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<title>Symbol</title>
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<h1>Symbol</h1>
<p>Symbols allow you to place multiple instances of an item in your
project. This can save memory, since all instances of a symbol simply refer
to the original item and it can speed up moving around complex objects, since
internal properties such as segment lists and gradient positions don't need
to be updated with every transformation.</p>
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<div class="reference-members"><h2>Constructors</h2>
<div id="symbol-item" class="member">
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<a name="symbol-item" href="#symbol-item"><tt><b>Symbol</b>(item[, dontCenter])</tt></a>
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<p>Creates a Symbol item.</p>
<ul><b>Parameters:</b>
<li>
<tt>item:</tt>
<a href="../classes/Item.html"><tt>Item</tt></a>
— the source item which is copied as the definition of
the symbol
</li>
<li>
<tt>dontCenter:</tt>
<tt>Boolean</tt>
— optional, default: <tt>false</tt>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
<b>Example</b> — Placing 100 instances of a symbol:
</p>
<div class="paperscript split">
<div class="buttons">
<div class="button run">Run</div>
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<script type="text/paperscript" canvas="canvas-0">
var path = new Path.Star(new Point(0, 0), 6, 5, 13);
path.style = {
fillColor: 'white',
strokeColor: 'black'
};
// Create a symbol from the path:
var symbol = new Symbol(path);
// Remove the path:
path.remove();
// Place 100 instances of the symbol:
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++) {
// Place an instance of the symbol in the project:
var instance = symbol.place();
// Move the instance to a random position within the view:
instance.position = Point.random() * view.size;
// Rotate the instance by a random amount between
// 0 and 360 degrees:
instance.rotate(Math.random() * 360);
// Scale the instance between 0.25 and 1:
instance.scale(0.25 + Math.random() * 0.75);
}
</script>
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<div class="reference-members"><h2>Properties</h2>
<div id="project" class="member">
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<a name="project" href="#project"><tt><b>project</b></tt></a>
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<p>The project that this symbol belongs to.</p>
<p>Read only.</p>
<ul><b>Type:</b>
<li>
<a href="../classes/Project.html"><tt>Project</tt></a>
</li>
</ul>
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<div id="definition" class="member">
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<a name="definition" href="#definition"><tt><b>definition</b></tt></a>
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<div class="member-text">
<p>The symbol definition.</p>
<ul><b>Type:</b>
<li>
<a href="../classes/Item.html"><tt>Item</tt></a>
</li>
</ul>
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<div class="reference-members"><h2>Methods</h2>
<div id="place" class="member">
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<a name="place" href="#place"><tt><b>place</b>([position])</tt></a>
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<div class="member-text">
<p>Places in instance of the symbol in the project.</p>
<ul><b>Parameters:</b>
<li>
<tt>position:</tt>
— The position of the placed symbol.
— optional
</li>
</ul>
<ul><b>Returns:</b>
<li>
<tt><a href="../classes/PlacedSymbol.html"><tt>PlacedSymbol</tt></a></tt>
</li>
</ul>
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<div id="clone" class="member">
<div class="member-link">
<a name="clone" href="#clone"><tt><b>clone</b>()</tt></a>
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<div class="member-text">
<p>Returns a copy of the symbol.</p>
<ul><b>Returns:</b>
<li>
<tt><a href="../classes/Symbol.html"><tt>Symbol</tt></a></tt>
</li>
</ul>
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<p class="footer">Copyright © 2011 <a href="http://www.lehni.org" target="_blank">Jürg Lehni</a> & <a href="http://www.jonathanpuckey.com" target="_blank">Jonathan Puckey</a>. All Rights Reserved.</p>
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