QuickShapes Overview

QuickShapes are 'intelligent' shapes created using the QuickShape, Rectangle and Ellipse Tools. QuickShapes are different from normal shapes as they are not simply a set of points connected by lines. For example, if you draw a polygon QuickShape and you drag one of its corners, all the other corners move simultaneously. QuickShapes also contain other useful features. For example you can add curved corners to any QuickShape and warp their straight edges.

QuickShapes come in all shapes and sizes including ellipses, circles, rectangles, squares and polygons. Straight-sided QuickShapes can be made star-shaped too.

You can alter any QuickShape with the QuickShape Tool or the Selector Tool (if edit handles have been enabled, see Enabling edit handles).

Drawing QuickShapes

Drawing ellipses and circles

Drawing rectangles and squares

Drawing polygons

Drawing star-shaped polygons

Changing Ellipses and Circles

Changing an ellipse to a polygon

Scaling ellipses

Rotating ellipses

Stretching ellipses

Changing Rectangles, Squares and Polygons

Changing a rectangle into an ellipse

Scaling rectangles

Rotating rectangles

Adding curved corners to rectangles

Changing curved corners on a rectangle

Stretching rectangles

Scaling and rotating polygons

Changing the number of sides of a polygon

Adding curved corners to polygons

Changing curved corners on a polygon

Warping the edges of polygons

Warping the edges of rectangles

Changing a polygon into an ellipse

Moving the star points on a star-shaped polygon

Making a polygon star-shaped

Tip

If you want to change a QuickShape so it can be edited as a shape built from straight and curved lines, you need to convert it to simple shapes. See Converting QuickShapes to editable shapes.

Movies (not working in this version)

Drawing ellipses and circles

Drawing rectangles and squares

Drawing QuickShapes