1. Overview of Library and Interface
Hi there, welcome to the Eagle tutorial. I’m here to help you get familiar with Eagle.
Eagle is a powerful software that helps you easily collect and organize various design assets including cases, inspirations, images, and video clips. Whether you're a graphic designer or a concept artist, Eagle helps you put your design assets in great order immediately.
Download Eagle
Eagle can be installed on Windows and Mac computers, and we are currently offering a 30-day free trial for new users. You can download it from our
homepage. Now, I'll show you what Eagle can do. Just follow my lead!
Create your first design library
Open Eagle after your installation is complete. Let's create your first design library. I’ll show you how to step by step.
1. Enter the library name
Click on "Create Library", and give it a suitable name. You can name it depending on your usage. For example, my inspirations, design assets, or graphic design, you name it!
2. Select a location to save your library
Here is a thing to remember: any change to Eagle is saved on the local machine, so I highly suggest you to select a secured path to avoid deleting your precious data by mistake.
Note: If you would like to sync your library to other devices, save it on the cloud or the NAS drive.
Interface
Sidebar
On the left side is the sidebar. It mainly contains two parts: asset navigation list and folders. To add a new folder, click the "+" button. If you want to add images into Eagle, just drag the images on your computer and drop them in the middle area.
Image List
The middle area of the interface is the image list. You can check the assets of the selected category. You can also right-click on the list to switch the image layout.
Toolbar
The upper part of the interface is the toolbar. It is for controlling the current display content and display mode. The slider in the middle allows you to adjust the image display size.
Filter
On the upper right side is the filter and search bar. With these tools, you can find the images you need immediately. Type any keyword into the search bar, and the thing in your mind would pop up.
Inspector
On the right side of the interface is the inspector. It allows you to check the properties of the assets you select. Moreover, you can edit the assets' properties including the title, tag, and URL in the inspector.
If you want to hide the sidebar and the inspector, you can click the square button on the top of the sidebar, or simply press "tab" on your keyboard to hide them in order to maximize your image list.
Preferences
Last but not least, if you would like to change your preferred language or the theme color, click "Preferences" on the menu. You can customize an interface that suits your needs and habits.
Thank you for spending your time for a quick overview of the interface. In the
next episode, I will show you how to add and sort your design assets in Eagle.