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The Color parameter controls determine the color of the fill and border from the sPolygon node. To choose a shape color, you can click the color disclosure arrow and use the color swatch, or drag the eye dropper into the viewer to select a color from an image. The RGBA sliders or number fields can be used to enter the value of each color channel or the strength of the Alpha channel.
When this checkbox is enabled, the Alpha channel value is maintained, even when passing through other nodes downstream that may cause the shape to overlap with copies of itself. When disabled, the Alpha channel value may increase when the shape overlaps itself. For instance, if a rectangle Alpha channel is set to .5, enabling the Allow Combining checkbox maintains that value even if the shape passes through a duplicate or grid node that causes the shape and Alpha channel to overlap. Disabling the checkbox causes the Alpha channel values to be compounded at each overlapping area.
Common Controls
The Settings tab in the Inspector is common to all Shape nodes. These common controls are described in detail at the end of this chapter in "The Common Controls” section.
Adding Points
Adding Points to a polygonal shape is relatively simple. Immediately after adding the node to the Node Editor, there are no points, but the tool will be in Click Append mode. Click once in the viewer wherever a point is required for the shape. Continue clicking to draw the shape. When the shape is complete, click on the initial point again to close the shape.
When the shape is closed, the mode of the polyline will change to Insert and Modify. This allows for the adjusting and adding of additional points to the shape by clicking on segments of the polyline. To lock down the shape and prevent accidental changes, switch the Polyline mode to Done using the Polyline toolbar or contextual menu.
The sPolygon toolbar
When a Polygon (or B-Spline) shape is added to a node, a toolbar appears above the viewer, offering easy access to modes. Hold the pointer over any button in the toolbar to display a tooltip that describes that button’s function.
— Click: Click is the default option when creating a polyline (or B-Spline) shape. It is a Bézier style drawing tool. Clicking sets a control point and appends the next control point when you click again in a different location.
— Draw: Draw is a freehand drawing tool. It creates a shape similar to drawing with a pencil on paper. You can create a new shape using the Draw tool, or you can extend an existing open spline by clicking the Draw tool and starting to draw from the last control point.
— Insert and Modify: Insert adds a new control point along the spline and lets you modify it.
— Modify Only: Modify allows you to safely move or smooth any exiting point along a spline without worrying about adding new points accidentally.