Using Grids

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A grid is a set of crisscrossing vertical and horizontal lines that acts as a guide for drawing and positioning elements, the way that graph paper functions in the nondigital world. Flash also uses the grid to align objects when you activate the Snap to Grid feature. The grid does not appear in your final movie.

To make grids visible:

Do one of the following:

• From the View menu, choose Grid > Show Grid.

• Press -apostrophe (') (Mac) or Ctrl-apostrophe (') (Windows).

  A check indicates that this feature is on. Flash displays a set of crisscrossing lines as part of the Stage (Figure 1.20).

  Figure 1.20. Choosing View > Grid > Show Grid (left) makes the grid lines visible on the Stage (right).

  

To set grid color :

1. From the View menu, choose Grid > Edit Grid, or press Option- -G (Mac) or Ctrl-Alt-G (Windows).

   The Grid dialog box appears (Figure 1.21).

   Figure 1.21. Choose View > Grid > Edit Grid to open the Grid dialog box and change grid parameters.

   

2. Click the Color box.

   The pointer changes to an eyedropper, and a pop-up box of swatches appears (Figure 1.22).

   Figure 1.22. To select a new grid color, with the eyedropper pointer, click anywhere in the pop-up set of swatches or on the Stage. The pop-up color-swatch menu displays the currently selected color set.

   

3. Position the eyedropper pointer over a color swatch or over an item on the Stage. (For more information on selecting colors, see Chapter 3.)

4. Click the swatch or the item on the Stage.

   The color beneath the pointer when you click appears in the Color box. Flash uses the selected color to create the grid lines on the Stage.

5. Click OK.

To set grid spacing:

1. Follow step 1 of the preceding exercise to open the Grid dialog box.

2. Enter a value in the Width field.

3. Enter a value in the Height field (Figure 1.23).

   Figure 1.23. Enter values in the Width and Height fields to set grid spacing.

   

   The width and height values define the spacing of the grid. Note that the grid need not consist of perfect squares.

4. Click OK.

Tip

• In the Grid dialog box, click the Save Default button to make your settings for grids the default for all new documents.

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