4D Doc Center : Modifying picture contents

4D v13.4

Modifying picture contents

The Picture Library has a toolbar (like a Paint program) that allows you to draw and modify pictures.

To create or modify a picture, you just have to click on the view/edit area.
Important: The Picture Library’s editor works only in bitmap mode. If you modify a vector graphic in the editor, it will be transformed into a bitmap and its original characteristics will be lost when the modified picture is saved. Moreover, the editor does not support the alpha channel (transparency information). If you modify a picture originally containing an alpha channel, this information will be lost when the modified picture is saved.

The Picture Library’s graphic tools are the following:

Icons	Tools	Function	Option keys
	Pen	Draws point by point	Alt (Option): Allows you to take the color above which the cursor is located
	Line	Draws a line	Shift: The angles are in multiples of 45°
	Hollow Rectangle + Full Rectangle	Draws a hollow rectangle/ Draws a full rectangle	Shift: Draws squares, Ctrl (Command): The rectangle is drawn from its center
	Hollow Oval + Full Oval	Draws a hollow oval / Draws a full oval	Shift: Draws circles, Ctrl (Command): The oval is drawn from its center
	Eraser	Erases by using the current background color
	Color Picker	Modifies the line color by using a color from the picture
	Flood Fill	Fills an enclosed area with the current background color
	Selection tools	Creates a selection
	Zoom	Zooms the picture
	Outline Color + Fill Color	Line color and background color menus	Option can be modified from the editor’s context menu (right-click)
	Line width	Line width menu	Option can be modified from the editor’s context menu (right-click)

You can also use the standard editing commands (such as copy, paste, etc.) in the Edit menu of 4D, or the standard keyboard shortcuts.

Note: If you use the standard Paste command while the picture editing area is selected, the Clipboard’s contents are inserted into the currently edited picture. If you use the standard Paste command while the picture list is selected, a new picture is added to the list.

Saving and cancelling modifications

Any modification made to a picture is automatically saved in the library as soon as you click outside of the picture editing area (which means as soon as the editor area “loses” the focus).

Warning: Once the picture has been saved, you cannot undo any of the modifications that you have made to it.

While modifying a picture, you can cancel the last modification made to it by choosing Undo from the Edit menu in 4D, as well as by using the standard shortcut Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac OS).
You can also cancel all the modifications made to a picture by choosing Revert... from the File menu of 4D.