PadFast -- Persistent And Dynamic Flash Actionscript Sketch Tablet
This readme covers the basic functionality of the PadFast Persistent And Dynamic Flash Actionscript Sketch Tablet. This is not a comprehensive user manual, but is intended to familiarize users with the functionality of the PadFast drawing features and components.
For details on how to get PadFastConvert with support for conversion of PadFast drawings
to JPEG, PNG, and static/dynamic SWF image formats, contact jerryscript1@yahoo.com
PadFastConvert is currently seeking hosting partnerships around the world.
PadFastConvert can be integrated into most server packages with ease,
and can be used in file managers, dynamic content creation, website enhancement,
image creation and manipulation, and more.
Contents------------
1 - Overview
2 - Drawing Tools
3 - File Tools
4 - Keyboard Hotkeys
5 - Known Bugs / To-Do List
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1 - Overview
PadFast is a basic drawing pad application that allows you to create and combine up to
ten (10) different drawings using five (5) different drawing tools. Each drawing can be
saved, edited, and combined with the other drawings. PadFast can be used as a doodle pad,
a concept-scratch-pad, and with conversion tools available from the author, a basic image
creation/manipulation tool.
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2 - Drawing Tools
PadFast has 5 basic drawing tools which can be used to create an infinite number of shapes.
The current tool is displayed in the lower left corner. Each tool can be activated by it's
corresponding keyboard hotkey (see below).
Pen - Use the pen tool to manually draw lines while dragging the mouse across the canvas.
Click at the point you want to start drawing, then hold the left-mouse-button down
as you move the mouse around the canvas. Release the left-mouse-button when finished.
The pen tool can be activate at any time by pressing the "p" key on your keyboard.
Line - Use the line tool to draw straight lines between two points. Left-click at the point you
want to begin the line, then while keeping the left-mouse-button down, move the mouse
pointer to the point you want the line to end. Release the left-mouse-button to finish.
The line tool can be activate at any time by pressing the "l" key on your keyboard.
Curve - Use the curve tool to draw curves (quadratic bezier) between two points. Left-click at
the point you want to begin the curve, then while keeping the left-mouse-button down,
move the mouse pointer to the point you want the curve to end. Release the
left-mouse-button to finish. The curve tool can be activate at any time by pressing
the "c" key on your keyboard.
Oval - Use the oval tool to draw ovals and circles. Left click at the center point of the
oval, then while keeping the left-mouse-button down, move the mouse pointer
till the oval is the desired shape. Release the left-mouse-button to finish.
Holding the "shift" key while drawing with the oval tool will create a circle.
The oval tool can be activate at any time by pressing the "o" key on your keyboard.
Rectangle - Use the rectangle tool to draw rectangles and squares. Left click at the point you
want to begin one corner of the rectangle, then while keeping the left-mouse-button down,
move the mouse pointer to the point you want opposite corner to be. Release the
left-mouse-button to finish. Holding the "shift" key while drawing with the rectangle
tool will create a square. The rectangle tool can be activate at any time by pressing
the "r" key on your keyboard.
PadFast shapes can be drawn with various line thicknesses and colors. Line thickness can be set
by pressing the numbers 1-9. The current line thickness is displayed in the lower left corner
and is demonstrated by the RGB color picker tool's thickness (see below).
RGB Color Picker - The line in the lower left corner below the current tool display and above the
current line thickness display is an RGB Color Picker which can be used to set the current line
and fill color. The RGB Color Picker's thickness while docked represents the current line
thickness setting. Move the mouse pointer over the RGB Color Picker and it will scale to full
size. You can drag the RGB Color Picker around the stage in order to select/match colors with
your current drawing. Use the red, green, and blue sliders to set the current line and fill
color. When the mouse pointer leaves the RGB Color Picker, it will return to it's dockedposition.
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3 - File Tools
PadFast allows you to save up to 10 drawings in memory for future use and/or combining with other
drawings in memory. There are 5 file tools you can use to manage these files:
Save - Use the save button to save the current drawing to memory
NOTE -- pressing the save button will overwrite any shapes in the current drawing's memory
Next - Use the next button to load the next drawing in memory onto the canvas
NOTE -- holding the shift key when pressing the next button will add the next drawing
to the canvas without removing currently drawn shapes, use this feature to
combine one or all of the 10 stored images
holding the control key when pressing the next button will move the file indicator
to the next drawing in memory without loading it onto the canvas
useful for copying one drawing to another
Previous - Use the previous button to load the previous drawing in memory onto the canvas
NOTE -- holding the shift key when pressing the previous button will add the previous
drawing to the canvas without removing currently drawn shapes, use this feature
to combine one or all of the 10 stored images
holding the control key when pressing the previous button will move the file
indicator to the next drawing in memory without loading it onto the canvas
useful for copying one drawing to another
Erase - Use the erase button to clear the current image's shapes from memory
NOTE -- erasing stored image's shape data cannot be undone!!
Reload - Use the reload button to load the current image's shapes from memory
NOTE -- holding the shift key while pressing the reload button will add the current
image's shapes from memory without removing the currently drawn shapes, use this
feature to combine/edit image's shapes If you do not hold the shift key down
while pressing reload, the canvas is cleared before reloading the image's shapes
holding the control key when pressing the reload button will no do anything
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4 Keyboard Hotkeys
PadFast uses keys on the keyboard ("hotkeys") to control various PadFast settings. The following
list details which keyboard keys are "hotkeys" and which PadFast settings they affect.
"p" - activates the Pen drawing tool
"l" - activates the Line drawing tool
"c" - activates the Curve drawing tool
"r" - activates the Rectangle drawing tool
"o" - activates the Oval drawing tool
"f" - changes the drawings fill between true/false (see the indicator in the lower left corner)
"g" - turns the grid on and off
"s" - turns the "SnapTo" feature on and off, "SnapTo" snaps the drawing start/end points
to the grid (even if the grid is not visible)
"z" - removes the most recently drawn shape, continue pressing to continue removing shapes
"x" - clears all shapes off the canvas
"m" - turns "Modification Mode" on and off, "Modification Mode" currently allows you to
reposition shapes by dragging them around the stage, or delete them by holding down
the shift key as you click on them
"shift"- use with various tools to affect their usage
oval tool while holding the "shift" key makes circles
rectangle tool while holding the "shift" key makes rectangles
clicking on file tools + "shift" adds the file to the canvas without erasing
while in modification mode, "shift" + clicking on a shape deletes the shape
"contol"- use with various tools to affect their usage
file tools + "control" moves between drawings without loading them onto the canvas
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5 Known Bugs / To-Do List
PadFast is currently in beta-testing, and as such has bugs, some of which are known and are
currently being addressed, others will become apparent as beta-testing continues.
Please send any bugs you may find to the above email address, and thankyou for your help!
1/12/04 Fixed -- 1/11/04 Ovals/Circles are not drawn from data in SharedObject correctly.
1/11/04 RGB Color Picker is difficult to activate when linethickness is set to 1
Have set default linethickness to 2 for now, will address as alpha support is added
1/11/04 File buttons are not affected by undo function
Use undo ("z" hotkey) repeatedly to remove shapes added via file buttons
Need to add undo support so that inadvertent clearing of the canvas can be fixed
1/11/04 No redo function, will add by pre-release version (current code is buggy)
1/12/04 Somewhat Fixed -- 1/11/04 No way to select individual shapes for modifying
Still needs work, but for now, use the "m" hotkey to enter modification mode
While in modification mode you can drag shapes around the stage (doesn't update so),
or delete them by holding the "shift" key as you click on them (buggy)
1/11/04 No way to set alpha value for current drawing color, need to update RGB Color Picker
1/11/04 No way to add external image files, need to add loadjpeg support
1/11/04 No way to add text, need to add text tool, must consider embed font method (loadMovie?)
1/11/04 No way to select fill color other than by setting line color, need to add option
1/11/04 No way to add gradients, need to add gradient color tool (possible post-release)