Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Blending Between Dissimilar
Control Points
A good demonstration of the power of blends in art is to map
a control point on the beginning shape to a point on a duplicate
shape that
doesn't
correspond to the other. Although you can
usually drag between two shapes and not worry about the
control points that make up the shapes' paths, when you have
Show Object edit handles enabled on the Infobar, you can see
the control points, and you can drag from one control point to
a different one to create an effect.
When you drag between two shapes, you might notice a tiny check mark on the cursor, an
indication that the blend operation is valid. You will see this regardless of which two control
points you blend between. You won't see the check mark if the two shapes are very close
together, the default number of steps will create overlapping intermediate shapes, and you've dragged from
a top object to an object below it in the hierarchy of shapes you have on a layer.
Creating a complex geometric pattern for a background is
as hard as drawing two straight lines and then “improperly”
mapping the paths' control points, as follows:
1.
In a new document, choose the Pen Tool. Set the outline
width on the Standard Bar to about 4 points.
Click a point on the page, and then click another point
2.
without dragging so the path is a line and not a curve.
Hold down
SHIFT
and click on the end point now to
finish it.
Repeat step 2 to create a second line, but make it travel
3.
at an odd angle to the first line.
Press
4.
CTRL
-
A
to select all, and then choose the Blend Tool.
Drag from the first control point on the first
5.
line to the first control point on the second
line, and then type
60
in the Steps field on
the Infobar (then press
ENTER
). You now
have an interesting blend; perhaps it looks
like a fan, but here's the cool part…
Drag with the Blend Tool from the start
6.
point on the first line to the
last
point
on the second line. Clearly, the second
Blend technique provides a more visually
interesting pattern.
