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Ellipse Controls

Using the Ellipse Controls

Many of the Dream Suite effects use on-screen Ellipse paths to control the way an effect is applied to an image.
 
Scale Cursor

Scale: This double-sided arrow cursor is used to scale or reshape the ellipse. Holding down the ALT key will constrain the aspect ratio to a perfect circle.
Constrain Cursor

Constrain Shape: Resizes keeping the current shape in a constrained aspect ratio.
Rotate Cursor

Rotate: Allows you to rotate the ellipse in any direction.
Move Cursor

Move: Allows you to move the ellipse in any direction.
 

Below are some examples of the various points from which you can affect the ellipse paths.
Ellipse Control Points
Ellipse Control PointsEllipse Control Points
 

The active ellipse control is always black. Inactive controls are blue. In some effects, you can use Edit>Bring to Front or Send to Back to layer the ellipse controls on top or behind each other. commands.

As with all bezier-based path controls in Dream Suite, you many extend the ellipse past the document canvas on to the desktop. This is useful for shaping the effect in specific ways or in having only part of an effect go onto the canvas from the desktop.
 
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By Joe Cilinceon, © August 8, 2002