The Rounded Rectangle tool is very similar to the Rectangle tool. Just drag out the shape while the tool is selected, and you can use all of the same key commands to create rounded rectangles and squares. Remember to hold down the Shift key when you want to make a rounded square. Refer to the Rectangle tool for more details on other key commands. As you drag out the shape, you can use your up and down arrow keys on your keyboard to adjust the corner radius. Left and right keys will turn your edges from rounded to cornered.
If you want to enter the dialog box and enter some exact settings, then click the artboard while the tool is selected. In this dialog box, beside the earlier rectangle settings (width, height, and constrain width and height proportions link) is a setting for all four- corner radius. However, you can later adjust each corner individually as we will look
at that in more detail later when we review the Transform panel. For now, click OK to commit your settings. Refer to Figure 6-8
Figure 6-8. Toolbars’ Rounded Rectangle tool, Rounded Rectangle dialog box, and rounded rectangles on the artboard. Use arrows when you drag out a shape without the dialog box
Again, with this shape, while selected, you can use the live corner widgets to continue to adjust the shape. Rounded rectangles are often good for containers for surrounding legend or another shape and are gentler in appearance than the angled rectangle.
Ellipse Tool (L)
The Ellipse tool is good for drawing ovals and circles while the tool is selected. Just drag out the shape of an oval, or while dragging, hold down the Shift key for a circle. You can also use your Alt or Alt/Option+Shift combination as you did with the Rectangle tool. If you want a precise shape, then click the artboard. Like the square, you can set the width, height, and constrain width and height proportions using the link. Refer to Figure 6-9.
Figure 6-9. Toolbar’s Ellipse tool, Ellipse dialog box, and ellipses on the artboard
The ellipse can be divided into a wedge or segment by dragging on pie widgets start or end angle circle handles. This is a great way to create parts of a rudimentary pie chart design, but it is not an actual graph in which data can be adjusted. We will look at some more detail on this pie shape later in Chapter 9 in the infographic resume example and on the topic of pie graphs in Volume 2. Refer to Figure 6-10.
Figure 6-10. Create a pie angle using the Ellipse tool and the pie widgets