One of the biggest advantages computers give us in terms of creating art is the ability to edit or transform art. I remember when I used to draw squares for a layout, and send out for several copies of them to save time when doing layout. Now I can create numerous duplicates of art in nanoseconds. By scaling, rotating, and reflecting existing art, we not only cut production times in half, but we create better, more accurate art as well (see Figure 12.1). In this hour we discuss:
By drawing only half of the image, and then reflecting a copy of it, you can create a symmetrical image in half the time.
Illustrator has five transformation functions: Move, Rotate, Scale, Reflect, and Shear. Illustrator 7 also has a new feature called Transform Each that enables you to apply several different transformations to several different objects--all in one step. There's also the Transform palette, which makes for quick and precise transformations.
Before we begin, I want to point out one particular keyboard shortcut that is a real time-saver--especially when it comes to transformations. Pressing the (Command)[Control] key at any time activates the most recent selection tool you've used. If, for example, you last used the black arrow, pressing the (Command)[Control] key while using any of Illustrator's other tools temporarily activates the black arrow.
When it comes to transformations, you are always selecting objects and making minor changes to the art, and it's a pain to have to switch back and forth between the transformation tools and the selection tools. With the (Command)[Control] key, the selection tool is always just a keystroke away. By the way, pressing (Command-Tab)[Control-Tab] toggles between the black and white arrow.
Although not necessarily a transformation in that the actual object is changed, moving an image is considered a transformation because the coordinates of the object are being changed.
To demonstrate, press F8 to open the Info palette (see Figure 12.2). Now, select the Rectangle tool (press R) and move your mouse around the screen. There are four fields in the Info palette: X, Y, W, and H. Notice the X and Y numbers are changing as you move the mouse. These are the coordinates of your cursor and they represent the starting point of your rectangle (either the center point or the upper-left point, depending on which rectangle tool you are using). After you begin drawing the rectangle, the other W and H (width and height) coordinates become active, giving you real-time feedback as to the size of your object.
Illustrator's Info palette: In this example the measurements are shown in inches, as per my setting in Preferences (see Hour 2, "Customizing Illustrator").
We already learned one way to move an object; by clicking and dragging on a selection. Illustrator also lets you move things more precisely. If you click and drag a selection, and then hold down the Shift key, you are only able to drag your selection in increments of 45 degrees.
Want to get even more precise? After you make your selection, you can use your keyboard's arrows (up, down, left and right) to "nudge" your selection, one increment at a time. You can control how much each nudge is in the Keyboard Shortcuts section in Preferences (see Fig-ure 12.3).
The value in the Cursor Key field determines how much a "nudge" is.
But you say you need even more precision? After all, we are dealing with a computer, right? To move a selection numerically, make your selection and then double-click the Selection tool in the Toolbox (the black arrow). You are presented with a dialog box where you can specify an exact amount to three decimal places (see Figure 12.4). The dialog box also lets you create a copy, and even sports a Preview button that enables you to view the results of the move before clicking OK.
Double-clicking the black arrow brings up the Move dialog box.
There's yet another way to move something: Illustrator's new Transform palette, which we get to soon.
The remaining four transformation tools, Rotate, Scale, Reflect, and Shear, are all very similar. As you should know by now, before making any transformations, you must first make a selection. Otherwise, Illustrator has no idea what it is you want to transform. A rectangle works best for demonstration purposes.
When you select the Rotate tool (R), notice that a different symbol has appeared at the center of your selection (see Figure 12.5). This is your origin point. With the Rotate tool, your origin point is the rotation point, which means your selection revolves around that point. To rotate the object, simply click and drag (see Figure 12.6). Clicking the outer portion of a selection makes it easier to control the transformation. Holding the Shift key while dragging constrains your rotation to increments of 45 degrees.
Besides the usual selection points, when performing a transformation, Illustrator indicates the origin point.
Notice the object rotates around the origin point.
You can move the origin point to better control your transformations by clicking and dragging it. Go ahead, try it! Drag the origin point to the lower-left corner of the rectangle (see Figure 12.7). Notice that the origin point takes advantage of Snap to Point, which makes aligning images a lot easier to do. Now click and drag from the opposite side of the rectangle, and notice how the object now rotates from the lower-left corner (see Figure 12.8).
Repositioning the origin point.
The object, being rotated around the newly placed origin point.
Besides being able to freely rotate a selection, you can also precisely rotate an object numerically. To do so, double-click the Rotate tool. This brings up the Rotate dialog box (see Figure 12.9). After specifying a rotation angle, you can choose OK to rotate your selection, or you can choose Copy, which rotates a duplicate of your selection, and leave the original selection untouched (see Figure 12.10).
The Rotate dialog box.
Clicking Copy transforms a duplicate while leaving the original untouched.
Double-clicking the Rotate tool always rotates the selection numerically from the center, but what if you want to rotate a selection numerically from a different origin point? After you have the Rotate tool selected, hold down the (Option)[Alt] key and click where you want the origin point to be. The Rotate dialog box appears, and the origin point is where you clicked.
Time Saver: When using the Rotate dialog box, if the object you are rotating is filled with a pattern, you have the option to rotate the object without rotating the pattern, to rotate the pattern and the object simultaneously, or to rotate just the pattern (see Figure 12.11). Without using the dialog box, you can rotate just the pattern fill if you press and hold the tilde key (~) while dragging to rotate. The tilde key shortcut works with any of the transformation tools, including Move.
From left to right, the original object, the object rotated without the fill, the object and the fill rotated together, and the fill rotated without the object.
Probably the most frequently used transformation tool, the Scale tool (S) is used to resize selected objects, making them larger or smaller. Just like the Rotate tool, the Scale tool also uses an origin point to determine which point to scale from.
Illustrator's Scale tool.
To use the Scale tool, drag inward toward the origin point to reduce the object in size. Drag outward from the origin point to enlarge the object. You can move the origin point by pressing and dragging it or just clicking to create a new origin point. If you hold down the Shift key as you drag, the object scales proportionally.
To scale items from the center, numerically, double-click the Scale tool to bring up the Scale dialog box (see Figure 12.13). Although Scale line weight appears in General Preferences (see Hour 2), it appears here again, in case you want to make an exception (see Figure 12.14).
The Scale dialog box.
As with the Rotate tool, if you want to scale a selection numerically, but from a specified origin point, select the Scale tool and (Option-click)[Alt-click] where you want the origin point to be.
The Reflect tool (O) is also known as the mirror tool (see Figure 12.15). Working in the same way as the Rotate and Scale tools, the Reflect tool flips a selection horizontally or vertically. This tool is most useful for creating symmetrical artwork. After creating half of your art, simply flip a copy of it to complete the image (see Figure 12.16).
The box on the left has been reduced with Scale line weight off. The box on the right has Scale line weight turned on. It appears to be an optical illusion, but the stroke has remained the same in the first example and been scaled proportionally in the second.
Illustrator's Reflect tool.
By using the Reflect tool, you can create a perfect image in half the time.
As with the other transformation tools, holding the Shift key constrains movement to 45 degree increments, and double-clicking the Reflect tool or (Option-clicking)[Alt-clicking] in the document brings up the Reflect dialog box (see Figure 12.17).
The Reflect dialog box.
The last of the transformation tools, the Shear tool (W), as shown in Figure 12.18, is used to skew objects (see Figure 12.19). Again, this transformation tool is like the others when it comes to specifying an origin point, and using the Shift key. Of course, double-clicking the Shear tool brings up the Shear dialog box (see Figure 12.20), and (Option-clicking)[Alt-clicking] in your document defines an origin point and enables you to specify a shear numerically.
Illustrator's Shear tool.
A square that has been sheared. Notice that by shearing a copy of the star, I can create a cast shadow.
The Shear dialog box.
The Transform Each function offers two excellent features: the ability to perform Scale, Move, and Rotate transformations simultaneously; and the ability to transform each object in a selection independently of each other. Let's take a closer look.
First, multiple transformations are a snap with Transform Each. Choose Object
TransformTransform
Each (see Figure 12.21) to bring up the Transform Each dialog box (see Figure 12.22).
Here you can specify measurements for Scaling, Moving, and Rotating your selection.
A Preview button enables you to view your transformation in real-time. We'll see
in a minute how this feature is more powerful than you think.
Choosing Transform Each.
The Transform Each dialog box.
The second feature we mentioned was the ability to transform multiple objects individually. To demonstrate, I've created a grid of squares (see Figure 12.23). If I select all of the squares, and use the Rotate tool to rotate my selection 45 degrees, my entire selection rotates as one piece (see Figure 12.24). If I use the Transform Each command with the same selection and specify a 45-degree rotation, however, each square rotates individually (see Figure 12.25).
Many squares.
A normal rotate rotates all objects around the center point of the entire selection.
Transform Each rotates each square around its own center.
The Random button in the Transform Each dialog box transforms each object a little differently, making for an irregular, almost hand-drawn look (see Figure 12.26).
Using Transform Each's Random feature.
As you've seen in all of the transformation dialog boxes, there is a button to make the transformation on a copy of the object. Holding the (Option)[Alt] button as you drag with any transformation tool does the same thing. If you want to rotate a copy of a selection, just hold down the (Option)[Alt] key as you drag to rotate. Even when dragging items with the black or white arrows, holding the (Option)[Alt] key creates a duplicate. Be sure to release the mouse button before you let go of the (Option)[Alt] key.
Without a doubt, the most powerful transform function in Illustrator is Transform Again. The keystroke combination for it is (Command-D)[Control-D]. Learn it. Transform Again applies the last transform that you've done, which is why Sandee Cohen, of vector fame, likes to call the function "Do It Again," which also makes it easier to remember (Command-D)[Control-D]. Let's do a few simple exercises:
Rotating the square.
Getting dizzy?
7. Now create a duplicate of the square by clicking and dragging it while holding the (Option)[Alt] key (see Figure 12.29).
Duplicating the square.
Many squares.
Now let's go back to the Transform Each function. Remember, using Transform Each, we can apply several transformations in one step. Using the Transform Again function in conjunction with Transform Each gives us a powerful means to apply multiple transformations again and again--quickly.
You knew it was coming, didn't you? That's right, another Illustrator palette. The Transform palette lets you quickly specify transformations (see Figure 12.31).
First, notice the funny-looking icon on the far left (see Figure 12.32). This is a proxy that determines where the origin point is. Although you can't precisely position the origin point as you could with a transform tool, clicking the little squares lets you quickly specify center, upper-left corner, and so on.
The Transform palette.
The Transform Proxy for determining the origin point.
You can move objects around in your document by entering the X and Y coordinates. To change the width and height of your selected objects, enter new values in the W and H fields. But what if you only know one dimension and want to transform your object proportionally? Let's say, for example, you want to make your object 3 inches wide. Put 3 inches in the W field and then hold down the (Command)[Control] key and press Enter. Illustrator automatically figures out the correct height, scaling your object proportionally.
There are also fields for rotation and shearing. If you hold down the (Option)[Alt] key when pressing enter, Illustrator creates a duplicate and leaves the original item untouched.
Because we're talking all about moving things around, I thought now might be a good time to introduce you to the Align palette (yet another Illustrator palette to deal with). The Align palette, as shown in Figure 12.33, was at one time a list of commands under the Filter menu. As a palette, it is much easier to use and understand. To use it, simply select your objects and click any of the Align or Distribute buttons. Distribute works by taking the two outermost objects, and then evenly spacing the objects that appear between them. To center two objects vertically and horizontally, for example, you would click the Horizontal Align Center button, and then the Vertical Align Center button (see Figure 12.34).
The Align palette.
From left to right: the original objects, after horizontally aligning them, and then after vertically aligning them.
Today was topsy-turvy day. We flipped, flopped, turned, moved, rotated, scaled, slanted, and jolted. We also learned about some new palettes, plus some pretty cool features, such as (Command-D)[Control-D] and Transform Each.
Scale--The act of resizing an object.
Rotate--The act of making an object turn on a 2-dimensional axis.
Reflect--The act of flipping an object to create a mirror image.
Shear--The act of skewing an object, giving the appearance of a slant.
Align--Command used to align objects in respect to each other.
Distribute--Command used to evenly distribute objects throughout a specified distance.
© Copyright, Macmillan Computer Publishing. All rights reserved.