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 August
8, 1999
Constraining One Dimension
When Scaling
Yet another mysterious undocumented feature
has been discovered. The ability to constrain one dimension when
scaling objects using the Pointer Tool and holding certain keys.
This doesn't work using the Scale tool,
only if you scale an object by click+dragging on one of it's
bounding area points. Below I show how it's done.
Version: 3 and above
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Many of you are already aware that
by holding down the Shift key when scaling objects with
the Pointer Tool, it constrains all dimensions uniformly.
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Now what if you want to constrain
one dimension while you're scaling the object? For example,
I want to scale the above triangle horizontally (shown
in red dotted lines) but keep the height the same.
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Normally, if you try to scale an
object by hand, it can sometimes be difficult to keep one dimension
constrained while changing the other.
Like shown above, it may look like
you're getting it perfect, but after scaling, it doesn't look
quite right.
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The trick to keeping one dimension
constrained, is by holding the Control+Shift keys while
scaling the object via it's bounding area points like shown above.
It may be a little tricky to get it, but if you press and hold
the Control+Shift keys after you start dragging, then it
will work fine.
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This same method can be used if
you want to constrain the width of an object but want to
scale it's height like shown above.
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The list of undocumented shortcuts or
features for FreeHand continues to grow. Visit the Tips Archive
to find some of the other little treats that may help you out in day
to day use. If you have any others you've discovered, be sure to let
me know via the Feedback page. 
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