iCalamus > Quick start > First steps Index

Edit content

A document consists of content, that's self-evident. Almost all printers do print an empty sheet of paper without complaining, but it looks much better with content, doesn't it? In the previous chapter you have learned how to import content into a document. Now you should make yourself familiar with how to edit content. We will discuss this using the range of creation tools.

Texts

If you want to change text content, you have to open the text frame. A double-click on the frame and you're done. You will then see the gray text ruler above the frame (do you remember?). Furthermore, your double-click switched the current tool to the Text tool – and you will see the text input cursor blinking in the text frame. Use the mouse cursor and place the text input cursor in another position if desired. Then you can type, delete, or correct, your text.
You can insert special characters like in other programs by using the Special Characters palette offered by the system. You will find it at the very bottom of the Edit menu.
With a [Ctrl]-click, you can open the Text edit mode context menu.

Here you find many more functions for changing text, inserting special characters (so-called text fields), and even images into the text. Stop to try out all these functions in a quiet moment. They are all described in detail in the reference manual chapters.
For further editing of text content and text style, some inspectors are at hand which we just want to mention here. Some of their functions are so powerful that it would be going too far to give a more detailed description here. As you know already, the reference ...
Using the Content inspector you can define if the text frame should support multiple text columns. There you can also define the hyphenation and the language used for hyphenation.
In the Color inspector you can set up different colors for the fonts, for outlines and for shadows.
The shadow behaviour can be set in the Frame inspector. There you find the screwiest options for playing with shadows. Just try it.
The most important inspectors for text are the Text inspector, the Text Style inspector and the Text Ruler inspector. We cannot list their various functions here, as you know ...

Images

Imagine! – Easily said, easily done. You cannot paint and draw images in iCalamus right now. That still has to be developed. But you know already how to import an image into your document. You will probably have wondered why the image looked somewhat different in the frame to what you have expected. Maybe you have only seen a 4x4 cm section from the center of the real image and wondered where the heck the rest of it has gone.
First things first: iCalamus basically differentiates between the image frame and the image content, both being totally different things. The image content can be shown e.g. in original size, while the image frame is much larger or smaller. (In your first trials, the latter will have been probably true.)
With a [Ctrl]-click, you open the Image frames context menu. Adjust is the most important menu item there, because it offers those functions that you need to adjust the image content to the frame size, the frame size to the image content, or both.

But what if you want to see a section, rather than the whole image, in the frame? It's your choice. On the one hand, you can open the frame (as you know already, you simply have to select the Selection tool and click the tiny triangle in the upper left corner of the frame until it points downwards – or simply double-click into the image frame) and move the image content with the mouse, until only the desired section is shown in the frame. Then close the frame, and you're done.
On the other hand, you can move the frame while the image content stays on its original position. Therefore you grab the frame with the mouse pointer and move it. What? On your screen the image content is moved too? Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention an important switch. In the Geometry inspector, you find (like in most of the other inspectors too) a tiny button showing a gear wheel. (These buttons are called an Action menu button in the Apple jargon.) When you click this button with the mouse, you will again see a selection menu. In this case it's the Action menu, offering enhanced Geometry inspector actions. You will already be familiar with the functions shown, except for one of them.

The first switch indeed is very handy if you want to change a frame but not its content. As the frame content was moved with the frame on your computer, you should still see the menu item Transform Content checked. With a click on the menu item you switch it off (the check mark disappears). When you then move the frame, the content will stay where it is.
And the best of all: This doesn't work only with image frames, but with all frame content (except text). As we mentioned earlier, iCalamus doesn't really differentiate between image frames, text frames, etc.

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Now you know already how to adjust images to the proper size in a frame, and how to choose the right part of the image. In the Geometry inspector you will find many more possibilities for twisting and bending the frame or content. Just try and rotate the image content to the left, then rotate the frame itself to the right, followed by shearing both at 20 degrees and then mirror it horizontally. (Don't you ask me what for ...)
In the Content inspector, you can change the image content presentation. There you can reduce the opacity from 100% down to 0% steplessly. There you can also blend the image frame with other frame content which possibly lies below the image frame. It's worth playing around with the blend modes offered by iCalamus. Just try it.
In the Content inspector's Action menu, you can find the function Create Opacity Based Outline. Use it for adding a mask to your image which can be used as a clipping path almost at a single click. This function depends on the image type.
The other inspectors offer many more possibilities to change the image frame. The Frame inspector can add another shape, another outline, or a shadow to the frame. If you choose a distinct shape as outline, you can use it as clipping path directly in order to let the photograph of your beloved grandma shine in a pretty oval, or highlight the new super product of your company with a 50 rays star. If you have assigned a shadow or outline to the image frame in the Frame inspector, you can define in the Color inspector which colors should be used.

Containers

In iCalamus, you can easily create empty frame containers for several purposes.
Publishers use them as substitutes for layout areas which have not been created or designed. If you have switched frame guides visible, these container frames show the frame shape as a guide, together with a diagonal cross to indicate that they are empty. (We also use a diagonal cross to indicate transparent mode in color lists.)
If you want to shape or mask an image with a shape, iCalamus offers several ways to do so. The easiest and fastest way is to create one of the available container shape frames, place the image there, and you've made the masked image.
You can convert containers to normal frames afterwards by assigning new content to them.
Here is a list of the available container shapes. These are identical to the available normal shapes.

Choose the desired container type in the Container tool by right clicking on the Container tool symbol in the tool palette. Alternatively, keep the mouse button pressed until the container tools menu appears, from which you can choose the container type. Now create a new frame in the document by dragging the mouse. If you press [Esc] before you release the mouse button, the currently shown container will be deleted immediately.
The 'simple' container shapes are listed in the first group. The 'dynamic' container shapes are listed in the last group, sorted by complexity. You can change the parameters of the dynamic containers by using the Edit Shape Parameters additional function in the "Frame inspector".

Shapes

Use this tool to create shape frames. iCalamus offers a variety of pre-defined shapes, from simple rectangles to stars and corners.

Choose the desired shape type in the Shape tool by right clicking on the Shape tool symbol in the tool palette. Alternatively, keep the mouse button pressed until the shape tools menu appears, from which you can choose the shape type. Now create a new frame in the document by dragging the mouse. If you press [Esc] before you release the mouse button, the currently shown shape will be deleted immediately.
As we assume that you will use the Shape tool often, we have placed it in the right column of the tool palette in order to reduce mouse distances.
The 'simple' shapes can be found in the first group of the list. The 'dynamic' shapes follow in the last group, sorted by complexity. You can change the parameters of the dynamic shapes by using the Edit Shape Parameters additional function in the "Frame inspector".

Lines

Use this tool to create a line frame. iCalamus offers three line tools and a variety of pre-defined line types, like simple lines, multiple lines, arc lines and crosses.

Choose the desired line type in the Line tool by right clicking on the Line tool symbol in the tool palette. Alternatively, keep the mouse button pressed until the Line tools menu appears from which you can choose the line type. Now create a new frame in the document by dragging the mouse. If you press [Esc] before you release the mouse button, the line that you are drawing will be deleted immediately.

Line Tool

Use this tool if you want to draw simple lines very fast. When you release the mouse button, a line frame is created which can be edited like all other frames.
Tip: Press [Shift] in order to create straight lines with 0, 45 or 90 degrees (etc.) automatically.

Polyline Shape Tool

Using this tool, you can draw multiple straight lines at once. Click to positions which should be connected by lines. If you press the mouse button while dragging to the next point, the result will not be made of straight lines but of curves. A double click ends the current polyline.

Freehand Shape Tool

Draw absolutely freehand lines with this tool. Just draw the line you want with the mouse cursor. As soon as you release the mouse button, your drawn path will be vectorized and rounded.

Simple Line Types

The line types in the next group are pre-defined lines which can be drawn by choosing the relevant line type and creating a frame. See the New Line Object section of the Frame inspector for additional information about these line types: Diagonal Cross, Cross, Corner Line, Line with Three Sides of a Rect.

Dynamic Line Types

The last group of line types in the list offers dynamic line types. See the New Line Object section of the Frame inspector for additional information about these line types: Multiple Lines, Circle Arc Line, Line with Variable Corner.
After you have created the relevant line frame, you can change its parameters with the menu item Edit Shape Parameters in the Frame inspector. (The editing dialog for each of these line objects is included above with the information about each object.) Such things as the number of Multiple lines (How about Music Score lines?) or the angle of an Arc line can be changed there.

Vectors

Use this tool for editing existing vector objects and vector paths, for adding and removing vector points, changing vector types, and creating new vector paths.

Vector Path Tool

Use this tool for creating new vector paths. Click somewhere in the document and start the new path there. Then click to the next position. A vector line will be created between the start point and the next point. If you drag the mouse to the position of the next point click, a bezier curve will be created from the last point to the current point instead. If you keep the mouse button pressed, you can directly resize and reformat the curve. Continue until you have placed all of the points. You can pause the path creation and continue at any time. The next point will always be connected to the last point.
If you want to move single points or base points of bezier curve tangents, you have to activate the Selection tool.

Add Base Point

If you click into an already existing vector path with this tool, a new base point will be inserted at the clicked position.

Remove Base Point

If you want to remove a base point from a vector path, choose this tool and simply click on the relevant point which will be removed immediately.

Convert Direction Point

If you click on a curve with this tool, it will be converted into a vector line. If you click on a line, it will be converted into a curve which is formed like the previous line by default. You may then drag the base points from the 'straight curve' with the mouse in order to format the curve to your needs.