Drawing Editor
Drawing Editor
You can add drawings that you have made with your mouse to your blog entries using the Drawing Editor. You can then save those drawings in the blog image directory or onto your computer so that you can use them for other entries.
*You will need the latest Flash player to be able to use the Drawing Editor.
If you do not already have a Flash player installed, you can download one from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
By clicking on the Drawing Editor icon in the entry editor tool panel a drawing palette will open up in a separate window.
You can set the size of the canvas as well as insert images in the settings window.
Feel free to set the width at any value up to 640px, however the aspect ratio is set at 4:3.
* The window will reload if you click on the Drawing Editor icon again.
Please be careful as your drawings will be erased if you close the window or reload midway through drawing before saving the drawing.
The following are tools available to you in the Drawing Editor. To use the tool just click on the corresponding icon.
The free hand tool is used to draw lines.
You can draw lines with a pen tool, 3D pen or spray pen.
The 3D pen gives shadows to the edges making them look 3D, but this effect may be hard to see with some dark or bright colours.
Eraser - Erases lines and drawings
Eyedropper - You can select/pick up a color by clicking on it with the eyedropper
Straight line tool - Drag your mouse in the desired direction to draw a straight line
Curved line tool - An arc will be drawn in the direction the mouse point is dragged
Bucket - Fill areas with colour that have been closed off by curved lines (If there are no curved lines the whole palette will be filled)
Shape tools - Used for drawing circles, triangles and squares
Undo - Will erase actions one by one in the order they were made. Can be undone with Redo.
Redo - Recovers actions erased by Undo.
The window under the drawing tools is the canvas.
The pen tool, eraser and each shape tool is used by dragging the mouse pointer.
After clicking on a tool icon, move your mouse to the canvas then click and drag the mouse point where you want to draw to draw or erase. Simple as that.
Please select colour, transparency, thickness and layers before drawing as you cannot change a line that has already been drawn.
The colour selected in the colour palette will be the colour for the pen tool, bucket tool and shape tools.
The set thickness will be the thickness used for the pen tool, eraser tool and shape tools.
The colour selected in the colour palette will be the colour for the pen tool, bucket tool and shape tools.
The set transparency will also be the transparency for the pen and shape tools.
If you increase the transparency and draw, layered colours will appear multiplied.
Layers are the levels of drawings.
A drawing drawn onto the same layer will simply be overlapped by any further addition. However the bigger the number the higher the levels go. Separating layers when you draw makes it convenient to adjust or avoid the overlapping of shapes and lines.
Also because you can control each layer you can also simultaneously raise the transparency of a bunch of layers or erase a layer individually. You can also use the Undo/Redo button for any changes made to the layers.
You can add an image (photo or drawing) using the settings before you open the canvas. (You cannot add images once the canvas has been opened).
To upload an image go to Step 2 in the default settings window.
Click on Browse and select the image you want to upload from your computer then click on the Upload button.
The image will not be added if you do not click on Upload or if you click on Start drawing ! before the upload is complete.
* jpg(jpeg), gif, png file formats are supported.
You can save your drawing to the data folder on your blog image directory once you have finished drawing using the Drawing Editor.
By saving a drawing to the blog image directory, you can access it again to use in another entry.
A dialogue box will be displayed asking whether you would like to save to the blog image directory. If you click Yes it will be saved and automatically placed in the Entry Edit area. The file name extension will be snap_blog id.
The file name extensions for the saved photos will be jpg or png.
* To confirm that your file has been saved go to the left menu in the control panel and go to Home > File Upload.
*Caution
You cannot redraw or add to the picture with the drawing tools once you have closed the window. You cannot temporarily save a drawing to come back later and work on it.
*You will need the latest Flash player to be able to use the Drawing Editor.
If you do not already have a Flash player installed, you can download one from Adobe Systems Incorporated.
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
Starting the Drawing Editor
By clicking on the Drawing Editor icon in the entry editor tool panel a drawing palette will open up in a separate window.
Canvas default settings
You can set the size of the canvas as well as insert images in the settings window.
Feel free to set the width at any value up to 640px, however the aspect ratio is set at 4:3.
* The window will reload if you click on the Drawing Editor icon again.
Please be careful as your drawings will be erased if you close the window or reload midway through drawing before saving the drawing.
Types of drawing tools and applications
The following are tools available to you in the Drawing Editor. To use the tool just click on the corresponding icon.
The free hand tool is used to draw lines.
You can draw lines with a pen tool, 3D pen or spray pen.
The 3D pen gives shadows to the edges making them look 3D, but this effect may be hard to see with some dark or bright colours.
Eraser - Erases lines and drawings
Eyedropper - You can select/pick up a color by clicking on it with the eyedropper
Straight line tool - Drag your mouse in the desired direction to draw a straight line
Curved line tool - An arc will be drawn in the direction the mouse point is dragged
Bucket - Fill areas with colour that have been closed off by curved lines (If there are no curved lines the whole palette will be filled)
Shape tools - Used for drawing circles, triangles and squares
Undo - Will erase actions one by one in the order they were made. Can be undone with Redo.
Redo - Recovers actions erased by Undo.
Illustration Methods and Settings
The window under the drawing tools is the canvas.
The pen tool, eraser and each shape tool is used by dragging the mouse pointer.
After clicking on a tool icon, move your mouse to the canvas then click and drag the mouse point where you want to draw to draw or erase. Simple as that.
Change Colour and Line Thickness
You can change the colour or thickness of a line using the drawing tools in the side menu.Please select colour, transparency, thickness and layers before drawing as you cannot change a line that has already been drawn.
Colour Palette
A new window will open when you click on the colour palette. You can choose a colour from the existing range or make your own colour using the RGB slider.The colour selected in the colour palette will be the colour for the pen tool, bucket tool and shape tools.
Line Thickness
The set thickness will be the thickness used for the pen tool, eraser tool and shape tools.
The colour selected in the colour palette will be the colour for the pen tool, bucket tool and shape tools.
Transparency
The set transparency will also be the transparency for the pen and shape tools.
If you increase the transparency and draw, layered colours will appear multiplied.
Use the right layers
Layers are the levels of drawings.
A drawing drawn onto the same layer will simply be overlapped by any further addition. However the bigger the number the higher the levels go. Separating layers when you draw makes it convenient to adjust or avoid the overlapping of shapes and lines.
Also because you can control each layer you can also simultaneously raise the transparency of a bunch of layers or erase a layer individually. You can also use the Undo/Redo button for any changes made to the layers.
Add an Image
You can add an image (photo or drawing) using the settings before you open the canvas. (You cannot add images once the canvas has been opened).
To upload an image go to Step 2 in the default settings window.
Click on Browse and select the image you want to upload from your computer then click on the Upload button.
The image will not be added if you do not click on Upload or if you click on Start drawing ! before the upload is complete.
* jpg(jpeg), gif, png file formats are supported.
Save Your Drawing
You can save your drawing to the data folder on your blog image directory once you have finished drawing using the Drawing Editor.
By saving a drawing to the blog image directory, you can access it again to use in another entry.
Saving to Your Blog
A dialogue box will be displayed asking whether you would like to save to the blog image directory. If you click Yes it will be saved and automatically placed in the Entry Edit area. The file name extension will be snap_blog id.
The file name extensions for the saved photos will be jpg or png.
* To confirm that your file has been saved go to the left menu in the control panel and go to Home > File Upload.
*Caution
You cannot redraw or add to the picture with the drawing tools once you have closed the window. You cannot temporarily save a drawing to come back later and work on it.