MandalaMaker™ Tips & Tricks

Here are some tips for using MandalaMaker effectively:

• When drawing your mandala it is often best to start with the "outside" of your drawing (i.e. the largest radius shapes) and work in toward the center.
  
  
• To create Moiré type patterns, you can draw a Spiral of Circles with the "Radius Step" set to "-2" or "+2." This trick also works to a lesser degree with some of the other shapes.
  
  
• Using the Spiral Palette on shapes with no fill color creates some of the best Spiral effects.
  
  
• Experiment with changing the background color after you finish your drawing. You may find one that looks even better.
  
  
• To remove or mask off the outer part of your drawing, set the shape to "Circle" and set the "Radius" to the inside size of the area you wish to mask. In the Spiral Palette, set the "Radius Step" to "+1," and the "# of Steps" to a large number. Set the line color to the background color and the fill color to none. Add the Spiral. This will create a "doughnut" of background color. If this does not mask to the edge of the frame, increase the radius to the outside of the doughnut, and add another Spiral.
  
  
• Remember that the Canvas window is resizable. You can enlarge it to draw very large designs, or reduce it to make small ones. You can resize the Canvas at any time during drawing. Your mandala will always remain centered in the Canvas.
  
  
• If you set a "Star" shape with a very large "Sharpness" (say 98 or 99) and set line color to none and fill color of your choice, you will have an interesting starburst effect. This is particularly effective with a white or yellow fill color against a black background.
  
  
• As mentioned elsewhere, you can "tweak" a slider with the arrow keys, once you activate it by clicking on it. The "left" and "down" arrows reduce the number by one, the "right" and "up" arrows increase it by one, and the "Page Up" and "Page Down" keys enlarge or reduce the number by a larger increment which depends on the total scope of the particular slider.
  
  

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