.õEtchelon TRACERThis section contains a description of the menu commands.File MenuNew (N) - Open empty Etchelon TRACER document.Clear Frame - Clears current frame of all vectors.Clear Trace Image - Clears the image associated with current frame. Close (W) - Close Etchelon TRACER document. You will be prompted to save your data before the window closes. Open... (O) - Opens a Etchelon TRACER file of vector frames (and will load any Trace Images in the same directory or within a folder called "Images").Open Trace Image... (T) - Opens a PICT file for the current frame - this image is used for tracing and providing the "fill" for bitmap shapes. Save (S) - Saves a TRACER file of frames and all Trace Images. Save As... - Saves all frames in a TRACER file with a new name and all Trace Images. SHIFT Save As will save just the TRACER file with no Trace Images. Export Frame Image... - Saves current frame vector data as a PICT image. Save Trace Image... - Saves current Trace Image as PICT image. Export Frame Data... - Export a frame's vector information Import Frame Data... - Imports vector information to current frame. This data is appended to any existing data. Quit (Q) - Quits the program. You will be prompted to save your data before the program quits. Edit MenuUndo (Z), Cut (X), Copy (C), Paste (V), Select All (A) and Clear work with text fields.Undo (Z) - Restores drawing and removes last edit or vector addition. This is a single level undo. Frequent saves are recommended. Exit edit mode before using. Cut (X) - Cuts selected vector (when selected - see the "Help/Concepts" section). It also copies a copy of the object as a PICT to the clipboard. This image can be pasted into other Mac applications or pasted onto the Trace Image. However the "Vector" data must first be deleted from the paste buffer. This is done by SHIFT Delete or SHIFT Clear. Then the Paste command will paste the clipboard into the Trace Image. Copy (C) - Copies selected vector (when selected). See above for description of the Copy to clipboard. Paste (V) - Pastes the vectors in the buffer to the current frame. Also pastes pictures as Trace Images from other applications although this facility is only available until the first vector Cut command or after a SHIFT Delete or SHIFT Clear - this clears the vector data from the paste buffer. (See Cut above). During Morph Replay Mode (see below) V captures the vectors of the in-between morph and asves it to the capture frame (default number 35 but can be changed in Morph Window)Group (G)- Groups a set of vectors and shapes together to form an object. To select group candidates, press SHIFT while selecting vectors and shapes. An object, once formed, can then be a sub-component of another object. Note that Objects do not affect the trace image when moved or rotated even when containing bitmap shapes. Ungroup (U)- Breaks a grouped object back into vectors, shapes and objects.Bring to Front - Moves the currently selected vector to the front drawing position (see Order and Append vector commands). Send to Back - Moves the currently selected vector to the back drawing position (see Order command).Bring Forwards (=) - Moves the currently selected vector/shape/object one place forwards in the drawing position (see Order commands). Send Bacwards (-)- Moves the currently selected vector/shape/object one place backwards in the drawing position (see Order commands).Order (Y) - Provides a window which shows the structure of the frame. The highest numbered vector is the front-most vector. The order of vectors within a frame is very important for animation: the order of vectors in both source and destination frames must correspond exactly otherwise morphing occurs and destroys the animation illusion. Drag and drop provides Bring to front / Send to Back functions. Vectors and shapes can also be selected and deleted. The Sequence button identifies runtime "hotspots". View MenuDisplay Image (\) - Switch on or off Trace Image. This command helps with tracing an image. Display Vectors (/) - Switch on or off vector graphics. This command helps with tracing with an image below. Display Filled Shapes (D) - Switch on or off filled-shape viewing. This command is helpful when tracing and morphing - switch off for a morph preview - if there are a lot of filled shapes or bitmap shapes then the morph can be quite slow on some older Macs.Display Bitmap Shapes - Switch on or off bitmap-shape viewing. This command is helpful when tracing - switch off to improve screen refresh performance which can be slow even on fast Macs. Display Outline - Displays shapes with an outline colour (selectable in the Draw Menu). Warning: filled shapes of a white colour are invisible unless this option is on. Nb Bitmap shapes do not display an outline while morphing. Bold - Bold lines on or off. When Bold is off, all lines are one pixel wide. This command also available on Command Palette where different line thicknesses can be selected. Zoom In - View vector graphics in finer detail. Command also available on Command Palette where further zoom scales can be selected. Zoom Out - Return to full size. Command also available on Command Palette. Grid - Switches on or off a grid for drawing assistance. Next Frame - Move to next frame. This command is also available from the Command palette. (If the next frame is empty, holding the SHIFT key down and selecting the palette icon will copy the current frame to the next frame). Previous Frame - Move to previous frame. This command is also available from the Command palette. Frame Overview... (F) - Opens a window to overview all frames. It also allows drag and drop copying of frames and frame deletion. The cursor changes to indicate function available (eg hand or pointer) (If the cursor does not change when over different parts of the window, click on the window header bar to make the window active). Set Frame Size... - Displays a window which allows you to set a specifc frame size. The "output frame size" can be set to the same size or "reduced" - reducing output to an anti-aliased, third of full size.Trace Image Title... - Displays a window which allows you to change the title of the Trace Image displayed in the Main Window header bar and used for the file name of saved Trace Images.Draw Menu Line/Arc Pen (I) - Enables or disables the Line/Arc Pen Mode which allows drawing of straight lines or simple arcs. The cursor will change to a Pen cursor when active. (See "Drawing" below). This command is also available from the Command Palette. Resume Pen - Resumes drawing, appending to the "front" vector (see "Edit Menu/Order" command). Freedom Pen (J) - Enables or disables the freehand Pen which follows your mouse movements when the mouse button is depressed. The cursor will change to a Freedom Pen cursor when active. (See "Help/Concepts"). This command is also available from the Command Palette. Warning: this command uses up vector points very quickly! Colour / Fill ... (K)- Opens window to allow selection of colour and fill. Colours can be changed by SHIFT click on the colour table. This command also allows selection of either line drawing (and line type) or filled shape (and fill type). This command can be activated during line/arc pen use. It is also available from the Command Palette. Arc(R) - Changes line type to one of two types of arc or a straight line: can be used in Line/Arc Pen Mode or Edit mode. (See "Help/Concepts"). Outline Colour (L) - Changes a filled shape's outline colour to one of eight colours. (Colour change can be seen on the Command Palette colour/fill icon). Text - Inserts letter and number shapes. When this option is selected, the cursor changes to a pointer with a letter "a". Position and size the text by a click and drag action with the cursor. A window will appear to allow text entry. Select "OK" to insert the text. Invert - Inverts all vectors in current frame along a vertical axis. If a vector is selected, this command inverts just that vector. Mirror - Mirrors all vectors in current frame along a horizontal axis. If a vector is selected, this command mirrors just that vector. Onion Skin - Allows an outline of another frame's vector graphics to act as a guide for further drawing. Once this option is selected, move the cursor to the Frame Navigator and double click on another frame. Morph Menu Morph (M) - This allows a morph/animation from one frame to another while also being able to set background and other options. Note that for multi-frame morphs you should set up a "Sequence" and that is executed using the "Run Sequence" command. (see below). The Morph (M) command opens Morph Control window to allow the specification of number of steps, destination frame and easy access to other windows such as Background and Frame Size. This command is also available from the Command Palette (Morph icon). A facility also allows you to save an intermediate frame during a morph (default is the frame half way through). The intermediate frame overwrites the data in the selected frame. (default frame is number 35). Holding the mouse button when over the Frame Navigator bar is a quick way to allow you to morph from any frame to any other frame. (See "Help/Morph Advice").Replay- After a Morph, you can replay each individual frame in Morph Replay mode. This command which is also available on the Command Palette enters are the 50% morph point, click on the < and > icons, use the -/+ keys or the 1-9 keys to change the percentage position. Exit Replay mode by clicking the pointer icon, W or ESC.Sequence... (E) - Open Sequence Control Drag and Drop Window. (See "Sequencing" within the "Help/Concepts" section). This command is also available from the Command Palette (Robot icon). Run Sequence - Executes sequence control statements. This command is also available from the Command Palette (SHIFT Robot icon). For long sequences, the control can be aborted by re-selecting the menu option. Sequences can also be "fast forwarded" by depressing the SHIFT key. (This removes any delays in the sequence and cuts the number of steps in transitions). Background... (B) - Specifies the type of background to be used during a morph - either white, a Trace Image, a PICT file or a series of PICT files (for example, the output of Movie-to-PICT or an earlier set of Tracer morph output files - see the Concepts section). Output to file... - Prompts for filename for output. All subsequent morphs are recorded to disk in separate (numbered) files until this option is selected again. Use the PICT to Movie utility (or similar utility) to create QT movies. (See Frame Size and Background options - these both affect the final form of the output files).Have you read the "Concepts" section yet? It is also under the Help Menu.
