User Guide

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ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS 5.0
User Guide
Selecting and modifying paint tools
You can select options for painting in various locations: the Vector Paint toolbar, the
contextual menu, the Effect Controls window, and the Timeline window. You can also
choose how your painting work appears on screen as you create it. For more information
on setting work views, see “Selecting viewing options” on page 439.
The Vector Paint toolbar appears in the Composition window when Vector Paint is
selected in the Effect Controls window. This toolbar includes ten buttons when a painting
tool is selected, but only four buttons if no tool is selected. For information on the
functions of these buttons, see “Selecting a painting tool” on page 421, “Specifying a Brush
type” on page 422, and “Editing your paint work” on page 424.
Note: The Vector Paint contextual menu contains some unique commands and settings that
are not otherwise accessible. Open this by clicking the Vector Paint toolbar button ( ) or by
right-clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking (Mac OS) in the Composition window when a
painting tool is selected.
Selecting a painting tool
You can use three tools to work with paint:
Selection tool ( ) Select a stroke by clicking or dragging across it. You can drag across
several strokes to select them simultaneously. You select strokes in order to edit or delete
them.
Paint tool ( ) Paint directly on the layer, using settings defined in the Effect Controls
window. When you use the Paint tool, the pointer appears as a circle (or square) in the
actual size of the brush.
Eraser tool ( ) Erase areas of the layer, using Brush Type settings defined in the Effect
Controls window. The Eraser pointer appears as a circle with an X through it. If you are
using an installed tablet with stylus eraser support, Vector Paint automatically switches to
eraser mode when you use the stylus eraser.
Clicking the active tool (Selection, Paint, or Brush) deactivates painting and hides the
other buttons on the Vector Paint toolbar. You can then drag and scale the layer. To return
to working with Vector Paint, select one of the three Vector Paint tool buttons again, and the
entire Vector Paint toolbar reappears.
UG.book Page 421 Wednesday, February 21, 2001 12:05 PM