Customizing Strokes

You can customize strokes in the Attributes palette:

• Display the strokes settings of selected objects.
• Create custom pen, parallel, calligraphic, and neon strokes.
• Create custom arrowheads and dash sequences.
• Apply custom settings to objects or the current stroke.
• Store custom strokes as presets in the palette.

Using the Attributes Palette

To Open the Attributes Palette:

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Stroke icon in the Toolbox to open the Presets palette, then click the Edit button.
   • Choose Window | Palettes | Attributes.
2. Select the stroke type or stroke attribute that you want to define.

To Use a Preset Stroke as the Basis for a Custom Setting:

1. In the Presets palette, select a stroke, then click the Edit button.
2. Select an object in your document.
3. In the Attributes palette, adjust the stroke settings.
4. If you want to save the custom settings as a preset, click the Add Preset button.

To Add Custom Settings:

1. In the Attributes palette, specify the custom settings.

2. Click the Add Preset button.

   The new stroke or stroke attribute is added to the appropriate stroke type or tab in the Presets palette.

To Add Settings from an Object to the Palette:

1. Choose Window | Palettes | Attributes.

2. Select an object.

   The respective stroke type manager or stroke attribute tab opens in the Attributes palette.

3. Click the Add Preset button.

When you end a Canvas X Draw session, the program stores the stroke type and attribute presets with the program.The same presets are available, whether you work with new documents, documents you created, or documents created by another Canvas X Draw user.

If you create a custom stroke and want to apply it to more than one object, and especially if you want to use it in a later work session, you should add the custom settings to the Presets palette.

Customizing Standard and Calligraphic Strokes

If you want to create custom standard pen or calligraphic strokes, use the respective manager in the Attributes palette.

Standard pen strokes have a uniform weight, specified offset, and may have tapered ends. Calligraphic pen strokes have a separate width, weight, and angle setting. For both stroke types, you can define the line joins (bevel, miter, or round) and end caps (flat, round, or square).

For basic information about setting pen size, see Using Standard Pen Strokes.

You can choose another unit of measurement instead of points as the pen size unit using the unit menu in the Attributes palette.

To Create a Standard Pen:

1. Click on the Pen tab of the Attributes palette.
2. Select the standard pen stroke type to access its respective manager.
3. Use the standard stroke manager controls to define the new stroke.
4. Click the Add Preset button to add this new stroke to the Presets palette.

Standard Pen Stroke Controls

Use these options to define standard strokes.

To Create a Calligraphic Stroke:

1. Enter a value in the Weight field or drag the blue arrows in the edit box. The Weight refers to the thickness of the stroke.
2. Enter a value in the Width field or drag the red arrow in the edit box. The Width refers to the thinnest part of the stroke. The Width should differ from the Weight.
3. Enter a value (in degrees) in the Angle field. You can also adjust the angle by moving the blue arrows or red arrows in a circular motion. Typically, the angle is set to 45 degrees.
4. Select endcaps and line joins for the pen stroke. For an explanation of the various cap and join choices, see Standard Pen Stroke Controls.
5. Click Add Preset when you are completed.

Choosing Line Joins and End Caps

For standard pen strokes and calligraphic strokes, you can specify the type of line joins and end caps. Line joins determine the appearance of two path segments that meet at a corner. End caps specify the shape of the endpoints of an open path.

Line Joins

Canvas X Draw has three types of line joins: miter, round, and bevel. For preset pen strokes, Canvas X Draw indicates the type of line join in the respective manager in the Attributes palette.

• Miter: Joins path segments with sharp corners that extend to a single point. When you choose miter joins, the Miter Limit field is enabled. Enter the miter limit in degrees (5, 10, 30, 60, or 90 degrees).

The miter limit setting tells Canvas X Draw which corners are too tight to miter; Canvas X Draw bevels these corners instead; i.e., if the miter limit is set to 10°, and two path segments join at an angle of 9°, Canvas X Draw bevels the corner rather than creating a miter join. The miter limit lets you prevent long, spiked corners that might result as a combination of a wide pen size and a small angle.

• Round: Smoothes corners, so the joint is rounded instead of pointed or flat.
• Bevel: Squares off path segment corners, so that the joint appears flat rather than rounded or pointed.

End Caps

Canvas X Draw has three types of end caps. For preset pen strokes, Canvas X Draw indicates the type of end cap in the respective manager in the Attributes palette.

• Flat: The end of the stroke is flush and square with the end of an open path or dash. By default, end caps use this setting.
• Round: A semi-circular cap extends half the pen width beyond the endpoint of an open path or dash.
• Square: The stroke tip is square, similar to the Flat option, but extends half the line width beyond the endpoint, like the Round option.
• Tapered: The stroke tip reduces in thickness to an endpoint. Tapered end caps are available for calligraphic pen strokes.

Customizing Parallel Line Strokes

You can create custom parallel line strokes using the Parallel manager in the Attributes palette. Specify the number of lines, color, dash pattern, and pen size of each line, and line spacing.

To Create Custom Parallel Line Strokes:

1. Open the Attributes palette, if necessary.
2. Click the Pen tab.
3. Select the Parallel line as the stroke type. The Parallel manager comes to the front.

Parallel Manager

Use these controls to create parallel line pen strokes.

Customizing Neon Strokes

You can create custom neon strokes using the Neon manager in the Attributes palette. Specify the width, colors, line joins, and end caps as well as create uniform and calligraphic neon strokes.

To make the stroke appear round, experiment with lighter inside colors and darker outside colors.

To Create Custom Neon Strokes:

1. Open the Attributes palette and select the Pen tab.
2. Select the Neon pen stroke type.
3. Use the Neon manager to define either a standard pen stroke or calligraphic stroke.
4. Select colors for the neon stroke from the pop-up palettes. Canvas X Draw blends these colors to create the neon effect.

Neon Manager

Use these options to define a Neon pen stroke.

Customizing Symbol Strokes

You can create custom symbol strokes using the Symbol manager in the Attributes palette. Select a symbol, and specify the width, color, gap, offset, angle and centerline of the stroke.

Symbol Manager

See Also:

• Applying Preset Strokes
• Attributes Palette