Adobe Flash Professional CC 2014 v.13.0 - Manual (Page 484)

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Shape recognition turns the top shapes into the bottom shapes.
Smoothing softens curves and reduces bumps or other variations in a curve’s overall direction. It also reduces the number of segments in a curve.
Smoothing is relative, however, and has no effect on straight segments. It is particularly useful when you are having trouble reshaping a number of
very short curved line segments. Selecting all the segments and smoothing them reduces the number of segments, producing a gentler curve that
is easier to reshape.
Repeated application of smoothing or straightening makes each segment smoother or straighter, depending on how curved or straight each
segment was originally.
To smooth the curve of each selected stroke, select the Selection tool and click the Smooth modifier in the Options section of the Tools
panel. Each click of the Smooth modifier button makes the selected stroke progressively smoother.
To enter specific parameters for a smoothing operation, choose Modify > Shape > Smooth. In the Smooth dialog box, enter values for the
Smooth Angles Above, Smooth Angles Below, and Smoothing Strength parameters.
To make small straightening adjustments on each selected fill outline or curved line, select the Selection tool and click the Straighten
modifier in the Options section of the Tools panel.
To enter specific parameters for a straightening operation, choose Modify > Shape > Straighten. In the Straighten dialog box, enter a value
for the Straighten Strength parameter.
To use shape recognition, select the Selection tool and click the Straighten modifier , or select Modify > Shape > Straighten.
Optimize curves
Optimizing smooths curves by refining curved lines and filling outlines, reducing the number of curves used to define these elements. Optimizing
curves also reduces the size of the Flash Professional document (FLA file) and the exported Flash Professional application (SWF file). Apply
optimization to the same elements multiple times.
1. Select the drawn elements to optimize and select Modify > Shape > Optimize.
2. To specify the degree of smoothing, drag the Optimization Strength slider. The results depend on the curves selected. Generally, optimizing
produces fewer curves, with less resemblance to the original outline.
3. To display a message indicating the number of segments in the selection before and after the optimization, select the Show Totals Message
option. Flash Professional displays the message after the operation completes.
4. Click OK.
Modify shapes
1. To convert lines to fills, select a line or multiple lines and select Modify > Shape > Convert Lines To Fills. Selected lines are converted to
filled shapes, which allows you to fill lines with gradients or to erase a portion of a line. Converting lines to fills can make file sizes larger, but
it can also speed up drawing for some animations.
2. To expand the shape of a filled object, select a filled shape, and select Modify > Shape > Expand Fill. Enter a value in pixels for Distance
and select Expand or Inset For Direction. Expand enlarges the shape, and Inset reduces it.
This feature works best on a single, small, filled color shape with no stroke, that does not contain many small details.
3. To soften the edges of an object, select a filled shape, and select Modify > Shape > Soften Fill Edges. Set the following options:
Distance The width, in pixels, of the soft edge.
Number Of Steps Controls how many curves are used for the soft edge effect. The more steps you use, the smoother the effect. Increasing
steps also creates larger files and slows drawing.
Expand Or Inset Controls whether the shape is enlarged or reduced to soften the edges.
This feature works best on a single filled shape that has no stroke, and can increase the file size of a Flash Professional document and the
resulting SWF file.
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