Design Tip -- Placing a Background

When designing a new project using Imagine Pro, adding a background is an important part of creating the realism necessary to visualize the completed project. It's easy to place a blue sky, green trees or even mountains in the background of your project. Follow these easy steps:

• Open the project where the background will be placed.
  
• Click on the CD icon to open the product database.
  
• Make sure the Background button is checked. (You do this by clicking on the button.)
  
• Choose an image from either the "Sky," "Sun" or "Mountain" subcategory, under the Objects category.
  
• Click on the "Select Image" button to bring the image onto the screen.
  
• Outline the entire area of this image with the Rectangle tool.
  
• Select the Copy icon.
  
• Close the background image.
  
• Click on the Paste icon (to paste the background image onto the project).
  
• If the background image is smaller than the area which needs to be filled, click the Resize button and resize accordingly.
  
• Select the Pattern icon (the background pattern should appear in the lower left hand corner of your screen).
  
• Hit delete on your keyboard (or the Delete icon) to delete the background image from your screen.
  
• Click on the Polygon icon and outline the area where the background will be placed.
  
• Select the Fill With Pattern icon to fill the background area.
  
• When you are satisfied with the appearance of the background, select Glue under the Edit pull down menu.
  
• Always make the background the first image you place on your project. Enjoy the results!

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Software Design Tip -- Enlarging Your Project

Sometimes it is easier to work on an enlarged version of a project. To enlarge a project, follow these steps:

• If you are currently working on a project, save changes and then close it. Otherwise, save your current image as a product by choosing "File" and then "Save Project As." Name your project, hit the OK button and close it.
• Now re-open this project by clicking the Open Project icon (or by choosing "File" and then "Open Project"). Select the name of the project and click on the OK button.
• Change the Image Size by using the up and down arrows in the lower left-hand corner of the Open Project dialog box and select "Yes" or "No" when asked to load all product images for this background.
• Click the Save as Project icon or choose "File" and then "Save Project As" and rename this project (or choose the same project name if you only want the larger version of this project.) Choosing a different project name, such as project2.vpj, will give you two copies of this project, including all objects placed on the background image up to this point.
• Now you will be able to work with a larger image each time you open this renamed project.

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