colors in the bounding boxes. Choose the number of splits (2, 3, 4, or 5) from the menu.
- Replicate divides the gradient into multiple gradients that are identical to the gradient segment at the location you clicked. Choose the number of replications (2, 3,4, or 5) from the menu.

### Editing midpoints

When a gradient is created, the midpoint lies exactly halfway between the starting and ending colors. You can change the appearance of the gradient by centering, deleting, or changing the color mode of the midpoint.

#### To center a color box or midpoint:

1. Right-click immediately to the right of the color box or midpoint you want to change.
2. Choose Recenter.

#### To delete a color box or midpoint:

1. Right-click immediately to the right of the color box or midpoint you want to remove.
2. Choose Delete.

#### To lock a color box or midpoint:

1. Right-click the color box or midpoint you want to lock.
2. Choose Position and then choose Lock or Unlock.

Note: When you right-click on a locked color box or midpoint, the options you choose apply only to the locked box or midpoint.

#### To set the mode for a color box or midpoint:

1. Right-click the color box or midpoint you want to set.
2. Choose Color Mode and then choose an option from the menu:

- Mono produces a smooth color gradient with the midpoint at the 50/50 location.
- Dual produces a gradient that changes from the beginning to the ending color at the midpoint.

### Changing the blending modes for gradients

By default, the midpoint is where the starting and ending colors for the gradient are 50/50. You can change the way the gradient colors blend together.

#### To set the blending mode for a gradient:

1. Right-click the gradient bar.
2. Choose Blending types and then choose an option from the submenu:

- Linear blends the colors so that the starting and ending colors are 50/50 at the midpoint.
- Curved blends the colors so that the starting and ending colors are in different proportions depending on the position of the midpoint.
- Sinuosidal blends the colors so that there is a rapid transition from starting to the ending color at the midpoint.
- Circular (increasing) blends the colors so that there is a greater proportion of ending than starting color at the midpoint.
- Circular (decreasing) blends the colors so that there is a greater proportion of starting than ending color at the midpoint.

### Saving, deleting, and reloading gradients

After you've created a gradient, you can save it in the Gradient Catalog. e-Pictures also comes with a set of preset gradients which are stored in the Gradient Catalog.

.

#### To save a gradient in the Catalog:

Ctrl-drag the gradient from the Preview box to the Gradient catalog.

#### To save a gradient as a separate file:

Ctrl-drag the gradient from the Preview box to the desktop. Choose Copy here from the menu.

#### To select a gradient from the Catalog:

Double-click the thumbnail to the right of a gradient to display it in the Preview box.

#### To load a saved gradient file:

Drag the file from the desktop into the Preview box.

#### To delete a gradient from the catalog:

Select the gradient in the Catalog and press the Delete key.

# Drawing with a pattern

e-Picture allows you to use an image as a pattern to stroke or fill anobject.

#### To draw with a pattern:

1. Select a drawing tool.
2. Click the Stroke or Fill tab in the Tool Inspector.
3. Click the pattern box in the Tool Inspector.
4. Drag the image or pattern file into the Preview box.
5. Draw the object. The pattern is tiled starting in the upper left corner of the canvas.

# Setting line attributes

Line attributes are available whenever you're using a drawing tool. These attributes control the line width, whether a line is solid or dashed, the dash pattern, the line cap style (the appearance of endpoints) and the line join style (the appearance of corners).

#### To set the line width:

1. With a tool selected, click the Stroke tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Drag the Width slider or type in values. Line widths can range from 0 to 50 pixels.

#### To set a dash pattern:

1. With a tool selected, click the Stroke tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Choose a dash pattern from the Dash menu:

- Choose None to draw a solid line.
- Choose an option to draw a dashed line.

#### To set the cap style:

1. With a tool selected, click the Stroke tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Choose an option from the left Caps menu to set the style for the beginning point.
3. Choose an option from the right Caps menu to set the style for the ending point.

   Caps style | Example
   --- | ---
   Round |
   Butt |
   Square |
   Arrow 1 |
   Arrow 2 |
   Arrow 3 |
   Circle |
   Diamond |
   Nail |

   Caps styles

#### To set the join style

1. With a tool selected, click the Stroke tab in the Tool Inspector.
2. Choose an option from the Join menu to set the corner style.

   Join style | Example
   --- | ---
   None |
   Miter |
   Round |
   Bevel |

   Join styles

# Drawing with the paintbrush tool

When you're using the paintbrush tool, you can set the brush options for the stroke. These options include brush size, ratio, pressure, and hardness.

#### To set the brush size:

1. Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbox.
2. Drag the Size slider or type values into the Tool Inspector. The brush size can vary from 1 to 100 pixels.

#### To set the brush ratio:

1. Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbox.
2. Drag the Ratio slider or type values into the Tool Inspector. The ratio can vary from 0.1 to 1.0. When the ratio is set to 1, the brush is round.

#### To set the brush pressure:

1. Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbox.
2. Drag the Pressure slider or type values into the Tool Inspector. The pressure can vary from 0 to 1.

#### To set the brush hardness:

1. Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbox.
2. Drag the Hardness slider or type values into the Tool Inspector. The hardness can vary from 0 to 1.

#### To set the brush angle:

1. Select the paintbrush tool from the toolbox.
2. Click a brush icon at the bottom of the Tool Inspector.

Note: Changing the brush angle has no effect if the brush ratio is set to 1.

# Drawing with the Bezier tool

The Bezier tool lets you draw straight lines and smooth curves. Each time you click in the document window, a point appears. You use these points to edit the line or shape of the curve. When drawing a smooth curve, place an anchor point at the beginning and end of the curve (not at the tip). For best results, place the anchor points as far apart as you can and use as few as possible.

#### To draw a straight line:

1. Select the Bezier tool and click to set the starting point.
2. Click again to end the segment.
3. Double-click to end the line.

#### To draw a curve:

1. Select the Bezier tool and move to the location where you want the curve to begin.
2. Press the mouse button and drag.
3. Release the mouse button and click again to add points to the curve.
4. Double-click to end the curve. To close the curve, return to the first point and double-click.

### Editing curves

When you drag to draw a curve, you create a smooth curve, connected by smooth points. When you click rather than drag while creating a shape, you create a sharp curve created with a corner point. When selected, smooth points display direction lines. To change the shape of the curve, you drag a direction line. As you drag, the curved segments on both sides of the point adjust simultaneously. When selected, corner points do not have direction lines. You drag corner points to change the curve.

#### To edit a Bezier shape:

1. Select the arrow tool in the toolbox.
2. Double-click the shape to display the points.
3. Drag a direction line or corner point to change the shape.

Note: Press the Insert key as you select a corner point to turn it into a smooth point with directional lines. Press the Delete key as you select a smooth point to turn it into a corner point.

# Using the text tool

The text tool lets you enter and edit text anywhere in a document window. You select the font, spacing, size, shear, and alignment of the text in the Tool Inspector.

#### To enter text:

1. Select the text tool in the toolbox.
2. Select the text options in the Tool Inspector:

- Choose a font from the font menu.
- Use the arrows or enter values for the horizontal and vertical size. The checkbox between the size settings keeps the horizontal and vertical sizes synchronized.
- Use the arrows or enter values for the spacing and shearing.
- Choose an alignment from the menu.
- Click to flip the text horizontally or vertically.

1. Set the stroke and fill colors. For more information see, Drawing with a transparent stroke or fill, Drawing with a solid color, Drawing with a gradient, or Drawing with a pattern.
2. Click the window at the location where you want the text to begin. Handles appear indicating the size of the text. Begin typing.

# Selecting objects in the document window

How you select an object depends on the action you're taking. When you want to move, resize, or rotate an object, you select it in the document window. You can select multiple objects only to move them or change their alignment.

When you want to edit the individual properties of an object, such as its color or opacity, you select it in the Object panel. For more information, see Editing objects with the Tool Inspector and Editing objects with the Objects panel.

#### To select an object in the current layer:

Click the arrow tool, then click the object in the document window. Press the Tab key to select the objects in order of creation.

#### To select an object obscured by another object:

Click the arrow tool, then hold down Alt as you click the object in the document window.

#### To select multiple objects in the current layer:

Click the arrow tool and drag a box around the objects in the document window or Shift-click each object in the layer.

#### To select all the objects in the current layer:

Press Alt+A or choose Selection> Select All Objects.

#### To select all objects that are not selected in the current layer:

Choose Selection> Invert Object Selection.

#### To deselect the current object and move to the next object in the current layer:

Press the Tab key.

#### To deselect all selected objects, do one of the following:

- If using a selection tool, click anywhere outside of a selected object.
- If using a drawing tool, Ctrl-click anywhere outside of a selected object.
- Choose Selection> Deselect Objects.

# Moving and aligning objects

To change the location of an object in the document window, you select it with the arrow tool. You can select multiple objects to move them as a group or change their alignment. To select multiple objects, click the arrow and drag to enclose all the objects. Objects in a multiple selection are surrounded by a thin, red line. When you align objects, the alignment is always based on the top object.

#### To move an object:

Click the arrow tool, select the object or objects, and drag.

Note: Press an arrow key on your keyboard to move selected objects one pixel at a time. Press Shift and an arrow key to moves objects 8 pixels at a time.

#### To move multiple objects:

Click the arrow tool, drag a box around the objects, and drag.

#### To align objects:

1. Click the arrow tool and drag a box around the objects you want to align.
2. Choose Window > Alignment to display the Alignment panel or choose Object > Alignment and choose an option from the menu:

- Click one of the buttons in the top row to align left, align right, align top, or align bottom.
- Click one of the buttons in the second row to align the centers of the objects horizontally, vertically, or in both directions.
- Click one of the buttons in the third row to enlarge the objects horizontally, vertically, or in both directions. The Enlarging options makes all the objects the width of the widest object.
- Click one of the buttons in the bottom row to pack the objects horizontally, vertically, or in both directions. The Pack option lines up objects next to each other with no overlapping.

# Resizing and rotating objects

To rotate or resize an object, you select it in the document window and use the handles to change its size or orientation.

#### To rotate an object:

1. Click the arrow tool and select the object.
2. Click anywhere on the selection border except on a handle. The cursor turns into a double-headed circular arrow.
3. Drag to rotate.

#### To resize an object:

1. Click the arrow tool and select the object.
2. Click a handle. The cursor turns into a double-headed arrow.
3. Drag to increase or decrease the size.

   Press: | To do this:
   --- | ---
   X | rotate an object 1 degree clockwise
   Shift + X | rotate an object 8 degrees clockwise
   Z | rotate an object 1 degree counterclockwise
   Shift +Z | rotate an object 8 degrees counterclockwise
   Shift-click and drag a handle | resize an object maintaining proportions
   Ctrl + right arrow | increase the horizontal size by 1 pixel
   Ctrl + left arrow | reduce the horizontal size by 1 pixel
   Ctrl + up arrow | increase the vertical size by 1 pixel i
   Ctrl + down arrow | reduce the vertical size by 1 pixel
   Shift + right arrow | increase the horizontal size by 8 pixels
   Shift + left arrow | reduce the horizontal size by 8 pixels
   Shift +up arrow | increase the vertical size by 8 pixels
   Shift + down arrow | reduce the vertical size by 8 pixels

   Rotate and resize shortcuts

# Converting an object to a selection area

You can convert any object to a bitmap selection. The bitmap selection retains the shape and transparency of the object and can be used as a mask for filtering or other bitmap image manipulation. The underlying object remains in the image unless you delete it from the Objects panel.

#### To convert an object to a bitmap selection:

1. Use the arrow tool to select the object.
2. Choose Object > Convert to Selection.

# Cropping to a bitmap selection

After you have converted an object to a bitmap (using the Object > Convert to Selection command), you can use the selection to crop a bitmap image. For example, you can draw a shape with the Bezier or paintbrush tool, or use a selection tool to select part of an imported bitmap image, and then crop the layer to that selection.

#### To crop to a selection area:

Choose Object > Crop to Bitmap Selection.

# Selecting areas

You select areas by dragging around an area using the freehand selection tool or one of the marquee selection tools. To soften the boundaries between moved or pasted selections and the surrounding pixels, you can use feathering and anti-aliasing.

Feathering a selection blurs the edges by building a transition between the edges of the selection and the surrounding pixels. This blurring can cause some loss of detail at the edges of the selection. Anti-aliasing smooths the jagged edges of a selection by softening the color transition between edge pixels and background pixels. Since only the edge pixels change, no detail is lost.

#### To select a rectangular or elliptical area:

Click the rectangle or ellipse marquee tool and drag around the area.

#### To select an irregularly-shaped area:

Click the freehand selection tool and drag around the area.

#### To add to a selected area:

Hold down Shift as you select.

#### To subtract from a selection:

Hold down Alt as you select.

#### To select all the pixels in the image:

Choose Selection> Select All Area.

#### To deselect areas, do one of the following:

- Choose Selection > Deselect Area.
- If you're using a selection tool, click anywhere outside of the selected area.

#### To feather a selection:

1. Choose the freehand selection tool or a marquee selection tool.
2. Enter a feathering value in the Tool Inspector.

#### To select using anti-aliasing:

1. Choose the freehand selection tool or a marquee selection tool.
2. Select the anti-aliasing option in the Tool Inspector.

# Editing objects with the Tool Inspector

To edit an object's properties, you click the object in the Objects panel and then use the tools and settings in the Tool Inspector. When you select an object in the Objects panel, the Tool Inspector changes to display the Filters and Composite tabs, the object name, and an Apply button. The Live updates option in the Tool Inspector lets you preview options as you edit.

#### To edit an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.
2. Click a tab to select the properties you want to change:

- Click Stroke or Fill to change the stroke or fill characteristics. For more information, see Drawing with a transparent stroke, Drawing with a solid color, Drawing with a gradient, or Drawing with a pattern.
- Click Filters to edit the filters applied to an object. See Applying filters to objects for more information.
- Click Composite to set the merge methods. See Applying composite methods to objects for more information.

1. Click Apply.

#### To turn off previewing:

Deselect the Live Update option.

# Editing objects with the Objects panel

The Objects panel lists the objects in the current layer, starting with the topmost object. Use the scroll bars or resize the panel to see additional objects. Press the Tab key to cycle through the objects.

You use this panel to change an object's position and opacity, to hide, show or lock an object. The commands in the Objects panel menu let you flatten objects, apply effects and filters, or to change the composite method.

#### To display the Objects panel:

Choose Window> Objects.

#### To select an object:

Click the object name. The name is highlighted in the Object panel and handles appear around the object in the document window.

#### To cycle through the objects in a layer:

Press the arrow keys.

### Displaying information about an object

The Info section of the Objects panel displays the coordinates, width and height, and composite method of the selected object.

#### To display the object information:

Click the Info triangle at the bottom of the Objects panel.

### Changing an object's opacity

Each object on a layer has its own opacity. The opacity you set for the layer combines with the individual object opacity to determine how the object appears. For example, if you set an object's opacity to 50% and set the layer opacity to 50%, the object appears at 25% opacity.

#### To change the opacity of an object:

1. Select the object in the Objects panel.
2. Type a value in the Opacity box in the Objects panel or click the triangle and drag the slider.

### Hiding and showing objects

You can choose to hide or show any object. You might want to hide objects while you're editing other objects on a layer or to make an object invisible for part of an animation.

#### To hide or show objects:

Click the far left column in the Objects panel. The eye icon disappears indicating that the object is hidden. Click again to redisplay the object.

### Locking and unlocking objects

Locking an object lets you isolate part of a document so that it is not affected by changes that you make. This can be useful, for example, when you're working on objects that overlap. Any changes you make to a layer effect all the objects, however, even if the objects are locked.

#### To lock or unlock objects:

Click the second column to the left of the object name in the Objects panel to lock the object. A lock icon appears in the column. Click the column again to unlock the object.

### Duplicating, deleting, and copying objects

When you duplicate an object, the duplicate appears on top of the selected object. Use the arrow key to drag the duplicate to a new location. When you copy an object, you can choose where to place the pasted copy.

#### To duplicate an object:

Select the object in the Objects panel and choose Duplicate from the Objects panel menu.

#### To delete an object:

Select the object in the Objects panel and click the trash can or choose Delete from the Objects panel menu.

#### To copy an object:

Select the object in the Objects panel and choose Edit> Copy.

#### To paste the object:

Do one of the following:

- Choose Edit> Paste to place the copied object in the center of the canvas (multiple copies are slightly offset from each other).
- Choose Paste in Place to place a copy on top of the original.

### Rearranging objects

You can change the position of an object in a layer by dragging the object up or down or by using the arrows in the Objects panel. For example, you might want to move text in front of or behind an object, or you may want to have a moving object in front of all the other objects in a layer. The object at the top of the Objects panel is in front of all the objects under it.

#### To rearrange objects:

1. Select the object in the Objects panel.
2. Drag the object up or down or click a triangle to move the object to the top (front), up one level, down one level, or to the bottom (back) of all the objects.

### Applying filters to objects

e-Picture lets you select from a wide variety of filters. Unlike other applications that only let you filter bitmaps, e-Picture lets you apply filters to individual vector objects, entire layers, or bitmaps. Objects can be edited even after you've applied a filter to them.

#### To apply a filter to an object:

1. Select the object in the Objects panel.
2. In the Objects panel menu, choose Apply Filter and then choose a filter from the submenu.

   Category | Filter Name
   --- | ---
   Artistic | Oilify
   Blur | Blur
   Color | Balance Brightness Contrast Levels Color Limit Replace Color
   Merge | Invert Maximum Minimum
   Noise | Add Noise
   Pixelate | Crystalize
   Sharpen | Sharpen
   Stylize | Edge Detection Solarize

   e-Picture filters

#### To edit a filter applied to an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.
2. In the Tool Inspector, click the Filters tab.
3. Select the filter you want to edit.
4. Change the filter options and then click Apply.

#### To rearange the order of filters applied to an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.
2. In the Tool Inspector, click the Filters tab.
3. Select the filter you want to move and click an arrow to move it up, down, to the top, or to the bottom of the applied filters
4. Click Apply.

#### To remove a filter from an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.
2. In the Tool Inspector, click the Filters tab.
3. Select the filter you want to remove and click the trash.

### Applying effects to objects

In addition to filters, you can also add effects to individual objects. These effects change the appearance of the outside edge of the object.

#### To apply an effect to an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.

- In the Objects panel menu, choose Effects and then choose an effect from the submenu.

  Effect Name
  Outer Shadow
  Outer Glow
  Inner Shadow
  Inner Glow
  Emboss and Bevel

  e-Picture effects

### Applying composite methods to objects

The composite method determines how the pixels in the object combine with underlying objects in the same layer.

#### To apply a composite method to an object:

1. Click the object in the Objects panel.
2. Do one of the following:

- In the Objects panel menu, choose Composite Method and then choose an option from the submenu.
- In the Tool Inspector, click the Composite tab and choose a composite method from the menu, then click Apply.

  Composite Method
  Normal
  Multiply
  Screen
  Erase
  Add
  Subtract
  Darkest
  Lightest
  Difference
  Average
  Invert
  Dissolve
  Replace Hue
  Replace Saturation
  Replace Luminosity
  Replace Color
  XOR Mask
  Copy
  Over
  Filter

  e-Picture composite methods

#### To apply a composite method using a filter:

1. Select the object in the Objects panel.
2. Do one of the following:

- In the Objects panel menu, choose Composite Method> Filter and then choose a filter from the submenu.
- In the Tool Inspector, click the Composite tab and choose a composite method from the menu, then click the Filter menu and choose a filter.

1. Click Apply.

#### To change the composite method opacity:

1. Double-click the object in the Objects panel.
2. In the Tool Inspector, click the Composite tab.
3. Drag the opacity slider, and then click Apply.

# Flattening objects

There will be times when you will want to change a vector object into a bitmap object. For example, you might want to use the bitmap selection tools on the object. Flattening an object turns the object into a bitmap but its individual properties are lost. It can no longer be edited as an individual object.

You can also merge and flatten individual layers and entire images. For more information see, To convert a layer to a selection area:.

Warning: Do not flatten an object until you are sure you are finished editing it.

#### To flatten objects:

1. Select the object in the Objects panel.
2. Choose Flatten from the Objects panel menu.