Adobe Flash Professional CS6 Adobe Flash Professional CS6 Classroom In A Book | Page 70

grouping objects
Now that you’re finished creating your cup of coffee, you can make it into a single
group. A group holds together a collection of shapes and other graphics to preserve
their integrity. When grouped, you can move the elements that comprise the coffee
cup as a unit without worrying that the cup might merge with underlying shapes.
Use groups to organize your drawing.
1 Select the Selection tool.
2 Select all the shapes that make up the cup of coffee.
3 Choose Modify > Group.
The cup of coffee is now a single group. When you select it, a blue
outline indicates its bounding box.
4 If you want to change any part of the cup of coffee, double-click
the group to edit it.
Notice that all the other elements on the Stage dim, and the top horizontal bar
above the Stage displays Scene 1 Group. This indicates that you are now in a
particular group and can edit its contents.
5 Click the Scene 1 icon in the horizontal bar at the top of the Stage, or double-
click an empty part of the Stage, and return to the main scene.
Making patterns and Decorations
 Note: To change
a group back into its
component shapes,
choose Modify >
Ungroup (Shift+Ctrl+G
[Windows] or Shift+
Command+G [Mac]).
You can make intricate patterns with the Deco tool (
), which has different
brushes and configurations. Many options allow you to quickly and easily build
symmetrical designs, grids, or branching-type flourishes. In this lesson, you’ll use
the Deco tool to create symmetrical fizzy shapes and dashed lines to give the ban-
ner ad more punch, and floral decorations to adorn the edges.
creating a symbol for a pattern
Before you can use the Deco tool’s symmetry brush, you must create a symbol to
be used as the base shape that will repeat. You’ll learn more about symbols in the
next lesson.
1 From the top menu, choose Insert > New Symbol.
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