| ThingMaker Documentation Chapter 7) Windows and Palettes

| Shape Tool The Shape Tool creates polygonal Shapes in the Scene Window which can be used as Things. It is the only Tool in this program that creates media. When you create a Shape in the Scene, it turns into a Thing with its own Settings Sheet. Once you create a Shape, you can treat it like any other Thing; in other words, you can add actions, paths and color. You can also make Shapes transparent and use them as "hotspots" on top of other Things. Shapes can also be moved into the Gallery like all other Things.

Create a Shape
To create a Shape, click on the Shape Tool in the Tools Palette and move the cursor to the Scene Window. Click in the scene to create the first Control Point of the Shape. Release the mouse and move the cursor to another location. ThingMaker will draw a line that looks like a rubber band that's being stretched tightly. Click wherever you want to place another Control Point until you have the Shape you desire.

Finish the Shape
Finish the Shape by moving the cursor back to the starting point of the shape and clicking it once. You can also double click where you want the Shape to end. The program will create the end point and complete the Shape for you.

The Final Shape
The Settings Sheet will now be set to the new Shape. The program automatically fills in the Shape's color. You can alter the color and the thickness of the border around it on the Settings Sheet (see below). ThingMaker switches from the Shape Tool to the Pointer Tool when the Shape is completed.

Editing Shapes
Shapes are editable at any time. To edit a Shape, choose the Pointer Tool and click on the Shape you want to edit. When the Shape is selected, the Control Points of the Shape will appear as hollow squares. When you move the cursor onto one of the Control Points it changes into an arrow head. Click and drag the Control Point to a new location.

Shape Settings Sheet
The Shape Settings Sheet provides options for fill and border colors. You can establish border thickness and make the Shape invisible with the Transparent option. Invisible Shapes can also have Path and Actions attached to them. A transparent Shape can be used as a "hotspot" Window over another Thing.

You can also change the color of a Shape with the Color Tool.

Color Tool
The Color Tool is used to change the color of graphics, Shapes, and the Scene Window background.

Choosing Color
To use the Color Tool, click on the Color Tool Icon in the Tool Palette. A Window will appear beneath the Color Tool (see figure below) where you can pick your colors. To select a color, pick from one of the 20 default colors in the Color Picker. When you select a color, the round circle at the bottom of the Window will change to the color you selected. Another way to do this is to click the Other Button. This displays a Color Dialog Window where you can choose any color you want for your Thing.

Color Pickup Tool
You can also choose colors from any place on the screen by using the eye dropper-like Color Pickup Tool. To choose a color from the gallery, click and hold the mouse on the Color Pickup Tool. Continue to hold while dragging the cursor around the screen. As you drag the cursor, the Color Pickup Tool will select the color under the cursor and display it in the Color Circle. When you release the mouse, the color you picked up will become the selected color.

Applying color
Once you have chosen the color and have moved your mouse into the scene, the cursor becomes a paint brush. Move the cursor onto the Thing you want to color and click the mouse. Color can be applied to the background of the Scene, a graphic, or a Shape.

ThingMaker uses a custom 8-bit Palette to display all graphics. When working with color, any color that is chosen is mapped to the closest matching color in the ThingMaker Palette.

Closing the Color Tool
To switch out of the Color Tool and close the Color Picker Window, click on one of the other Tools.

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