The Path panel is a robust interface for manipulating vector shapes and paths in Fireworks. The options in the Path panel allow you to create complex shapes by joining, combining, subtracting, selecting and manipulating vector shapes.

This section describes the new, improved Path panel and provides illustrated examples of each of the features so that you'll have a better understanding of how they work. Specifically, I cover the process of combining, altering, editing, and selecting vector shape paths. The Combine Paths section includes information about the existing features from Fireworks CS3, such as Join, Split, Union, Intersect, Punch, and Crop. I also outline how to use the brand new tools in Fireworks CS4: Divide, Exclude, and Trim Paths.

Next, you get a tour of the alter paths section, where I describe how to simplify paths, inset and expand paths, and convert strokes to fills. Then I cover a useful tool that allows you to invert paths (useful for creating clipping masks) and the creative effect of reversing the colors in gradients.

Fireworks CS4 includes some brand new vector manipulation tools that were previously only available in Adobe Illustrator. These handy tools allow you to extrude and blend paths. In addition, there's a new Fisheye Path tool that creates interesting lens effects and a Distort Path tool to redefine the shape of an existing vector object.

Finally, I go over the Edit points and Select Points tools, which make it easy to tell which paths are selected and allow you to control measurements as precise as half a pixel.

It's important to understand that you can use the Path panel with vector artwork created in other image editing programs (such as Illustrator) in addition to working with vector artwork that anyone creates in Fireworks.

The Path panel is new to Fireworks CS4. In earlier versions of Fireworks there were some basic vector manipulation operations available in the Modify > Combine Paths menu, (which are still available) but the new options in the Path panel allow you to perform more complex and creative path operations than ever before. The Path panel includes many exciting new tools that are not available in earlier versions of Fireworks (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. If it is not already open, choose Window > Others > Path to access the Path panel.

The Path panel includes tools for combining, altering, editing, and selecting vector shape paths. The Path panel is divided into sections, categorized by the different types of operations you can perform.

Requirements

In order to make the most of this article, you need the following software:

Fireworks CS4

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