What you'll learn

The VizPaint2D tutorial is divided into two sections. In the first section you will sample various tools. This section takes approximately 45 minutes.

In the second section, you will complete a sample project. Starting with an imported picture, you'll use VizPaint2D tools to create a presentation graphic. This section takes approximately 1-1/2 hours. If you need to, you can save the canvases you are working on and return to complete the tutorial later.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:

• paint freehand using different brushes, strokes, and special effects
• choose colors from various VizPaint2D palettes
• create and draw rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and freehand shapes
• clear the canvas
• make a cutout from the canvas
• load pictures and select canvases
• paste pictures, cutouts, and text
• crop an area of a picture by erasing its background
• create a gradient background
• create and add labels, captions, and logos to pictures
• enhance a picture with drop shadows, lines, and other graphic elements
• save your canvas

Before you start the tutorial, review the discussions of pictures and canvases, opacity, and composition modes in Getting Started with VizPaint2D. In the course of the tutorial, you use VizPaint2D tools to put these fundamental concepts to work in a sample project.

Also, read "Learning the basics" on page 376. This section describes how to enter data and how to use the buttons, menus, and other tools in VizPaint2D.