To construct a rich user interface, you need the building blocks. JavaFX provides a large range of very customizable graphical instruments. We'll start from the smallest building blocks—shapes, text, and simple controls—and will use them to understand how JavaFX works with graphical elements.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics

• Creating and customizing the shapes
• Working with text
• Coordinates and bounds
• Basic controls

By combining and customizing these Nodes and arranging them using the layout managers we reviewed in the previous chapter, you can already build a sophisticated UI. At the end of the chapter, we'll revisit the Clock application from the previous chapter to demonstrate the topics we learned in a more complex application.