Just because Macromedia FreeHand installs with certain settings doesn't mean you have to keep them the way you found them. FreeHand gives you a wealth of choices as to how your application operates.
In addition to the custom toolbars and keyboard commands covered in Chapter 32, FreeHand gives you many different preference settings for working with the program.
Some of these preferences are just cosmetic - that is, they only affect the look and feel of how you work with the program.
Other preferences are more substantial and can change the way files are exported or copied.
Some of the preferences cover very esoteric actions. If you don't understand what a preference setting does, it's best to leave it the way it was set during installation. That default setting is almost always the way most people will need to work.
Undo's lets you set the number of actions that can be reversed.
Pick distance controls, in pixels, how close the cursor has to come to manipulate a point.
Snap distance controls how close the cursor has to come when snapping one object to another.
Smoother editing allows faster screen redraw of objects on the page but uses more memory
Highlight selected paths displays paths and points in the color of the layer they are on
Smaller handles changes how the control handles of points are displayed
Show solid points reverses how FreeHand displays selected and unselected points. When this option is off, selected points are hollow. When it is on, selected points are solid
Smart cursors changes how the cursors for the tools are displayed
Double-click enables transform handles gives you the transformation handles when you double-click on an object (see page 136).
Dynamic scrollbar lets you see your artwork as you drag the scrollbars of the window.
Remember layer info means an object copied and pasted from one document to another will be pasted onto the same layer it originally had.
Dragging a guide scrolls the window means that if you drag a guide into a ruler, you move to a different section of the artwork.
Right mouse button magnification (Win) allows you to click-drag with the right mouse button pressed to define an area to be enlarged.
Changing object changes defaults means that if you change an object's fill or stroke, the next object has those attributes.
Groups transform as unit by default means that all items in a group transform together, but this may result in unwanted distortions.
Join non-touching paths means when you Join non-touching objects, Free Hand draws a line between the two nearest points.
Path operations consume original paths means that when you apply path operations commands, the original paths are deleted.
Opt/Alt-drag copies paths controls whether holding the Opt/Alt key while dragging or transforming creates a duplicate of the object.
Show fill for new open paths allows you to see the fill in open paths. Only those paths drawn after changing this preference display the fills.
Warn before launch and edit controls whether the External Editor automatically opens when you double-click imported files.
Edit Locked Objects allows the stroke and fill attributes of locked objects to be modified. Also text within a locked text block can be modified.
External Editor menu selects the application that opens when you double-click imported files.
Default line weights field controls the sizes, in points, in the Stroke Widths submenu.
Auto-apply style to selected objects controls how an object is used to define a new style.
Define style based on selection means that a style takes its attributes from the selected object.
Always use Text Editor means that the Text Editor appears when you click with the text tool.
Track tab movement with vertical line means a line extends through the text when tab stops are placed on the ruler
Show text handles when text ruler is off lets you see the text block handles even if the text ruler is turned off
New text containers auto-expand means that if you click to create a text block, the text block will expand as you type.
Text tool reverts to Pointer causes the Text tool to change to the Pointer tool when it is moved outside the text block.
Display Font Preview shows a representation of the font when you choose it in the font menus
"Smart quotes" and its pop-up menu allows you to have FreeHand substitute typographer quotes or guillemets instead of plain tick marks
Build paragraph styles based on controls whether styles are defined by the first paragraph or the shared attributes of the text block.
Dragging a paragraph style changes controls whether the whole text block or a single paragraph changes when you drag a style icon.
Restore last view when opening document prompts FreeHand to remember the last view of a document before it was closed.
Remember window size and location prompts FreeHand to remember the size and position of the window that holds the file.
New document template lets you change the file that FreeHand uses for the defaults file.
Changing the view sets the active page means that as you scroll or change pages, the page that comes into view will be the active page.
Using tools sets the active page means that if you use a tool on a page, that page is active.
Always review unsaved documents upon Quit means that you will be presented with a dialog box prompting you to save each unsaved document when you quit
Search for missing links (Mac) lets you set which folder to search through for graphics that have lost their links to the original image.
Convert editable EPS when imported means that, when possible, placed EPS files are converted to objects that you can select.
Embed images and EPS upon import means that the information necessary to print those graphics is embedded directly in the FreeHand document-not linked.
Convert PICT patterns to grays (Mac) converts the bitmapped patterns from MacDraw Pro and Canvas into a gray color.
DXF import options (Mac) control how objects are converted from the DXF format when they are imported into FreeHand.
PDF import options control how objects are converted from the PDF format when they are imported into FreeHand.
Clipboard paste format (Win) controls which formats FreeHand imports from the clipboard.
Save file thumbnails creates a preview of the artwork, visible in the File > Open dialog box.
Bitmap export lets you set the default attributes for exporting files in bitmapped format.
Bitmap PICT previews (Mac) changes the preview of files exported to programs such as QuarkXPress or Adobe PageMaker. This means faster redraw.
(Mac) Include Portfolio preview means that a preview is created for the program Extensis Portfolio.
UserPrep file field lets you choose the file FreeHand looks for when printing.
Override Output Options when printing (Mac) lets you choose between binary and ASCII image data. Your files print faster if you choose binary.
Clipboard output/copy formats controls the information on the Clipboard when you switch to another application.
Convert Colors/EPScolor space lets you save your colors in the various formats.
Find duplicate words controls whether the checker finds errors such as "the the."
Find capitalization errors controls whether the checker finds mistakes such as "Really? how did that happen?"
Add words to dictionary exactly as typed means that case-sensitive words such as "FreeHand" or "QuickStart" are entered with capitalization intact.
Add words to dictionary all lowercase means the words are not case sensitive.
The boxes for Guide color or Grid color open color pickers where you can choose the colors for guides and grid dots.
Color List shows Container color means that when a text block is selected, the Fill color shows the color of the text block.
Color List shows Text color means that when a text block is selected, the Fill color in the Color List shows the fill color of the text, not the block.
Auto-rename [changed] colors means that the names of colors automatically change when their CMYK or RGB values change.
Color Mixer/Tints panel uses split color well allows you to compare any changes to a color in the Color Mixer with the original color.
Dither 8-bit colors (Mac) improves how colors are displayed onscreen if you are working on a monitor with only 256 colors.
Color management gives you options for how colors are displayed onscreen.
Remember location of zipped panels allows a panel to occupy one location when zipped, and a different, unzipped location.
Show Tool Tips shows explanations of what the icons in the toolbars mean when your cursor passes over them
Clicking on a layer name moves selected objects means you do not have to use the options pop-up on the layer panel to change the layer an object inhabits.
Better display means that Graduated and Radial fills are displayed in smoother blends
Display text effects means that special effects such as Inline and Zoom are visible.
Redraw while scrolling means that you see your artwork as you scroll instead of after you finish scrolling.
Smart image preview resolution lets you choose low-, medium-, high-, or fullresolution previews of TIFF images
Display overprinting objects means that Os aresdisplayed when an object is set to overprint
Image RAMcache (Win) controls the amount of RAM set aside for the import of images from other applications.
Greek type below controls the size at which text is greeked or displayed as a gray band
Preview drag field controls how many items are displayed as a preview as they are moved or transformed
TIP
Press and release the Opt/Alt key as you drag to see a preview of all the items regardless of how the preferences are set.
FreeHand lets you hear sounds when you snap to different objects such as grids, points, and guides. The pop-up menu next to each action lets you choose the sound for that action.
None turns off the sound.
Play lets you preview the sound.
Snap sounds enabled turns on the sounds for all the choices.
Play sounds when mouse is up plays the sound whenever the cursor passes over the object, even if the mouse button is not pressed. (Very noisy!)
TIP
While most changes you make to the Preferences settings take effect in your document immediately, they are not saved to your hard disk until you quit FreeHand.
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