Stroke Widths

[Label Guy]

I'm having a problem with applying stroke widths in Freehand MX. (I *finally*
updated from FH9 a couple of weeks ago)
I seem to have no problem changing from a 1 point line to anything larger.
However, if I try to make a 1/2 point line or smaller, it won't do it. It's
very strange, has anyone else seen this problem? Does the upgrade fix it? Any
help would be appreciated. Btw, I've been using Freehand since '94!

[Wes Rand]

Label Guy wrote:

> I'm having a problem with applying stroke widths in Freehand MX. (I *finally*
> updated from FH9 a couple of weeks ago)
> I seem to have no problem changing from a 1 point line to anything larger.
> However, if I try to make a 1/2 point line or smaller, it won't do it. It's
> very strange, has anyone else seen this problem? Does the upgrade fix it? Any
> help would be appreciated. Btw, I've been using Freehand since '94!
>

I haven't experienced this problem before. What unit of measure are you
using?

[Label Guy]

I'm working in inches, but it doesn't seem to matter what units I'm using, it
will *not* apply the stroke width unless I make it thicker. One more bizarre
note though, if I attempt to make a 1 point line less than 1 point and then
change the colour, for example try to change a 1 point line to a quarter point
and then change the colour to cyan, it will show a thin cyan line in the center
of the line, but it is still black on either side. I hope that run on sentence
makes some kinda sense!
I wonder if I just need to re-install... I hope not.. *sigh*

thanks for the response!

[Judy Arndt]

I think you are confused by FHMX multiple attributes. Select the object and
look at the attributes in your object inspector. You may have a wider stroke
applied at the group level.

Judy Arndt


Label Guy wrote:

> I'm working in inches, but it doesn't seem to matter what units I'm using, it
> will *not* apply the stroke width unless I make it thicker. One more bizarre
> note though, if I attempt to make a 1 point line less than 1 point and then
> change the colour, for example try to change a 1 point line to a quarter point
> and then change the colour to cyan, it will show a thin cyan line in the
> center
> of the line, but it is still black on either side. I hope that run on sentence
> makes some kinda sense!
> I wonder if I just need to re-install... I hope not.. *sigh*
>
> thanks for the response!
>

[Wes Rand]

That does sound like it: two strokes applied to the same object. You can
delete one of the strokes by hilting it in the object panel and then
clicking on the trash can icon at the top right of the object panel.

Judy Arndt wrote:

> I think you are confused by FHMX multiple attributes. Select the object and
> look at the attributes in your object inspector. You may have a wider stroke
> applied at the group level.
>
> Judy Arndt
>
>
> Label Guy wrote:
>
>

>>I'm working in inches, but it doesn't seem to matter what units I'm using, it
>>will *not* apply the stroke width unless I make it thicker. One more bizarre
>>note though, if I attempt to make a 1 point line less than 1 point and then
>>change the colour, for example try to change a 1 point line to a quarter point
>>and then change the colour to cyan, it will show a thin cyan line in the
>>center
>>of the line, but it is still black on either side. I hope that run on sentence
>>makes some kinda sense!
>>I wonder if I just need to re-install... I hope not.. *sigh*
>>
>>thanks for the response!
>>

>
>

[Label Guy]

Aha! You do appear to have solved my problem! Thanks!

However... this is a huge difference from Freehand 9. If you recall in
freehand 9, you had the old inpector pallet which had the stoke and fill
inspectors. In the stroke inspector you could easily change stroke widths and
colours. In this version you have to click the "add stroke" icon to even GET to
the stroke inpector, and then of course it adds a stroke! Why the hell did they
do THAT?? Or is there some sort of advantage to this that I haven't noticed? I
have been reading in the Freehand MX help and I don't see any...
Is there another way to get to the stroke inspector without hitting the "add
stroke" icon?

I realize that I could be completely out to lunch on this... I've only had the
program for a week, maybe I need to do a tutorial. Mind you, I've never had to
do that all in all these years of using Freehand.

[Wes Rand]

Label Guy wrote:

> Aha! You do appear to have solved my problem! Thanks!
>
> However... this is a huge difference from Freehand 9. If you recall
> in freehand 9, you had the old inpector pallet which had the stoke
> and fill inspectors. In the stroke inspector you could easily change
> stroke widths and colours. In this version you have to click the "add
> stroke" icon to even GET to the stroke inpector, and then of course
> it adds a stroke! Why the hell did they do THAT?? Or is there some
> sort of advantage to this that I haven't noticed? I have been reading
> in the Freehand MX help and I don't see any... Is there another way
> to get to the stroke inspector without hitting the "add stroke" icon?
>
>
> I realize that I could be completely out to lunch on this... I've
> only had the program for a week, maybe I need to do a tutorial. Mind
> you, I've never had to do that all in all these years of using
> Freehand.
>

No, no, you're right. It IS more difficult to do many things in Freehand
MX than in Freehand 9. For the sake of being able to get objects to have
multiple attributes they made actual work more time consuming. Group
attributes also are a sacrifice the user has to put up with.