Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
stacking order determines the appearance of the paths as they are joined to
it.
•
Average and join two endpoints that are not on top of each other
using
-Option-
Shift-J/Ctrl-Alt-Shift-J.
•
To average (without joining) endpoints,
select any number of points with the
Direct Selection or Lasso tool on any number of objects; then use -Option-
J/Ctrl-Alt-J to average the points along horizontal, vertical, or both axes. If
you have the path selected, but not specific points, then all points will be
averaged together. If you use the Direct Selection or Lasso tool to select
points, then the Align icons in the Control panel or Align panel will average
the points, rather than align the objects.
DRAW BEHIND AND DRAW INSIDE
Illustrator has three drawing mode icons near the bottom of your Tools
panel: Normal, Behind, and Inside. Once you click the Draw Behind icon,
anything that you paste or draw will be the backmost object in your current
layer, or, if you have something selected, will be placed directly behind the
currently selected object. (Paste in Front and Paste in Back still work as
expected, and ignore the drawing mode.) If the Draw Behind mode is active
when you add a new layer to your file, it will add it behind the active layer. To
create an object with a different appearance from the selected object, create it
first, then change the new object's attributes. Or, if you want to be able to set
an object's attributes before drawing it, enter isolation mode first. The object
you're drawing behind doesn't need to be selected when you're in isolation
mode. You can safely deselect it, and then set the attributes for each new
object before you draw it.
Draw Inside is only available when one object (or compound path or text
object) is selected, and will quickly make a
clipping mask
out of the selected
object. When your originally selected object is automatically converted to this
special clipping mask, it loses any attributes beyond the basic stroke and a
fill, so art brushes or live effects, for instance, are removed. To set up your
object for Draw Inside, first select it, then click on the Drawing Mode icon in
the Tools panel and choose Draw Inside. Your selected object will display the
dotted corners of a bounding box. Next deselect the object (the dotted box
remains); now you can choose your drawing tool or brush and its attributes.
Now you only have to draw over the object to have any strokes or fills that
extend outside to be clipped to the boundaries of the selected object. Your
clipping mask object and whatever you have drawn inside are now a group.
To edit any part of this new object, use the Direct Selection tool or target it in
the Layers panel and edit as a regular vector object. You can even apply
effects to the entire group, if you desire. You can also copy and paste artwork
in Draw Inside mode, which will clip the artwork inside text, for example.
Learn more about working with clipping masks in the
Mastering Complexity
chapter.
Toggle drawing modes
You can use the keyboard shortcut Shift-D to switch between available modes. Keep an eye
on the changing icon to know which drawing mode you have selected.
