PhotoPlus X6 User Guide - Serif

Creating additional shapes
Painting, Drawing, and Text 143
Shape layers can store more than one shape, and it’s up to you where additional
shapes are created. This decision is made easy by use of the context toolbar when
the QuickShape or line tool is selected. The toolbar displays a series of
combination buttons which determine the layer on which the shape will be
placed and the relationship the new shape will have on any existing shapes on
the same layer.
New—adds the shape to a new shape layer.
Add—adds the shape to the currently selected layer.
Subtract—removes overlap region when a new shape is added over existing
shapes on the currently selected layer. The new shape itself is not included.
Intersect—includes the intersection area only when a new shape is added
onto existing selected shapes on the currently selected layer.
Exclude—excludes the intersection area when a new shape is added onto
existing selected shapes on the currently selected layer.
The combination buttons are also available for shapes created as
paths. The buttons determine how the new shape paths interact
with previously created paths.
To change the fill type, or edit its colour(s):
• Double-click the shape layer.
OR
• Choose the Gradient Fill Tool and use the context toolbar.
Either approach lets you update a solid colour fill, a gradient fill and/or
a transparency gradient to a shape.
A single fill is shared by all the shapes on a particular layer.
(Technically the fill is a property of the layer, and the shape(s) act
like a "window" that lets you see the fill.) So if you want to draw a
red box and a yellow box, for example, you'll need two shape layers.
You can also alter a shape layer's Opacity using the Layers tab.