Symmetry in AI?
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- morphinelips
If I am making a complex shape in illustrator, and I want it to be perfectly symmetrical, is there an automated way to do that? Right now I am just placing the shape on a grid and trying adjust the spines so that they are they same, but it is grunt work and inexact. Any better ways to do this?
- brooke0
Create half of the shape, then copy it. Reflect the copy & combine it (using pathfinder) with the original half.
Voila. Symmetry.
- kodap0
make your shape, split half, transform:reflect vertical (click copy button on the reflect panel)
- monNom0
I don't think you can do ithis in illustrator, but if yo've got a copy of 3d Studio MAX laying around, you can use that to edit your splines, and it gives you some pretty cool functionality
eg:
you can create one side of your spline, mirror it and set the mirrored one to be an instance of the other, so when you adjust the curve on one, it's automaticly reflected in the other... handy for when you're just eyeballing things until they look right.
you can then export the spline as an AI file I beleive.
it's not worth max for just that, but if you have it, might as well use it.
- morphinelips0
Omigosh, I hadn't ever seen the pathfinder window. Lots of usefeul stuff in there, thanks so much..
- CyBrainX0
Life begins and ends with the pathfinders. Sometimes, they're almost as good as sex, but I'm easily amused.
- unknown0
dude.. this guy was asking about illustrator and u get 3d max involved?.... jeez..
also.. dont forget the sub tools in the pathfinder [im still using illustrator 8] they give you 2 more options.. for traping colour..
also the align palette has a sub section if you close it and open it again.
- idea2design0
you can do symmetry with artlandia symmetry works...plugin for AI, or FILTERIT plugins....or...PanArray 4 illustrator