People new to Adobe Illustrator often say that they find the program complex and hard work. When we hold Adobe Illustrator CS4 Training Courses in London, we acknowledge the need to help delegates get rid of the belief that Illustrator is a difficult piece of software to use. We have found that there are three main aspects to showing users that Illustrator is no harder or more annoying than any other application.
To start with, we show them how to read and understand the extensive visual clues provided by the software as you perform various operations. Next, we keep reminding new users how easy it is to revert your drawing back to the way it was before things started going wrong. And, finally, we keep telling our students that they have to highlight the right tool to be able to perform a give operation.
If you a new user to a sophisticated program like Illustrator, you cannot be expected to avoid making errors: things may go a little awry or even get completely screwed up. The key thing here is to learn the power of the Undo command. For example, if you accidentally resize an object don’t try to manually change it back to the original size, simply go to the Edit menu and choose Undo or use the keyboard shortcut (Control-Z or Command-Z on Apple Mac). If you Undo too many times, you can always use Edit – Redo to move forward again. (The shortcut for the Redo command is Control-Shift-Z.)
If your whole drawing has gone seriously wrong, perhaps the easiest thing to do is to take it on the chin and choose the Revert command from the File menu. This is like saying “OK, I give up. This isn’t working!” File – Revert will discard every change you have made to the file since the last time you saved it and can be a very useful way of avoiding unnecessary frustration.
Another thing that phases new Illustrator users is when they find they are unable to carry out a certain operation because it can’t actually be done under the current set of circumstances or at that moment in time. For example, they might want to resize a shape and they end up rotating it or changing its position instead.
A simple way of avoiding this kind of problem is to keep an eye on the many visual clues that Illustrator gives you and, in particular, those that relate to the cursor. Let’s take an example. Say you are attempting to change the size of a circle, you can only carry out this operation if your cursor has changed to a diagonal line with an arrow at both ends thus showing you that have positioned the cursor precisely over one of the resize handles.
When manipulating objects, Illustrator newbies will often forget to first highlight the Selection tool. For example, they will draw a shape with, say, the Line tool and then, while the Line tool is still highlighted, they will attempt to move or resize the line they have just drawn or perhaps click on the page to deselect the line. They are then bemused and cross when little lines keep appearing on the page or Illustrator’s shape dimension window keeps on popping up.
This problem is easy to avoid. Always make sure that you are on the right tool. Thus, if you wish to manipulate an existing object, you have to ensure that the Selection tool is highlighted. One of the first keyboard shortcuts that we teach delegates who attend our Illustrator training courses is that you can temporarily activate the Selection tool by just pressing the Control key (or the Command key if you are using a Mac).
As you probably know, to create a formula in Microsoft Excel, you begin by typing an equal sign: this distinguishes it from other types of data. A formula consists of a series of expressions. There are three key components in these expressions: arithmetic operations, such as add and subtract; functions; and cell references.
To create a formula which gives us the total of two of the numbers in a spreadsheet (say 24 and 12), we could simply type “=24 + 12″. When we press the Enter key, we would get the correct result. However, the formula would have no link to the two cells containing the numbers. If the content of the cells were to change, the formula would still return the old result.
Obviously, what we need to do is to ensure that our formula contains a reference to the two cells in question. The easiest way of doing this is to click on the first cell having typed “=”. Excel then automatically creates a reference to that cell. Next type the “+” sign and click on the second cell.
Excel puts in a reference to the second cell and we then enter the formula either by clicking on the Enter button (on the left of the formula bar) or pressing Enter on the keyboard.
Now that our formula contains a reference to these two cells, any time the cell contents change, the result returned by formula will be updated.
If this was the only way of performing calculations in Excel, formulas would very quickly become extremely long and very complex. To avoid this, we can use Microsoft Excel 2007 functions. Functions perform complex mathematical calculations without us having to worry about how the result is arrived at.
For example, imagine that we wanted to total the contents of a hundred different cells. If we relied purely on the “+” sign, we would end up creating a formula with a hundred different arguments; in other words, a reference to each of the cells containing the numbers. Instead, we can use the SUM function.
To use a function in a formula, type = followed by the name of the function. Next type open brackets and enter the arguments of the function. The arguments of the function are the values required by that function in order to return a result. In the case of the SUM function, we simply need to specify which cells contain the numbers we want to total. We can do this by clicking or dragging across the cells that contain those numbers.
You can repeat this process to add several different ranges as the argument of the SUM function; simply drag across the first area and Excel will pick up the reference; drag across the second range to pick up the second reference; and so on.
When you have finished entering references to all the cells containing numbers that we want to total, you can enter the formula. You don’t even need to put in the closing brackets. Excel will do this for you.
If you now wish to have the average, minimum, and maximum values contained within those same cells you can simply copy the formula from the formula bar.
To do this, select the formula right clicking on the selection and choose “Copy” from the context menu. Next, click on the Cancel button (or press the Escape key on your keyboard) to exit editing mode. To create a formula containing the average function double click on the appropriate cell, right click on the formula bar and choose “Paste” from the context menu. The only change you will need to make is to change the Sum function AVERAGE, MAX or MIN, as appropriate.
Case is ignored when you type in the name of a function. As soon as you press Enter, the name of the function will be changed to upper case automatically.
Illustrator is a widely used vector drawing application with three main areas of functionality. Firstly, it allows the creation of corporate and other graphic artwork for high quality printing. Secondly, it can be used in the web design process, allowing you to build the overall design as well as individual items like icons and buttons. Illustrator is also a basic page layout program suitable for originating single page documents like CD covers, book jackets and posters.
When running Illustrator CS4 Training Courses in London, we have noticed that a lot of delegates have had difficulties in getting into the program and finding applications for it. People will say things like: “It’s been on machine for ages. I’ve just never got around to using it.” To a lot of people, it seems far less exciting than Photoshop and far less useful than QuarkXPress or InDesign. Many of these people seem to be suffering from “Blank Canvas Syndrome”: you create a new file and there is this blank page just sitting there with nothing on it. It’s up to you to create everything yourself. At least, with Photoshop you can build your artwork using photos as your raw material.
As Illustrator trainers, we take on board the fact that running an Illustrator training course involves more than just tuition of the use to tools and techniques. To get delegates feeling enthusiastic about using the program, we also need to rid them of their fear of the stark blank canvas facing them every time they create a new file. We have identified four main techniques for ridding new users of “Blank Canvas Syndrome”. Firstly, it is important to clearly identify the type of artwork you want Illustrator to create for you. Secondly, use Illustrator’s Live Trace facility to create vector elements which can become a starting point for your own artwork. Thirdly, use background images as guides as you create your own drawings. And, fourthly, copy, reuse and modify elements that already exist within your own drawings.
Getting started with Illustrator becomes a lot easier once you have a clear idea of what type of artwork you need to produce. When often run courses for companies who will be using Illustrator in a very specific way, such as fashion companies, architects or cartographers. This type of training tends to be very successful because it’s just a case of showing people which tools and techniques they need to use to create the necessary output.
For those users who are not using the program in a very pointed fashion, we always try to emphasise that creating Illustrator artwork doesn’t have to mean originating every single stroke from scratch. We show users how they can use imported graphics as a starting point for their own artwork. For example, keeping scanned images on a background layer and drawing over them using the pen tool or converting bitmapped images into vectors with Illustrator’s Live Trace utility.
Illustrator’s Live Trace utility was developed from a standalone program called Adobe Streamline and is extremely powerful. It can be used to convert any scanned or bitmapped image into a vector. Naturally, the nature of the resulting vector image depends on the original. However, it’s very fast and the results can be extremely impressive; so it’s always worth trying it out if your feel that it may create something you can clean up and use.
As well as tracing, it is also often useful to just keep an image on a background layer and constantly refer to it as you create your artwork. It can also be useful to reduce the opacity of the background image to about 40 or 50 percent so it doesn’t become obtrusive. Sometimes you may manually trace around areas of these reference images. Other times, you may just use it for reference, so you can check the dimensions or shape of elements that you create in the foreground.
Almost all drawings you create will contain elements that either repeat or are variations on the same theme. Naturally, you will not create such elements from scratch each time you need them. Illustrator contains a wide variety of useful techniques for duplication and transformed duplication of existing elements within your drawing. It also allows you to apply multiple attributes such as fills and strokes to the same object. Thus, for example, you can create the appearance of several concentric circles simply by adding several strokes to one circle (using the Offset Path effect to get the right position).
In short, that blank Illustrator page can soon be filled with lots of funky stuff. The trick is to realise that, once you decide what it is you want to create, your can accelerate the process of drawing by tracing elements from bitmapped images, using images as points of reference and basing new items within your drawing on elements that you’ve already created.
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Computer would be meaningless minus its accessories. So whenever you are buying the computer you will have to pay great attention to its accessories. Nowadays you can quite easily get your hands on every single thing by just a simple click at the internet shopping places.
Similarly anyone can place the orders for the computer parts at the online channels. But you will have to keep in mind some relevant points before you are buying those.
What are the things you need to consider?
First you will have to do some searching. This is a point that must be taken quite seriously. Study various options that are available from the internet. Almost all the companies who are engaged in the production of the computer accessories have their official websites where they give you the detailed information about their product specifications. Now it is your task to properly investigate and read every possible detail. You must compare the prices and specifications of several such products.
All these are requiring when you are thinking of upgrading the machine to some higher version. Or else those who wish to build a complete new system can also get the products from the internet. But this is important that you will have to be specific about the things that you are buying. When the case is that you are deciding on the new system you will first have to think what is the purpose of the computer.
Then accordingly you can set the requirements configurationally. When you are buying the system online you can wish for disassembled configuration or else you can order the complete assembled computer system. But you must see the guarantee terms and conditions that they will be offering. Also you will have to see that whether they give good customer care service. Just send in an email seeking advice from them mentioning your requirements. The kind of response that they are giving or the timing of their response can also determine their kind of relation that they are interested in keeping with their consumers.
Decide whether it will be worth the investment
Obviously pricing is a very important factor over here. There are all kinds of products that are available within different price range. You will have to decide your budget criterion and choose accordingly.
When anyone is purchasing the system there is some amount of investment that they are making. Suppose you are going for laptops. You will have to see the longevity of the battery along with the supply of the charger with it. Not all high priced items are worth the charges. Remember “all that glitters is not gold”; so instead of outward show you must choose the usefulness and not that all the branded products are very laudable. Among the accessories the music system, cable connections for the different devices, modems all these things do matter. You must think more than once and seek advice from other before you decide on any particular item.
If you are having problems with your computer registry, you are experiencing a number of issues, such as start ups and shut downs that take forever, web pages that take an eternity to load, and your computer freezes after running for two minutes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it is not hard to repair.
Let’s go into detail on why your car freezes after running for two minutes, and why the registry ends up having problems. The registry stores a lot of information the computer must have in order to function. New files are constantly being added, including when you add new hardware and software, but also every time you go to a different web page, a registry file is added. But eventually, the registry will become too big, and its files will become corrupt, causing a number of different applications to slow to a crawl.
So, in order to fix the problem of computer freezes after two minutes, you need to repair the registry, and there are a number of ways you can do it, though only one of those options is recommended. The first is to edit the registry yourself, but this is a very delicate process, and it is very easy to make a mistake that could be fatal for your computer.
Also, you can use a free registry cleaner, but these products often come with spyware on them, and this can lead to a whole new list of computer problems. The best option is to spend about 30 dollars on a registry cleaner, which will scan your PC for errors, fix them, and make sure they don’t return. Definitely the best option to stop computer freezes after running for two minutes.
Is your computer running like an absolute slug? Performing a registry clean up is a fantastic way to get it back up running to the speed that it was designed to run at.
You need to have a healthy registry if your computer is going to run at an optimal level. The registry has information on the system configuration that pertains to hardware and to system drivers. It also has information on operating system parameters that are key to the smooth running of your computer, as well as information related to software, applications, protocols, and everything else occurring in your PC.
As you continue to do work on your computer over time, a number of entries that are obsolete, invalid and incorrect. This causes the registry to get fragmented and damaged, which eventually leads to your computer running slow, freezing, and starting up and slowing down in a slow manner. This is where registry clean up comes into play.
There are a number of ways you can perform the registry cleanup, but the most efficient is to use a registry cleaner. It will free your system of registry entries that you don’t want. It will also get rid of unwanted and unneeded programs and files that are scattered all over your system. The registry clean up tool will do a scan for invalid DLL files, Start menu shortcuts, and ActiveX components. Registry clean up tools also look for information that is obsolete and redundant. The problems are then displayed for you, and you can delete them or keep them.
How often should you perform a registry clean up? Experts say at least once every six months. But you might even want to do it multiple times a week, just to make sure your computer is running at an optimal level at all times.
If you are having problems with your computer registry, you are experiencing a number of issues, such as start ups and shut downs that take forever, web pages that take an eternity to load, and your computer freezes after running for two minutes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it is not hard to repair.
Let’s go into detail on why your car freezes after running for two minutes, and why the registry ends up having problems. The registry stores a lot of information the computer must have in order to function. New files are constantly being added, including when you add new hardware and software, but also every time you go to a different web page, a registry file is added. But eventually, the registry will become too big, and its files will become corrupt, causing a number of different applications to slow to a crawl.
So, in order to fix the problem of computer freezes after two minutes, you need to fix the registry, and there are a number of ways you can do it, though only one of those options is recommended. The first is to edit the registry yourself, but this is a very delicate process, and it is very easy to make a mistake that could be fatal for your computer.
Also, you can use a free registry cleaner, but these products often come with spyware on them, and this can lead to a whole new list of computer problems. The best option is to spend about 30 dollars on a registry cleaner, which will scan your PC for errors, fix them, and make sure they don’t return. Definitely the best option to stop computer freezes after running for two minutes.
The AutoSum tool in Microsoft Excel 2007 is used to automatically generate formulas. It is found in two locations on the ribbon: firstly in the Editing section of the Home Tab; and, secondly in the Function Library section of the Formulas Tab.
The AutoSum tool has several uses. Firstly you can use it to generate the total or SUM of a series of numbers. To do this, you can select a row of cells and click once on the AutoSum tool. Excel places the total of the highlighted cells in the first available empty cell to the right of the highlighted range. You can then copy the formula by using the Autofill handle. As you drag down, Excel will copy the formula making the changes necessary to return the correct total for each row.
The AutoSum tool can also be used to calculate the total of several columns simultaneously. To do this, select all the data in all the columns you wish to total and then click once on the AutoSum tool. Excel creates a formula at the bottom of each column in the first vacant cell.
Clicking on the AutoSum tool always generates a formula using the SUM function which returns the total of a given range of cells. However the AutoSum tool can also be used with other functions: for example, AVERAGE. To access these other functions, click on the drop-down menu to the right of the AutoSum tool, choose the appropriate function and then check to see whether Excel has correctly guessed the range of cells you want to apply the function to.
If Excel has failed to guess, you can correct it: either by typing the correct reference; or simply resize the selection rectangle until it encloses the correct range of cells then press the Enter key or click on the Enter button located on the left of the formula bar. The formula can then be copied using the AutoFill handle.
The AVERAGE function is notorious for returning too many decimal places. If you want a consistent number of decimals, click on the Launch button in the Number section of the Home Tab, choose “Number” as the category and then specify the number of decimal places you like.
The other functions available on the AutoSum tool are COUNT, which returns the number of cells in the highlighted range containing numbers; MAX, which calculates the highest value in the range; and MIN which gives the lowest value. The last option in the AutoSum tool drop-down menu is “Other Functions”, which gives you access to Excel’s full range of functions.
The author is a trainer and developer with Macresource Computer Training, an independent computer training company offering Microsoft Excel courses in London and throughout the UK.
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Excel’s AutoFill feature relies on the program’s ability to recognize patterns in the data that you enter. For example, if you type “Week 1″ in a cell, you can have the program automatically fill in “Week 2″, “Week 3″, etc. by using the AutoFill handle. This is located in the bottom right of the cell. As the cursor moves over it, the cursor changes appearance to a plus sign (+). When it does so you simply click, hold, drag in any direction and Excel will pick up the pattern and extrapolate it to create automatic data entries.
Whenever you use the AutoFill handle Excel displays the AutoFill Options drop down menu just below the last cell which has been automatically generated. If the program has not entered the correct data, you can choose one of the entries in the AutoFill Options to tell it what you actually meant it to do. For example, if you choose Copy Cells, you simply get an exact copy of what was in the original cell.
Excel also has the ability to automatically enter arbitrary series of data using a feature called Custom Lists. Certain lists are built into Excel, for example, the months of the year. To use the AutoFill feature, enter the first value in the list, for example, “Jan” or “January”. Next drag the AutoFill handle (located in the bottom right of the active cell) in any direction to automatically enter the rest of the custom list.
In addition to these built-in lists Excel allows you to create your own custom lists. For example, suppose we worked for a company that has branches in several towns. It’s almost certain that we would list these towns quite frequently in our spreadsheets. We could therefore save ourselves considerable time by setting this up as a custom list.
To do this, simply select cells in one of your worksheets that contain the information. Next, click on the Office button and choose Excel options. Click on “Edit Custom Lists” in the “Popular” category. Excel displays the contents of the cells that we highlighted. To convert the selected data into a custom list, we simply click on the “Import” button.
Once you’ve created a custom list, it can be used in any of your worksheets, not just the sheet that contained the original information. To generate the entries in the list, simply type the first value. Next, drag the AutoFill handle to conjure up the remaining entries.
When using this facility, we can drag in any direction and we don’t have to start with the first member of the custom list.
Custom lists can also be created directly in the “Custom Lists” dialog box. To do this, click on the “List Entries” button and type the entries separated by a carriage return. When you’ve finished entering the list, click on the Add button.
To delete a custom list, simply click on it and click on the “Delete” button. Excel verifies that you want to delete the list and when you click “OK”, the list is gone.
The writer of this article is a developer and trainer with Macresource Computer Training, an independent computer training company offering Excel courses in London and throughout the UK.
Because Microsoft Excel version 2007 has so many differences from Excel 2003, when you or your staff upgrade, you will almost certainly need training. But what kind of training will work best? Do you need an upgrade course that shows you the new features? Do you need a training course that compares Excel 2003 and 2007 and shows you how features have changed and evolved in the new version? Or do you need Excel training to take your skills to a new level, whatever the version?… Well, why not find a course that does all of the above?
One of the key benefits you should look to derive from any Microsoft 2007 Excel Courses will be to regain the confidence level you achieved when using the previous version. You need to be shown the logic of the new interface, where your favourite features have been moved to, and how you can start working as quickly in Excel 2007 as you did in Excel 2003.
However, after being trained on 2007, you will want to do more than just get back to where you were with 2003. You will want the training to show you what new features have been added to Excel 2007 and how these new features can benefit you.
The Excel 2007 worksheet is much bigger than its 2003 counterpart; about a thousand times bigger in fact. Your Excel 2007 training should show you how you can exploit this huge area when designing your spreadsheets. Some decent navigation tips would also be helpful.
Pivot tables have been considerably improved in Excel 2007. However, given that so many users are a bit vague on getting the best out of pivot tables, why not ask that your training on pivot tables begins with a review of fundamental pivot table concepts before moving on to look at how Excel 2007 implements pivot table features.
Charts have been given a big overhaul in version 2007. So be sure your training includes coverage of the special effects available in Excel 2007 charting and graphics. Your training course should cover such features as the format, design and layout ribbons and how to use SmartArt graphics and shapes. If charting is particularly important in your organisation, then make sure your training covers things like trendlines, scatter charts and pivot charts.
Another feature that has been developed in Excel 2007 is conditional formatting. Be sure that any training you have on Excel 2007 includes some insight into the use of Excel 2007’s powerful new conditional formatting features especially Data Bars and Color Scale.
Formulas are the lifeblood of Excel. They analyse the raw data entered in other cells and provide most of Excel’s awesome power. You should definitely request that your Excel 2007 training shows you the improvements that have been made to the entry of formulas in the formula bar and the key new functions that have been introduced, especially AverageIf, SumIfs, and IfError
Has your computer slowed to a crawl? Does it take forever for applications to load? If so, then it’s because of problems in your Windows registry, and you need to get a clean Windows registry in order to get your computer running the way it is supposed to, and the way it used to.
But before we look at why you need a clean Windows registry, we first need to look at what causes the registry to become corrupt. And at this point, you might be asking what the registry is. The registry is a big database which stores all of the files that Windows must utilize in order for your computer to run. Every Windows operating system has a registry; it would not function without it. New files are always being added to this registry, and because of this, the registry over time gets too big, and this affects other applications. That is why your computer is running so slow.
So, how do you achieve a clean Windows registry? You can try to do it on your own, but this is not recommended because of all the mistakes that can occur. Editing the registry is very tricky, and even one simple error can spell big problems. Also, some people try to get a clean Windows registry by downloading a free registry repair program off the internet, but these often have spyware loaded in them, and spyware can add a whole other set of problems, most notably leaving you open to identity theft.
As time goes on any computer, like a car, will wear down with time. You cannot prevent a computer from wearing down, but what you can do is repair the registry in order to keep your computer working at its top performance level. Your Windows XP Registry (or any other Windows registry for that matter) stores any activity that is done with the computer. You can imagine that overtime it can build up quite a lot of information. As the information builds up the computer will eventually begin to slow down. That is why slow computer problems happen
When you do registry repair you can clear the information and settings in order to get your computer running as smooth as possible. Although repairing a registry is a great way to get your computer back up and running as good as new, it needs to be done with the right registry cleaning tool or else it can potentially harm your computer. The right registry cleaning tool should have a backup option on it as well as customer friendly instructions to walk you through the process. Windows XP as well as all types of Windows are a very user friendly type of system that not only works for you but also has many tools within it that can help the consumer fix many problems that arise. With a first-rate registry cleaner you can have any troubles with Windows XP Registry taken care of.
For anyone who has experienced their computer crashing while browsing the internet, or working on an assignment, or just organizing your schedule, you know it can be a frustrating matter. With the right registry cleaner you will never have to worry about this problem. Registry cleaners can prevent computers from getting harmful objects on your computer which can lead to the system crashing. By clearing any bugs or harmful information on your computer the registry cleaner will stay at work to make sure that you will not experience any inconvenient problems with your Windows system, and that you can use the systems operations for what they were meant to do. We use computers for every aspect of our life and we cannot afford to have any setbacks in the performance of our computers, that is the main reason why a registry cleaner is so important.
Text Alignment Options In Microsoft Excel 2007
The alignment section of the Home Tab of the Excel ribbon contains a number of options relating to the way in which your data is position within the cell. Perhaps the most familiar and the most frequently used buttons in this section are the three relating to the horizontal position your data: left, centre and right. However you’ll notice that when you click in the cells of an unformatted worksheet, none of these three icons is highlighted, which indicates that none of them is the default. The reason for this is that Excel treats data differently depending on the data type.
If you type text in a cell, your text is aligned on the left; if you type a number, the number is aligned on the right; if you type a date, it is also aligned on the right. To change the horizontal alignment, either select a range of cells or click on a column letter to highlight the entire column then click on one of the alignment icons.
Haven chosen one type of horizontal alignment, you can change it in two ways. You can either click on a different form of alignment or to click again on the already selected alignment. For example, if your text is centred and if you click on the Centre button a second time, this deactivates centre alignment and returns you to the default alignment which, for text, is left. Thus we have, effectively, four types of horizontal alignment: left, centre, right and unspecified (or default), which is the alignment that applies when none of the alignment buttons is highlighted.
Excel also allows you to specify vertical alignment. This setting normally only becomes apparent when you increase the height of the cell and this time there is a definite default which is that text is aligned at the bottom of the cell. This setting applies to text, dates and numbers alike.
To change vertical alignment, either make a selection or click on the row number to select the entire row then click on one of the buttons to make the change: align middle, align top and so forth.
The alignment option also includes the ability to change the orientation of text within the cell. This is particularly useful in those situations where the headings are wider than the data within the cells. To change the vertical orientation of your text, you simply select the cells in question and then choose the appropriate orientation in the Alignment dialogue.
Having changed the orientation of the headings, you can probably make the columns much narrower. Excel offers a very useful way of doing this: simply select all the columns that contain data then in the Cell group of the Home Tab of the Excel Ribbon, choose Format and then AutoFit Columns. This option makes each of the highlighted columns no wider than it needs to be to display all the data it contains.
The author is a trainer and developer with Macresource Computer Training, an independent IT training company offering Excel 2007 training courses in London and throughout the UK.
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