Illustrator :: How To Add Anchor To Left And Right Sides Of Rectangular Path At Exact Same Height
Jun 20, 2013
I am trying to add an anchor to the left and right sides of a rectangular path at the exact same height. The easy method seemed: drag a guide to the right point and add the anchors at the intersection. But this is adding the anchors to the guide rather than the path "underneath" the guide? How can I place the anchor on the path?
I am currently using CS2 working in a sign shop designing signs, banners and vehicle lettering.
When working with text I need to know the exact letter height, not the em and without the leading. I need it exactly the way it would measure if converting the text to outlines. The reason I need this information is that when I output the lettering to a cutter/plotter to cut vinyl media I need to know the exact measurement so I can nest my lettering on my media size. The media is typically 24" wide which gives me 22.5" of available space once the pinch rollers on the machine are considered. Pinch rollers are rollers that engage a knurled driving wheel and "pinches" the media between them and thus guides the media through the plotter. Of course, when using any media one must make the best use of it to avoid making scrap or using more than is needed for the job at hand. Converting text to outlines gives me that measurement.
One time awhile back I did a google search on this and found a one or two button fix that made the bounding box snap to the exact "ruler" height of the text. It worked great. But I got away from design work for a short period. When I returned I'd forgotten the process. Back when I did find it I never bookmarked or made a text file explaining the process and I'm ost in finding it again.
I don't know exactly how I worded the google search but the answer I was looking for came up on the first page. That's probably why I didn't feel the need to bookmark it or write it down. Now, I've googled dozens of different wordings for my question and get nothing. It's likely a nomenclature/jargon issue and I've yet to stumble on it again.
As it is, when I get to the point that I need to know the exact ruler height of my lettering I convert my text to outlines. But then, as sometimes happens, I'll desire to change the font or try someting different but the text is not live so I'll have to start over with that line of lettering.
I'm trying to get the position of point text from left anchor if left aligned, middle if center aligned and right if right aligned. is this even possible?
here are the keys of object I am trying to get at:
I could be wrong though it seems Illustrator only has centre points of objects and not midpoints of paths or paths on the side of objects. Can this be?
If there isnt one, how to locate accuratly the midpoint of a rectangle (which is on a 10 degree angle) on one of the short ends?
I have also tried to draw a path leading from the centre point of the rectangle running parrelell to one of the long sides, although it's not like Sketchup that works out your trying to keep the line running parelell.
I have made a curved path in Illustrator CS6, just a simple stroke (left in picture). Is there an easy way to round the corner of the end of it? Something like the image on the right? (I just tossed a circle over top to give an idea)
Is there any way to find a specific point on a path, that is not necessarily an anchor point?
What I'd like to be able to do is tell Illustrator "Give me the coordinates of the point that's exactly at half of this path's length" or "... exactly 25% ...". And if that's possible, can I somehow add an anchor point to that point, or cut the path at that point?
Im wondering if it is possible to rejoin an open path without removing the bezier handle of the open point.
I find that I quick switch to the direct selection tool to rotate my previously placed anchor or some other quick edit, and then when I want to carry on with the path I click the last point, which has the adverse effect for me of turning the open point into a mixed curve/corner and I have to redrawn the open anchor handle. Photoshop doesn't behave like this when clicking on open anchors, you have to alt click to achieve such behaviour.
I'm used to working with the pen tool in Adobe Photoshop, so Illustrator is just different enough to be problematic, since my automatic keyboard shortcut uses don't quite work. My biggest problem when drawing paths in Illustrator is that I can't figure out how to move individual anchor points without moving the entire connected path. I'm not using the direct selection right, or I don't have the rest of the path deselected properly, or something? How to move only individual anchor points in a path. (I am very tired of trying to move anchor points and ending up scooting the entire path along with it.)
General Information: Windows Vista (relevant only for keyboard shortcuts, I suppose) Illustrator CS2
I'm wondering how it's possible to drag only one handle out of an anchor point. Sometimes I have a path and some anchor points have only one handle dragged out. Now I want to adjust the other handle _without_ changing the already positioned handle. Is this even possible?
The "convert anchor point tool" does allow me to drag out handles, but only both at a time. This always results in changing the already positioned handle's position.
All I am trying to do is move an anchor from one location to another using vbscript. I have searched everywhere and scoured the scripting references but I have not been able to figure this out as of yet.
I am able to select anchor points without an issue....moving those points seems to be a problem.
Is it possible to find intersection poit of the anchor point and any point on path?
Like on a picture, there are an anchor poit from a line, which intersects arc path, and I need to find intersection poit on the arc (can be line) path. Thus I can do further processing for arc after intersection - change position, set color etc.
I suppose I need to divide that arc path and that will be the best way, but all I need for this moment extract point before intersection and after and process in our custom preview. Is there way to find this intersection?
In CS5, and in various documentation it doesn't appear possible to be a way to move multiple anchor points (as it is, in Photoshop). If this is the case... are you kidding me? Even Photoshop can do this.
Quite frankly, on my return to Illustrator, it's, as expected, Adobe has pulled a fast one with their suite of software. What was broken years ago is still broken today.
Photoshop needs the ability to add gradients to shapes, path brushing, symbols, ie the functionality of Illustrator needs to be placed into Photoshop.
Is there a way to remove redundant points whilst maintaining the exact shape of the path?
After using Pathfinder or Expand there are often many redundant points which can't be removed using Simplify or Unite.
The VectorScribe plugin has a Smart Remove Points feature which is exactly what I want. I'm presuming the only way I can get that feature is to buy the plugin.
A simple example is shown below: The path is part of an exact circle and I need to remove one of the anchors.
So i've got a stroke in a circular path. I use the scissor tool and cut a segment of it out. Now, i want to move one of the end points up and have the anchor points after it follow the movement to keep the smooth line. I think Flash had a tool like this. It allowed you to manipulate one point that would affect the whole path depending on how extreme or what direction you went.
I'm currently having troubles from having too many anchor points after "image trace" or "offset path tool".
1. I would like to know if there's a way of deleting useless points AT ONCE. (ex. multiple anchor points on a stait line, or duplicated points at one anchor point) - I've tried "Simplify" but it changed the picture too much. - I've tried "Remove redundant points" when using "image trace" but it came out as below:
2. Sometimes pathfinder seems to make duplicated paths. Is there any way of knowing that there are duplicated paths OR eraseing duplicated paths at ONCE?
Suppose I have an image 2000 pixels wide by 1000 pixels high. Pixel (0,0) is at the top left as you view the image. Using the rectangular selection tool, how can I specify an exact area to select? Say, for example, I want to select the area defined by (0,0), (100,0), (100,100) & (0,100), how would I do this?
Is there any way to locate exact center of a circle in after effects? I made a perfect circle in photo editing program and since layer's boundaries corresponded to circle's edges, i thought that anchor point in after effects will be exactly at the center. but it's not the case - the anchor point is at the center of a composition!
I imported the circle .psd layer together with other layers as a composition, does this have any importance? As i said,the circle layer boundaries corresond with circles edges, not with canvas' edges in my photo editing program. But whe i solo the circle layer, i see that the anchor point is at the center of a composition, not the layer.
So now i have to place anchor point at the center manualy, and it's pretty difficult to do it perfectly. when i rotate the circle, it wobbles and wobbles.
I'm just wondering if there's some function to add an anchor point on a path between (exactly in the middle) two anchor points. Like Object > Path > Add Anchor Points, except only between two selected anchor points.
Sometimes I can click on one end of the anchor and have it select ONLY that end, then I can move that anchor.
However, more and more often, it will only let me move BOTH anchors simultaneously and I have not been able to figure out how to make it stop doing that. Sometimes it will start working again as mysteriously and apparently randomly as it quit working, but more and more I'm just giving up in frustration and not getting any work done!
According to this tutorial, Gimp should exhibit that behavior only when you do an ALT mouse click. Keyboard is nowhere near me! I'm not pressing the ALT key! I can't stop this and it's driving me batty!
How to get count of path anchor points? I'm pathing right now pearl necklace with very diferent colors and some are almost transparent so i didn't know how to use any masking trick on it. So i'm pathing, pathing and pathing one more time. And after 1+ hour start to wondering is there any way to know how many path points i'd made?
I am creating a vector shape and I was wondering how to join points. Here is a sreenshot so that you understand my problem better: Or is this just not possible is photoshop and I have to use Adobe Illustrator ?
I have a shape in illustrator CS6 that I'm trying to edit. When I try to click on a point with the Delete Anchor Point Tool nothing happens however I am able to select the point using the Direct Selection Tool and then remove it using the "Remove selected anchor points" option in the Control palette. Same issue with trying to use the Convert Anchor Point Tool.
Is this possible? The polygon tool always reverts to 6 sides, I would like to be able to change that and have whatever No. of sides I choose 'stick' until I decide to change it again.
If I draw a rectangle and use Extrude&Bevel to create a 3D "box" shape, how do I wrap a single line of text around three of the sides? I've created a Symbol from the text, and it shows up in the "Map Art" dialog window's "Symbols" selection, but only one face of the 3D box is shown at a time. I was hoping to see a flattened box shape showing all six faces so I could accurately place the line of text. Similar to what you see when you revolve a path to get a 3D object.
It's even worse if I apply a bevelled edge to the extrusion -- then there are 40 separate "faces" to deal with.
I have a template for a marquee. There are 4 sides to it, so I wondered if there is a way to duplicate the artwork from the first side onto all other sides...without doing them individually 4 times?
So if I select the roof, for example, and insert artwork - can the other 3 roofs be 'linked' in some way, so they become duplicates automatically?
I've tried recording an action for copying, rotating, moving and pasting but it keeps coming up with an error about the Move function not being available.
Using illustrator CC, I want to curve the bottom line of my text upwards, but not have the top or sides move at all. Imagine of the text was something squishy, and I pushed it down onto the top of an arc. I've only been working with Adobe CC for about a week now. I've seen lots of examples of having the text follow a curved path, but they all curve the entire thing, whereas I only want the bottom of the text to curve.
For some reason I do not understand I cannot change the number of sides of a polygon by dubble clicking on the tool. For other tools (where you can change something) this is no problem and workes, but not for the polygon tool.