illustrator question
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- MLP
is there a way to distribute identical shapes around a path? i'm trying to draw a bicycle chainring (basically a gear..) and am trying to find out an easier way than dividing up the amount of valleys for the degree of rotation, etc.
any ideas?
- neue75_bold0
I could explain but first I need to know how good your cuneiform skills are...
- brooke0
Make a pattern?
- Aitch0
Use the path as a type path, then use a font that has perfectly round O's. Distribute the O's using your kerning tool, then convert the O's into paths.
- MLP0
i would use o's but the teeth are kind of a rounded V shape. here is the ring i'm drawing.
the dude i'm doing it for specifically wanted a campy pista ring.
- horton0
do what the people said and then filter/ round corners.
- Aitch0
Yeah, know what you're saying, but it'd get you pretty close. Otherwise you could build a finished "tooth" and rotate it around the centre, so the base of each tooth is touching one another. Obviously you'd have to do the math so you're divisible by 360° but it'd be spot on.
- brooke0
If you're just drawing right over the picture, why not draw one of the rounded triangular shapes, then rotate it (from the center) once to the left (or right), and continuously distribute (command D) until they go all the way around... ?
- horton0
or if you need to be more exact, draw 1 of your teeth on topmost point of a circle, then use the rotate tool anchored from teh center of said circle to rotate 1x the precise amount, then cmd-D, cmd-D... to repeat.
when you rotate that first piece turn on smart guides to snap it as an exact rotation.
easy.
- brooke0
Haha.
- horton0
haha 3x the same solution!
- MLP0
cool i'll try that. the picture is at a slight skew, so it's not a perfect circle... i'm kind of having to adjust the perspective
- tommyo0
design one chain link...drag it into your brushes pallet, choose 'pattern brush', from there you can play with different settings. I did this in 2.3 seconds so it could use some playing with but you can see:
- monNom0
new solution:
draw one tooth, drag to brushes palette and select pattern brush
then draw circle, pick your new cog brush and presto!
- tommyo0
I guess I should read questions better before providing answers.
- MLP0
that brush trick worked like a charm. thx
- tommyo0
There is the proper graphic!!
- tommyo0
or...
There is the proper graphic!!
Ok seriously...it's break time.
- tommyo0
Why didn't I just rename the file on the server? Okay it's time to go read a book.
- MLP0
for some reason the pattern in the brush won't go end to end... it is slightly off.. any way to adjust this?
- monNom0
try it like this:
make sure your stroke width is consistent or you'l end up with different sized teeth.