How to stay on the (Vector) Path using Adobe Fireworks CS4

Vector graphics are based on mathematical equations which use geometrical shapes such as circles, polygons, lines, points as to form images. Vector images do not get distorted, when resized and thus make these useful in custom web design where the same image may get used in different shapes.

Vector tools of Adobe Fireworks CS4 can be used to create amazing images. These images are created by simply combining paths and points over a given area on the screen and assigning properties such color, thickness, and shades etc. to them.

Vector tools in Adobe Fireworks CS4 can be found in the Tools panel along with a complete series of pre-built Auto Shapes. Unlike bitmap images vector images are easy to maneuver and thus becoming popular in web design service communities.

Use of Shapes
Instead of foreground and background, vector tools use Fill and Stroke to create an image. Web site designers use Property Inspector to design a vector shape with different choices and give forms with Stroke Settings.

Transform Tools
The Transform Tools from the Tools panel use Skew (drag and resize through skewing), Scale (to resize image), Distort (resizing by dragging corners), and the 9-Slice Scaling tools to change the shape of an image. The 9-Slice Scaling tools are useful to resize an image without deforming basic properties, like corner roundness etc.

Custom Shape
Custom shapes can be formed from two or more different vector shapes by using the Punch Command. The Fillet Points command can be used to curve corner points of a shape.

The Pen tool
The Pen tool helps to create custom shapes and paths by drawing with the mouse pointer and allow editing the shape with anchor points. The Straight and the Curved state of the anchor points are used to draw straight or curved path respectively between two anchor points.

Masking
Fireworks also provides various Vector masking options to give different forms to an image.

A web designer cannot really imagine designing web sites that are innovative and refreshing without Vector tools of Adobe Fireworks CS4.