Adobe InDesign CS4 - Manual (Page 325)

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Chapter 11: Drawing
With drawing tools, you have complete control over the shape, stroke (outline), and fill of any object you draw. All
graphics options in the Toolbox are available for any object you draw, whether it’s a path for an independent graphic
or a container frame for text or graphics. Use either Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign CS4 to draw paths, and freely
copy and paste them between applications.
Understanding paths and shapes
Types of paths and shapes
You can create paths and combine them in a variety of ways in InDesign. InDesign creates the following types of paths
and shapes:
Simple paths Simple paths are the basic building blocks of compound paths and shapes. They consist of one open or
closed path, which may be self-intersecting.
Compound paths Compound paths consist of two or more simple paths that interact with or intercept each other.
They are more basic than compound shapes and are recognized by all PostScript-compliant applications. Paths
combined in a compound path act as one object and share attributes (such as colors or stroke styles).
Compound shapes Compound shapes consist of two or more paths, compound paths, groups, blends, text outlines,
text frames, or other shapes that interact with and intercept one another to create new, editable shapes. Some
compound shapes appear as compound paths, but their component paths can be edited on a path-by-path basis and
do not need to share attributes.
Types of paths and shapes
A. Three simple paths B. Compound path C. Compound shape
For a video tutorial on working with objects, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0071 .
See also
Working with Objects video
About paths
As you draw, you create a line called a path. A path is made up of one or more straight or curved segments. The
beginning and end of each segment are marked by anchor points, which work like pins holding a wire in place. A path
can be closed (for example, a circle), or open, with distinct endpoints (for example, a wavy line).
A B C
Updated 18 June 2009